21 Careers That Are More Likely To Lead To Divorce (2023)

You’ve heard the statistic before: Half of all marriages end in divorce. Whether that number still holds true is debatable, but for many young married people today, it’s their career — or their spouses’ — that’s leading to higher divorce rates. Workers in certain industries are seeing higher divorce rates by age 30, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Data from career website Zippia.

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The choice of a particular career often comes with some serious caveats, including the potential for long hours, time away from home, increased emotional stress or just lower pay. All of these factors can potentially lead to conflicts with your significant other, some of which will ultimately be impossible to reconcile. And the analysis from Zippia reveals that some professions appear to be driving a much higher percentage of people to throw in the towel on their marriage.

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So, here’s a closer look at those jobs that can lead to some serious difficulties in your personal life.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 12%

The nursing field, as a whole, can be stressful, but the work of a nurse anesthetist takes stress to an entirely different level. These professionals administer or adjust patient anesthetic, closely monitor the vital signs of anesthetized patients and must make critical decisions independently and quickly. Essentially, the life of a patient rests in their hands, which might create both physical and marital stress and contribute to a higher divorce rate, even in some of the best states to be a nurse.

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• Divorce Rate: Approximately 13%

Laborers who manually move materials, freight or stock are at a higher risk of injury than other professions, according to the Department of Labor. Unfortunately, the job also comes with a higher divorce rate, the report indicates.

Workers commonly work more than eight hours in one shift and even overnight, which could certainly hurt a marriage. One might be able to overlook these drawbacks if the pay was good — but it’s not. The job pays a median annual salary of $27,040, per the Department of Labor, well below the national average.

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• Divorce Rate: Approximately 13%

Medical and health services managers have a significant responsibility, as they oversee the operations of a hospital. Some, however, might be neglecting their responsibilities at home, as Zippia found higher divorce rates among these professionals.

The job can also be very stressful, as these professionals have to manage personnel issues and must stay up to date with changes in healthcare. The work could very well be around the clock and even require travel in some instances, meaning it isn’t always worthwhile despite healthcare jobs often being among the highest paid in thestate.

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• Divorce Rate: Approximately 13%

Whether it’s the ATM, fax machine, cash register or something else, someone has to be available to repair these machines when they break down. Although these professionals can repair specialized machines, they evidently don’t always do well with fixing marriages. Zippia found these professionals more likely to experience divorce.

Some of these workers put in over 50 hours per week, and field technicians will typically travel to make the necessary repairs, according to theDepartment of Labor. Long days away from home can leave little time to rekindle a marriage. So, it turns out there are worse things about ATMs than the fees.

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• Divorce Rate: Approximately 13%

Electricians also have a tough and injury-prone job — with the risk of electrical shocks, cuts, burns and falls. Long periods of standing and kneeling are also common, which can be exhausting.

Due to the unknown number of electrical issues that might happen each day, the job could also involve evenings, weekends, holidays and extended hours. Unfortunately, spending large amounts of time connecting electricity could be simultaneously disconnecting a marriage.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 13%

Reviewing returns, conducting audits and identifying what’s owed can be “taxing” on a marriage, according to Zippia research. During tax season, a typical 40-hour workweek can balloon into a ton of overtime and multiply stress for tax professionals.

Couple extra hours and tension with harried and demanding customers, and you have a recipe for disaster — one that, along with finances, can negatively affect a marriage, particularly if it’s already fragile.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 13%

Supervising probationers can be daunting and draining to a marriage — and result in a higher divorce rate, according to Zippia. Much of a probation officer’s time is spent documenting and evaluating individuals who might have difficult personalities and habits. Plus, the job often requires working overtime.

Understandably, when officers come home from work they might be short on words or edgy, which can cause tension in a marriage.

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• Divorce Rate: Approximately 13%

Administrative services managers have a lot to juggle. They’re the ones who have to supervise employee activities; keep accurate, up-to-date records; set and monitor goals and plan budgets. They’re also on call to handle problems, according to the Department of Labor.

Stressful daytime duties and after-hours calls might damage a marriage, so it might not be surprising that the Zippia analysis revealed these professionals age 30 and youngerhave a higher divorce rate.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 13%

The Department of Labor reports that carpenters have one of the highest rates of illnesses or injuries and typically work in less than stellar conditions. The job also involves working evenings, weekends and having to commit to overtime.

Coming home late and achy must not be good for a marriage, as Zippia found carpenters to have one of the highest divorce rates. Perhaps it’s because the home to-do list is taking a back seat to work.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 14%

Medical assistants are also among the highest risk for divorce before 30, according to Zippia. If you think about the healthcare hierarchy coupled with a stressful work environment, it might be easy to see why.

