According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 5,425 fatal workplace accidents in 2020, a little rise from 2019. No work is fully risk-free, although the majority of jobs are fairly safe. However, there are a few of occupations that are significantly riskier than the typical American occupation, with a death rate that is more than ten times greater. Below you will get the complete details of “Top 10 most dangerous jobs in America 2023”.
Heavy machinery is often used in these dangerous jobs, and the locations are often performed in perilous places, like on top of buildings or out in the wilderness.
Be thankful if you spend most of your day at work attending meetings, sitting in an office, or staring at a computer screen while waiting for 5 p.m. to arrive. Be thankful your job isn’t on the list of Top 10 most dangerous jobs in America listed below.
Top 10 most dangerous jobs in America 2023
10. Electrical Power-Line Repairers, Installers and Mechanics

- Fatal injuries: 12.7 per 100,000
- Total fatal injuries: 82
- Most common fatal accidents: transportation incidents
- Total non-fatal injuries: 1800
- Median annual wage: $63250
- Number of workers: 562419
The Fatal Injury rate among maintenance and repair workers in the United States is 12.7 per 100,000 workers, and the fatal injury rate among those who supervise them is 15.3. The majority of fatal injuries suffered by field workers were brought on by violent encounters with other people or animals.
Inadvertent contact with hazardous materials and equipment was the main cause of the 1,800 nonfatal injuries suffered by those working in this occupation in 2020.
9. Police and sheriff’s patrol officers

- Fatal injury rate: 14.6 per 100,000
- Fatal injuries per year: 102
- Most common cause of fatal injury: Injuries during Violence by persons or animals
- Median annual salary: $64,500
To uphold law and order and ensure public safety, police and sheriff’s patrol officers must frequently contact with dangerous and aggressive people.
In 2020, there were over 100 police and sheriff’s patrol deaths in the line of duty. Most of those fatalities could be attributed to wounds received from other people or animals.
Driving at high speeds can be a part of police duties, and transportation-related occurrences like vehicle accidents also contributed to a significant number of police fatalities in 2020.
8. Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

- Fatal injury rate: 16.8 per 100k
- Fatal injuries per year: 144
- Main cause of fatal injury: Transportation incidents
- Median annual salary: $26,240
- Number of workers: 867400
A farmer and an agricultural worker are only distinguished by the fact that the farmer is a self-employed person. Farmers and farm laborers (also known as agricultural employees) perform basically the same tasks. A tractor crash or falling off of a tractor was the most common reasons for farmers’ deaths.
Miscellaneous agricultural workers earn less than most other occupations on this list which we discussed under the top 10 most dangerous jobs of America. With a median annual wage of $26,240 well below the national median of $37,320.
7. Structural iron and steel workers

- Fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 22.6
- Total injuries: 23
- Total non-fatal injuries: 870
- Most common fatal accidents: Falls, slips, trips
- Median annual wage: $53,880
- Number of workers: 99,400
One of the riskiest professions in the US is of structural iron and steel workers. Because it is frequently done at considerable heights, installing structural support beams for buildings and bridges is not only physically challenging but also dangerous.
In 2020, there were 23 fatalities among structural iron and steel workers, with slips, falls and trips being the main cause of death.
Torches and welding machines, as well as cranes and other lifting tools, are commonly used on this task. The majority of the 870 injuries recorded in the field in 2020 occurred as a consequence of unintended contact with equipment or items. Mistakes with such equipment have the potential to cause tragic injury. This job is on number 5 in the list of top 10 most dangerous jobs in America.
6. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

- Fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 28
- Total fatal injuries: 1012
- Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents
- Total non-fatal injuries: 79,480
- Median annual wage: $25,200
- Number of workers: 416,680
A staggering 1012 causalities have been reported among truck drivers in 2021, and they have a fatality rate of 28 per 100,000 workers.
It’s hard to believe that trucking is ranked sixth on the top 10 most dangerous jobs in America. Driving is a tiring and tedious job and fatigue coupled with road rage leads to accidents.
5. Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

- Fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 42.4
- Total fatal injuries: 66
- Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents
- Total non-fatal injuries: 1,640
- Median annual wage: $36,713
- Number of workers: 116,004
Among the five jobs of “Top 10 most dangerous jobs in America” with a fatal injury rate higher than the average for all occupations, refuse and recyclable material collectors had 42.4 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2020.
The most common cause of fatal injuries in this job is transportation incidents, as refuse collectors travel from neighborhood to neighborhood. Other hazard, such as overexertion, falls and contact with equipment, are more common but not as deadly.
also read: Top 10 Worst City In America
4. Roofers

- Fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 49.7
- Total fatal injuries: 102
- Most common fatal accidents: slips, falls and trips
- Total non-fatal injuries: 2,212
- Median annual wage: $40,220
- Number of workers: 1,72,000
The work of replacing or installing roofs is often done at considerable heights, increasing the risk of being seriously injured. The roofer’s profession is one of only four with a fatality rate exceeding 49 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2020.
Roofers are also subject to harmful environments as they often work long days in the hot sun, putting themselves at risk of heart stroke. Roofers suffered 102 fatal accidents on the job, 72 were classified as slips, falls and trips.
3. Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers

- Fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 56
- Total fatal injuries: 92
- Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents
- Total non-fatal injuries: 462
- Median annual wage: $139,420
- Number of workers: 84,332
It is most common for aircraft pilots and flight engineers to suffer injuries related to transportation. Pilot involved in any type of crash are at a high risk of dying from their injuries.
There is a risk of exhaustion when working as a pilot, due to both mental stress and a demanding schedule. These risks, however, are well rewarded; with the median annual wage nearly three times that of all occupations.
2. Fishers and related fishing workers

- Fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 66.4
- Total fatal injuries: 27
- Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents
- Total non-fatal injuries: N/A
- Median annual wage: $29,130
- Number of workers: 530
In 2020, a commercial fishing worker has one of the highest rates of fatalities due to fishing gear, nets and slippery decks.
Extreme weather conditions can present a difficult environmental challenge for fishermen and other connected fishing industry workers. Additionally, when an accident occurs, workers can be operating from a remote location or out on the ocean, where it might be difficult to get to a hospital or a doctor. Drowning is the leading cause of death for fishermen and other connected fishing industry personnel.
1. Logging workers

- Fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 87
- Total fatal injuries: 100
- Most common fatal accidents: Contact with equipment and objects
- Total non-fatal injuries: 1276
- Median annual wage: $41,850
- Number of workers: 54,800
Loggers work with dangerous tools such as chainsaws and harvesters to cut down heavy trees, which can sometimes fall on them. There are nearly 100 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers in the logging industry.
The number of fatalities among loggers may also be higher because they often work in remote areas, away from medical attention. That’s why we listed this job as number 1 in the list of 10 most dangerous jobs in United States.
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