The 34 most dangerous jobs in America

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The 34 most dangerous jobs in America

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The most dangerous jobs in America had the highest rates of fatal injuries.

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  • Some of the most dangerous jobs have a much higher risk of fatal or non-fatal injuries than others.
  • Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we found the 34 jobs that had the highest rates of fatal injuries in 2016.

Some jobs have a much higher risk of fatal or non-fatal injuries than others.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics documented how many people died on the job in 2016 for the equivalent of every 100,000 people who held that job.

To find the most dangerous jobs in America, we identified the jobs from the Bureau's list with the highest fatal injury rate. Each of these jobs has a fatal injury rate above the national average for all workers of 3.6 per 100,000 full-time workers.

Overall, the greatest number of fatal work injuries resulted from transportation incidents, followed by violence or other injuries by persons or animals; falls, slips, and trips; and contact with objects and equipment.

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Here are the 34 most dangerous jobs in America, along with their 2016 fatal and non-fatal injury rates per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, and a description of what workers in these jobs do from the Department of Labor's O*NET careers database.

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34. Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

34. Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

What they do: Lay out, install, or maintain pipes, plumbing, and sewer systems.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 4.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,629

33. Hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers

33. Hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers

What they do: Manually move freight, stock, or other materials or perform other general labor.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 5.2

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 3,068

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31 (tie). Firefighters

31 (tie). Firefighters

What they do: Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 6.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 927

31 (tie). Industrial truck and tractor operators

31 (tie). Industrial truck and tractor operators

What they do: Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 6.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,063

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30. Security guards and gaming surveillance officers

30. Security guards and gaming surveillance officers

What they do: Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 6.2

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 824

29. Welding, soldering, and brazing workers

29. Welding, soldering, and brazing workers

What they do: Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 6.4

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,708

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28. Automotive service technicians and mechanics

28. Automotive service technicians and mechanics

What they do: Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 7.2

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 2,057

27. Carpenters

27. Carpenters

What they do: Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 7.6

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 2,305

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26. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

26. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

What they do: Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul buses and trucks, or maintain and repair any type of diesel engines.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 8.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,923

25. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

25. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

What they do: Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, or refrigeration systems.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 8.4

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 2,620

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24. Painters, construction and maintenance

24. Painters, construction and maintenance

What they do: Paint walls, equipment, buildings, bridges, and other structural surfaces.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 8.6

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,935

23. Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers

23. Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers

What they do: Install, maintain, and repair vehicles, industrial machinery, and electrical and electronic equipment.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 9.3

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 939

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22. Electricians

22. Electricians

What they do: Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 10.0

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,388

21. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

21. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

What they do: Operate one or several types of power construction equipment.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 10.6

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 674

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20. Athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers

20. Athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers

What they do: Compete in athletic events, instruct or coach groups or individuals in the fundamentals of sports, or officiate at competitive athletic or sporting events.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 11.7

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 3,438

19. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

19. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

What they do: Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 12.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 2,680

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17 (tie). First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

17 (tie). First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

What they do: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in landscaping or groundskeeping activities.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 13.2

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,319

17 (tie). Taxi drivers and chauffeurs

17 (tie). Taxi drivers and chauffeurs

What they do: Drive automobiles, vans, or limousines to transport passengers.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 13.2

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,921

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16. General maintenance and repair workers

16. General maintenance and repair workers

What they do: Perform work involving the skills of two or more maintenance or craft occupations to keep machines, mechanical equipment, or the structure of an establishment in repair.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 13.4

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 2,196

14 (tie). Electrical power-line installers and repairers

14 (tie). Electrical power-line installers and repairers

What they do: Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 14.6

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,365

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14 (tie). Police and sheriff's patrol officers

14 (tie). Police and sheriff's patrol officers

What they do: Maintain order and protect life and property by enforcing local, tribal, State, or Federal laws and ordinances.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 14.6

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,700

13. Construction laborers

13. Construction laborers

What they do: Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 15.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 2,961

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12. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

12. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

What they do: Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of mechanics, installers, and repairers.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 15.7

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 893

10 (tie). Miscellaneous agricultural workers

10 (tie). Miscellaneous agricultural workers

What they do: Work on farms or other agricultural businesses.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 17.4

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,316

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10 (tie). Grounds maintenance workers

10 (tie). Grounds maintenance workers

What they do: Maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 17.4

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 2,243

9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

What they do: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 18.0

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 1,060

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8. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

8. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

What they do: Plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms or other agricultural establishments.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 23.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 28

7. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

7. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

What they do: Drive truck or other vehicle over established routes or within an established territory and sell or deliver goods.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 24.7

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 2,828

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6. Structural iron and steel workers

6. Structural iron and steel workers

What they do: Raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 25.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 2,158

5. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

5. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

What they do: Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 34.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 2,702

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4. Roofers

4. Roofers

What they do: Cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 48.6

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 3,257

3. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers

3. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers

What they do: Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing, multi-engine aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 55.5

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 466

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2. Fishers and related fishing workers

2. Fishers and related fishing workers

What they do: Use nets, fishing rods, traps, or other equipment to catch and gather fish or other aquatic animals

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 86.0

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): Not released

1. Logging workers

1. Logging workers

What they do: Use mechanized equipment or hand tools to cut down trees.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 135.9

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 2,449

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