The toughest jobs in the US include firefighter, cop and construction worker, poll finds
The toughest jobs in the U.S. include firefighters, construction workers, and nurses.
A poll of 2,000 employed adults from Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 commissioned by Cat Footwear found 21 percent believe working in mining or oil is one of the most grueling jobs around, while 11 percent think being a doctor is a role only for the most resilient.
Others feel that only the iron-willed could be a roofer (10 percent) or a teacher (8 percent).
According to those polled, challenging jobs involve being on your feet all day (40 percent), working in all weather conditions (38 percent) and dealing with trauma or distressing situations (34 percent). Three-quarters (75 percent) of adults polled claimed that standing up all day can have serious repercussions for long-term health.
Below, Cat Footwear examines the physical demands of America's toughest jobs and the toll they take on workers.
The study found those who work in construction, manufacturing and engineering spend an average of just under seven hours a day on their feet.
And people in healthcare and social services, such as nurses, will be on their feet for an average of six hours and eight minutes.
These workers also do more than 6,500 steps a day, with people working in environment, agriculture and sustainability doing a staggering 7,831 a day each on average.
Nearly 6 in 10 (57 percent) of all respondents went as far as to say sometimes, the single hardest part of their job is how much time they spend standing up.
And while 60 percent have felt pain in their feet after excessive standing, 59 percent claimed it causes back issues, while 11 percent even feel pain in their hands.
As many as 47 percent have turned down an invite or had to miss out because their body was too sore after a shift.
But 36 percent of respondents fear admitting their feet hurt would make them look “weak” in front of colleagues.
That includes 43 percent of men and 31 percent of women, according to the OnePoll.com data.
Toughest jobs in the U.S.:
Respondents were allowed to choose up to three options.
- Firefighter 26%
- Police officer 23%
- Construction worker 22%
- Miner/oil worker 21%
- Nurse 19%
- Paramedic 13%
- Agricultural/farm worker 11%
- Doctor 11%
- Roofer 10%
- Healthcare assistant/caregiver 10%
This story was produced by Cat Footwear and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
