The 10 deadliest jobs in the US

Construction workers
Helpers in construction trades had a fatal work injury rate of 27.4 fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2023. schwartstock/Getty Images
  • Roofers, construction helpers, and grounds maintenance workers have higher fatal injury rates than many other jobs.
  • Last year, logging workers had the highest rate per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers at 98.9.
  • The overall rate dropped from 3.7 fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2022 to 3.5.
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Logging, transportation, and hunting work can be risky jobs in the US based on the latest fatal work injury rates released by the Labor Department.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently published data on fatal injuries at work in 2023 by industry and occupation.

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Fatal injury rates at work were down overall last year. "A worker died every 99 minutes from a work-related injury in 2023 compared to 96 minutes in 2022," a news release from BLS on Thursday said.

Three civilian occupations had rates above 50 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. Logging workers had a fatal injury rate of almost 100 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2023, way above the overall rate of 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers last year. That rate of 3.5 was a tick down from the rate of 3.7 in 2022.

Below are the 10 deadliest jobs in the US based on fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers.

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10. Structural iron and steel workers

Steel worker is working on a structure
Wood-n-Photography/Getty Images

Fatal work injury rate: 19.8

Number of fatal work injuries: 9

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9. Miscellaneous agricultural workers

Farmers in a field
Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

Fatal work injury rate: 20.2

Number of fatal work injuries: 146

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8. Grounds maintenance workers

A person on a riding lawn mower
Don Farrall/Getty Images

Fatal work injury rate: 20.5

Number of fatal work injuries: 226

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7. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

Two people standing by trucks
Mint Images/Getty Images

Fatal work injury rate: 26.8

Number of fatal work injuries: 984

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6. Helpers in construction trades

Construction workers
schwartstock/Getty Images

Fatal work injury rate: 27.4

Number of fatal work injuries: 16

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5. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers

Plane
Edwin Remsberg/Getty Images

Fatal work injury rate: 31.3

Number of fatal work injuries: 62

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4. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

Garbage truck
Salameh dibaei/Getty Images

Fatal work injury rate: 41.4

Number of fatal work injuries: 41

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3. Roofers

A person working on a roof and using a hammer
TerryJ/Getty Images

Fatal work injury rate: 51.8

Number of fatal work injuries: 113

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2. Fishing and hunting workers

Two people outside near trees looking at a phone
Fly View Productions/Getty Images

Fatal work injury rate: 86.9

Number of fatal work injuries: 19

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1. Logging workers

Close-up of someone cutting a tree
by Patricia Gee/Getty Images

Fatal work injury rate: 98.9

Number of fatal work injuries: 52

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