Stressful jobs require a high degree of physical, mental, and emotional stamina, and you’re subject to high-pressure work environments. Usually, even the smallest mistakes can have significant repercussions. From unreasonable deadlines, neverending workloads, or life-or-death situations, these roles can push the boundaries of your endurance and lead to burnout.
In this article, we’ll look at the ten most stressful jobs across different industries. Then, we’ll see what the least stressful jobs are, as well as what the effects of prolonged stress are and how to manage it. Let’s start!
Key Takeaways
- Stressful jobs demand physical, mental, and emotional endurance and typically involve high-pressure surroundings where minor mistakes can lead to major consequences.
- The most stressful jobs include the jobs of nurses, surgeons, paramedics, and air traffic controllers due to high responsibility, unpredictable schedules, and exposure to trauma.
- Least stressful job positions like librarians, jewelers, or massage therapists provide a peaceful atmosphere with regular work hours and a focus on well-being.
- Continuous exposure to stress can lead to health issues like anxiety, depression, and burnout, so it’s crucial to manage it timely.
- Some of the best tried and true stress management methods include setting boundaries, organizing your time, prioritizing self-care, and celebrating small wins.
10 Most Stressful Jobs with Salaries
A job can be considered stressful due to several factors, including:
- Heavy workload and unrealistic deadlines
- Lack of regular feedback and support
- Poor working conditions
- Discrimination
- Micromanagement
- Lack of communication
- Disconnect between expectations and empowerment
With this in mind, let’s explore the ten most stressful jobs ranked from the most to least stressful, along with the salaries for each.
#1. Nurse
Nurses are essential staff in medical institutions, as they are the first to provide immediate assistance to patient’s needs. The following tasks are among the many they handle daily:
- Evaluating patients to meet their physical, emotional, and social needs
- Offering emotional support
- Handling medical emergencies, such as seizures, choking, or breathing difficulties
- Monitoring the patient’s condition
In addition, nurses collaborate with physicians, surgeons, technicians, and other specialists to deliver optimal diagnoses and treatments for their patients.
Compared to other occupations, nursing is undoubtedly one of the most stressful jobs for women and men alike because emergency situations leave no room for error. The work hours are also irregular, with night shifts that break the sleeping cycle.
Not being able to rest properly results in poor memory, attention, alertness, and overall decreased cognitive performance—all of which are crucial aspects for success in this role.
Annual salary: $86,070
#2. Anesthesiologist
Anesthesiologists are medical doctors who specialize in pain management, anesthesia care, and evaluating patient care throughout the surgical process. They work closely with surgeons, nurses, and other healthcare providers to deliver the best treatment for their patients.
It’s one of the most stressful jobs in the world because administering anesthesia requires precision, and even the smallest mistake can have devastating consequences.
Anesthesiologists must be ready to tackle any emergency situation or crisis during surgery. They’re responsible for making quick decisions and executing critical procedures that must be done in seconds to save the patient’s life.
Annual salary: $339,470
#3. Physician
A physician is a medical professional who’s the first person you visit when you have any type of cold, injury, infection, or even psychological problems. Most often referred to as a family doctor, a physician’s responsibilities include examining patients, prescribing medications, giving advice on preventive care, and interpreting diagnostic tests.
So, what makes their job stressful? The combination of a fast-paced work environment, night shifts, administrative tasks, and emotional intensity can lead to burnout. Plus, physicians are constantly exposed to contagious illnesses and diseases, which can further increase stress levels.
Annual salary: $239,200
#4. Police Officer
Police officers ensure that civilians obey the law. Their responsibilities vary daily, but generally, they include the following:
- Patrolling assigned areas
- Investigating crimes or accidents
- Responding to calls (e.g., domestic disputes, accidents, or robberies)
- Arresting criminal suspects
- Conducting roadblocks
- Writing detailed police reports
Being a police officer is one of the most stressful jobs in America due to the constant hyper-vigilance, exposure to trauma, and dangerous situations. Police officers are often working long shifts, facing a poor work-life balance and emotional whiplash from handling extreme cases one after the other.
