25 dangerous jobs and what they pay
Sometimes, high-risk means high-reward. Dare to apply to these dangerous jobs.
Every industry has its share of dangerous jobs, though the danger level varies widely. For the typical office worker, a paper cut might be the worst injury you’re potentially up against during the course of the day. Sure, it can sting like a witch with a B, but for those who don’t work within the safe confines of a cubicle, there can be much more hazardous—and even fatal—injuries you might face on the job.
According to the National Safety Council the industries with the highest risk of injury include service providers such as police and firefighters, transportation/shipping, manufacturing, maintenance repair, and construction. People who work in these types of dangerous environments are more susceptible to workplace accidents, including overexertion, roadway incidents, and slips, trips, and falls, which can result in everything from some bad bruising to breaking a limb to the worst case scenario: losing your life in the line of duty.
Make no mistake: These jobs are not for the faint-hearted; they’re for people who like to live life on the edge, aren’t afraid to get a little dirty, and will risk it all for a job well done. Think you have what it takes?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics's Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities (IIF) program identifies the most dangerous jobs in the labor market, ranking fishers and related fishing workers as the most dangerous job of all. Loggers follow behind with a fatality rate of 87.3 per 100,000 workers.
So why would you choose a high-risk job over a cushy desk job? Because certain dangerous jobs will pay you big bucks to take some big risks.
The highest-paying dangerous jobs on the list include aircraft pilots and flight engineers (No. 3), hauling in an average of $111,930 a year, followed by farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers (No. 8), earning $69,620 a year, on average, and electrical power-line installers and repairers (No. 10), making a yearly average of $69,380.
Ready to risk it all in one of these dangerous careers? Then dare to check out the full list below
Dangerous jobs:
1. Fishers and related fishing workers
Median annual salary: $28,310
Most common accident: Transportation incidents
Total injuries in 2017 (latest year available for BLS data): 41 fatal injuries, 120 nonfatal injuries
Find all fishing jobs on Monster.
2. Logging workers
Median annual salary: $ 38,840
Most common accident: Contact with objects and equipment
Total injuries in 2017: 55 fatal injuries, 350 nonfatal injuries
Find all logging jobs on Monster.
3. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
Median annual salary: $ 111,930
Most common accident: Transportation incidents
Total injuries in 2017: 59 fatal injuries, 630 nonfatal injuries
Find all aircraft pilot jobs and flight engineer jobs on Monster.
4. Roofers
Median annual salary: $ 38,970
Most common accident: Falls, slips, and trips
Total injuries in 2017: 91 fatal injuries, 2,810 nonfatal injuries
Find all roofing jobs on Monster.
5. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
Median annual salary: $ 36,160
Most common accident: Transportation incidents
Total injuries in 2017: 30 fatal injuries, 1,340 nonfatal injuries
Find all refuse and recycling jobs on Monster.
6. Structural iron and steel workers
Median annual salary: $ 52,610
Most common accident: Falls, slips, trips
Total injuries in 2017: 14 fatal injuries, 1,280 nonfatal injuries
Find all iron and steel jobs on Monster.
7. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
Median annual salary: $ 37,610
Most common accident: Transportation incidents
Total injuries in 2017: 987 fatal injuries, 77,470 nonfatal injuries
Find all truck driver jobs on Monster.
8. Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers
Median annual salary: $ 69,620
Most common accident: Transportation incidents
Total injuries in 2017: 258 fatal injuries, 180 nonfatal injuries
Find all farm jobs on Monster.
9. Landscaping supervisors
Median annual salary: $ 47,030
Most common accident: Contact with objects and equipment
Total injuries in 2017: 53 fatal injuries, 1,040 nonfatal injuries
Find all landscaping jobs on Monster.
10. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Median annual salary: $ 69,380
Most common accident: Exposure to harmful substances or environments
Total injuries in 2017: 26 fatal injuries, 1,710 nonfatal injuries
Find all electrical power line jobs and relay technician jobs on Monster.
