10 Most Dangerous Jobs in America: Are They Worth the Paycheck?
Work can break your back — in some cases, literally and figuratively. GOBankingRates ranked the 10 most hazardous U.S. jobs in 2025 by fatality rates and salaries, and Resume Genius analyzed whether the reward outweighs the danger.
Here’s a look at whether or not the high paychecks for these dangerous jobs are worth the risk.
1. Garbage Collector
- Median salary: $48,350
Picking up trash is a dirty job, but someone has to do it — for a salary that kind of stinks. Garbage collectors face high fatality rates due to traffic and hydraulic crushers, yet their pay is low.
2. Logging Worker
- Median salary: $49,540
Cutting down trees might be an old-fashioned way to make a living, but it also comes with inherent danger — and a salary that’s not even $50K annually. Top-tier operators who follow safety and weather rules can make it worth it.
3. Roofer
- Median salary: $50,970
Jobs keep the roofs over our heads — and for some people, those jobs include installing, maintaining and fixing those very same roofs. The heights are high, so does the pay match? Roofers often suffer significant fatalities, and their pay doesn’t compensate for the risk.
4. Truck Driver
- Median salary: $57,440
From the gas we use to drive our cars to the groceries on our shelves, none of it could happen without truck drivers. While it might seem like a fairly straightforward job, it comes with a few dangers and not as much pay as you might think. The work is a grind, and the pay may or may not make sense depending on whether you are an owner or worker.
5. Firefighter
- Median salary: $59,530
It’s a noble and heroic profession to fight fires, save lives and give back to the community. The only question is: are you willing to put yourself in danger for less than $60K per year? Firefighters show a high mortality rate and a high non-fatal injury rate, making it a physically and emotionally demanding job.
6. Iron and Steel Workers
- Median salary: $61,940
An essential part of the construction and building industry is iron and steel workers, who forge the foundational parts for numerous projects. They make a fairly middle-of-the-road salary, depending on the cost of living where they are located. These workers are tied to a professional skill set that is not easily replaced.
7. Police and Detectives
- Median salary: $77,270
Anyone in law enforcement is bound to face dangerous circumstances that will put them in harm’s way. Does the salary stack up for police officers and detectives? This profession is well worth the money when looking at the financial result together with long-term applications. The combination of good, middle-class pay and good retirement security helps compensate for law enforcement’s inherent dangers.
8. Farm Manager
- Median salary: $87,980
Farmers feed the world. Managing an entire agricultural operation takes a lot of skill, know-how and energy. It pays a salary just shy of $90K annually. The work-to-pay ratio for this job is worth it because the managerial position is more supervisory and operational than hands-on, physically risky labor.
9. Electrical Power Line Technician
- Median salary: $92,560
Anyone working with the electrical grid to keep the power flowing to homes, businesses and public spaces should be paid pretty well. An electrical power line technician makes just under six figures, though the risk factors are pretty high. The high salary is a sufficiently large reward for the inevitable risk of being near high-voltage power systems and at great heights.
10. Pilot
- Median salary: $198,100
Flying high in the sky would hopefully mean that your salary reflects the skills and dangers that come with being a pilot. And in most cases, captains of the air are paid handsomely for their work amongst the clouds. A pilot’s salary supports the enormous responsibility and expertise demanded of the role, making it well worth the value. The fatality rate is strongly influenced by non-commercial aviation, which means the day-to-day risk of most professional commercial pilots is much lower than the overall data would indicate.
