30 Jobs with the Highest Divorce Rates, According to New Data
Some jobs don’t just take your time, they drain your energy, patience, and eventually, your relationships. A long shift might pay the bills, but it can also chip away at your marriage in ways that don’t show up on a paycheck.
This list is built on data pulled from the American Community Survey, analyzed through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS). Researchers compared how many people in each job have been divorced, compared to the number who’ve ever been married.
We’re counting down the top 30 jobs with the highest divorce rates, and why these careers might do more damage at home than on the clock. We’ll look at pay, pressure, schedules, and everything else that eats into marriage stability.
If you see your job on this list, don’t panic, but definitely keep reading.
Table of Contents
Forming Machine Operators: Jobs That Grind Down Marriages
With a divorce rate of 23%, metal and plastic forming machine operators don’t just deal with stress, they wear it. Long hours spent near loud, dangerous equipment take a toll on both the body and the brain.
The median income hovers around $44,000, which doesn’t exactly make up for the fatigue and unpredictability. At over 100,000 workers strong, this job is no niche corner of manufacturing, it’s a full-blown marriage minefield.
The physical strain, moderate pay, and demanding shifts combine into a lifestyle that often leaves nothing left in the tank for home life. When work is that draining, relationships don’t always get the recharge they need.
Bus Drivers: Jobs That Strain Relationships Behind the Wheel
Transit and intercity bus drivers face a divorce rate of 23%, despite earning a median salary close to $51,000. It’s decent pay, but the schedule is relentless: nights, weekends, early mornings, and holidays are all fair game.
With over 140,000 people in the field, that kind of strain is widespread. Add in the pressure of navigating traffic, managing passenger safety, and keeping to a timetable, and it’s no surprise things can get tense off the clock.
There’s little room for quality time when you’re constantly adjusting to an unpredictable route. When your schedule doesn’t line up with anyone else’s, marriage often takes a back seat.
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Garment Pressers: Low Wages, High Risk to Relationships
Pressers in textile and garment work face a 23% divorce rate and the financial pressure is real. With a median salary of just under $30,000, it’s one of the lowest-paying jobs on this list.
Add in physical labor, repetitive tasks, and long hours on your feet, and stress builds fast. It’s not just the income that wears people down, it’s the exhaustion that follows them home.
When someone is physically wiped and financially stretched, tension shows up where it hurts most. There’s a reason this job has one of the highest separation rates as well.
Title Examiners: Legal Pressure That Spills Into Marriage
Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers have a 23.1% divorce rate, despite a solid median income around $50,000. The work demands laser focus, tight deadlines, and zero room for error, especially when legal documents are on the line.
With over 50,000 people working in this role, the stress is far-reaching. It’s not just about paperwork, it’s the weight of knowing one mistake can cost someone their home or property.
That kind of mental strain doesn’t clock out when the shift ends. High stakes at work often lead to emotional withdrawal at home.
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Typists and Word Processors: Quiet Jobs With Loud Consequences
Word processors and typists may not be hauling heavy loads, but the pressure is still real, and it shows in the 23.4% divorce rate. The pay isn’t terrible at around $44,000, but the work is repetitive and isolating.
Long stretches of screen time, constant sitting, and pressing deadlines don’t create a mentally healthy environment. Over time, that monotony can bleed into personal life, dulling the ability to engage or connect.
Add in tight turnaround times and the physical toll of desk work, and the stress adds up. It’s a slow grind that wears people down one keystroke at a time.
Home Health Aides: Emotionally Drained, Financially Stretched
Home health aides are stuck between emotional labor and financial pressure, and it’s reflected in their 23.4% divorce rate. The median income sits just above $30,000, which is low for work that demands this much care and patience.
Many work nights and weekends, sacrificing time with their own families to take care of someone else’s. Add in the emotional weight of dealing with illness and aging every day, and it’s easy to see how relationships suffer.
Even if someone loves the work, they come home depleted. A heavy heart and a light paycheck don’t leave much room for romance.
Dancers and Choreographers: Artistic Passion That Tests Relationships
Dancers and choreographers may look like they’re living the dream, but that dream comes with a 23.5% divorce rate. They make about $51,000 a year, but the work hours are anything but stable: late nights, weekends, and travel are all part of the gig.
Physical demands are intense, and the pressure to perform doesn’t stop at the stage. With under 15,000 employed in the field, it’s a tight-knit group under constant scrutiny.
