The 28 Most Stressful Jobs by Nick Selbe, CareerTrends
No matter what industry you work in, stress is an unwelcome part of any occupation. A recent study by Chicago-based employee assistance provider ComPsych deemed “unclear expectations from supervisors” as the most stressful part of any job. The study focused specifically on stress in the workplace during times of change. Of course, that notes just one source of workplace stress people face every day.
With these types of daily challenges in mind, CareerTrends found the 28 most stressful jobs in America using data from O*NET, an occupational database sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. O*NET assigns scores in various categories for each occupation based on the results to survey questions sent out to employers.
In examining the jobs that landed on the list, we found there was no correlation between total stress score and average salary. Unfortunately for these employees, working the most stressful job doesn’t guarantee the biggest payout.
For this list, we focused on three different scores, all graded on a 1 to 5 scale: frequency of conflict situations, exposure to hazardous conditions, and stress tolerance. Only jobs with at least 10,000 total employees were included.
These three grades were combined to create a “total stress score,” and the occupations with the highest total stress scores were chosen for this list.
The 28 Most Stressful Jobs
Survey scores explained:
- Frequency of conflict situations: How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
- Exposure to hazardous conditions: How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
- Stress tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Note: In the event of ties, the job with the higher stress tolerance score was ranked higher on the list.
#28. Automotive Specialty Technician
Total stress score: 11.33
Conflict frequency score: 3.3
Hazard exposure score: 4.21
Stress tolerance score: 3.82
Average annual salary: $34,092
Total employment: 633,390
#27. Forest Fire Fighting Supervisor
Total stress score: 11.34
Conflict frequency score: 3.08
Hazard exposure score: 3.76
Stress tolerance score: 4.5
Average annual salary: $60,372
Total employment: 59,870
#26. Airline Pilot
Total stress score: 11.35
Conflict frequency score: 3.37
Hazard exposure score: 3.17
Stress tolerance score: 4.81
Average annual salary: $98,733
Total employment: 75,760
#25. Anesthesiologist Assistant
Total stress score: 11.41
Conflict frequency score: 3.37
Hazard exposure score: 3.12
Stress tolerance score: 4.92
Average annual salary: $89,300
Total employment: 91,670
#24. Power-Line Installer
Total stress score: 11.44
Conflict frequency score: 3.12
Hazard exposure score: 4.6
Stress tolerance score: 3.72
Average annual salary: $62,094
Total employment: 114,540
#23. Fire Investigator
Total stress score: 11.44
Conflict frequency score: 3.43
Hazard exposure score: 3.56
Stress tolerance score: 4.45
Average annual salary: $53,376
Total employment: 11,370
#22. Flight Attendant
Total stress score: 11.44
Conflict frequency score: 3.99
Hazard exposure score: 2.77
Stress tolerance score: 4.68
Average annual salary: $42,022
Total employment: 98,510
#21. Geothermal Technician
Total stress score: 11.46
Conflict frequency score: 2.83
Hazard exposure score: 4.67
Stress tolerance score: 3.96
Average annual salary: $36,126
Total employment: 138,460
#20. Subway Operator
Total stress score: 11.47
Conflict frequency score: 3.63
Hazard exposure score: 3.34
Stress tolerance score: 4.5
Average annual salary: $54,471
Total employment: 11,300
#19. Medical Laboratory Technologist
Total stress score: 11.48
Conflict frequency score: 2.98
Hazard exposure score: 4.17
Stress tolerance score: 4.33
Average annual salary: $54,678
Total employment: 161,710
