10 most dangerous jobs in Australia

Each year, there are hundreds of fatal workplace injuries in Australia. In 2023, 76% of all work related fatalities and 61% of serious workers' compensation claims occurred in just 7 industries:

• Agriculture, forestry and fishing
• Transport, postal and warehousing
• Construction
• Electricity, gas, water and waste services
• Arts and recreation services
• Mining
• Public administration and safety

Of course, there are other industries that pose a risk to everyday Aussies, even ones that may seem perfectly safe.

10 most dangerous jobs in Australia right now

Road and rail drivers accounted for the most workplace deaths in 2023. However, their job isn't considered the riskiest. That's because agriculture, forestry and garden workers have a higher risk of workplace death and injury per 100,000 workers.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing

With careers ranging from farmers and park rangers to scientists, the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry has routinely been at the top of the most dangerous jobs list. Common dangers include hazardous equipment and machinery, as well as harmful chemicals. The fatality rate per 100,000 workers was 9.2 in 2023, by far the highest of any other work sector.

Transport, postal and warehousing

The transport, postal, and warehousing industry can be a hazardous industry, with manual labour jobs like truck driving, postal work, and warehouse work. Which has led to injuries being more common. There were 7.0 fatalities per 100,000 in 2023.

Construction

From working at height to moving objects and manual handling, construction workers need to be constantly vigilant in order to stay safe. Construction industry workers can include everything from common labourers and earthmovers to carpenters, plumbers and electricians. Construction had one of the highest fatality rates in 2023 at 3.4 fatalities per 100,000 workers, with 45 deaths overall.

Mining

The mining industry includes the likes of riggers, excavators, drillers and crane operators. Because it is a heavy industry, it's always going to be dangerous. However, deaths have fallen in recent years in Australia thanks in part to improved safety measures - with 2.1 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2023 compared to 2.5 in 2022.

Pubilc administration and safety

Including police officers, emergency service workers, firefighters, and security personnel, public administration and safety is a naturally dangerous field to be in. The leading causes of fatalities are vehicle accidents, assaults, and exposure to hazardous situations and substances. In 2023 there were 16 work-related fatalities in the sector.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing includes light industry roles such as clothing and textiles, as well as heavy industries like metal manufacturing and oil and chemical manufacturing. The heavy industries are predominantly more dangerous, with 12 people losing their lives while working in the manufacturing industry in 2023.

Wholesale trade

Some roles in the wholesale trade industry include transportation and material moving occupations, and installation, maintenance and repair occupations. Dangers include body stressing, falls, slips and trips, being hit by moving objects as well as machinery and equipment such as forklifts and pallets. In 2023, there were 1.1 deaths per 100,000 workers in the industry.

Administrative and support services

The administrative and support services industry is not exclusively made up of desk jobs. Roles can include building cleaning, pest control and gardening services. In 2023, there were 4 fatalities.

The most dangerous industries ranked

Here are the industries with the highest average fatalities per year. The ranking is according to a 5-year average from 2019 to 2023.

Deaths by occupation in Australia

Machine and operator drivers accounted for 73 workplace deaths in 2023, and 60 of those were road or rail drivers. They accounted, by far, for the most workplace deaths in Australia.

^{Source: Safe Work Australia
The averages shown in this table have been rounded to the nearest whole number; therefore the sum of the figures for the 5yr average column may not equal the total average.}

Who is most likely to be injured at work?

Men or women?

Men are far more likely to be injured at work compared to women. In 2023, 95% of fatalities were men. That means men accounted for 189 of the 200 deaths.

In 2023, the fatality rate for men was 2.6 in every 100,000 male workers, slightly up from 2.5 in 2023. In comparison, the fatality rate for women was 0.1 in 2023, down from 0.2 in 2023.

Old or young?

Middle aged workers accounted for most deaths in 2023, with people aged 55 to 64 suffering the highest number of fatalities, followed by those aged 45 to 54.

The table below shows the number of deaths between 2019 and 2023, distributed by age group.

What's causing workplace injuries?

