10. Pro Diver
Diving for treasures while on vacation is one thing, but doing it for a living is another. One of the most physically dangerous jobs on the planet is anything that involves being underwater. This includes diving for pearls, underwater manufacturing, and deep underwater drilling. And yes, there is also the chance that you may not make it back to the surface.
9. Bomb Technician
At the top of my list for being emotionally challenging is working as a bomb technician. Although it is fairly easy to understand why someone might want to save the world by defusing a bomb, does anyone really want to take that risk? I mean really? I can only imagine the amount of stress that is experienced in the split second when you do not know if you cut the right wire. No thank you
8. Airplane Repo Person
I have a confession, I had never heard of an airplane repo man until I began researching this list. But if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Someone has to go take back airplanes when the owners don’t pay. Why is this on my tough jobs list? Well, think about who buys airplanes: multi-millionaires, princes and sultans, drug cartels … I’m not trying to be the one who takes back their plane.
7. Domestic Engineer
If you are looking for a break from hard work, you could just stay at home with your children… Oh wait, who am I kidding, that’s not a break. Working as a domestic engineer, no matter how rewarding, is emotionally tough. The biggest reason is because there are no ground rules. A domestic engineer decides what they will and won’t do every single day. For many people that ends up being overworked, under-appreciated and underpaid. That is, unless you manage to marry well and outsource all of your work to hired help.
6. Bounty Hunter
If you have just the right amount of physical strength, mental know- how, and emotional fortitude to make it as a bounty hunter, you may make a lot of money. However, I wouldn’t wish the job on my worst enemy. Not only are you responsible for chasing down criminals, you are also responsible for sending them to jail without killing them. Good luck with that, super hero.
5. Communications-Tower Climber
Tower climbing was the deadliest job in the U.S. earlier in the decade. While Things have gotten a bit safer, this job still results in 20 deaths each year on average in the US. In order to erect or maintain communication towers, employees regularly climb towers, using fixed ladders, support structures or step bolts, from 100 feet to heights in excess of 1000 or 2000 feet. They often have to do this in extreme weather conditions – cause that’s when things go wrong.
4. Professional Fisherman
Recreational fishing is no comparison to what commercial fisherman in the most remote parts of the planet endures. Besides the obvious risk of drowning, the fact that the fishing is done where the fish are (far out in the ocean in areas humans tend to stay away from) is the reason it is so dangerous. The workers face emotional stress of separation from land, as well as physical demands of the job.
3. Steel Fabricator
Here is a common man’s job that has an uncommon amount of risk involved. First you have to worry about the sparks coming off of the tools while working. They burn. Then you have to be concerned about the blinding light, loud noise and harsh chemicals in the air. Every time a steel fabricator clocks into work, they are literally putting themselves at risk. There’s protection for all that stuff right?
2. Flight Deck Operations (Navy)
If you enjoy bungee jumping, eating poisonous foods or running through traffic, this job may be exciting for you. In flight deck operations, you get to run around large jets and help them land, take off, and otherwise get to where they need to be. You will breath in their fumes, help catapult them in the air, and try not to somehow get accidentally dragged into the ocean.
1. Logger
So you like climbing trees? Great! Now strap on loads of equipment, make those trees humongous and do it in terrible weather. At that point, you might have an idea of what it takes to be a logger. Despite all of our innovations, most of logging is still done the old fashioned way- with a man and a tree. Last time I checked, trees are a lot bigger than men. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that logging is America’s most dangerous job. Workers lost their lives at a rate of 127.8 per 100,000 full-time workers. In total, 62 loggers were killed on the job last year in the US alone, and many, many more around the world.