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The Deadliest Jobs in America
Reviewed and updated by Steven M. Sweat, October 2026
From 2020 through 2024, 25,793 workers in the United States died from injuries on the job, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Motor vehicle operators had more deaths than any other occupational group, 5,342 over the five years, and most of them were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Measured by risk rather than raw numbers, logging workers and fishing and hunting workers have the most dangerous jobs in the country, with 2023 fatality rates roughly 25 to 28 times the rate for all workers.
The figures below come directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, the federal government’s count of every fatal work injury in the country. We totaled the five most recent years of data for the occupational groups with the most deaths, then set those totals against the fatality rates BLS publishes, because the jobs that kill the most people are not always the jobs where an individual worker is most at risk.
Fatal work injuries by occupation, 2020–2024
| Occupational group | Fatal injuries, 2020–2024 | Fatal injuries, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Motor vehicle operators | 5,342 | 1,018 |
| of whom: heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 4,195 | 798 |
| Construction trades workers | 3,905 | 788 |
| Material moving workers | 1,285 | 234 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations | 1,188 | 248 |
| of whom: agricultural workers | 725 | 151 |
| of whom: forest, conservation, and logging workers | 251 | 53 |
| of whom: fishing and hunting workers | 124 | 24 |
| Grounds maintenance workers | 1,114 | 239 |
| Air transportation workers | 328 | 73 |
| Extraction workers | 304 | 58 |
| All workers | 25,793 | 5,070 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Table 3, “Fatal occupational injuries for selected occupations, 2020–24” (released February 19, 2026). Five-year totals are the sum of the annual figures in that table. Indented rows are subgroups of the row above them and are already included in its total.
The most deaths versus the highest risk
Raw totals favor large occupations. There are far more truck drivers and construction workers than loggers, so even a moderate risk produces a large number of deaths. Fatality rates, which BLS reports as deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, show how dangerous a job is for the person doing it. In 2023, the most recent year for which BLS has published detailed occupation rates, the rate for all workers was 3.5. These occupations were far above it:
| Occupation | Fatal injury rate per 100,000 workers, 2023 | Deaths, 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Logging workers | 98.9 | 52 |
| Fishing and hunting workers | 86.9 | 19 |
| Roofers | 51.8 | 113 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors | 41.4 | 41 |
| Aircraft pilots and flight engineers | 31.3 | 62 |
| Helpers, construction trades | 27.4 | 16 |
| Driver/sales workers and truck drivers | 26.8 | 984 |
| Grounds maintenance workers | 20.5 | 226 |
| Miscellaneous agricultural workers | 20.2 | 146 |
| All workers | 3.5 | 5,283 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, “Civilian occupations with high fatal work injury rates, 2023.”
For 2024, BLS reports rates by broad occupational group. Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations had the highest, at 25.4 deaths per 100,000 workers, followed by construction and extraction occupations (12.6) and transportation and material moving occupations (12.5). The rate for all workers fell to 3.3.
Drivers and truckers
No occupation loses more workers than the people who drive for a living. Motor vehicle operators, a group that includes truck drivers, delivery drivers, bus drivers, and taxi and rideshare drivers, recorded 5,342 deaths from 2020 through 2024, more than one in five of all workplace deaths. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers alone accounted for 4,195. Their risk is high as well as their numbers: driver/sales workers and truck drivers had a fatality rate of 26.8 per 100,000 in 2023, more than seven times the rate for all workers.
Construction trades
Construction trades workers had the second-highest number of deaths, 3,905 over five years. Within construction, roofers face the greatest danger, with a 2023 rate of 51.8 per 100,000, and construction helpers were at 27.4.
Agriculture, logging, and fishing
Farming, fishing, and forestry is the highest-risk occupational group BLS tracks, with 1,188 deaths from 2020 through 2024 and a 2024 rate of 25.4 per 100,000. It includes the two most dangerous individual jobs in the country: logging workers (251 deaths over five years) and fishing and hunting workers (124). Agricultural workers recorded 725 deaths over the same period, at a 2023 rate of 20.2 per 100,000, almost six times the rate for all workers.
Grounds maintenance and material moving
Grounds maintenance workers, who mow, trim trees, and clear land, recorded 1,114 deaths over five years and a 2023 rate of 20.5 per 100,000. Material moving workers, including forklift and industrial truck operators and hand laborers, recorded 1,285 deaths. Refuse and recyclable material collectors, a smaller group within transportation and material moving, had a 2023 rate of 41.4.