The most likely cause of workplace deaths in Australia is some kind of vehicle collision. In fact, vehicle collisions were blamed for 46.5% of all workplace fatalities in 2023

The table below shows the average number of fatalities caused annually by specific incidents between 2019 and 2023. It also shows the percentage of fatalities caused by that type of accident.

Which state is most dangerous for workers?

The Northern Territory has the highest rate of workplace fatalities per 100,000 workers, while NSW has the most deaths overall.

The table below shows the average number of workplace fatalities per year as well as the average rate of death per 100,000 workers. It relies on Safe Work data from 2019 to 2023.

Does workers compensation help with workplace fatalities?

Yes. If you die as a result of a work-related incident/accident, workers compensation insurance will pay a lump sum to your family. The set amount varies between different states. In NSW, the current lump-sum benefit is $938,600.

Workers compensation will also pay a benefit for funeral expenses as well as other costs such as travel and accommodation for family members who want to attend the service.

If you suffer an injury while you're at work, workers compensation insurance will cover lost wages as well as any medical expenses and rehabilitation costs.

However, workers compensation is typically capped at 130 weeks unless you're totally incapacitated. Self-employed workers also tend to be excluded from workers compensation.

These are just some of the reasons why many Aussies choose to take out income protection insurance or life insurance in addition to the workers compensation cover they receive through their employer.

Can insurance help with workplace fatalities?

Yes. Life insurance can help make sure your family is looked after if you die in a workplace accident. It can also help if you suffer an injury and are unable to work for a while or ever again.

There are a few different kinds of insurance that can help people in risky jobs or anyone who wants to make sure their family will be financially sound.

Life/death insurance

Life insurance pays a financial benefit to your family if you die, regardless of whether it's work-related or not. Some policies will also pay out if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Income protection

Income protection insurance is designed to replace a portion of your income if you're ever too sick or injured to work. Typically, payments are capped at two years.

TPD insurance

Total and permanent disability insurance pays a lump-sum benefit if you become permanently disabled through injury or illness and are no longer able to work.

Trauma insurance.

Trauma insurance pays a financial benefit if you are diagnosed with a specific injury or illness. It can be bought as a standalone policy or as part of a wider life insurance package.

Other key findings

Here are some other key findings from the Safe Work Australia over the five year period between 2019 to 2023:

• The highest number of fatalities occurred in people aged 55 to 64. There were 231 fatalities between 2019 and 2023. However, the fatality rate in people 65 and over was higher – 5.1 per 100,000 workers.
• New South Wales had the highest number of fatalities (274 compared to 199 for Victoria) but the Northern Territory had a higher fatality rate – 3.6 per 100,000 workers.
• Vehicle incidents were the main cause of fatal injuries in the Australian workplace in 2023, accounting for 94 fatalities and 42% of deaths.
• Machinery operators and drivers had the highest number of fatalities in 2023 (73), followed by labourers (53), then technicians and trade workers (27), and community and personal service workers (16).
• The country wide fatality rate was at the highest in 2020 at 1.5. It has returned closer to this rate at 1.4 in 2023 after a slight dip in 2021.
• There were a total of 953 work-related injury fatalities over the five year period, 906 were men and 47 were women.

Written by

Nicola Middlemiss

Senior writer

Nicola Middlemiss is a contributing writer at Finder, with a special interest in personal finance and insurance. Formerly a business and finance journalist, Nicola has written thousands of articles helping Australians better understand insurance and grow their personal wealth. She has contributed to a wide range of publications, including Domain, the Educator, Financy, Fundraising and Philanthropy, Insurance Business, MoneyMag, Mortgage Professional, Yahoo Finance, Your Investment Property, and Wealth Professional. Nicola has a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Leeds. See full bio

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Nicola has written 241 Finder guides across topics including:

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Co-written by

Cameron Thach

Insurance Content Writer

Cameron is the local insurance scholar at Finder. With a diverse background writing in independent education, web-3, and finance, his mission is to build helpful content and that speaks to readers in language they understand. See full bio