It's apparently been better recently, but in the mid-2000s tower climbing was the most dangerous occupation in the US. In 2004 there were 10 deaths, w/ a death

It's apparently been better recently, but in the mid-2000s tower climbing was the most dangerous occupation in the US. In 2004 there were 10 deaths, w/ a death rate of 115.2/100K: http://www.wirelessestimator.com/t_content.cfm?pagename=Climber%20Fatalities http://www.wirelessestimator.com/t_content.cfm?pagename=Clim... Interestingly this seems to vary greatly. In 2008 there were 7 tower deaths in 5 weeks: http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/7-Tower-Deaths-In-5-Weeks-94803 http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/7-Tower-Deaths-In-5-Weeks... Also, apparently the job in the US is significantly more dangerous than elsewhere. While between 2003-2008 there were 70 US tower climber deaths vs only 10 international deaths in that same period: http://www.wirelessestimator.com/t_content.cfm?pagename=International%20Tower%20Climber%20Deaths http://www.wirelessestimator.com/t_content.cfm?pagename=Inte... Oh, and here's how much it pays: http://work.chron.com/transmission-tower-climber-paid-5300.html http://work.chron.com/transmission-tower-climber-paid-5300.h... "Data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2011 show that radio, cellular and tower equipment installers and repairs made a mean annual wage of $44,250. This group includes transmission tower climbers. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $26,200 per year and $12.60 per hour, while the highest-paid 10 percent earned $67,660 or more per year and $32.53 or more per hour. The national average was $21.27 per hour." Some interesting recent (2012) writeups: Daily Kos: The Killing Towers of the US Telecom Industry http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/04/1097174/-The-Killing-Towers-of-the-US-Telecom-Industry http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/04/1097174/-The-Killin... ProPublica: In Race For Better Cell Service, Men Who Climb Towers Pay With Their Lives http://www.propublica.org/article/cell-tower-fatalities http://www.propublica.org/article/cell-tower-fatalities