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By Suzanne Blake
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The most dangerous jobs in the United States don't always have the payoff of a sky-high salary, according to a new report from Resume Now. In fact, some of the riskiest roles don't even clear $60,000.
Why It Matters
In an increasingly competitive job market, jobs that pose more of a risk to workers likely still have high demand. However, some workers take on these dangerous roles out of desperation, and, as experts tell Newsweek, the paycheck might not be enough to match the level of danger.
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"It's not what's dangerous. It's the compensation disconnect,” Michael Ryan, a finance expert and founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told Newsweek. “Truck drivers face nearly 1,000 fatalities a year, but earn around $57,000. While airline pilots in equally hazardous conditions pull in nearly $200,000. That's a 3.5x pay gap for comparable risk levels. From a financial planning perspective, that's a broken risk-reward equation.”
What To Know
Based on the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, drivers/truck drivers had some of the most dangerous, lowest-paying jobs in America. With a fatality rate of 984 in 2023, this group only brought a median pay of $57,440.
Construction workers also faced a high fatality rate at 318, and only brought in a median pay of $46,050.
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Some of the other lowest-paid workers with high fatality rates included grounds maintenance workers, agricultural workers, freight movers, roofers and security guards.
“I think the number of fatalities for roofers is drastically understated, especially since many of those workers are undocumented,” Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. “The same goes for construction laborers. Those official stats rarely capture the full picture. And when you look at the pay, it’s clear how much leverage employers have. The supply of labor is high, so wages stay low even when the work itself can cost people their lives.”
On the other end of the spectrum were the most dangerous jobs that paid well.
That included farmers and ranchers, who experienced 171 fatalities in 2023 but brought in a median pay of $87,980.
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers also did well, with a median pay of $198,100 and a fatality count of 62.
Also in that top five list were mechanics’ supervisors, power line installers and construction managers.
What People Are Saying
Finance expert Michael Ryan told Newsweek: “Danger doesn't automatically translate to premium pay. Many high-risk jobs (construction, logging, fishing) trap workers in a ‘high risk, modest reward’ cycle. Before accepting danger as part of the job description, ask yourself: am I being compensated for the life insurance premium I should be carrying? Because your employer probably isn't thinking about that.”
9i Capital Group CEO Kevin Thompson told Newsweek: “There’s a reason so many of these jobs were exported overseas or now rely heavily on imported labor. They’re dangerous, and the trade-off just isn’t worth it for most people here. In many countries, the money made from those same jobs can provide a far better standard of living than it can in the U.S. That’s the harsh reality. What looks like survival pay here can be life-changing abroad. But for the average American, the risk rarely matches the reward.”
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “There's a reason that even in leaner economic times jobs in industries like truck driving and construction can still be more plentiful. These are jobs that because of their reliance on more physical labor and longer hours lend themselves to more accidents. Salaries for these career fields can vary depending on the company, role, and employee experience, but initial wages for newcomers combined with the risk can lead some to not venture into them.”
What Happens Next
Ryan said these types of high-risk jobs are usually only worth it if you’re building toward a specific goal.
“If a dangerous job pays well and offers a clear exit strategy (skills development, retirement benefits, career progression) maybe,” Ryan said. “But working dangerous for average wages? That's a gamble with your life as collateral. The math rarely works in your favor.”
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