10 Of The Toughest Jobs On Earth

For some people, a 9-5 desk job just doesn't cut it. Check out some jobs that require a sense of adventure and a will to live on the wild side. And don't miss Wicked Tuna, premiering April 1st at 10pm, only on Nat Geo Channel.

Deep Sea Tuna Fisherman

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One important and lesser-known fact about Tuna fishing is that the men and women who risk their lives fishing tuna in ice-cold waters face the highest on-the-job mortality rate. Fishing is a hard life, and in Gloucester, Massachusetts, there's a special breed of fishermen. For generations they've used rod and reel to catch the elusive Bluefin tuna. They depend on these fish for their livelihood, but the dangers of the job and the competition is brutal.

Coast Guard Search & Rescue

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When you're a part of the coast guard, dangerous rescues are a normal part of the job. The men and women of the coast guard put their lives on the line every day to save others.

Oil Well Driller

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Drilling for oil and gas offshore is one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs out there. The risks are unavoidable: 12 hour days dealing with highly combustible materials while being isolated hundreds of miles off coast.

Deminer

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As you would assume, any kind of job involving mines is bound to be deadly. Demining resulted in at least 500 deaths from 1996 to 2002.

Helicopter Linemen

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How many helicopter linemen do you know? Since this is a highly specialized area of work, few linemen have the special training needed to perform it. As crazy as it seems, much of the high voltage transmission line work is done barehanded, which is exactly what makes this job so risky.

Skyscraper Window Cleaner

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Although you may think of window cleaning as an unskilled job, it is actually quite dangerous and requires mastery of special techniques.

Firefighter

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Rushing into burning buildings to rescue people is certainly a noble job. Firefighters face extreme danger every day. And although they undergo extensive training to prepare themselves for all kinds of emergencies, the situations are unpredictable and the risk of injury and death is high.

Miner

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It doesn't get more dangerous than coal mining. In this deadly industry, an average of 50 to 60 miners die each year while on the job. As a precaution, miners wear emergency breathing devices at all times in order to help give them enough time to escape in case of a disaster. In addition to cave-ins and explosions, miners also face dangers they cannot see, like carbon monoxide and methane gas.

Logger

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Logging is not only one the most dangerous jobs in America, but it also ranks among one the most dangerous jobs in the world. Loggers must work at great heights and uneven terrain with chain saws and logging machines that are extremely dangerous even when used properly. In 2008, there were a reported 116 Deaths per 100,000 workers.