Most Dangerous Jobs in America
Top 50 occupations ranked by workplace fatality and injury rates (BLS 2023) Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics across all 50 states; see our methodology.
These are the most dangerous occupations in the United States based on BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries fatality rates and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses injury rates. The danger index combines fatality rates (60% weight) and injury rates (40% weight). For comparison, the median danger index across all 831 tracked occupations is 6.4 – most jobs sit far below the top of this list. The #1 occupation employs a relatively small workforce nationally (3,130 workers), so its rate reflects fewer total incidents than a larger occupation would need to reach the same rate.
| # | Grade | Occupation | Fatality Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | Fallers Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | 111.7/100K | $52,100 |
| 2 | C | Roofers Construction and Extraction Occupations | 59/100K | $55,440 |
| 3 | C | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 33/100K | $49,690 |
| 4 | C | Commercial Pilots Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 69/100K | $123,220 |
| 5 | C | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 25/100K | $58,640 |
| 6 | C | Nursing Assistants Healthcare Support Occupations | 0.5/100K | $42,260 |
| 7 | C | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 16/100K | $40,240 |
| 8 | C | Construction Laborers Construction and Extraction Occupations | 18/100K | $47,120 |
| 9 | C | Structural Iron and Steel Workers Construction and Extraction Occupations | 25/100K | $62,780 |
| 10 | C | Correctional Officers and Jailers Protective Service Occupations | 8/100K | $58,940 |
| 11 | C | Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $58,170 |
| 12 | C | First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $62,890 |
| 13 | C | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $232,140 |
| 14 | C | Air Traffic Controllers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $148,080 |
| 15 | C | Airfield Operations Specialists Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $56,850 |
| 16 | C | Flight Attendants Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $63,580 |
| 17 | C | Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $35,450 |
| 18 | C | Bus Drivers, School Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $47,920 |
| 19 | C | Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $59,050 |
| 20 | C | Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $37,290 |
| 21 | C | Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $37,180 |
| 22 | C | Locomotive Engineers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $81,410 |
| 23 | C | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $60,600 |
| 24 | C | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $68,840 |
| 25 | C | Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $78,000 |
| 26 | C | Subway and Streetcar Operators Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $86,380 |
| 27 | C | Rail Transportation Workers, All Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $56,360 |
| 28 | C | Sailors and Marine Oilers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $51,520 |
| 29 | C | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $92,460 |
| 30 | C | Motorboat Operators Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $47,520 |
| 31 | C | Ship Engineers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $109,530 |
| 32 | C | Bridge and Lock Tenders Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $57,700 |
| 33 | C | Parking Attendants Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $35,150 |
| 34 | C | Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $35,670 |
| 35 | C | Aircraft Service Attendants Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $40,450 |
| 36 | C | Traffic Technicians Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $59,090 |
| 37 | C | Transportation Inspectors Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $92,100 |
| 38 | C | Passenger Attendants Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $37,720 |
| 39 | C | Transportation Workers, All Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $45,650 |
| 40 | C | Conveyor Operators and Tenders Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $42,420 |
| 41 | C | Crane and Tower Operators Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $68,080 |
| 42 | C | Dredge Operators Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $49,640 |
| 43 | C | Hoist and Winch Operators Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $56,450 |
| 44 | C | Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $46,420 |
| 45 | C | Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $35,830 |
| 46 | C | Machine Feeders and Offbearers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $41,220 |
| 47 | C | Packers and Packagers, Hand Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $36,280 |
| 48 | C | Stockers and Order Fillers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $37,330 |
| 49 | C | Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $77,320 |
| 50 | C | Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · group-level rate | 17.5/100K | $61,770 |
Understanding the Data
Fatality rate measures deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers per year. A rate of 25.0 means roughly 25 out of every 100,000 full-time workers in that occupation die from work-related incidents annually.
Injury rate measures nonfatal injuries and illnesses per 100 FTE workers per year. A rate of 5.0 means 5 out of every 100 workers experience a recordable workplace injury or illness.
Occupations with specific BLS data use exact reported rates. Others use the rate for their SOC major occupation group, which may under- or over-estimate risk for specific roles within that group.