Riskiest Jobs You Can Do in the U. S.
Think your job is risky? Think again. In this article, we’ll reveal the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. From logging workers to construction equipment operators, keep reading to see if your job makes the list of the most dangerous. Prepare yourself, because these jobs aren’t for the faint-hearted.
Lumberjack
Logging isn’t just chopping trees and looking rugged. These people battle giant falling trees, slippery slopes, and loud machinery. One wrong move, and it’s game over. This is the deadliest job in the U.S., with around 98.9 deaths per 100,000 workers.
Deepsea Fisherman
A lot can go wrong out on the open sea. Fishers face raging storms, slippery decks, and heavy nets that can drag you overboard. It’s nothing like a peaceful day with a fishing pole. Around 19 people die each year from drowning or boat disasters.
Construction Worker
Building stuff sounds cool - until scaffolding collapses, equipment backfires, or you come in contact with a live wire. Construction workers live in a world of moving parts and hidden hazards that sees over 1,000 people dying each year.
Pilot
Want to be a pilot? It’s not all autopilot, flying to exotic destinations, and coffee breaks. Crop dusters, private pilots, and bush pilots deal with small planes, tight landings, and crazy weather. The aircraft industry sees around 62 deaths every year.
Refuse Collector
Refuse collection is more than tossing trash into a big truck. It’s also about dodging traffic, lifting heavy junk, and dealing with sharp or toxic trash - all while hanging off a moving vehicle. The fatality rate is around 41 deaths per year.
Steel Worker
Imagine walking up a beam 50 stories up with nothing but a harness and rope. That’s a normal day for structural iron and steel workers. And let’s not forget about the welding sparks. It’s easy to see why this job has a fatality rate of 19.8 deaths per 100,000 workers.
Trucker
Truckers put in long, lonely hours on the road while tired, stressed, and battling traffic and bad weather. All it takes is one blown tire or a careless driver, and you have over 984 fatalities in this industry per year.
Farmer
If you think farming is peaceful, you’re mistaken. Try dealing with powerful tractors, unpredictable animals, and crazy weather all day. Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers often die due to machinery accidents or being crushed, kicked, or thrown at a rate of 20.2 people per 100,000.
Electrical Power-Line Installer
Electrical power-line installers and repairers have seen it all. Climbing poles in storms to fix live wires really is as risky as it sounds. A single mistake leads to a deadly fall or a fatal jolt. The fatality rate is about 150 per year.
Construction Equipment Operator
Construction equipment operators have their hands full driving bulldozers, backhoes, and cranes. These aren’t toys - they’re giant, rumbling machines that tip, crush, or roll right over workers. There are currently around 16 deaths per year in the construction trade.
Landscaper
Landscapers and groundskeepers do more than just mow grass and trim bushes. They wrangle chainsaws, battle heatwaves, and breathe in all kinds of chemicals. Add in power tools, and you’ve got a fatality rate of over 200 deaths annually in the U.S.
Police Officer
Every shift for a police officer could turn into a life-or-death situation. Cops deal with armed suspects, car crashes, and unpredictable people - sometimes all at once. Roughly 130 policemen die on the job each year, with violence and gunfire being the biggest threats.
Firefighter
Firefighters don’t just face flames - they face collapsing buildings, smoke, toxic gases, and crazy heat. Then throw in rescue calls, car crashes, and medical emergencies. It’s no easy feat being a firefighter, and about 60 to 70 die each year.
Roofer
Roofers spend their days way up high under the blazing sun or freezing rain and wind, armed only with tools and zero room for error. One little gust of wind and down you go. Falls are the number one killer in the roofing industry, with around 113 deaths per year.
Mineworker
Mineworkers and mining machine operators dive into dark tunnels with loud machines that could easily crush, explode, or cave in at any moment. They’re deep underground with limited ways out. Despite safety advances and equipment, no less than 28 people die in this job annually.
Roof Bolter
Imagine drilling into rock above your head in a mine to stop it from caving in, all while hoping it doesn’t cave in. That’s roof bolting - a niche job that has one of the highest injury rates underground. At least 50 deaths are reported yearly.
Logging Equipment Operator
Logging is already dangerous. Now add in giant machines that cut, grab, and move entire trees. The life of a logging equipment operator isn’t easy - just one mechanical glitch or bad terrain, and it’s a disaster. Operators face fatality rates of over 50 per 100,000 workers.
