People often blame divorce on many things: infidelity, lack of communication, no longer being in love with their partner. Career choice doesn’t usually enter the conversation — but it should. Statistician Nathan Yau used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Five-Year American Community Survey to tease out which jobs have the highest divorce rates, and found some interesting trends.
While you’ve likely heard that 50% of all marriages end in divorce, that’s not actually the case. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the real number is about 30.8%, and that includes first, second, and even tenth marriages. When it comes to first marriages, it’s more accurate to say that 20 to 25% of them end in divorce.
According to the research, people in certain careers have a much higher than average chance of getting divorced. Here’s a look at which occupations are linked to a high divorce rate, and why these jobs might put your marriage at risk.
Here are 8 jobs with the highest divorce rates in the country, according to research
1. Gaming managers
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Topping the charts for the profession with the highest divorce rate at 52.9% are gaming managers, who are hired by companies operating game rooms to interact with customers and make sure they have a fun and memorable experience. “They work in an area that involves exposure to alcohol and interact with lots of people in a celebratory environment, which could result in someone straying,” says Patricia M. Barbarito, a managing partner at Einhorn Harris law firm in New Jersey.
Now why do people cheat? Research published in Scientific American states that it has to do with low self-esteem and lack of satisfaction in their relationship.
2. Bartenders
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It may not be a big surprise that number two on the list are bartenders at 52.7%. Their job entails late nights, lots of alcohol, and interaction with many different people. Plus, bartenders often rely on tips, so they have ample incentive to be friendly (and sometimes flirtatious) with customers.
Amy Saunders, a family law/divorce attorney based just outside Boston, says that it’s a recipe for relationship disaster. “Bartenders listen to other people’s problems, which can open a door to an affair. When you complain about your spouse, the opportunity for an affair is signaled to whoever listens, aka the bartender.”
Another issue: “Most bartenders can’t leave until their last customer leaves, so they often have very little control of their schedules,” says family law attorney Allison Maxim. “It’s hard to plan time alone with your spouse with such an inconsistent schedule.”
3. Gaming service workers
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As with gaming managers, gaming service workers have a high divorce rate: 50.7% to be exact. Barbarito’s take is that any profession that puts you in a gaming facility can lead to marital problems, thanks to the prevalence of alcohol plus the degree of interaction you have with risk takers. Irregular hours — including night shift work — might also pose a problem, because it makes it difficult to have a consistent life at home.
4. Flight attendants
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While flying across the globe might seem like a glamorous job, it’s also an occupation that has a 50.5% divorce rate. “Flight attendants are away often, meet many potential [affair] candidates, and don’t make time for their spouse” due to their travel schedule, says Saunders, who adds that it’s not unusual for flight attendants to have affairs with other crew members.
5. and 6. Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders; and extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders
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Jobs in construction might not strike you as ones that point to marital trouble, but rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders have a 50.1% divorce rate, and extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders have a 49.6% chance of getting divorced.
Barbarito’s explanation is that these jobs often require you to clock in at odd hours. “What strikes me about these professions is that there appears to be shift work involved,” says Barbarito. “One could speculate that the lack of a routine or schedule makes it difficult to stay connected and therefore to remain married.”
7. Switchboard operators
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Although automation has, in fact, put many human switchboard operators out of business, they’re hardly extinct. Many hospitals and big corporations still use people to help guide phone calls to the right department or person. But why does this job have a 49.7% divorce rate?
No one knows for sure. “Switchboard operators interact on the telephone with many people, and I wonder if those conversations could lead to relationships being developed,” says Barbarito.
8. Telemarketers
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Saunders believes this job has a 49.7% divorce rate largely because of the type of stress they endure.“ Telemarketers can have a lot of stress at work: They get to listen to people all day who hang up on them, yell at them, and be discourteous, then they have to go home and be kind in their marriage,” says Saunders. “Work does spill over into life, and it can either build you up or break you down. Many debt collectors also get divorced, I think for similar reasons.”
Jen Glantz is an entrepreneur, author, podcaster, and content creator.
