Some jobs intrinsically have more health risks than others.
A flight attendant working in close quarters with passengers is more likely to catch an infectious disease than a lawyer working in an office, for example. Factor in the greater exposure to cosmic radiation, abnormal sleep patterns, and a less-than-clean work environment, and it's just not the healthiest job.
To rank the most unhealthy jobs in America, we used data from the Occupational Information Network, a US Department of Labor database full of detailed information on occupations.
In order to analyze jobs by their impact on workers' health, we took O*NET measures of six health risks in each of the 974 occupations in the database: exposure to contaminants; exposure to disease and infection; exposure to hazardous conditions; exposure to radiation; risk of minor burns, cuts, bites, and stings; and time spent sitting, since studies show that frequent inactivity shortens your lifespan. O*NET scores these factors on a scale from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating an increased health risk.
Read on to find out which jobs have the most potential to damage your health.
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46 (tie). Mining roof bolters
Roof bolters operate machinery to install support bolts in underground mines.
Median annual salary: $58,450
Overall unhealthiness score: 51.3
Top three health risks:
1. Exposure to contaminants: 97
2. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 86
3. Risk of minor burns, cuts, bites, and stings: 85
46 (tie). Chemical equipment operators and tenders
Chemical equipment operators and tenders run equipment to control chemical reactions in the processing of industrial or consumer products.
Median annual salary: $47,800
Overall unhealthiness score: 51.3
Top three health risks:
1. Exposure to contaminants: 92
2. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 89
3. Risk of minor burns, cuts, bites, and stings: 64
44 (tie). Respiratory therapists
Respiratory therapists assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders.
Median annual salary: $59,710
Overall unhealthiness score: 51.8
Top three health risks:
1. Exposure to disease and infections: 98
2. Exposure to contaminants: 69
3. Exposure to radiation: 55
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