Jobs with the highest divorce rates

While public perception is that half of all American marriages end in divorce, that statistic is actually much lower. The divorce rate in the U.S. peaked with those who married in the 1970s, nearly half of whom were divorced within 25 years.

Generations since then have divorced less often, though older gen-Xers and baby boomers are divorcing at twice the rates people their age were in the 1990s, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of the 2015 American Community Survey. University of Maryland sociology professor Philip Cohen examined American Community Survey data from​​ 2008 to 2016, and found that millennials are divorcing at particularly low rates.

The reasons for divorce are complicated and vary across demographics and age. But one factor shows a strong predictor for long-term marital success: occupation.

People with stable, higher-paying jobs tend to experience lower divorce rates than those who don't earn as much money, according to research Nathan Yau compiled from the 2019 American Community Survey. A 2017 Institute for Family Studies report found less than one-third of married people in the middle and upper classes filed for divorce, while more than one-third of those in the working class had sought divorces.

Using 2021 American Community Survey data, sourced via the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Stacker ranked the 50 U.S. jobs with the highest divorce rates, breaking ties by separation rates. People who never married are excluded from these calculations. Data looks only at current marital status, so those who were previously divorced but have since gotten remarried are not counted among divorced people. Stacker only considered occupations with a sample size larger than 100.

The analysis also includes 2021 employment and wage data for occupations, sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which don't factor into the ranking.

Interestingly, unemployed people who either haven't had a job in the past five-plus years or never worked had a divorce rate of 22.7%, which was lower than more than half the occupations on the list.

It stands to reason that married couples who are less likely to encounter financial hardships will have a better chance of staying together. If both people in a marriage have high-paying jobs, they can use their combined wealth in mutually beneficial ways. Pharmacists, lawyers, and architects—fields that offer high average annual salaries and significant job stability—will have more money to provide for a family and pay their bills, can enjoy luxuries such as vacations, and generally lead fulfilling lives.

Jobs with relatively low pay and irregular hours, like bartending or waiting tables, can cause a financial strain on a marriage. From another standpoint, those with jobs that require a lot of travel, like flight attendants or entertainers, may face marital stress because they're forced to spend a lot of time away from home. Others with physically demanding occupations often encounter low pay, long hours, and dangerous working conditions—each of which can lead to potential complications at home.

Continue reading to find out which jobs have the highest divorce rates in the U.S.

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#50. Baggage porters, bellhops, and concierges

- Divorce rate: 21.2%
- Separation rate: 3.3%
- Average annual salary: $33,780 ($24,480 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 27,045

#49. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Divorce rate: 21.2%
- Separation rate: 3.4%
- Average annual salary: $40,000 ($18,260 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 179,630

#48. Structural metal fabricators and fitters

- Divorce rate: 21.3%
- Separation rate: 1.1%
- Average annual salary: $45,730 ($12,530 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 61,070

#47. Security guards and gaming surveillance officers

- Divorce rate: 21.3%
- Separation rate: 4.0%
- Average annual salary: $36,955 ($21,305 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 533,145

#46. Public safety telecommunicators

- Divorce rate: 21.4%
- Separation rate: 1.8%
- Average annual salary: $47,030 ($11,230 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 97,050

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#45. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

- Divorce rate: 21.4%
- Separation rate: 6.7%
- Average annual salary: $27,830 ($30,430 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 157,400

#44. Counselors, all other

- Divorce rate: 21.5%
- Separation rate: 1.7%
- Average annual salary: $49,730 ($8,530 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 29,480

#43. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors

- Divorce rate: 21.6%
- Separation rate: 1.4%
- Average annual salary: $53,490 ($4,770 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 310,880

#42. Bus drivers, transit and intercity

- Divorce rate: 21.6%
- Separation rate: 2.9%
- Average annual salary: $51,310 ($6,950 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 145,720

#41. Crossing guards and flaggers

- Divorce rate: 21.7%
- Separation rate: 3.4%
- Average annual salary: $35,670 ($22,590 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 82,690

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#40. Industrial truck and tractor operators

- Divorce rate: 21.7%
- Separation rate: 5.1%
- Average annual salary: $40,950 ($17,310 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 758,290

#39. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan

- Divorce rate: 21.8%
- Separation rate: 3.1%
- Average annual salary: $38,840 ($19,420 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 169,840

#38. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

- Divorce rate: 21.9%
- Separation rate: 5.8%
- Average annual salary: $42,780 ($15,480 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 126,050

#37. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Divorce rate: 22.0%
- Separation rate: 1.7%
- Average annual salary: $66,870 ($8,610 higher than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 466,910

#36. Waiters and waitresses

- Divorce rate: 22.2%
- Separation rate: 5.1%
- Average annual salary: $29,010 ($29,250 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 1,804,030

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#35. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Divorce rate: 22.2%
- Separation rate: 6.2%
- Average annual salary: $29,580 ($28,680 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 723,430

#34. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

- Divorce rate: 22.5%
- Separation rate: 2.7%
- Average annual salary: $48,570 ($9,690 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 151,340

#33. Cashiers

- Divorce rate: 22.6%
- Separation rate: 4.9%
- Average annual salary: $27,950 ($30,310 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 1,667,585

