While the on-the-job fatality rate has been on the decline since 2012, certain occupations still pose undeniable danger. Based on data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the top 10 most dangerous ways to earn a living in America.
Construction
Fatality rate per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 17.7
Construction workers perform physical labor at a work site using various types of hand and power tools.
Mining Machine Operations
Fatality rate per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 26.9
These workers operate machines that tear metal ores, rocks, stones, coal, or sand from mines and load the material into conveyers or on shuttle cars.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collections
Fatality rate per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 33.0
With a one-third chance of being killed on the scene, these workers collect dump refuse or recyclable materials into trucks.
Roofers
Fatality rate per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 38.7
Installing and repairing a roof comes with high risk, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Using materials such as asphalt, shingles, and metals contributes to the high on-site fatality rate.
Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers
Fatality rate per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 50.6
Your fatality rate is about half if you are a professional pilot navigating the flight of fixed-wing or multi-engine aircrafts, whether you’re transferring cargo or transporting passengers.
Fishers and Related Fishing Workers
Fatality rate per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 75.0
These employees catch and obtain different species of marine life for bait or for human or animal consumption.
Logging Workers
Fatality rate per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 91.3
Logging ranks as the job with the highest fatality rate. Loggers have less than a 10% of not have surviving during work hours. These brave employees harvest thousands of acres of forest, which provide raw material for high-demand consumer and industrial goods and products.