While passion fuels their careers, the strain of performance and distance often chips away at stability at home. Even creative jobs can burn out a relationship behind the scenes.
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Legal Secretaries: High Stress Behind Polished Desks
Legal secretaries and administrative assistants carry a 23.8% divorce rate, and it’s not hard to see why. They earn around $49,000 a year, but they’re often under heavy pressure to hit deadlines and juggle multiple high-stakes tasks.
Add in demanding attorneys, constant proofreading, and the need for perfect accuracy, and the tension piles up fast. It’s not just the job, it’s the mental load that follows them into every corner of life.
With over 150,000 in the role, it’s a widespread problem dressed up in professional clothes. The stress might look tidy on paper, but it’s messy at home.
Rehabilitation Counselors: Helping Others While Relationships Struggle
Rehabilitation counselors show a 23.9% divorce rate, and emotional exhaustion plays a big role. These professionals earn around $40,000, which adds financial pressure on top of already difficult work.
They deal with people facing serious challenges, disabilities, trauma, and deep-rooted setbacks, which can take a toll. Supporting others every day leaves little left for their own lives.
Compassion fatigue is real, and over time, it spills into everything, including marriage. When you’re constantly carrying someone else’s burden, your own relationships often get lost in the shuffle.
Licensed Practical Nurses: Strong Pay, Brutal Schedules
Licensed practical and vocational nurses face a 23.9% divorce rate, even with a solid median salary of over $54,000. The job demands long shifts, rotating hours, and emotional resilience that most people don’t see.
These nurses are on the frontlines, dealing with life-and-death situations while juggling relentless patient loads. They often work nights, weekends, and holidays, which means family time rarely fits neatly into the calendar.
Burnout builds quickly when you’re giving everything to strangers and coming home with nothing left. Even strong relationships get tested under that kind of weight.
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Pharmacy Aides: Retail Pressure Meets Low Pay
Pharmacy aides clock in with a 24.3% divorce rate and a salary that barely breaks $33,000. The job might seem simple from the outside, but behind the counter, it’s a mix of tight schedules, health regulations, and frustrated customers.
Many work in retail environments, so nights and weekends are routine. On top of that, they’re expected to be precise, fast, and friendly, no matter how chaotic the shift. It’s a lot for a paycheck that doesn’t go far.
That kind of daily grind, paired with limited time for home life, can quietly erode a relationship over time.
Residential Advisors: Always On, Rarely Off Duty
Residential advisors face a 24.3% divorce rate, and it’s not surprising when the job requires being “on” 24/7. With a median salary of $35,720, it’s not the money keeping people in the role, it’s usually a passion for helping.
But that passion often comes at a cost. Living on-site or being on call means privacy and downtime are hard to come by. Be it managing dorms or group homes, these advisors juggle conflicts, emergencies, and emotional labor around the clock.
Constant demands and low pay can quietly drain a relationship until there’s not much left to hold onto.
Crossing Guards and Flaggers: Split Shifts, Split Focus
Crossing guards and flaggers hold a 24.4% divorce rate, even though their job sounds simple on paper. With a median income just over $33,000, financial strain is already in the mix.
Add split shifts that interrupt both mornings and afternoons, and any routine at home starts to fall apart. The stress of protecting people in traffic-heavy environments isn’t just part of the job, it’s always lingering.
Being responsible for safety while earning less than the national average creates a slow-burning stress few talk about. That quiet pressure has a way of finding its way into relationships, and not in a good way.
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Personal Care Aides: Heart Work That Hurts Relationships
Personal care aides face a divorce rate of 24.5%, and they earn some of the lowest wages on this list, just over $30,000 a year. The job is deeply personal, involving tasks that demand both physical energy and emotional commitment.
They care for the sick, the elderly, and the disabled, often alone and often without much recognition. Long, irregular hours cut into family time, and the emotional toll doesn’t end when the shift does.
Being so invested in someone else’s daily needs can make it harder to stay present for your own family. Love might fuel the work, but it doesn’t always save the marriage.
Personal Care Supervisors: More Money, More Stress
Supervisors of personal care and service workers see a 24.6% divorce rate, even though they earn nearly $48,000. Unlike the aides they manage, these workers are stuck in the middle, juggling pressure from both clients and staff.
