By Michele Zipkin, Stacker
Maintaining a happy marriage takes a lot of work, from managing work-life balance to navigating financial woes and everything in between. 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.
Stacker has compiled a list of 50 U.S. jobs with the lowest divorce rates using data from the 2001-2017 American Community Survey via IPUMS-USA—the U.S. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series—and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
#50. Computer programmers
Divorced rate: 10.63% (2.49% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.18% (41.02% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $82,240 (155.87% higher than the national average)
#49. Agricultural and food scientists
Divorced rate: 10.62% (2.59% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.94% (53.05% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $39,910 (24.17% higher than the national average)
#48. Environmental engineers
Divorced rate: 10.52% (3.46% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.24% (38.21% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $86,800 (170.06% higher than the national average)
#47. First-line supervisors/managers/contractors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
Divorced rate: 10.49% (3.77% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 2.41% (20.48% higher than the national average)
Median salary: $46,570 (44.89% higher than the national average)
#46. Environmental scientists and geoscientists
Divorced rate: 10.43% (4.35% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.05% (47.32% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $69,400 (115.92% higher than the national average)
#45. First-line enlisted military supervisors
Divorced rate: 10.38% (4.80% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 2.48% (24.08% higher than the national average)
Median salary: N/A
#44. Atmospheric and space scientists
Divorced rate: 10.31% (5.40% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.29% (35.55% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $92,070 (186.46% higher than the national average)
#43. Military enlisted tactical operations and air/weapons specialists and crew members
Divorced rate: 10.24% (6.02% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 3.46% (72.96% higher than the national average)
Median salary: N/A
#42. Chemists and materials scientists
Divorced rate: 10.16% (6.80% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.21% (39.56% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $76,280 (137.33% higher than the national average)
#41. Audiologists
Divorced rate: 10.06% (7.72% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.03% (48.42% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $75,920 (136.21% higher than the national average)
#40. Lawyers, and judges, magistrates, and other judicial workers
Divorced rate: 10.00% (8.28% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.19% (40.66% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $116,210 (261.56% higher than the national average)
#39. Model makers and patternmakers, metal and plastic
Divorced rate: 9.94% (8.84% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.96% (51.92% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $53,670 (66.98% higher than the national average)
#38. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
Divorced rate: 9.88% (9.39% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.07% (46.44% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $137,330 (327.27% higher than the national average)
#37. First-line supervisors of fire fighting and prevention workers
Divorced rate: 9.81% (9.99% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.91% (54.50% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $76,170 (136.99% higher than the national average)
#36. Military, rank not specified
Divorced rate: 9.75% (10.58% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 2.75% (37.55% higher than the national average)
Median salary: N/A
#35. Computer and information research scientists
Divorced rate: 9.68% (11.17% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.29% (35.73% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $114,520 (256.31% higher than the national average)
#34. Materials engineers
Divorced rate: 9.62% (11.73% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.00% (50.08% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $94,610 (194.36% higher than the national average)
#33. Architects, except naval
Divorced rate: 9.60% (11.92% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.14% (42.99% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $78,470 (144.14% higher than the national average)
#32. Physical therapists
Divorced rate: 9.44% (13.38% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.21% (39.61% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $86,850 (170.22% higher than the national average)
#31. Veterinarians
Divorced rate: 9.40% (13.74% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.97% (51.35% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $90,420 (181.32% higher than the national average)
#30. Sales engineers
Divorced rate: 9.31% (14.61% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.98% (51.01% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $98,720 (207.15% higher than the national average)
#29. Religious workers, all other
Divorced rate: 9.10% (16.52% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.38% (31.15% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $29,310 (8.81% lower than the national average)
#28. Aerospace engineers
Divorced rate: 9.05% (16.94% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.01% (49.26% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $113,030 (251.67% higher than the national average)
#27. Natural science managers
Divorced rate: 9.03% (17.14% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.90% (55.09% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $118,970 (270.15% higher than the national average)
