Buzz
Considering a career change? You might want to review this list first – these are the jobs that come with the highest risk of fatality! The rankings are based on US data, so they may differ in other countries.
10. Truck Drivers
Fatality Rate: 27 per 100,000
Accounting for 12% of annual fatalities, averaging 905 deaths, trucking ranks at the bottom of our list mainly due to the vast number of truckers employed. These workers undergo extensive training before hitting the road for good reason. Passenger vehicles often become anxious around large trucks, resulting in reckless driving that forces truckers to use evasive maneuvers, sometimes leading to crashes. About 70% of trucking-related fatalities are caused by this. Another issue with trucking is the safety of rest stops, often located far from any authorities, leaving truckers vulnerable to muggings.
9. Electrical Line Workers
Fatality Rate: 34 per 100,000
The job itself is fairly straightforward in terms of risk. Climbing towering poles while balancing at odd angles to repair lines is inherently dangerous. While workers are equipped with extensive protective gear to prevent electrocution and safety equipment to help them stay grounded, the dangers remain, and around 36 fatalities occur annually in this field.
8. Roofing Professionals
Death Ratio: 35 deaths per 100,000 individuals
Roofing is an intense job—carrying heavy tools, kneeling, bending, climbing, working in extreme heat, wind, and long hours. The physical demands often lead workers to cut corners, skipping safety gear to make tasks easier, which is a serious mistake when working at such heights. In addition to non-fatal injuries from nail guns, burns from hot bitumen, and other dangers, there's a significant risk of slipping or tripping on ladders, scaffolds, and sloped roofs. In 2005, reports revealed that injuries outnumbered workers two to one, with 94 fatalities.
7. Farmers and Ranchers
Death Ratio: 38 deaths per 100,000 individuals
With large machines and extended shifts, accidents are bound to occur. Sadly, they happen more often than we'd like—approximately 307 times each year. Both large corporations and small family-run farms are required to perform repetitive, time-consuming tasks using hazardous equipment and chemicals. Inadequate training or even a momentary lapse in focus can lead to serious accidents, such as tractor collisions or accidental poisoning. There's also the occasional bizarre incident, like the rancher who walked behind a horse and ended up with a horseshoe to the skull.
6. Refuse Collectors
Death Ratio: 42 deaths per 100,000 individuals
This category includes everyone from those clearing construction debris to warehouse machine operators, crane operators, and even your weekly trash collectors. In total, 38 individuals lost their lives last year. These jobs often require workers to brave extreme weather, work at dangerous heights, and perform repetitive tasks for long hours. In busy urban environments, trash collectors are especially at risk of injury from sharp objects like glass and the danger of being struck by passing vehicles while loading waste onto trucks. Alongside physical dangers, workers face the constant threat of exposure to toxic chemicals that can cause severe long-term health issues.
5. Steel and Iron Construction Workers
Death Ratio: 61 fatalities per 100,000 workers
These workers are responsible for constructing the massive metal skeletons of new buildings, bridges, and other monumental structures. It’s clear this isn't a job for the faint-hearted—one misstep can result in a fall from several stories, often leading to fatal injuries. Despite wearing top-of-the-line safety equipment and adhering to strict guidelines that prevent them from working under hazardous weather conditions, an average of 31 deaths occur each year in this line of work.
4. Lumberjacks
Death Ratio: 81 out of 100,000
Lumberjacks face extreme risks with their dangerous tools, often working in tough environments that aren’t ideal for operating large, spinning saws. Many logging operations take place on hillsides, where workers are at risk of high winds, falling branches, and concealed roots or vines. Although logging was once the deadliest occupation, stricter safety regulations have helped reduce fatalities, bringing the death toll down to around 64 per year.
3. Workers in the Cell Phone Tower Industry
Mortality Rate: 184 per 100,000 workers
The most deadly job currently leading in fatalities is that of the Cell Phone Tower Worker, a relatively new addition to the Census of Fatal Occupational Industries. In 2006, 18 workers lost their lives while performing this job. Though this might seem like a small figure, it highlights the significantly higher risk compared to other occupations. What makes this job so hazardous? The push from cell phone companies to rapidly expand coverage by constructing taller and more numerous towers plays a key role. Additionally, smaller contractors hired by the carriers are often responsible for the construction of these towers. Unfortunately, these contractors may lack proper safety equipment, or fail to use it effectively. When accidents occur, responsibility for covering medical bills or lawsuits usually falls on the contractor, not the cell phone companies or tower owners, who are rarely present at construction sites. This lack of accountability for phone companies results in very few safety regulations being implemented, despite union efforts to address the issue.
Statistical Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, U.S. Department of Defense, 2004. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2005), and the most recent BSL data
2. Commercial Fisherman
Fatality Rate: 142 per 100,000 workers
Widely considered the most hazardous occupation, Commercial Fishing averages 51 fatalities each year. The job presents numerous dangers, including large, heavy equipment, unpredictable weather conditions, sudden storms, and rogue waves. With ropes scattered everywhere and no shelter when situations turn dire, it's clear that the risks in this line of work are anything but concealed.
1. Pilots and Flight Engineers
Fatality Rate: 88 per 100,000 workers
While the occupation claims the second-highest number of lives annually, with a total of 101 deaths, it is still less perilous than the following two professions. Although many associate pilots with large commercial or passenger jets, most of these fatalities actually occur in less conventional fields, such as crop dusting and the testing of new and experimental flight equipment. Crop dusters endure long hours, exposure to hazardous chemicals, and the constant risk of landing in fields without proper strips. They also fly at low altitudes, often near hard-to-see powerlines. This occupation also includes helicopter pilots who frequently face dangerous and high-risk situations.
