These Are the Most Dangerous Jobs in America

If petting pooches while you listen for their heartbeats and coaxing kittens as you administer medicine sounds like the purr-fect gig—sorry for the pun—it might be time to think again. Veterinarian made CareerCast's list of the most dangerous jobs, along with a few other professions that may surprise you.

To determine the safest and most dangerous jobs, CareerCast cross-referenced the 200 jobs tracked in its yearly Jobs Rated report with data collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and other trade organizations. You won't be surprised to hear that police officers and firefighters made the most dangerous list, while accountants and computer systems analysts made the safest list.

But other jobs' placements are less predictable. As we mentioned, veterinarian made the most dangerous list—along with nursing assistant and farmer. "Animals can be unpredictable and sometimes dangerous,” explains Kyle Kensing, online content editor for CareerCast. “Veterinarians working with dogs and cats can face the workplace hazards of bites and scratches, and those who work with livestock and other large animals risk serious injury.”

Here, according to CareerCast, are the 10 most dangerous jobs:

1. Construction laborer. "Construction laborers take on a variety of duties in the high-risk environment of a construction zone," explains CareerCast, "and as a result, have the highest injury and fatality rate on the job," according to labor statistics.

2. Correctional officer. According to CareerCast, correctional officers guard more than two million inmates. And the most recent labor data shows that correctional officers "sustained the most injuries and illnesses in state government," the site says.

3. Emergency medical technician. "EMTs go directly into hazardous situations, such as dangerous roadways after a traffic accident to assist the injured," CareerCast points out. And because of that, more than 20,000 workplace injuries are reported, on average, each year for these employees.