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12 of the 25 most deadly jobs in the US are in the construction industry

Linemen have one of the most dangerous job in the construction industryDerrick workers in oil gas and mining, roofers, ironworkers, crane operators, construction helpers, landscaping supervisors, highway maintenance workers, cement masons, ground maintenance workers, maintenance workers and mining machine operators have some of the highest death rates among all workers. Out of the top 25 most dangerous jobs  in the US, 12 of them are related to the construction industry according to a recent study released by AdvisorSmith.

Derrick operators in the oil gas and mining industry whose job is to operate and maintain the derrick and drill equipment used to extract oil or gas have the third most dangerous activity of all American workers behind logging workers and aircraft pilots and flight engineers. The average yearly salary of a derrick operator is $51,390 and the average fatal injury rate is 46 per 100,000 workers.  20 of them died on the job  in 2018 according to the most recent data of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Roofers who average a $42,100 yearly salary come right behind them with a fatal injury rate of 41 per 100,000 workers. 96 of them died in roofing accidents in 2018.

15 iron workers died on the job in 2018. With an average $52,650 yearly salary, iron workers have the sixth most dangerous occupation with a death rate of 29 per 100,000 workers.

Among all construction workers executing very dangerous tasks, power linemen have one of the best salaries with an average $71,960 yearly. However fatal electrocution is common in this activity. In 2018 29 of them died on the job. Power linemen have the 10th most dangerous occupational activity in the US with a fatality rate of 20 per 100,000 workers.

Crane operators have the 13th most dangerous job in the US with a rate of 19 death per 100,000 workers. They make an average $60,530 a year. 9 of them them died in 2018 in the US.

Construction helpers who make only $31,830 a year on average have the 14th most dangerous occupation in the US with a fatality rate of 18 per 100,000 workers. 11 of them died in 2018.

48 landscaping supervisors died on the job in 2018. They have the same fatality rate as the construction helpers but they are better compensated with a yearly average salary of $52,340

Highway maintenance workers also have also a fatality rate of 18 per 100,000 workers. 14 of them died in 2018. The average salary of a highway maintenance worker is $42,410 a year.

Right behind them with a fatality rate of 17 per 100,000 workers are cement masons.  11 of them died in 2018. Cement masons make an average yearly salary of $48,340.

Ground maintenance workers have a job as dangerous as a police officers with a fatality rate of 14 per 100,000 workers. In 2018, 225 of them died on the job. The majority of them died in traffic accidents traveling from a jobsite to another.

Maintenance workers who make an average $39,080 a year have also a death rate of 14 per 100,000 workers. 64 of them died in 2018.

Globally 259 workers died in the construction industry in 2018. That’s an average rate of 13 deaths per 100,000 workers. On average a construction workers makes $36,000 a year.

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