They’re expected to solve problems, keep people happy, and run a tight ship, often with little support. Irregular hours and crisis management don’t make things easier. Even with better pay, the mental and emotional strain adds up fast.
Managing others is tough, but managing a relationship while doing it can be even harder.
Switchboard Operators: Repetitive Work That Wears People Down
Switchboard operators face a 24.7% divorce rate and earn around $34,670 a year. The job might sound simple, but it requires constant multitasking, patience, and mental focus to manage nonstop calls.
Sitting for long periods while handling multiple lines creates both physical and mental fatigue. Repetition and pressure stack up fast, especially when calls come in back-to-back with little downtime.
The role often includes irregular shifts, making work-life balance tough to maintain. That combination of low pay, high volume, and limited flexibility has a way of eating into relationships over time.
Gambling Workers: High Stakes at Work, Higher Risk at Home
Gambling service workers carry a divorce rate of 24.7%, one of the highest among entertainment roles. With a median income under $30,000, long-term financial security is tough to build.
Add in night shifts, loud environments, and a steady stream of unpredictable customers, and you’ve got the recipe for constant tension. The atmosphere in casinos isn’t exactly calm, there’s noise, smoke, stress, and emotional highs and lows.
That wears down even the most patient person over time. When your day job looks like chaos, peace at home starts slipping away.
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Mail Clerks: Repetitive Work, Real Relationship Strain
Mail clerks and mail machine operators show a 24.7% divorce rate, and their work is as routine as it gets. Median pay sits at just over $35,000, and the tasks often involve standing or sitting for hours on end doing the same motions.
The job itself doesn’t sound stressful, but the repetition and deadlines wear on people slowly. Noise, dust, and physical strain are hidden hazards in these roles. Over time, burnout sets in, and that spills over into personal life.
When work drains your energy without giving much in return, it becomes harder to give anything at home.
School Bus Monitors: Long Days, Low Pay
School bus monitors face a 24.8% divorce rate and earn just under $30,000 a year. That alone can put financial pressure on any household. But it’s not just about the money, the split shifts disrupt daily routines, and managing kids on a bus isn’t exactly stress-free.
There’s a lot of responsibility packed into a job that doesn’t come with much support or recognition. Add unpredictable weather and traffic into the mix, and patience wears thin fast.
At home, it’s hard to recharge when work leaves you mentally and physically stretched every single day.
Telephone Operators: Quiet Jobs, Loud Stress
Telephone operators top out at a 25.5% divorce rate and work in environments that demand focus and calm, no matter how hectic things get. They earn around $38,000 a year, which doesn’t match the pressure they’re under to handle nonstop calls.
The job can feel like emotional ping-pong, bouncing between angry callers, technical issues, and high expectations. Many work shifts that don’t align with family schedules, and that distance builds up quickly.
With fewer than 5,000 still employed in the field, it’s a small group carrying a heavy load. The stress might be quiet, but the impact on relationships is anything but.
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Interviewers: Asking Questions, Carrying Stress
Interviewers (excluding eligibility and loan) show a 25.6% divorce rate, and their job isn’t as simple as it sounds. With a median salary of $38,700, they’re right in the middle of the pay range, but the emotional demands run high.
They deal with strangers, tough conversations, and personal stories that can stick with them long after work ends. Meeting quotas, staying polite, and working inconsistent schedules adds more pressure.
It’s a job built on listening, but that doesn’t mean they have the energy to keep listening at home. Emotional burnout creeps in quietly, and marriages often feel it first.
Mail Processors: Decent Pay, Hard Conditions
Postal service mail sorters and processors have a 25.7% divorce rate, despite a stronger median salary near $49,000. The work isn’t glamorous, it’s repetitive, physically demanding, and often done in noisy, high-speed environments.
Night shifts and rotating schedules make family life hard to plan around. Add in the pressure to meet tight deadlines, and it starts to feel like every shift is a race. Even with decent pay, the grind is real.
A job that wears you out day after day doesn’t leave much left for the people waiting at home.
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Hotel Desk Clerks: Constant Smiles, Constant Stress
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks face a divorce rate of 25.9%, and their pay reflects that struggle, just under $29,000 a year. These workers are the face of hospitality, dealing with guests who are often tired, frustrated, or demanding.
The hours are brutal: weekends, nights, holidays, when everyone else is off, they’re on. Handling complaints, juggling check-ins, and keeping a smile on through it all takes a toll.