#26. Medical scientists, and life scientists, all others
Divorced rate: 8.81% (19.18% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.14% (43.18% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $82,090 (155.41% higher than the national average)
#25. Astronomers and physicists
Divorced rate: 8.75% (19.74% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.94% (52.83% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $100,590 (212.96% higher than the national average)
#24. Marine engineers and naval architects
Divorced rate: 8.69% (20.29% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.50% (24.96% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $90,970 (183.03% higher than the national average)
#23. Software developers, applications and systems software
Divorced rate: 8.64% (20.71% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.06% (46.96% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $101,790 (216.70% higher than the national average)
#22. Economists
Divorced rate: 8.55% (21.52% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.91% (54.32% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $102,490 (218.88% higher than the national average)
#21. Pharmacists
Divorced rate: 8.52% (21.79% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.09% (45.66% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $124,170 (286.33% higher than the national average)
#20. Electrical and electronics engineers
Divorced rate: 8.51% (21.93% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.13% (43.51% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $95,060 (195.76% higher than the national average)
#19. Conservation scientists and foresters
Divorced rate: 8.48% (22.16% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.78% (60.78% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $61,480 (91.28% higher than the national average)
#18. Misc. engineeers including nuclear engineers
Divorced rate: 8.47% (22.28% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.97% (51.65% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $97,250 (202.57% higher than the national average)
#17. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
Divorced rate: 8.44% (22.54% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.97% (51.74% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $69,620 (116.61% higher than the national average)
#16. Podiatrists
Divorced rate: 8.41% (22.81% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.97% (51.46% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $127,740 (297.44% higher than the national average)
#15. Military officer special and tactical operations leaders
Divorced rate: 8.40% (22.91% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 2.06% (3.24% higher than the national average)
Median salary: N/A
#14. Mechanical engineers
Divorced rate: 8.34% (23.53% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.93% (53.69% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $85,880 (167.20% higher than the national average)
#13. Computer hardware engineers
Divorced rate: 8.33% (23.61% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.25% (37.55% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $115,120 (258.17% higher than the national average)
#12. Civil engineers
Divorced rate: 8.31% (23.77% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.04% (48.11% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $84,770 (163.74% higher than the national average)
#11. Physical scientists, all other
Divorced rate: 7.61% (30.22% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.01% (49.69% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $103,990 (223.54% higher than the national average)
#10. Dentists
Divorced rate: 7.53% (30.91% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.86% (57.14% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $151,440 (371.17% higher than the national average)
#9. Directors, religious activities and education
Divorced rate: 7.50% (31.15% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.01% (49.36% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $38,980 (21.28% higher than the national average)
#8. Architectural and engineering managers
Divorced rate: 7.40% (32.14% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.96% (52.16% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $137,720 (328.49% higher than the national average)
#7. Optometrists
Divorced rate: 7.33% (32.73% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.71% (64.52% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $110,300 (243.18% higher than the national average)
#6. Biomedical and agricultural engineers
Divorced rate: 7.31% (32.92% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 1.18% (41.04% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $88,040 (173.92% higher than the national average)
#5. Petroleum, mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
Divorced rate: 7.14% (34.47% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.80% (59.96% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $132,280 (311.56% higher than the national average)
#4. Physicians and surgeons
Divorced rate: 7.13% (34.62% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.94% (53.07% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $168,700 (424.87% higher than the national average)
#3. Chemical engineers
Divorced rate: 6.62% (39.27% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.90% (54.78% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $102,160 (217.85% higher than the national average)
#2. Actuaries
Divorced rate: 5.71% (47.59% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.62% (68.80% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $101,560 (215.98% higher than the national average)
#1. Clergy
Divorced rate: 5.04% (53.72% lower than the national average)
Separated rate: 0.65% (67.36% lower than the national average)
Median salary: $47,100 (46.54% higher than the national average)
