How Hazard Pay Actually Works
The best part about hazard pay is that you can expect to receive extra compensation in addition to your regular salary or hours worked. Make sure that you have it all worked out with your employer beforehand, though, since there are no laws forcing employers to pay a particular amount of hazard pay. The employer determines the amount of risk involved and a commensurate amount of hazard pay offsetting that risk.
In most instances, hazard pay results in an increase to your hourly pay rate. Here's an example - a fisherman decides to brave a storm because a large harvest is expected. The employer could then pay a 25% premium on top of the fisherman's regular pay to compensate for the increased risk of going out during a storm.
Which Jobs are Most Dangerous?
Being in a warzone or hostile location is, of course, dangerous and should be compensated commensurately. Sometimes a domestic setting becomes a kind of warzone, as was the case on September 11th, 2001 during the terrorist attacks on the United States.
The clean-up efforts following the September 11th attacks in New York City illustrate the good that can come from incentivizing work with hazard pay. The article 9/11 Events at World Trade Center from Napoli Shkolnik PLLC explains that anyone whose health was negatively impacted from working on the clean up efforts at Ground Zero can apply for compensation under the Zadroga Act.
Terrorist attacks and warzones are, of course, intrinsically dangerous, but some of the most dangerous civilian jobs might shock you. The Bureau of Labor Statistics looked at thousands of different occupations to find the most dangerous ones. Here are the results:
Logging
Logging proved to be one of the more dangerous jobs that the Bureau of Labor Statistics analyzed, presumably because of the heavy machinery that loggers routinely use and the kinds of hazardous outdoor conditions that they work in. Even when the proper precautions are taken, logging is a dangerous industry.
Electrical Power Line Installer
The number of accidents in this profession far outstrips the number of fatalities for electricians and tradesmen generally. Electrocution and/or falls are the biggest risks. These kinds of electrical installers work with very high-voltage electricity and face many of the same risks as roofers in terms of working from great heights.
Fishing
Although deep-sea fisherman also deals with heavy equipment, the main danger with fishers is the mercurial weather conditions. The median salary for a fisherman is $42,000, so you could expect a large haul financially by taking home a bit more hazard pay and working in more dangerous conditions. Heavy equipment and rigorous job duties make fishing more dangerous.
Roofers
Sweltering temperatures, slippery conditions, and staggering heights make roofing one of the most lucrative industries in terms of racking up some serious hazard pay. Astonishingly, about a third of falls off of roofs incurred during roofing resulted in fatalities. Roofers do a lot of bending over and work with materials like galvanized steel, which can prove very slippery if it's raining outside.
All of the above - logging, electrical, fishing, and roofing - are considered dangerous jobs by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Generally, an employer provides hazard pay to compensate an employer, beyond salary and/or hourly wages, for dangerous work. Hazard pay, remember, is not mandated federally, so hazard pay compensation will be worked out with your employer in advance. The amount of risk involved in a particular job will largely determine the type and amount of hazard pay that the employer provides for dangerous work.
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