11. Agricultural workers
Median annual salary: $ 23,710
Most common accident: Transportation incidents
Total injuries in 2017: 154 fatal injuries, 13,500 nonfatal injuries
Find all agriculture jobs on Monster.
12. Construction and extraction supervisors
Median annual salary: $ 64,070
Most common accident: Falls, slips, and trips
Total injuries in 2017: 121 fatal injuries, 5,320 nonfatal injuries
Find all construction superintendent jobs and extraction jobs on Monster.
13. Helpers, construction trades
Median annual salary: $30,120
Most common accidents: Falls, slips, trips
Total injuries in 2017: 11 fatal injuries, 2,660 nonfatal injuries
Find all construction helper jobs on Monster.
14. Maintenance and repair workers
Median annual salary: $ 37,670
Most common accident: Falls, slips, trips
Total injuries in 2017: 87 fatal injuries, 23,200 nonfatal injuries
Find all maintenance and repair jobs on Monster.
15. Grounds maintenance workers
Median annual salary: $ 28,110
Most common accident: Falls, slips, trips
Total injuries in 2017: 191 fatal injuries, 13,310 nonfatal injuries
Find all grounds maintenance jobs on Monster.
16. Construction laborers
Median annual salary: $ 34,530
Most common accident: Falls, slips, trips
Total injuries in 2017: 259 fatal injuries, 21,760 nonfatal injuries
Find all construction jobs on Monster.
17. Supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Median annual salary: $ 64,780
Most common accident: Transportation incidents
Total injuries in 2017: 35 fatal injuries, 3,540 nonfatal injuries
Find all mechanic, installer, and repairer jobs on Monster.
18. Police and sheriff’s patrol officers
Median annual salary: $ 61,050
Most common accident: Violence and other injuries by persons or animals
Total injuries in 2017: 95 fatal injuries
Find all police jobs on Monster.
19. Operating engineers and construction equipment operators
Median annual salary: $ 47,040
Most common accident: Transportation incidents
Total injuries in 2017: 45 fatal injuries, 2,230 nonfatal injuries
Find all operating engineer and heavy equipment operator jobs on Monster.
20. Mining machine operators
Median annual salary: $ 53,200
Most common accident: Contact with objects and equipment
Total injuries in 2017: 7 fatal injuries, 370 nonfatal injuries
Find all industrial machinery jobs on Monster.
21. Taxi drivers and chauffeurs
Median annual salary: $ 24,880
Most common accident: Transportation incidents
Total injuries in 2017: 62 fatal injuries, 2,640 nonfatal injuries
Find all taxi and chauffeur jobs on Monster.
22. Athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers
Median annual salary: $32,220
Most common accident: Transportation incidents
Total injuries in 2017: 24 fatal injuries, 3,170 nonfatal injuries
Find all sports jobs on Monster.
23. Painters, construction, and maintenance
Median annual salary: $ 37,960
Most common accident: Falls, slips, and trips
Total injuries in 2017: 44 fatal injuries, 4,200 nonfatal injuries
Find all industrial painter jobs and all maintenance jobs on Monster.
24. Firefighters
Median annual salary: $ 49,080
Most common accident: Transportation incidents
Total injuries in 2017: 34 fatal injuries
Find all firefighter jobs on Monster.
25. Electricians
Median annual salary: $ 54,110
Most common accident: Falls, slips, and trips
Total injuries in 2017: 74 fatal injuries, 4,890 nonfatal injuries
Find all electrician jobs on Monster.
Take this low-risk, high-reward step in your job search
When it comes to finding a job, the process can be terribly cutthroat, so “playing it safe” might not be your best option. Want to take your job search to the next level and get a leg up on your competition? Join Monster for free. As a member, you can get job alerts emailed right to your inbox, which cuts down on the amount of time you'd spend combing through ads. Additionally, you can upload up to five versions of your resume—each tailored to different types of jobs that interest you. Recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. So take the risk (there is no risk), and let Monster help you find a good-paying job.