Most Dangerous Summer Jobs Revealed as Teens Face Fatal Risks at Work

Article courtesy of Everly Life. 

New study calculates fatality rates for America’s teen workers, with trucking and repair jobs topping deadly rankings!

Key Findings:

• Life insurance expert analyzes which summer jobs pose the greatest fatal risks to American teens aged 16-19
• Heavy truck driving leads with 371 fatalities per million teen workers, while popular food service jobs rank safest at under 10 per million
• Expert warns parents that earnings shouldn’t outweigh safety when teens choose summer employment

Summer break has brought one thing for millions of American teenagers: the chance to earn money. Whether they’re saving up for college, a first car, or simply want spending cash for concerts and clothes, teens across the country are already clocking in at jobs that range from retail to manual labor. But not all summer employment opportunities are created equal when it comes to worker safety.

A new study from Everly Life, a modern life insurance company, has revealed which summer jobs actually pose the greatest fatal risks to teen workers. The analysis becomes particularly important as many young people have entered the workforce without proper safety training or awareness of occupational hazards.

The Study

Everly Life analyzed employment and workplace injury data from 2023-2024 to estimate fatality rates specifically for teen workers aged 16-19. The study calculated how dangerous different jobs are by determining what percentage of each industry’s workforce consists of teens, then applied that rate to total workplace fatalities to estimate teen-specific deaths. 

The final metric shows teen fatalities per one million teen workers, to allow for direct comparison across industries. Jobs with legal age restrictions that prevent teen employment were excluded from the analysis.

Table 1: Top 10 Dangerous Occupations For Teens

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Take the Top Spot

The data reveals a stark reality: heavy truck driving poses the greatest fatal risk to teen workers, with 371 deaths per million teen workers. While only 0.9% of truck drivers are teens, those who do work in this field face dangers from highway accidents, vehicle rollovers, and cargo incidents.

“The trucking industry presents serious risks that can be particularly dangerous for inexperienced teen drivers,” says Mariah Bliss, Sr. Manager at Everly Life. “Young people often lack the experience needed to handle massive vehicles in challenging conditions, yet they’re operating equipment that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds.”

Installation and Repair Work: A Hidden Danger

Coming in second, installation, maintenance, and repair occupations show 281 fatalities per million teen workers. This category includes HVAC technicians, appliance repairers, and equipment maintenance workers. With 85,000 teens employed in these roles, the risks come from electrical hazards, falls from heights, and machinery accidents.

“What’s concerning is how many parents don’t realize the potential dangers in seemingly routine repair work,” Bliss explains. “Teens working around electrical systems or climbing ladders face serious risks, often without adequate safety training.”

Air Transportation: Small Numbers, Big Risks

Despite employing only 8,000 teens nationwide, air transportation work ranks third with 86 fatalities per million teen workers. This includes ground crew, baggage handlers, and aircraft maintenance assistants who work around moving aircraft and heavy machinery.

Farming and Forestry: Traditional Dangers Persist

Agriculture, farming, fishing, and forestry occupations claim fourth place with an estimated 81 fatalities per million teen workers. With 101,000 teens in these roles, dangers include tractor accidents, equipment entanglement, and exposure to chemicals. The seasonal nature of much agricultural work means many teens enter these jobs during summer months.

“Agricultural work has always carried inherent risks, but teens often underestimate dangers like machinery entanglement or chemical exposure,” notes Bliss. “Rural communities may see farm work as traditional, but modern equipment poses serious hazards.”

The Surprising Safety of Popular Teen Jobs

The data reveals an interesting pattern: some of the most popular teen jobs are actually among the safest. Food preparation and serving (which employs over 2 million teens) ranks last with just 10 fatalities estimated per million teen workers. Similarly, office and administrative support roles show relatively low risk at 14 fatalities per million.

This suggests that job popularity among teens may correlate with safety, as employers in high-volume teen industries likely implement better safety protocols. However, Bliss warns that even ‘safe’ jobs require attention to workplace hazards like slip-and-fall accidents or equipment injuries.

Mariah Bliss, Sr. Manager at Everly Life, commented:

“Parents and teens need to have honest conversations about balancing earning potential with workplace safety. While higher-risk jobs often pay more, no paycheck is worth a life-threatening injury or worse. Teens should prioritize employers who provide comprehensive safety training, proper protective equipment, and clear safety protocols.

“Early safety education is especially important for teen workers who may not have health insurance or workers’ compensation coverage. Many young people don’t understand their rights or how to report unsafe conditions. Parents should research potential employers, ask about safety records, and ensure their teens know how to identify and avoid workplace hazards. The goal is building good safety habits that will protect them throughout their careers.”

About Everly Life

Everly Life is a modern life insurance company that focuses on flexibility and customization to fit individual lifestyles. Their approach revolves around helping people design their financial future while embracing life’s possibilities. They offer IUL TermVest which is a hybrid product that combines term life affordability with permanent life benefits. Their philosophy is centered on making life insurance accessible and adaptable for various needs. They aim to provide simplified ‘Made for Living’ solutions that allow clients to protect their future while living fully.

Methodology

To assess the relative danger of common summer jobs for teen workers in the U.S., Everly Life followed a structured approach to estimate the fatality risk by occupation, based on publicly available labor and injury data from 2023-2024.

Similar job roles were grouped under broader industry/occupation categories to prevent duplication and reduce fragmentation. Roles that are legally inaccessible to teens due to age restrictions were excluded. All data was aligned to reflect the most recent available information, with a focus on occupations typically held by individuals aged 16 to 19.

The youth employment share represents the proportion of teen workers in a given job category, calculated as total youth employment divided by total employment for all ages, multiplied by 100. Because teen-specific fatality counts are often not reported, estimated youth fatalities were calculated by applying the youth employment share to the total number of annual fatalities in each job category.

The final metric shows estimated teen fatalities per one million teen workers, calculated by dividing estimated youth fatalities by total youth employment, then multiplying by one million. Jobs were ranked by their estimated fatality rate per million youth workers, from highest to lowest, providing a relative view of occupational risk for teen summer workers across industries.

Data sources include the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ youth employment statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, and Current Population Survey annual averages.