10 Most Dangerous Jobs In The World

A coveted, high-paying position, airline pilots are constantly responsible for the lives and safety of others. That responsibility requires high levels of vigilance on the job, which leads to stress-related health issues such as insomnia. Pilots also face a variety of health risks that are unique to their job, including deep vein thrombosis, dehydration and high rates of skin cancer.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there is an average of 63 fatal injuries and 12,500 nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving animals every year. People working with large domestic animals, such as horses, cattle and other livestock, are constantly exposing themselves to danger.

According to OSHA, more than 20 percent of private-sector worker fatalities recorded in the U.S. in 2013 took place on construction jobs. The leading, or "fatal four," causes of worker deaths on construction sites were falls, being stuck by an object, electrocution, and being caught in or between objects. Such accidents accounted for nearly 60 percent of deaths in the field.

While emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, work to save lives, they often find themselves exposed to life-threatening situations as they treat and transport the sick and injured. A CDC report found emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in the U.S. had an estimated fatality rate of 12.7 per 100,000 workers, more than twice the national average.

American military personnel are constantly in harm's way, whether during deployments in war zones, participation in humanitarian missions, or working in close proximity to large, potentally lethal machinery. Along with the heavy physical demands, soldiers must also cope with job-related stresses like constant uncertainty and travel. And even after serving their country, a high percentage of veterans must cope with psychological ailments like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Making your living by walking into, rather than running away from, a burning building is practically the definition of a dangerous profession. Last year, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 64 firefighters died while on-duty in the U.S. Sudden cardiac incidents accounted for more than half of those deaths.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 756 truck drivers were killed in work-related incidents in 2012, while over 65,000 others were injured. The rate of fatal and non-fatal injuries and illnesses for both heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, as well as for their colleagues in smaller deliver trucks, was higher than the national average for all private industry occupations.

Beyond working with high-powered chain saws and huge logging machinery, loggers also have to deal with what the agency calls the "massive weights and irresistible momentum of falling, rolling, and sliding trees and logs." Factor in harsh work conditions due to inclement weather and uneven terrain in remote work sites and you're in a very dangerous work environment. There were 62 logging industry deaths reported in 2013.

Working with recently arrested individuals, as well as people awaiting trial or already serving prison sentences, is just part of the job for corrections officers. The American Correctional Association notes that correction officers have one of the highest rates of nonfatal, work-related injuries of all U.S. workers. Nearly 40 percent of injuries came from assaults, confrontations with inmates and other acts of violence.

The dangers of police work are obvious and well-known. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says that 126 federal, state, local, tribal and territorial officers were killed in the line of duty in 2014. In a statement, NLEOMF CEO Craig Floyd last year called those numbers "a stark reminder that some 900,000 sworn law enforcement officers go out each and every day putting their lives on the line for our safety and protection."