Top 20 toughest jobs in America

This story version has been formatted as an on-air script for broadcast outlets. See the original research story here.

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, FIREFIGHTERS, MILITARY PERSONNEL AND DOCTORS — THESE ARE THE “TOUGHEST JOBS IN AMERICA,” ACCORDING TO A NEW SURVEY FROM BOSCH (BOSH) POWER TOOLS. 

POLICE OFFICERS RANKED NO. 5, FOLLOWED BY EMTS AND ASTRONAUTS.

CONDUCTED BY TALKER RESEARCH, THE POLL OF 2,000 AMERICANS REVEALED THAT 40 PERCENT OF EMPLOYED AMERICANS BELIEVE THEIR JOB IS HARD. 

TRADE WORKERS WERE MORE THAN TWICE AS LIKELY TO GRADE THEIR JOB AS DIFFICULT (50% VS. 21%).

ONE IN FIVE EMPLOYED RESPONDENTS — BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE OF THE TRADES — EMPHASIZED THE GRIT THAT GOES INTO THEIR DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES, BELIEVING THAT YOU NEED TO BE ‘EXTREMELY TOUGH’ TO DO THEIR JOB.

THE TOUGHEST JOBS IN AMERICA

1. Firefighter — 48%
2. Construction worker — 44%
3. Military — 38%
4. Doctor — 38%
5. Police officer — 37%
6. EMT or paramedic — 35%
7. Astronaut — 32%
8. Farmer — 29%
9. Air traffic controller — 29%
10. Oil worker — 25%
11. Nurse — 18%
12. Roofer — 16%
13. Electrician — 16% [TIED]
14. Home builder — 16% [TIED]
15. Engineer — 15%
16. Pilot — 14% [TIED]
17. Teacher — 14% [TIED]
18. Lawyer — 13%
19. Carpenter, woodworker or cabinet maker — 12%
20. Drywall/plaster installer — 12%

WHAT DO TRADE WORKERS WANT OTHERS TO KNOW ABOUT THEM/THEIR WORK?

• “We work hard so people can enjoy their land, homes.”
• “We represent the ideal that your skills and ability represent who you are and what you can do, not some piece of paper.”
• “Without trade workers, nontrade jobs wouldn't be available.”
• “Trade workers should be respected because they do work behind the scenes that none of us want to do.”
• “That you can earn a decent living working in the trades without having to spend a bunch of money on a college degree.”
• “They deserve just as much respect as any other job.”
• “They maintain the things you love and use every day. They build the things that bring you daily comfort no matter the conditions.”
• “That a tradesman may not have a degree, but it makes him no less valuable than the next guy because his trade takes years to learn and is worth just as much as the doctor if having something fixed or built is what makes you feel better.”
• “It takes more than physical strength. You have to be smart and problem solving.”
• “It's an alternative choice for those who feel they are not college bound or do not want to go to college. They can still have a fairly good life and career. There are many different areas of the skilled trades to choose from.”

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 1,000 general population Americans and 1,000 American trade workers; the survey was commissioned by Bosch Power Tools and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between April 8 and April 17, 2025.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.