Most Dangerous Jobs in America
The job of an ironworker can be lonely and dangerous. Getty Images
The United States had 14,000 on-the-job fatalities in 1970. Because of that, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created. The agency has helped reduce fatalities (there were just 5,250 on-the-job deaths in 2018) and keeps detailed statistics about accidents, fatal or otherwise, that happen when people are at work.
According to OSHA, 3.5 out of every 100,000 people die on the job each year. Those are about the same odds you have of being murdered by a firearm or of dying from cervical cancer if you’re a woman. If your occupation isn’t on this list, you have a pretty good chance of surviving the workday. If you work in any of the jobs, however, you’re taking a risk.
The death rates in these jobs are at least twice as high (and as much as 20 times higher) than the average death rate for all jobs. And that’s not even counting their high rate of nonfatal workplace injuries. The jobs are proof that some jobs are just downright dangerous.
20. Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
Fatal injuries per 100,000 FTE workers: 9.5
Number of jobs: 260,380
Total fatal injuries: 39
Most common fatal accidents: Bus or truck falls off a lift, rack or jack
Total nonfatal injuries: 3,610
Median annual salary: $46,360
*All data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rankings are based on the number of deaths in 2018 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, or fatal injury rate.
Bottom Line: Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
These engine specialists diagnose, adjust and repair buses and trucks that weigh between 10,000 to 40,000 pounds.
The leading cause of workplace death for this profession is when one of the heavy pieces of machinery falls on someone.
These workers also have to use power tools and do welding and had a somewhat high rate of injury as well, with 3,610 injuries reported on the job in 2018.
19. Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Fatal injuries per 100,000 FTE workers: 10.6
Number of jobs: 383,480
Total fatal injuries: 39
Most common fatal accidents: Contact with equipment and heavy machinery
Total nonfatal injuries: 2,280
Median annual salary: $47,810
Bottom Line: Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
There’s a reason warning signs say do not operate heavy machinery unless you have read and understood the user manual and been well trained.
The primary cause of death in this profession is flying objects and contact with heavy machinery. These engineers and equipment operators use power equipment like bulldozers, pumps, derricks and the like, often to excavate, grade earth and pour concrete.
It’s a rough job, and sometimes deadly.