Behind the desk, the job might look simple, but it’s constant emotional labor with little reward. That emotional strain builds up fast, and it’s relationships that usually take the hit.
Sports Officials: High Pressure, Low Stability Off the Field
Umpires, referees, and other sports officials have a 26.1% divorce rate, and for good reason. They earn about $36,000 a year and spend most of their time working nights and weekends, when games are scheduled.
That means missed dinners, birthdays, and holidays while constantly traveling between events. The job demands split-second decisions under pressure, often in front of yelling fans or frustrated coaches.
Even if someone loves the game, the constant judgment and schedule chaos don’t leave much peace at home. When work feels like a battle, personal relationships often take the hit.
Massage Therapists: Emotional Labor That Doesn’t End at Work
Massage therapists show a divorce rate of 27.6%, even though they earn nearly $50,000 a year. The work is personal, sometimes too personal, and that creates challenges most jobs don’t.
Many clients want flexible hours, which means evenings and weekends are filled with appointments. For self-employed therapists, the pressure to find steady income adds even more stress.
The combination of physical closeness, irregular schedules, and inconsistent earnings creates tension at home. When emotional energy is spent on clients all day, there’s not much left to give elsewhere.
Hazardous Materials Workers: Dangerous Work, Strained Lives
Hazardous materials removal workers also show a 27.6% divorce rate, and the job lives up to its name. These workers handle toxic substances and operate in risky environments where one mistake can cost lives.
They earn just under $47,000 a year, but the real cost comes in the form of constant stress. Wearing protective gear, following strict safety protocols, and working under pressure all day doesn’t leave much room to relax.
Add rotating shifts and physical fatigue, and home life starts to feel like another battlefield. When the job itself feels dangerous, relationships often carry that same weight.
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Bartenders: Late Nights, Early Breakups
Bartenders face a 27.8% divorce rate, with a median income just under $30,000. The late-night hours, loud environments, and steady stream of intoxicated patrons make this one of the most socially draining jobs out there.
It might look fun behind the bar, but keeping your cool around chaos every night isn’t easy. Add in low pay, unpredictable tips, and long hours on your feet, and you’ve got a job that burns people out fast.
It’s tough to build a stable home life when your work schedule clashes with everyone else’s. The job might bring energy, but it often kills the spark at home.
Acupuncturists: High Pay Doesn’t Equal Relationship Stability
Acupuncturists may earn over $72,000 a year, but their 29.2% divorce rate shows money isn’t everything. Most are self-employed, meaning they carry all the responsibility for client care and business survival.
That means long hours, unpredictable income, and constant stress about keeping the practice afloat. The work itself is intimate, and the pressure to produce results can weigh heavy.
It’s not just needles, it’s emotional investment, schedule juggling, and financial risk all wrapped together. When the job eats into time, energy, and attention, relationships don’t always make it through.
Metal Furnace Operators: Physically Brutal, Personally Draining
Metal furnace operators, tenders, pourers, and casters show a 29.5% divorce rate, and their work environment is relentless. They deal with extreme heat, heavy machinery, and a job that takes a serious toll on the body.
The median income sits around $47,600, but the danger and discomfort make every dollar hard-earned. Working in shifts, often through nights and weekends, doesn’t leave room for family routines.
Physical pain and constant fatigue become part of daily life. When the job breaks your body, it often chips away at your relationships too.
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Telemarketers: The Hardest Job on a Headset
Topping the list with a divorce rate of 34.4%, telemarketers have it rough across the board. They earn around $31,000 a year, face constant rejection, and work in high-pressure environments built around sales quotas.
Most calls end in hang-ups, or worse, hostile responses. Add in job insecurity, low morale, and little public respect, and the stress piles on fast. The energy it takes to keep pushing through every day doesn’t leave much for anyone at home.
It’s not just the calls that get dropped, sometimes, relationships do too.
Jobs and Divorce: What the Numbers Really Say
These jobs aren’t just tough on the clock, they take a toll at home too. Long hours, low pay, and constant stress don’t just wear down workers, they wear down relationships. The data tells a clear story: certain careers come with built-in pressure that doesn’t clock out.
When emotional energy gets drained all day, there’s not much left to give to a partner. It’s not always about how much you make, it’s how much of yourself the job takes.
If your career’s on this list, maybe it’s time to check in with more than just your boss.
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