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 in 1980 at 40% and has been dropping since. Millennials are driving that decrease, while older gen-Xers and baby boomers are divorcing at rates twice that of the '90s. 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.

Studies have shown that people with stable, higher-paying jobs tend to experience lower divorce rates than those who don’t earn as much money. 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. The IFS also sourced information from a Bloomberg report indicating 70% of people who consider themselves upper class enjoy lasting marriages compared with just 53% of those who describe themselves as lower class.

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.

Using data from the 2001–2017 American Community Survey via the U.S. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, as well as the 2017 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Stacker assembled a list of 50 U.S. jobs with the highest divorce rates.

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- Divorce rate: 20.1% (48.4% lower than national rate) 
- Separation rate: 5.7%
- Job employment: 128,680
- Mean annual salary: $43,870 (15.6% lower than national rate)

- Divorce rate: 20.2% (48.3% lower than national rate)
- Separation rate: 4.6%
- Job employment: 15,380
- Mean annual salary: $29,010 (44.2% lower than national rate)

- Divorce rate: 20.2% (48.3% lower than national rate)
- Separation rate: 2.5%
- Job employment: 45,250
- Mean annual salary: $41,860 (19.4% lower than national rate)

- Divorce rate: 20.3% (48.1% lower than national rate)
- Separation rate: 3.1%
- Job employment: 26,700
- Mean annual salary: $40,790 (21.5% lower than national rate)

- Divorce rate: 20.4% (47.7% lower than national rate)
- Separation rate: 5.3%
- Job employment: 25,460
- Mean annual salary: $30,640 (41% lower than national rate)

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- Divorce rate: 20.4% (47.6% lower than national rate)
- Separation rate: 2.4%
- Job employment: 23,770
- Mean annual salary: $56,300 (8.4% higher than national rate)

- Divorce rate: 20.5% (47.4% lower than national rate)
- Separation rate: 3.7%
- Job employment: 26,570
- Mean annual salary: $45,750 (12% lower than national rate)

- Divorce rate: 20.5% (47.3% lower than national rate)
- Separation rate: 1.8%
- Job employment: 52,180
- Mean annual salary: $51,380 (1.1% lower than national rate)

- Divorce rate: 20.5% (47.3% lower than national rate)
- Separation rate: 3.8%
- Job employment: 2,056,030
- Mean annual salary: $28,520 (45.1% lower than national rate)

- Divorce rate: 20.6% (47.2% lower than national rate)
- Separation rate: 5.2%
- Job employment: 118,520
- Mean annual salary: $40,560 (21.9% lower than national rate)

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