Which Is More Dangerous: Police Work or Nursing?

In the United States, police work is actually less dangerous than working in nursing in terms of non-fatal injuries. Although a much higher percentage of police officers died on the job in 2010 than did healthcare workers, nursing and residential care workers suffered non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses at a higher rate than people who worked in police protection.

More facts about dangerous jobs:

• The deadliest jobs in the U.S. in 2010 included fishing workers, with a fatality rate of about 116 workers per 100,000; logging workers, with a fatality rate of about 92 workers per 100,000; and aircraft pilots and flight engineers, which had a fatality rate of about 71 workers per 100,000.


• The rate of workplace fatalities in the U.S. was lower in 2010 than it had been since at least 1991. A reported 4,547 workers died on the job in 2010, which is more than 2,000 fatalities fewer than in 1994.


• About one out of every 20 U.S. workers in the transportation and warehousing private industry sectors suffered a non-fatal occupational injury in 2010.