1. Welder

Despite its usefulness, the entry-level position of welder is the Rodney Dangerfield of this study. Its overall score is 33.54, its immediate opportunity rank is 56, its growth potential rank is 100 and its job hazard rank is 103—perhaps due to long hours, since it didn't make the six most dangerous list. (Photo: Shutterstock)

10. Sheetmetal Mechanic

Starting off in this job presents challenges. It has an overall rank of 42.90, with an immediate opportunity rank of 108—that's just one off the very bottom—a growth potential rank of 72 and a job hazards rank of 56. There's also the fact that there aren't all that many job openings in the field; it finished 106th out of 109 jobs for having the fewest. (Photo: Shutterstock)

9. Refinery Operator

Its overall score of 41.23 isn't very encouraging, nor are its immediate opportunity rank of 103, its growth potential rank of 83 and its job hazards rank of 64. Entrants into this field should probably consider backup training in another, if related, field, and/or the potential for moving from job to job to move up the ranks. (Photo: Shutterstock)

8. Automotive Mechanic

Car lovers, beware; this position doesn't appear to encourage new recruits, with an overall score of just 40.14. It does have a somewhat respectable immediate opportunity rank of 52, compared with its peers on the bottom-10 list, but in growth potential it only ranks at 73 and when it comes to job hazards, it's a miserable 102. Perhaps it will end up being done by robots, which wouldn't be a bad thing when it comes to human safety. (Photo: Shutterstock)

7. Aircraft Painter

Its overall score of 39.40 is something of a warning to potential workers, and the position doesn't offer much in the way of immediate opportunity—just ranked at 89—or, for that matter, growth potential, ranked at 99. In addition, its job hazards rank of 84 might be enough to encourage new grads to think ahead to alternate jobs—particularly since it ranks 107th out of 109 jobs for slowest projected job growth by 2026. (Photo: Shutterstock)

6. Building Inspector

It's going to take some work to advance in this field, with its overall score of 38.95; its immediate opportunity rank is one of the lowest, at 104, and its growth potential is nearly as low, at 95. Then there's its rank of 62 for job hazards—overall, not a terribly welcoming set of statistics. (Photo: Shutterstock)

5. Tool and Die Maker

This job comes with an overall score of 38.85, an immediate opportunity rank of 78, a growth potential rank of 96 and a job hazard rank of 100. Those who enter this field will have to work hard to stay ahead of the curve and stay safe at the same time. (Photo: Shutterstock)

4. Carpenter

Another field that will probably test new grads' commitment to the work, the job of carpenter comes with a total score of 38.55, a fairly respectable immediate opportunity rank of 44 and a growth potential rank of 70. But its job hazards rank is really down there, at 103; in fact, it's one of the six most dangerous jobs on the list. The other five are boilermaker, electrician, floor assembler, safety technician and telecommunications technician. (Photo: Shutterstock)

3. Boilermaker

Boilermaker is in that tie with carpenter as one of the six most dangerous jobs, with a job hazards rank of 103. It also has an overall score of 35.34, an immediate opportunity rank of 93 and a growth potential rank of 69. That's going to make it tough for whoever enters the field. (Photo: Shutterstock)

2. Floor Assembler

Floor assembler scores overall at 34.89, but it's at the very bottom when it comes to immediate opportunity rank, at 109—in fact, its ranked at 100 out of 109 for lowest starting salary. It's not so great at growth potential, either, with a rank of 84, but although it has a job hazard rank of 66, it too is in that six-way tie for most dangerous job. (Photo: Shutterstock)

1. Welder

Despite its usefulness, the entry-level position of welder is the Rodney Dangerfield of this study. Its overall score is 33.54, its immediate opportunity rank is 56, its growth potential rank is 100 and its job hazard rank is 103—perhaps due to long hours, since it didn't make the six most dangerous list. (Photo: Shutterstock)