Annual salary: $72,280
x#5. Firefighter
Firefighters protect people’s lives and properties from fire, but that’s not their only responsibility. Their job is to respond to various emergencies, including vehicle accidents, floods, chemical spills, and even saving people and animals in dangerous situations.
More often than not, they’re subjected to extreme temperatures, toxic substances, and traumatic scenes—a combination that places immense physical and mental pressure on them.
It’s one of the most stressful careers because, in most cases, firefighters are responsible for people’s lives. They need to be constantly alert in case of emergencies, barely getting any rest. On top of that, they’re exposed to continuous training that causes physical stress.
Annual salary: $57,120
#6. Surgeon
A surgeon is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases, injuries, and deformities through surgical procedures. The key tasks involve evaluating patients, developing surgery strategies, and providing post-surgical care. They also work on complicated, high-stakes cases, which often call for quick and pressured decision-making.
It’s a highly stressful role—the hours are long, the schedule is unpredictable, and the life-and-death situations can take an extreme emotional toll on surgeons. On top of this, the need for precision and making crucial decisions in real time raises the stakes even higher.
Lastly, surgeons are accountable if something goes wrong or a complication occurs, making this career one of the most challenging yet most rewarding.
Annual salary: $239,200
#7. Paramedic
Paramedics are the first point of contact for individuals experiencing emergencies out of hospitals. They are highly trained medical professionals who are able to assess, treat, and stabilize individuals at the scene before transporting them to medical facilities.
Some of the procedures paramedics are trained to perform include electrocardiogram interpretations (ECG), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), intravenous initiation, and oxygen therapy.
Being a paramedic is stressful because of two main factors: on-the-job pressure and cumulative trauma. Managing emergencies requires quick, life-saving decisions with little time to process events. Secondly, years of exposure to traumatic incidents can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and emotional triggers, even for experienced professionals.
Annual salary: $53,180
#8. Air Traffic Controller
The role of an air traffic controller is to provide a safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic, whether on the ground or in the air. The key responsibilities include directing pilots through the takeoff and landing process, informing them of aircraft emergencies, assisting searchers with missing aircraft, and analyzing flight reports.
It’s a highly responsible and stressful job where mistakes can have catastrophic consequences. Air traffic controllers also have unpredictable schedules, meaning that shift work disrupts sleep and makes maintaining a work-life balance challenging. Despite the challenges, you can’t “take the work home,” which provides some relief for employers.
Annual salary: $137,380
#9. Social Worker
Social workers work with individuals, families, groups, or communities to improve their overall well-being. They support people who are vulnerable, oppressed, or living in poverty. The main responsibilities include planning and implementing support packages, interviewing clients to learn about their needs, monitoring and evaluating clients’ progress, and offering counseling.
It’s among the most stressful professions because of the overwhelming workload and excessively high requirements, making it challenging to meet client needs. This career can often lead to compassion fatigue and burnout because of the continuous exposure to client’s traumatic experiences and complex needs.
Annual salary: $58,380
#10. Lawyer
Lawyers represent and advise clients in a variety of legal matters, including negotiating and drafting contracts, facilitating mergers and acquisitions, prosecuting or defending people who were accused of committing crimes, and more. However, the responsibilities vary greatly based on the type of law practice they decide to pursue.
For example, corporate lawyers assist clients with running the legal aspects of their business, and family lawyers represent people in family-related issues like divorce, child custody, etc.
Lawyers have stressful jobs because it’s a demanding career where competition is high. So, anyone who wants to grow in their career is expected to work long hours. Despite the stress from the long working hours and tight deadlines, lawyers report they’re fulfilled in their careers.