#32. Gambling services workers

- Divorce rate: 22.7%
- Separation rate: 3.0%
- Average annual salary: $29,953 ($28,307 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 27,620

#31. Models, demonstrators, and product promoters

- Divorce rate: 22.8%
- Separation rate: 4.2%
- Average annual salary: $18,491 ($39,769 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 21,340

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#30. Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service

- Divorce rate: 22.8%
- Separation rate: 5.4%
- Average annual salary: $34,390 ($23,870 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 69,400

#29. Transportation service attendants

- Divorce rate: 22.9%
- Separation rate: 3.3%
- Average annual salary: $34,300 ($23,960 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 61,825

#28. Metal furnace operators, tenders, pourers, and casters

- Divorce rate: 23.0%
- Separation rate: 4.3%
- Average annual salary: $45,675 ($12,585 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 11,055

#27. Medical transcriptionists

- Divorce rate: 23.1%
- Separation rate: 0.7%
- Average annual salary: $34,220 ($24,040 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 55,830

#26. Phlebotomists

- Divorce rate: 23.2%
- Separation rate: 3.7%
- Average annual salary: $38,450 ($19,810 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 132,750

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#25. Supervisors of personal care and service workers

- Divorce rate: 23.2%
- Separation rate: 4.2%
- Average annual salary: $48,483 ($9,777 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 62,467

#24. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop

- Divorce rate: 23.3%
- Separation rate: 3.3%
- Average annual salary: $26,000 ($32,260 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 324,690

#23. Nursing assistants

- Divorce rate: 23.6%
- Separation rate: 5.6%
- Average annual salary: $33,250 ($25,010 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 1,314,830

#22. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

- Divorce rate: 23.7%
- Separation rate: 5.0%
- Average annual salary: $28,040 ($30,220 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 220,380

#21. Dishwashers

- Divorce rate: 23.8%
- Separation rate: 7.3%
- Average annual salary: $27,350 ($30,910 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 377,040

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#20. Bill and account collectors

- Divorce rate: 23.9%
- Separation rate: 2.2%
- Average annual salary: $41,280 ($16,980 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 212,900

#19. Home health aides

- Divorce rate: 23.9%
- Separation rate: 7.3%
- Average annual salary: $29,260 ($29,000 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 3,366,480

#18. Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other

- Divorce rate: 24.1%
- Separation rate: 0.8%
- Average annual salary: $113,230 ($54,970 higher than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 26,250

#17. Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Divorce rate: 24.1%
- Separation rate: 2.5%
- Average annual salary: $40,050 ($18,210 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 56,570

#16. Acupuncturists

- Divorce rate: 24.2%
- Separation rate: 0.9%
- Average annual salary: $71,770 ($13,510 higher than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 7,250

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#15. Machine feeders and offbearers

- Divorce rate: 24.4%
- Separation rate: 3.4%
- Average annual salary: $36,660 ($21,600 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 60,880

#14. Residential advisors

- Divorce rate: 24.6%
- Separation rate: 5.3%
- Average annual salary: $34,950 ($23,310 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 92,500

#13. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers

- Divorce rate: 24.7%
- Separation rate: 1.3%
- Average annual salary: $26,390 ($31,870 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 54,970

#12. Other grounds maintenance workers

- Divorce rate: 25.0%
- Separation rate: 0.7%
- Average annual salary: $39,810 ($18,450 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 20,795

#11. Disc jockeys, except radio

- Divorce rate: 25.0%
- Separation rate: 1.9%
- Average hourly wage: $21.82 ($6 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 4,770

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#10. Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders

- Divorce rate: 25.0%
- Separation rate: 5.0%
- Average annual salary: $43,910 ($14,350 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 14,180

#9. Orderlies and psychiatric aides

- Divorce rate: 25.1%
- Separation rate: 4.0%
- Average annual salary: $34,040 ($24,220 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 42,150

#8. Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers, all other

- Divorce rate: 25.5%
- Separation rate: 4.9%
- Average hourly wage: $24.62 ($3 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 8,300

#7. Personal care aides

- Divorce rate: 25.8%
- Separation rate: 4.9%
- Average annual salary: $29,260 ($29,000 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 3,366,480

#6. Telephone operators

- Divorce rate: 26.1%
- Separation rate: 1.3%
- Average annual salary: $39,370 ($18,890 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 3,870

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#5. Switchboard operators, including answering service

- Divorce rate: 26.5%
- Separation rate: 1.6%
- Average annual salary: $34,590 ($23,670 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 48,190

#4. Flight attendants

- Divorce rate: 26.9%
- Separation rate: 0.9%
- Average annual salary: $62,280 ($4,020 higher than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 96,900

#3. Massage therapists

- Divorce rate: 27.1%
- Separation rate: 2.5%
- Average annual salary: $49,260 ($9,000 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 81,030

#2. Bartenders

- Divorce rate: 28.2%
- Separation rate: 4.6%
- Average annual salary: $30,340 ($27,920 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 485,330

#1. Telemarketers

- Divorce rate: 31.7%
- Separation rate: 5.9%
- Average annual salary: $30,670 ($27,590 lower than national average)
- Nationwide employment: 115,130

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