Jobs are a regular part of our lives. They fill our days and form the focal point of our existences. They can even cause divorce.

2. Most people work multiple jobs over the course of their lives. If you’re
lucky, you found a vocation you like, you’re good at, and that pays enough
to support your family. The truly fortunate find a calling, a career they’re
passionate about.

3. Many factors contribute to the end of a marriage. There’s rarely a single cause, but something
major often tips the scale. Adultery, money woes, irreconcilable differences, all of these can
destroy a union. Jobs and employment status also frequently play a big part in divorce. But what
jobs have the highest divorce rates? And which jobs have the lowest divorce rates?

4. Some occupations are more demanding than others and ask a great deal
of the people in these fields. Physical and emotional tolls vary from career
to career, for both individuals and families. Others simply don’t pay
enough. So it makes a certain amount of sense that certain jobs have
higher or lower divorce rates than others.

5. Statistician Nathan Yau from Flowing Data took a look at the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015
American Community Survey. Out of those people who had been married at least once, he
calculated the percentage of individuals who were divorced. Looking at 474 specific careers,
he ranked the jobs with the highest divorce rate as well as the jobs with the
lowest divorce rates.

6. 1. Gaming Managers: 52.9%
2. Bartenders: 52.7%
3. Flights Attendants: 50.5%
4. Gaming Service Workers: 50.3%
5. Rolling Machine Setters: 50.1%
6. Switchboard Operators: 49.7%
7. Extruding Drawing Machine Operators: 49.6%
8. Telemarketers: 49.2%
9. Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Operators: 48.9%
10. Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters: 48.8%

7. Actuaries: 17%
Physical Scientists: 18.9%
Medical and Life Scientists: 19.6%
Clergy: 19.8%
Software developers: 20.3%
Physical Therapists: 20.7%
Optometrists: 20.8%
Chemical Engineers: 21.1%
Directors, Religious Activities and Education: 21.3%
Physicians and Surgeons: 21.8%

8. Looking at these lists, you see a wide range of careers. Some entail years of
intense education and training, while others involve little in the way of
preexisting skills. Each occupation, however, comes with specific
requirements and knowledge. A few are physically draining, while others
come with an emotional cost.

9. Some of the jobs with the highest divorce rates make sense. Bartenders and gaming professionals
often work unusual, inconsistent hours compared to most people. This can put a strain on a
relationship, especially when spouses keep drastically different schedules. Others may physically wear
a person down or be monotonous and draining in different ways. For flight attendants, it must be
difficult to travel frequently and not see family for days at a time. Particular careers may put too much
pressure on some relationships.

10. On the other side, the jobs with the lowest divorce rates also make a
degree of sense. Clergy seems obvious, as many religions frown on
divorce. Many of the others are often secure, routine careers that tend to
pay well. Steady, regular hours and a sense of financial security can benefit
marital stability.

11. What can we learn from these numbers? What can they tell us? Basically, it illustrates there are
jobs with higher and lower divorce rates than others. That’s not all that shocking.

12. What this doesn’t mean is that certain occupations necessarily
cause divorce. In the end, this probably says more about the combination
of personalities and careers in a marriage than it does about the actual
work.

13. Some people are simply better suited for certain jobs than others. The temperament required
to become a skilled surgeon is different from what it takes to be a lawyer. Carpenters need
different traits than podiatrists. Many people thrive in one field where they floundered in
others.

14. Jobs impact relationships and divorce in many ways. Low wages can create
additional tension over money. Long, strange hours may lead to feelings
of abandonment by one spouse. Excessive pressure and expectations at
work often affect your home life.

15. But in reality, jobs are usually just one part of the larger divorce picture. They may contribute
to the decay of a relationship, but they’re rarely the sole cause. And just because your specific
career has the highest divorce rate, doesn’t mean your marriage is doomed. Certain
individuals, as well as certain relationships, can withstand the pressures of a specific job. There
are bartenders who live happily married lives. Just like there are actuaries who can’t divorce
fast enough.

16. How much a job impacts the end of a marriage depends more on the
spouses than anything else. In the end, it revolves around the ability to
deal with the pressures and also make the situation work in your favor.

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