The Most Dangerous Side Hustles in America, Ranked
Delivery Driving Tops Law Firm’s Ranking of High-Risk Side Gigs
Delivery driving carries the highest overall risk among the side jobs reviewed in a new analysis, with an estimated 950 annual deaths and a fatality rate of 25.7 per 100,000 workers.
Trujillo Gonzalez Law Firm ranked 10 common side hustles by combining occupational fatality rates, nonfatal injury rates and annual deaths from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The firm matched each gig with the closest available full-time occupation, meaning the figures describe the broader occupational categories rather than a separate count of part-time or app-based workers.
The analysis put delivery driving first, citing a nonfatal injury rate of about 250 per 100,000 workers and estimated pay of $26.13 an hour. Road crashes were identified as the principal hazard.
Tree cutting and firewood cutting ranked second, despite a lower total of 51 annual deaths. The occupation had the highest fatality rate in the study, at 110.4 deaths per 100,000 workers. Junk removal placed third, with a 37.4 fatality rate and 259 nonfatal injuries per 100,000 workers.
Moving and hauling ranked fourth but had the highest nonfatal injury rate in the group, at 290 per 100,000 workers. The study attributed much of that risk to lifting and maneuvering heavy loads. The category had 110 annual deaths and an estimated hourly wage of $20.32, the lowest among the five highest-ranked jobs.
Roofing and roof repair rounded out the top five. The work recorded 104 annual deaths, a fatality rate of 48.7 per 100,000 workers and 186 nonfatal injuries per 100,000 workers, according to the firm’s analysis.
The remaining occupations in the ranking were HVAC repair and installation; handyman and odd-job work; home maintenance and repair; lawn care and landscaping; and landscaping crew supervision. HVAC work had the highest estimated hourly pay in the group at $31.14, while the analysis cited exposure to electrical hazards, falls and chemicals as key risks.
An attorney for Trujillo Gonzalez said side-gig workers also need to document income for tax and potential injury-claim purposes. The firm said workers who do not report earnings may face complications demonstrating lost income after an injury.