The 10 most dangerous jobs
Occupation Fatalities
per 100,000
Timber cutters 117.8
Fishers 71.1
Pilots and navigators 69.8
Structural metal workers 58.2
Drivers-sales workers 37.9
Roofers 37.0
Electrical power installers 32.5
Farm occupations 28.0
Construction laborers 27.7
Truck drivers 25.0
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics; survey of occupations with
minimum 30 fatalities and 45,000 workers in 2002

On-the-job killers
Type of incident 2002 deaths
Aircraft accidents 192
Caught in running equipment 10
Drowning 60
Electrocution 289
Exposure to substances 98
Falls from ladder 126
Falls from roof 143
Fires/explosions 165
Highway collisions 635
Assaults/violence 840
Jackknifed or overturned truck 312
Overturned farm/industrial equipment 164
Struck by falling/flying object 506
Struck by vehicle 356
Suicides 199

On-the-job killers
Occupation Fatality rate
per 100,000 workers
Number of fatalities Average salary
Fishers and related fishing workers 141.7 51 $19,104
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers 87.8 101 $129,250
Logging workers 82.1 64 $22,320
Structural iron and steel workers 61.0 36 $39,168
Refuse and recyclable material collectors 41.8 38 $23,770
Electrical power-line installers and repairers 34.9 38 $45,331
Farmers and ranchers 37.1 291 $15,603
Roofers 33.9 82 $28,474
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers 27.1 940 $30,931
Miscellaneous agricultural workers 21.7 158 $24,140

The top five most threatening industries based on
fatality rates, according to the BLS, are:
Industry Fatality rate
per 100,000 workers
Number of
Fatalities
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 29.6 646
Mining 27.8 190
Transportation and warehousing 16.3 832
Construction 10.8 1,226
Utilities 6.2 52

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