19. America’s 10 Most Dangerous Jobs
Per 100,000
Average 3.3
Fishing 200
Logging 62
Pilot 57
Farm & Ranch 36
Roofers 35
Ironworkers 30
Sanitation 25
Machinist 19
Truck Driver 18
Construction 18
Source: Bureau of Labor
20. 1. Men disproportionately gravitate towards higher paying occupations in technology and hard sciences (e.g.,
petroleum engineer).
2. Men disproportionately choose higher-risk, higher paying occupations with greater safety risks for
occupational injuries and fatalities (e.g., oil field worker, roofer, and logging).
3. Men are more willing to work outdoors in uncomfortable, physically demanding work environments
(construction, oil field workers, commercial fishing, logging).
4. Men are more willing than women to choose demanding, intense jobs where you can’t check out at the
end of the work day (e.g., corporate attorney, senior White House staff).
5. Men select jobs with higher pay but with lower personal fulfillment (tax accountant).
6. Men select jobs with higher financial and emotional risks (e.g., venture capitalist).
7. Men are more willing than women to work the worst shifts during the worst hours.
8. Men often choose higher paying subfields (e.g., surgery and anesthesiology).
9. Men are more willing to work in dirty or unpleasant environments with minimal human contact (e.g.,
prison guard, steel worker, truck drivers).
10. Men work longer hours per week than women on average.
21. 11. Men more frequently than women invest in updating their skills with greater financial payoffs (e.g.,
master’s degree in computer technology vs. master’s degree in education).
12. Men are more likely than women to have more years of continuous experience in their current
occupation.
13. Men are more likely than women to have more years of recent, uninterrupted experience with their
current employer.
14. More work more weeks during the year than women, on average.
15. Men are less likely than women to be absent from work (e.g., doctor’s visits, sick days, taking time off
when children are sick, etc.).
16. Men are more willing than women to tolerate longer commute times.
17. Men are more willing to relocate, especially to undesirable locations at their company’s request.
18. Men are more willing than women, on average, to travel extensively on the job.
19. Men are more willing than women to take the risk of a variable income, e.g., to be paid by commission vs.
a fixed salary.
20. Men often produce more output, e.g., scholarly research articles for university professors.