Air transportation and extraction
Air transportation workers recorded 328 deaths from 2020 through 2024, and aircraft pilots and flight engineers had a 2023 rate of 31.3 per 100,000. Extraction workers, who work in mining and oil and gas, recorded 304 deaths over the same period.
Steven M. Sweat commented on the data:
“Agriculture’s figures are almost certainly worse than any official dataset shows. BLS injury data suffers from substantial undercounting in industries with high concentrations of undocumented workers, and employers who classify workers as independent contractors aren’t required to report their injuries to OSHA at all. Agriculture is also exempt from overtime pay under federal law, which discourages workers from resting. And with exhaustion, the risk of injuries only increases.”
The Legal Reality Behind the Numbers
For the families left behind, a workplace fatality is never a statistic. It is the sudden loss of a parent, a spouse, and a household’s income. In California, when a worker is killed on the job, the surviving family is often entitled to more than workers’ compensation death benefits. Where a third party, such as a negligent driver, an equipment manufacturer, a subcontractor, or a property owner, contributed to the death, the family may also pursue a California wrongful death claim against that party, which can recover damages workers’ compensation does not, including the loss of love, companionship, and guidance.
The data also shows how central driving is to America’s occupational death toll. Motor vehicle operators, most of them heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, account for more deaths than any other group, and crashes involving commercial vehicles and trucking frequently involve several liable parties beyond the driver, including the motor carrier. A worker who is seriously injured rather than killed by a third party on the job may likewise have a workplace injury claim that runs parallel to their workers’ compensation case.
Families understandably want to know what such a claim is worth. There is no single “average,” because the facts, the available insurance, and the earnings of the person who died drive the value of the case. Our wrongful death page explains who can bring a claim in California and what damages the family can recover.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most dangerous job in America?
By fatality rate, logging. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, logging workers had 98.9 deaths per 100,000 full-time workers in 2023, followed by fishing and hunting workers at 86.9. The rate for all workers was 3.5. By number of deaths, the most dangerous work is driving: driver/sales workers and truck drivers recorded 984 deaths in 2023, more than any other occupation.
How many workers die on the job each year?
BLS counted 5,070 fatal work injuries in the United States in 2024, down from 5,283 in 2023. That is a rate of 3.3 deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. From 2020 through 2024, the total was 25,793.
Are truck drivers among the deadliest jobs?
Yes. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers recorded 4,195 deaths from 2020 through 2024, more than any other single occupation in the BLS data. Fatal crashes involving commercial drivers often give rise to truck accident and commercial vehicle claims against the driver, the trucking company, and other responsible parties.
Can the family of a worker killed on the job sue in California?
Often, yes. Workers’ compensation is generally the exclusive remedy against an employer, but when a third party caused or contributed to the death, such as a negligent motorist, a defective machine, a subcontractor, or a property owner, the surviving family can bring a wrongful death lawsuit against that party under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60, in addition to any workers’ compensation death benefits.
Does workers’ compensation cover a workplace death?
California workers’ compensation provides death benefits to a deceased worker’s dependents, but those benefits are capped and do not include non-economic damages such as loss of companionship. A parallel third-party personal injury or wrongful death claim can pursue the full range of damages California law allows when someone other than the employer is at fault.
Where do these numbers come from?
Every figure on this page comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. The five-year totals add up the annual counts for 2020 through 2024 in Table 3 of the BLS release published February 19, 2026. The occupation rates are from the BLS chart of civilian occupations with high fatal work injury rates for 2023, and the broad-group rates are from BLS figures for 2024.
Speak With a Los Angeles Personal Injury & Wrongful Death Attorney
Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC has represented injured workers and grieving families throughout Los Angeles and Southern California for over 30 years. If you have lost a loved one in a work-related accident, or were seriously injured on the job because of a third party’s negligence, we can help you understand whether you have a claim beyond workers’ compensation. Consultations are free and confidential, and we handle personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency-fee basis, with no fee unless we recover for you.
Call 866-966-5240 for a free consultation. Se habla español.
The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is unique; please contact our office to discuss the specific facts of your situation with a licensed California personal injury attorney.