Ask people on the street what they think is the most dangerous job in the United States, and many will mention the fishermen of the Northeast, the oil rig workers in the Gulf of Mexico, or the miners in West Virginia or Utah. But the Top 10 Most Dangerous Jobs, based on the work accident fatality rate compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor, include many jobs that Chicagoans might have. Is one of them yours?
(The fatality rate is calculated as work-related deaths per 100,000 employees.)
1. Fishermen/women:
Fatality Rate: 121.2
Median pay: $12.30 per hour
2. Logging Workers:
Fatality Rate: 102.4
Median pay: $15.80 per hour
3. Aircraft Pilots & Flight Engineers:
Fatality Rate: 57
Median pay: $92,060 per year
4. Refuse & Recycling Collectors:
Fatality Rate: 41.2
Median pay: $10.85 per hour
5. Roofers:
Fatality Rate: 31.8
Median pay: $16.45 per hour
6. Structural Iron & Steel Workers:
Fatality Rate: 26.9
Median pay: $21.42 per hour
7. Farmers & Ranchers:
Fatality Rate: 25.3
Median pay: $29.21 per hour
8. Drivers/Sales People & Truckers:
Fatality Rate: 24
Median pay: $13 per hour
9. Electrical Power Line Installers & Repair:
Fatality Rate: 20.3
Median pay: $26.10 per hour
10. Taxi Drivers & Chauffeurs:
Fatality Rate: 19.7
Median pay: $10.79 per hour.