Suicide Statistics by Profession: Which Jobs Have the Highest Rates

The kind of work someone does shapes far more than a paycheck. It shapes their schedule, their exposure to physical danger, their access to health care, their social connections, and — the data now makes clear — their risk of dying by suicide. Some professions carry rates several times higher than the working population as a whole.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tracked this pattern using death certificates linked to industry and occupation codes. Its most detailed analysis, published in 2023 with data from 2021, found that among the U.S. working-age population, suicide rates reached 32.0 per 100,000 for men and 8.0 per 100,000 for women (CDC, 2023). But those averages hide enormous variation — from office-based roles well below the mean to manual and creative trades several times above it.

This article breaks down the CDC’s occupational findings: how industry differs from occupation, which sectors and job groups carry the highest rates, and why construction stands apart. It complements our broader suicide statistics overview and the demographic patterns explored in our companion pieces.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.

Why Occupation Matters in Suicide Data

Work-related suicide risk is not a fixed feature of a job — it reflects the people a job attracts, the conditions it imposes, and the barriers it creates to getting help. Physically demanding trades tend to employ more men, who die by suicide at far higher rates overall, a pattern examined in our analysis of male suicide statistics. Seasonal or unstable employment, chronic pain and injury, access to lethal means, isolation, and a culture that discourages asking for help all compound the risk.

The trend is also moving in the wrong direction. The CDC reports that the suicide rate among the working-age population rose roughly 33% over two decades (CDC, 2023). That makes the workplace an increasingly important setting for prevention — one where employers, unions, and trade associations can reach people who may never walk into a clinic.

Industry vs. Occupation: Two Different Lenses

The CDC reports occupational suicide data two ways, and the distinction matters when reading the numbers.

• Industry describes the sector an employer operates in. Everyone working for a construction company — from laborers on site to accountants in the office — falls under the construction industry.
• Occupation describes the specific work a person does, regardless of who employs them. A registered nurse is an occupation whether they work in a hospital, a school, or a factory.

Because the two lenses group workers differently, the same population can show up in both tables at different rates. Reading them together gives a fuller picture than either alone.

Industries With the Highest Suicide Rates

By industry, mining posts the highest male suicide rate, followed closely by construction and a cluster of service, entertainment, and agricultural sectors (CDC, 2023).

Every industry in this top tier sits well above the 32.0 male working-population average. Mining and construction — physically hazardous, male-dominated, and often tied to boom-and-bust economic cycles — lead the list.

Occupation Groups With the Highest Rates

Sorted by the specific work people do, construction and extraction occupations top the list for men, with several skilled-trade and creative groups close behind (CDC, 2023).

Where female rates are reported, they remain lower than male rates in every group — but several are strikingly elevated relative to the 8.0 female working-population average. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers (26.6) and construction and extraction workers (25.3) show the highest female rates, more than three times the overall figure.

The Detailed Occupations With the Highest Rates

At the most granular level, a handful of specific occupations post male rates several times the national working-population average (CDC, 2023).

These are among the highest occupational suicide rates the CDC has documented. Several — logging, fishing and hunting, extraction — are among the most physically dangerous jobs in the country, combining isolation, seasonal instability, and ready access to firearms. Others, like musicians and singers, point to the precarious economics and irregular work of creative careers.

Construction: The Standout

No industry draws more concern than construction, and the numbers explain why. Construction has the second-highest suicide rate of any U.S. industry, and its sheer size magnifies the toll. A 2021 analysis found that construction workers accounted for 17.9% of all suicides that carried an industry code, despite making up just 7.4% of the workforce (Am J Ind Med, 2024).

Several factors converge in the trade: a predominantly male workforce, high rates of chronic pain and opioid use following injury, seasonal layoffs and financial stress, transient work that frays social ties, and a stoic culture that discourages reaching out. The same pressures that drive elevated risk among men generally are concentrated on the job site. In response, a growing number of contractors and unions have adopted toolbox talks, peer-support programs, and crisis-line signage as frontline prevention.

Agriculture, the Arts, and Personal Care

Construction is not alone. The CDC data flags elevated risk across several other fields:

• Agriculture and related work. Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations carry a male rate of 49.9, and specific roles — logging (161.1), fishing and hunting (130.6), and agricultural and food scientists (173.1) — rank among the very highest. Financial pressure, isolation, weather-dependent income, and firearm access all contribute, particularly in the rural communities where much of this work happens.
• The arts and entertainment. The arts, entertainment, and recreation industry posts a male rate of 47.9 and a female rate of 15.0 — nearly double the female working-population average. Musicians and singers alone reach 138.7 among men, reflecting unstable income, irregular schedules, and the mental-health strain common in creative careers.
• Personal care and service. This occupation group reports a male rate of 47.1 and a female rate of 15.9, among the higher female figures in the data.

These patterns echo the broader demographic story told in our overviews of U.S. suicide statistics and suicide rates by age, where working-age adults and older men consistently carry the heaviest burden.

Healthcare Workers and Nurses

Health care is not among the highest-rate industries overall, but one occupation warrants specific attention: registered nurses. Female registered nurses show a suicide rate of 11.3 per 100,000 — elevated relative to the 8.0 female working-population average (CDC, 2023). Long shifts, emotional labor, exposure to trauma and death, and access to medications are among the factors researchers cite.

The strain extends across the caregiving and emergency workforce. Our dedicated pages on health care workers and first responders look more closely at the mental-health pressures these professions face and the support systems being built to address them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which profession has the highest suicide rate?

Among detailed occupations in the CDC’s 2021 data, agricultural and food scientists (173.1 per 100,000 for men) and logging workers (161.1) posted the highest male rates. By broad industry, mining led at 72.0 per 100,000 among men (CDC, 2023).

Why do construction workers have such high suicide rates?

Construction has the second-highest suicide rate of any U.S. industry — a male rate of 56.0 per 100,000 — and construction workers made up 17.9% of suicides with an industry code despite being 7.4% of the workforce (Am J Ind Med, 2024). Contributing factors include a mostly male workforce, chronic pain and injury, seasonal job instability, isolation, and stigma around seeking help.

What is the difference between industry and occupation in this data?

Industry refers to the sector an employer operates in, so everyone at a construction firm counts under the construction industry. Occupation refers to the specific job a person does regardless of employer. The CDC reports both because they group workers differently and reveal different patterns (CDC, 2023).

Are suicide rates higher for men or women across professions?

Men. In every industry and occupation group the CDC reports, male rates exceed female rates. The working-population averages were 32.0 per 100,000 for men and 8.0 for women in 2021 (CDC, 2023).

Do nurses have elevated suicide risk?

Female registered nurses had a suicide rate of 11.3 per 100,000 in 2021, above the 8.0 female working-population average (CDC, 2023). Long hours, emotional strain, and access to lethal means are among the cited factors.

Have workplace suicide rates been rising?

Yes. The CDC reports that suicide among the working-age population rose by roughly 33% over two decades, making the workplace an increasingly important setting for prevention (CDC, 2023).

Sources

1. Sussell A, Peterson C, Li J, et al. Suicide Rates by Industry and Occupation — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(50):1346-1350. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7250a2.htm

2. Suicides among construction workers in the United States, 2021. Am J Ind Med. 2024. PMID 38989775. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38989775/