The job can be very demanding for these professionals who typically work in a hospital or office setting. Medical assistants might have to work evenings, weekends, holidays or overtime. Unlike physicians or registered nurses, their median pay is only $32,480 annually, which could make them a little bitter on days that are more challenging.

Although there’s the adage, “leave your work at the door,” some might bring it home with them — and inadvertently destroy their marriage.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 14%

Zippia found these healthcare professionals to have one of the worst jobs for the possibility of a lasting marriage. The job is demanding and requires full-time hours and tedious work. Workers must be on their feet for long periods, lift and turn patients and work overnights, weekends and holidays because they work in facilities that never close — all of which could take a toll on a marriage.

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• Divorce Rate: Approximately 14%

Engineering technicians are instrumental in taking ideas and turning them into reality, but they also experience higher divorce rates, according to the study. The downfall could be that they’re spending too much time assisting engineers and scientists with research and problem-solving than nurturing their marital bond. There might even be travel involved to other engineering plants or construction sites, which could mean less time at home — and more time to grow apart.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 15%

The person who helps you find reading materials and animatedly engages in story time is more likely to experience divorce.

The likelihood of divorce might come as a surprise when considering the lack of potential job stressors. But consider the financial tension: More than half of library assistants and technicians only work part-time and earn a meager $25,810 median annual salary, according to the Department of Labor, ironically meaning they’ll also need a cheap divorce.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 15%

Pets provide people with so much joy, but jobs that involve caring for these creatures result in divorce.

Unfortunately, compassion fatigue — which is emotional exhaustion caused by caring for traumatized animals or people — could be the culprit. The condition, which is common among animal caregivers, can lead to outbursts of anger and depression. Sadly, a person might neglect their marriage and the person they said “I do” to if they fall victim to this disorder.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 15%

Divorce doesn’t discriminate according to rank or military role — Zippia’s research reveals these individuals have about a 15% divorce rate. The demands of the job, from deployment — which can involve long periods of time away from spouses and families — to relocating to various bases, could be grounds for divorce. It might also be hard on those who served to reintegrate into civilian life, which includes marriage, meaning that an unfortunate number of veterans might be headed to the divorce attorney.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 15%

Ask anyone who has waitressed or bussed a table, and they’ll tell you it’s far from glamorous — picture unhappy customers, poor tippers and hours on your feet. It’s not exactly a dream job, and apparently, it’s not a good match for marriage, either — with the divorce rate hovering around 15%, according to the study.

The median annual pay for these workers is only $20,180, which could put a financial strain on a marriage. Furthermore, the work typically involves working late hours and weekends when most married people prefer to spend quality time together.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 15%

Chemical technicians also experience a higher rate of divorce when compared to other job holders in the study. Individuals in this profession spend a lot of time in laboratories conducting research and testing chemical products and processes. Wearing the white lab coat might mean irregular and extra hours to monitor experiments.

Unfortunately, the hyper-focus and dedication these workers give to their job do little to ensure the happiness of their marriages.

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• Divorce Rate: Approximately 17%

This broad category of military personnel also has a higher divorce rate among the 30-and-younger demographic with one gender dominating, according to the research. The career site references a Princeton study that shows enlisted women to have a higher divorce rate than enlisted men when compared to civilians. The upside is that those who choose to have a military career versus a short stint might have a better chance of a lasting marriage.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 17%

The professions of automotive service techs and mechanics rank as one of the likeliest to lead to divorce. People in these professions have one of the highest rates of injury and illness, come home tired often and could end up not likely to be in the mood for a heavy dose of family time.

The median annual wage is about $39,550 — and workers tend to work evenings and weekends. Some might say the trade-off is not worth it, considering the divorce rate is roughly 17%.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 18%

If “till death do us part” is of high importance, you might want to overlook a career in logistics. Supply-chain professionals hold the second-worst job for lasting marriages, the report indicates.

A career as a logistician does come with solid pay — $74,590 annually, according to the Department of Labor — although overseeing a company’s supply chain might involve more stress and a heavier workload. Occasional overtime to meet demands could also be a drawback.

• Divorce Rate: Approximately 30%

First-line enlisted military supervisors manage and lead enlisted service members. Their role, however, tends to put a staggering strain on their marriages. Individuals under the age of 30 have a 30% divorce rate, making it the most divorced profession, according to Zippia’s research.

Although there is no singular answer for this trend, some reasons for divorce could include job stress and longer deployments. Those who experience combat, such as in Iraq or Afghanistan, might also be at a higher risk.

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Joel Anderson contributed to the reporting for this article.