We tend to associate some professions with certain areas. For example, software engineers in Silicon Valley, and oilfield workers or technicians in Texas or North Dakota. Similarly, different occupations conjure up different images of workers. The software engineer would be sitting at a desk in an air conditioned office, while the oilfield worker would be sweating outside, wearing work boots, hardhat, and special gloves. No doubt, one job is more physically demanding than the other, and some cities offer more of these jobs.
To determine the cities with the most physically demanding jobs, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on physical demands and employment by occupation from the Occupational Requirements Survey and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics programs of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Cities were ranked based on an index combining the percentage of workers exposed to extreme heat, the average maximum amount of weight that workers are required to lift or carry on the job, and the average amount of time workers are required to stand on the job per day. Occupation-level data was aggregated from the ORS to the metropolitan statistical area level using employment counts from the OEWS. Concentration by occupation is measured by location quotient.
Many of the cities with the most demanding jobs are in states in the South, including eight cities in Alabama and five in North Carolina. There are also cities in the Midwest, including four in Indiana and three in Ohio. (Also see: Jobs With the Most Drug Overdose Deaths: Check Where Your Job Ranks.)
The workers in the cities on the list have different demanding jobs, including many operators of different machines. They are required to lift anything from a maximum average of 27.7 pounds to 31 pounds, while they often also stand anywhere from 4.6 to 4.9 hours per day. Also, an estimated 5.5% to 8.9% of workers in this cities are exposed to extreme heat.
50. Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.2%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.5 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers; gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators; graders and sorters, agricultural products
49. Odessa, TX
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.5%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.7 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.6 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Service unit operators, oil and gas; derrick operators, oil and gas; roustabouts, oil and gas
48. Owensboro, KY
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.4%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.0 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders; packaging and filling machine operators and tenders; sewing machine operators
47. Wheeling, WV-OH
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.7%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.2 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.6 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Roof bolters, mining; loading and moving machine operators, underground mining; extraction workers
46. Springfield, OH
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.2%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.6 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Library technicians; machine feeders and offbearers; food processing workers
45. Staunton-Waynesboro, VA
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 5.9%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.3 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders; bakers
44. Yakima, WA
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.3%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.5 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Graders and sorters, agricultural products; cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders; agricultural inspectors
43. Twin Falls, ID
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.1%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.1 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Food science technicians; graders and sorters, agricultural products; food cooking machine operators and tenders
42. Longview, WA
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.1%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.7 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Logging equipment operators; paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders; sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
41. Texarkana, TX-AR
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.5%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.3 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines; first-line supervisors of correctional officers; correctional officers and jailers
40. Auburn-Opelika, AL
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.8%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 27.7 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; biological science teachers, postsecondary; education teachers, postsecondary
39. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.6%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.3 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.6 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; metal-refining furnace operators and tenders; cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
38. Spartanburg, SC
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.2%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.5 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.6 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders; textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders; textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders
37. Lebanon, PA
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 5.7%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.7 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.8 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood; slaughterers and meat packers; career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
36. Beckley, WV
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.8%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.4 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.6 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Extraction workers; cooks, fast food; paramedics
35. Dothan, AL
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.3%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.2 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers; sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood; nurse anesthetists
34. Lake Charles, LA
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.3%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.2 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Tank car, truck, and ship loaders; chemical equipment operators and tenders; gambling dealers
33. Houma-Thibodaux, LA
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.9%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.7 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.6 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Sailors and marine oilers; captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels; commercial divers
32. Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 5.5%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 31.0 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.8 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment; mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines; computer numerically controlled tool operators
31. Rome, GA
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.5%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.0 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers; cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; production workers
30. Homosassa Springs, FL
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.3%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.2 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.8 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Physical therapist assistants; pest control workers; roofers
29. Terre Haute, IN
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.7%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.5 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; correctional officers and jailers; first-line supervisors of correctional officers
28. Mansfield, OH
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.9%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.5 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; tool and die makers; computer numerically controlled tool operators
27. Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.6%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.2 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; library assistants, clerical; water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
26. Gettysburg, PA
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.4%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.6 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.9 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders; paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders; packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
25. Albany, OR
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.2%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.8 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.8 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Personal care and service workers; adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders; logging equipment operators
24. Farmington, NM
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.0%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.8 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.6 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Derrick operators, oil and gas; service unit operators, oil and gas; roustabouts, oil and gas
23. Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.1%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.2 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.8 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Motorboat mechanics and service technicians; amusement and recreation attendants; real estate sales agents
22. Tuscaloosa, AL
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.1%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.0 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Psychiatric aides; sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood; logging equipment operators
21. Burlington, NC
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.6%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.2 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.6 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders; textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders; textile, apparel, and furnishings workers
20. Rocky Mount, NC
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.4%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.7 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.6 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Food processing workers; cooks, fast food; industrial engineering technologists and technicians
19. Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.5%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 27.8 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: First-line supervisors of gambling services workers; gambling dealers; gambling cage workers
18. St. Joseph, MO-KS
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.1%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.2 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders; chemical equipment operators and tenders; sheet metal workers
17. The Villages, FL
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.0%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.8 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.8 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: First-line supervisors of correctional officers; correctional officers and jailers; real estate sales agents
16. Ocean City, NJ
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.3%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 27.2 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.9 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Word processors and typists; hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks; automotive and watercraft service attendants
15. Decatur, AL
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.1%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.3 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers; health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors; chemical equipment operators and tenders
14. Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.8%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 27.3 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Real estate brokers; education teachers, postsecondary; amusement and recreation attendants
13. Joplin, MO
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.8%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 30.0 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters; cooks, fast food; food batchmakers
12. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.8%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.6 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.7 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Upholsterers; cutters and trimmers, hand; textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders
11. Morristown, TN
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.4%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 30.5 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.8 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing; production workers; helpers–production workers
10. Kokomo, IN
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.1%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.9 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.9 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Labor relations specialists; plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters; production occupations
9. Jacksonville, NC
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 8.9%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 26.9 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.6 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Cooks, fast food; pipelayers; psychiatric technicians
8. Muskegon, MI
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.2%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.7 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.9 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Foundry mold and coremakers; metal-refining furnace operators and tenders; heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
7. Goldsboro, NC
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.8%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 28.9 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.8 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Cooks, fast food; packaging and filling machine operators and tenders; food batchmakers
6. Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.2%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.8 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.9 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; industrial machinery mechanics; helpers–production workers
5. Elkhart-Goshen, IN
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 6.6%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 31.0 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 5.0 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Fiberglass laminators and fabricators; recreational vehicle service technicians; furniture finishers
4. Sheboygan, WI
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.2%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.6 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.9 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Food batchmakers; molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; tool and die makers
3. Michigan City-La Porte, IN
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.6%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 29.5 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.9 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders; grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; food batchmakers
2. Gadsden, AL
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.4%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 30.0 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.9 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; physical therapist assistants; career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
1. Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL
- Workers exposed to extreme heat: 7.8%
- Avg. weight lifting requirement: 30.2 lbs.
- Avg. standing time required: 4.9 hours
- Highly concentrated occupations: Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines; electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
Cash Back Credit Cards Have Never Been This Good
Credit card companies are at war, handing out free rewards and benefits to win the best customers. A good cash back card can be worth thousands of dollars a year in free money, not to mention other perks like travel, insurance, and access to fancy lounges. See our top picks for the best credit cards today. You won’t want to miss some of these offers.
Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.