#18. Pump Operator
Total stress score: 11.56
Conflict frequency score: 2.85
Hazard exposure score: 4.2
Stress tolerance score: 4.52
Average annual salary: $41,643
Total employment: 12,170
#17. Oil Drill Operator
Total stress score: 11.57
Conflict frequency score: 3.29
Hazard exposure score: 4.2
Stress tolerance score: 4.08
Average annual salary: $50,061
Total employment: 26,480
#16. Elevator Installer
Total stress score: 11.66
Conflict frequency score: 2.67
Hazard exposure score: 4.93
Stress tolerance score: 4.06
Average annual salary: $68,792
Total employment: 20,590
#15. Stationary Engineer
Total stress score: 11.69
Conflict frequency score: 3.21
Hazard exposure score: 4.55
Stress tolerance score: 3.93
Average annual salary: $48,323
Total employment: 37,550
#14. Petroleum Pump Operator
Total stress score: 11.7
Conflict frequency score: 2.77
Hazard exposure score: 4.9
Stress tolerance score: 4.03
Average annual salary: $54,492
Total employment: 41,700
#13. Conveyor Operator
Total stress score: 11.72
Conflict frequency score: 3.17
Hazard exposure score: 4.3
Stress tolerance score: 4.25
Average annual salary: $31,891
Total employment: 38,830
#12. Correctional Officer Supervisor
Total stress score: 11.72
Conflict frequency score: 4.46
Hazard exposure score: 2.86
Stress tolerance score: 4.4
Average annual salary: $56,184
Total employment: 45,150
#11. Powerhouse Equipment Installer
Total stress score: 11.73
Conflict frequency score: 2.84
Hazard exposure score: 4.75
Stress tolerance score: 4.14
Average annual salary: $67,128
Total employment: 22,120
Most stressful jobs – #10. Police Supervisor
Total stress score: 11.74
Conflict frequency score: 4.17
Hazard exposure score: 2.81
Stress tolerance score: 4.76
Average annual salary: $68,973
Total employment: 101,420
Most stressful jobs – #9. Refrigeration Mechanic
Total stress score: 11.93
Conflict frequency score: 3.29
Hazard exposure score: 4.72
Stress tolerance score: 3.92
Average annual salary: $40,601
Total employment: 261,390
Most stressful jobs – #8. Gas Derrick Operator
Total stress score: 11.93
Conflict frequency score: 3.38
Hazard exposure score: 4.62
Stress tolerance score: 3.93
Average annual salary: $45,966
Total employment: 20,760
Most stressful jobs – #7. Nurse Anesthetist
Total stress score: 11.93
Conflict frequency score: 3.97
Hazard exposure score: 3.03
Stress tolerance score: 4.93
Average annual salary: $147,256
Total employment: 36,590
Most stressful jobs – #6. Power Plant Operator
Total stress score: 11.94
Conflict frequency score: 2.94
Hazard exposure score: 4.8
Stress tolerance score: 4.2
Average annual salary: $62,908
Total employment: 40,300
Most stressful jobs – #5. Furnace Operator
Total stress score: 11.98
Conflict frequency score: 3.59
Hazard exposure score: 4.72
Stress tolerance score: 3.67
Average annual salary: $34,012
Total employment: 20,590
Most stressful jobs – #4. Forest Firefighter
Total stress score: 12.08
Conflict frequency score: 3.61
Hazard exposure score: 4.08
Stress tolerance score: 4.39
Average annual salary: $38,890
Total employment: 308,790
Most stressful jobs – #3. Police Patrol Officer
Total stress score: 12.09
Conflict frequency score: 4.56
Hazard exposure score: 2.85
Stress tolerance score: 4.68
Average annual salary: $47,819
Total employment: 638,810
Most stressful jobs – #2. Quality Control Manager
Total stress score: 12.11
Conflict frequency score: 3.92
Hazard exposure score: 3.61
Stress tolerance score: 4.58
Average annual salary: $88,381
Total employment: 167,200
Most stressful jobs – #1. Continuous Mining Machine Operator
Total stress score: 12.21
Conflict frequency score: 3.25
Hazard exposure score: 4.9
Stress tolerance score: 4.06
Average annual salary: $43,099
Total employment: 11,540
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