Safest Jobs in America
33 occupations with the lowest published occupation-specific workplace rates (BLS 2023). See our methodology for source and scoring details.
Accountants and Auditors has the lowest danger index in this occupation-measured cohort.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics CFOI and SOII releases used by WageDex, This ranking compares 33 occupations with the lowest published occupation-specific BLS fatality and injury rates. WageDex uses those rates in a documented danger index and excludes broad SOC-group averages rather than assigning a shared rate to individual occupations. The result is a source-backed occupational comparison, not a guarantee about any specific workplace.
These occupations have the lowest danger index within the 33 detailed roles for which BLS publishes an occupation-specific fatality and injury rate. The other tracked roles inherit only a broad SOC-group rate and are excluded from this superlative ranking. For comparison, the median danger index within this same occupation-measured cohort is 21.0.
| # | Grade | Occupation | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Accountants and Auditors Business and Financial Operations Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $83,680 |
| 2 | A | Computer Systems Analysts Computer and Mathematical Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $105,850 |
| 3 | A | Computer Network Architects Computer and Mathematical Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $134,050 |
| 4 | A | Software Developers Computer and Mathematical Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $135,980 |
| 5 | A | Lawyers Legal Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $159,670 |
| 6 | B | Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Production Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $48,570 |
| 7 | B | Cooks, Restaurant Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $37,390 |
| 8 | B | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Production Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $53,750 |
| 9 | B | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $36,840 |
| 10 | B | Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $50,620 |
| 11 | B | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $35,660 |
| 12 | B | Light Truck Drivers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $44,860 |
| 13 | B | Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $49,590 |
| 14 | B | Driver/Sales Workers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $38,770 |
| 15 | B | Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Management Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $89,900 |
| 16 | B | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Construction and Extraction Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $63,800 |
| 17 | B | Taxi Drivers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $42,100 |
| 18 | B | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $39,150 |
| 19 | B | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $95,320 |
| 20 | B | Electricians Construction and Extraction Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $63,190 |
| 21 | B | Firefighters Protective Service Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $59,280 |
| 22 | B | Carpenters Construction and Extraction Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $60,580 |
| 23 | C | Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Protective Service Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $76,210 |
| 24 | C | Correctional Officers and Jailers Protective Service Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $58,940 |
| 25 | C | Structural Iron and Steel Workers Construction and Extraction Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $62,780 |
| 26 | C | Construction Laborers Construction and Extraction Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $47,120 |
| 27 | C | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $40,240 |
| 28 | C | Nursing Assistants Healthcare Support Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $42,260 |
| 29 | C | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $58,640 |
| 30 | C | Commercial Pilots Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $123,220 |
| 31 | C | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $49,690 |
| 32 | C | Roofers Construction and Extraction Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $55,440 |
| 33 | D | Fallers Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations · occupation-specific rate | $52,100 |
Best of Both Worlds: Safe & Well-Paid
These Grade A occupations also offer above-average salaries, the ideal combination of safety and compensation.
Understanding the Data
Fatality rate measures deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers per year.
Injury rate measures nonfatal injuries and illnesses per 100 FTE workers per year.
Only occupation-specific BLS rates are eligible for this ranking. SOC major-group rates are not treated as measurements of each occupation.