10 Dangerous Jobs That Are Worth The Paycheck, According To New Data

Electrical power-line installers are among the most dangerous jobs in America, but they also earn nearly six-figure salaries, according to an October report on US employment trends. This newly released study by Calderon Law Firm (https://josecalderon.com) reveals the top 10 off-putting jobs most people don't want to do but still pay high salaries.

• Roofing is 15 times deadlier than a typical job, yet the role needs no degree and pays $55K+ a year.
• With annual salaries at $210K, aircraft pilots are paid more than any other high-risk profession in America.
• Underground miners earn 80% more than similar no-degree jobs, but injuries are so serious that typical recovery takes 40 days.

The research examined up to 50 US professions to find which ones are riskier than the average job but still pay well. The report measured factors like fatal injury rates over four years, median yearly pay, and the education usually needed to get started. It also compared each job's pay with what other jobs requiring the same education make. These figures were combined into a single score out of 100, revealing which dangerous jobs pay the most for what they ask of workers.

Here's a look at the top 10 dangerous jobs that pay well for what they demand:

| Occupation | Fatal injury rate (per 100,000) | Injury rate, days away (per 10,000) | Median annual pay | Typical entry education | Benchmark pay for that education | Pay premium vs same-education jobs | Risk-Reward Score (0-100) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Aircraft pilots and flight engineers | 37.3 | 50.7 | $210,020 | Bachelor's degree | $96,480 | 117.7% | 95.8 | | Roofers | 54.2 | 212.3 | $55,440 | No formal educational credential | $36,400 | 52.3% | 83.3 | | Underground mining machine operators | 24.1 | 108.7 | $66,670 | No formal educational credential | $36,400 | 83.2% | 83.3 | | Electrical power-line installers and repairers | 17.3 | 167.2 | $95,320 | High school diploma or equivalent | $48,050 | 98.4% | 83.3 | | Refuse and recyclable material collectors | 32.3 | 150.6 | $49,690 | No formal educational credential | $36,400 | 36.5% | 77.1 | | Mechanic and repair crew supervisors | 16.3 | 89.0 | $79,860 | High school diploma or equivalent | $48,050 | 66.2% | 75.0 | | Construction crew foremen | 15.3 | 79.8 | $79,920 | High school diploma or equivalent | $48,050 | 66.3% | 72.9 | | Structural iron and steel workers | 28.8 | 134.9 | $62,780 | High school diploma or equivalent | $48,050 | 30.7% | 64.6 | | Police officers | 12.8 | 306.9 | $76,250 | High school diploma or equivalent | $48,050 | 58.7% | 64.6 | | Logging workers | 98.0 | 153.6 | $49,660 | High school diploma or equivalent | $48,050 | 3.4% | 58.3 |

You can access the complete research findings here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vST04KOH_sqn6C8c-ETTYkqq2O9gCR59st5fzUyfAW8k1Pe6m-lhbBw_FtlhK2eEaQ40EDiMTmQWNMv/pubhtml

1. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers

• Fatal injury rate: 37.3 deaths per 100K workers
• Injury rate: 50.7 injuries with time off per 10K workers
• Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
• Pay above similar jobs: 118% higher than the typical for bachelor's degree jobs

Aircraft pilots and flight engineers are the best-paid of all high-risk professionals, with a median salary of $210K a year. That is more than double what the typical job requiring a bachelor's degree pays. The danger is real, though, with roughly 37 deaths for every 100K pilots, over 10 times the national average. On the positive side, everyday injuries are very rare for this job, occurring at about half the rate seen in typical workplaces.

2. Roofers

Roofers come second, and the job is open to people without a college degree. Even so, the median pay of $55.4K is about $19K more than the typical no-degree job. The trade-off is what the work involves: spending the day high off the ground. As a result, roughly 54 roofers die for every 100K on the job. That's more than 15 times the national rate and higher than any other job apart from logging.

3. Underground mining machine operators

Underground mining machine operators come third on the list. The job requires no bachelor's degree and pays nearly $67K a year. This is roughly $30K more than the typical no-degree jobs can offer, making this mining role appealing for many. That said, fatal accidents among these workers happen nearly 7 times as often as in the average job. On top of that, when a miner gets hurt, the typical recovery keeps them off work for 40 days, the longest of any job on the list.

4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Electrical line installers and repairers come fourth, and a high school diploma is enough to reach a paycheck that matches a bachelor's degree job. They earn $95.3K a year, almost the same as the $96.5K typical for degree holders and nearly double the $48K for other high school entry jobs. Only pilots get a bigger pay boost among the ranked jobs. On the risk side, the fatal injury rate is 17.3 per 100K workers, about 5 times the national average.

5. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

Refuse and recyclable material collectors round out the top five. Few people think of collecting trash as a high-risk job, but these workers spend their days riding on the back of trucks, lifting heavy bins and working close to moving machinery. The fatality rates show that risk clearly, with roughly 32 deaths for every 100K workers, more than 9 times the national average. The pay is decent for a job that needs no formal education, though. The median of $49.7K is about $13K above the typical no-degree job and close to the typical US paycheck of about $51K.

José Calderón, Founder and Trial Attorney at Calderon Law Firm, commented on the study:

"Many of these trades are short on workers. The Associated Builders and Contractors estimates that construction alone needs 349K new workers in 2026. That gives tradespeople more choice, and a company's safety record is something they can weigh. That said, a safer job site doesn't remove the need for protection. In most states, employers have to carry workers' compensation insurance, which pays medical bills and part of lost wages after a work injury. The rules differ by state, and Texas even lets private employers skip it. So before starting any manual job, I would recommend asking the employer directly whether they carry it and, if possible, getting the answer in writing."

When using the data, please credit: https://josecalderon.com