Some jobs intrinsically have more health risks than others. A nurse working in a hospital is far more likely to catch an infectious disease than a lawyer working in an office.
To rank the most unhealthy jobs in America, we used data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), a U.S. 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.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Overall unhealthiness score: 55.0
What they do: Collect and dump refuse and recyclable materials into trucks.
Top three health risks:
Exposure to contaminants: 97
Time spent sitting: 69
Exposure to disease and infections: 63
Nuclear Equipment Operation Technicians
Overall unhealthiness score: 55.2
What they do: Operate equipment used for the release, control, or utilization of nuclear energy to assist scientists in laboratory or production activities.
Top three health risks:
Exposure to radiation: 89
Exposure to hazardous conditions: 77
Exposure to contaminants: 65
Medical, Clinical, and Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
Overall unhealthiness score: 55.3
What they do: Perform complex medical laboratory tests for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.
Top three health risks:
Exposure to disease and infections: 96
Exposure to hazardous conditions: 69
Exposure to contaminants: 68
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