Delivery Driver
Delivery drivers have their work cut out for them. It’s more than just dropping off packages - it’s distracted drivers, bad weather, long hours, and some pretty poor tips. Sadly, around 1000 delivery drivers don’t make it to the end of their shift every year.
Industrial Machinery Installer
Working inside massive machines is far from glamorous. These workers face crushing parts, high voltage, and sometimes work in tight, awkward spaces. The fatality rate for this job in the U.S. is currently at 5.3 per 100,000 workers.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator
From toxic fumes and deep tanks to powerful machines, the job of a wastewater treatment plant operator is anything but glamorous. Sure, it’s not the most dangerous, but it’s not a job we’d want to do. There are only around 30 deaths per year.
Correctional Officer
Correctional officers have one of the toughest jobs around. They’re outnumbered, under constant stress, and surrounded by bad people who might want to hurt them. On average, around 30 officers die each year because of violence inside jails and prisons in the U.S.
Zoo Keeper, Farmhand, or Handler
Petting animals for a living sounds great, right? Now, when you’re an animal care and service worker looking after animals that kick, bite, or charge at you. Zoo keepers, farmhands, and handlers face everything from cranky goats to angry tigers, and there are around 200 deaths per year.
Commercial Diver
Commercial divers work under tons of water, in freezing conditions, and with very little room for error. One faulty valve or miscalculation leads to serious accidents that see up to 10 commercial divers dying in the U.S. alone every year. Many die from drowning and decompression sickness.
Oil or Gas Extraction Worker
Oil and gas extraction workers have their work cut out for them. Working around explosive gases, high-pressure systems, and heavy drilling rigs is super risky, and there are around 35 deaths per year. Fires, blowouts, and equipment failure are the leading causes.
Cab Driver
Taxi and ride-hailing drivers face more than just traffic - they face robberies, assaults, and very long, exhausting hours on busy streets. Every day brings new unpredictability. Sadly, around 70 drivers die on U.S. roads every year in crashes and due to violence.
Janitor or Custodian
Being a janitor or custodian might sound simple. It’s just cleaning and fixing stuff, right? Wrong. You need to factor in slippery floors, electrical work, and handling chemicals. It’s a lot more dangerous than it looks, and nearly 100 deaths are reported each year.
Crane Operator
Lifting multi-ton loads while 100 feet in the air? What could possibly go wrong? Well, a lot, and being a crane operator is one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. One wrong signal or wind gust spells catastrophe and causes around 30 deaths per year.
Sheet Metal Worker
Sheet metal workers shape, cut, and weld giant metal sheets. They’re also subjected to burns, deep cuts, and flying sparks that are all part of the job. There are over 3,000 injuries and 1,000 deaths reported annually in the U.S. alone.
Tree Trimmer
Falling limbs, unstable branches, and electrical wires are just some of the dangers of being a tree trimmer or pruner in the U.S. Around 100 deaths occur each year in the industry, mostly from falls or being struck by falling limbs.
Furnace, Kiln, or Oven Operator
If you like insane heat, flammable materials, and powerful machines, we’ve got the job for you - furnace, kiln, or oven operator. But, beware - one missed step means serious burns or worse. It’s really no surprise that there are hundreds of heat-related injuries reported every year. Sadly, there are also a few deaths.
Marine Oiler or Sailor
Working on cargo ships as a marine oiler or sailor sounds adventurous… until you’re battling 30-foot waves, greasy decks, and unpredictable equipment in the middle of the ocean. Seasickness is the very least of your worries. There are about 20 deaths per year in the marine oiler industry.
Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher
Cement masons and concrete finishers have a tough job. They hustle with heavy tools, awkward positions, and blistering hot mix that burns skin and lungs. It’s also slippery and contributes to dozens of deaths in the U.S. annually.
Hazardous Material Removal Worker
Hazardous material removal workers are the brave souls who clean up asbestos, lead, radioactive waste, and chemical spills. They wear their full-body suits, gas masks, and have zero room for error. This is a dangerous job with around 100 deaths per year.
Logging Truck Driver
Driving a truck full of massive logs on narrow, twisty backroads is all in a day's work for logging truck drivers. The fatalities among these drivers are high, with most being killed in vehicle rollovers or run-offs. The logging industry sees 100 deaths each year in the U.S.
Stunt Performer
Jumping off buildings, crashing cars, and getting set on fire are just some of the daily tasks a stunt performer has to do. While it’s hard to pin down just how many stunt performers die each year, we can safely say that there are thousands of injuries.