Annual salary: $145,760
The Least Stressful Jobs
The least stressful jobs are the ones that allow for a calm work environment, a manageable workload, and minimal urgent or time-sensitive tasks. They often emphasize personal interaction or a focus on well-being, which can create a more relaxed atmosphere and make them ideal jobs for people with anxiety.
Here’s a closer look at some of the most common low-stress jobs:
- Librarian. This is an ideal job for introverts or anyone who enjoys quiet and calming surroundings. It’s both stress-free and fulfilling because you’re constantly helping people, even if it is just finding their next favorite piece of literature.
- Massage therapist. The core of this job is to assist clients in reducing stress, relieving tension, and promoting relaxation. The work environment is usually tranquil, with relaxing background music. Many massage therapists run their studios and create their own work schedules, easing stress even further.
- Orthodontist. Being an orthodontist is another common low-stress job because you typically handle long-term patient care rather than emergencies. Also, the workload is manageable and predictable as orthodontists follow structured treatment plans.
- Hairstylist. If you’re not a people person, then you may find the hairstylist role stressful. But, if you enjoy chatting with people and making them look beautiful, you’d be a perfect fit for this low-stress career.
- Jeweler. Working with different types of metal, gemstones, pearls, and other materials is relaxing and fulfilling. Jewelers usually work at their own pace, not needing to worry about tight deadlines, which makes this job low-stress.
- Nutritionist. As there are rarely any urgencies or high-pressure situations, this is considered one of the jobs where stress is unlikely to occur. Providing one-on-one sessions with clients means that the work environment is controlled, and nutritionists typically set their own working hours.
The Effects of Prolonged Stress at Work
It’s very important to be aware of the effects of prolonged stress, as nearly 83% of employees in the USA report that they suffer from stress in the workplace. Also known as occupational stress, it can lead to a range of physiological and psychological symptoms.
Physiologically, when stress persists for an extended period of time, the body is constantly on high alert, secreting hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, elevated cortisol levels can lead to fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, and digestive issues.
Changes in appetite are also common, often resulting in overeating or complete loss of appetite, which affects energy levels. Breaking from this cycle of stress is crucial to prevent more harmful, long-term health complications like cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, or a weakened immune system.
Psychologically, prolonged occupational stress can cause anxiety, pessimism, and irritability, making it hard to stay focused and motivated. It often manifests in burnout, aggression, diminished initiative, and a drop in work performance.
Luckily, many professionals, such as psychotherapists, counselors, and stress management coaches, are aware that work stress is a modern-day phenomenon. Their expertise showcases the dangers of chronic stress while simultaneously offering people more meaningful routes to seek help.
If left untreated, the psychological effects of stress can spiral into more serious conditions, such as anxiety disorders and depression. Timely addressing both the physical and mental aspects of work stress is crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
How to Manage Your Stress Levels if You’re Working a High-Stress Job
Managing stress if you’re working a high-stress job will largely depend on the nature of your role. If you have a sedentary job, getting into a regular workout routine will help lower your stress levels. Or, if you’re into a high-risk job (e.g., police officer or firefighter), then you should opt for meditation and prioritize self-care.
Let’s take a detailed look at the five most effective and practical ways to handle stress if you’re working a high-stress job.
#1. Set Boundaries
Setting boundaries at work is crucial to managing stress. If you have just started a new role or are keen to prove yourself, it’s easy to get trapped into doing other people’s responsibilities and even taking on tasks that aren’t in your job description.
To avoid this, you must set boundaries by learning when and how to say no so you don’t stretch yourself too thin. Remember that work-life balance is crucial to a prosperous career, so avoid working outside work hours.
#2. Learn How to Manage Your Time
Organization is key to learning how to manage your time, and it will significantly reduce your stress levels. A good approach is to create a task list ranked by priority at the beginning of the week/day.
If there’s a new task or you don’t know where to start, you’re most likely to feel your pressure levels rising. Instead of stressing out, take a deep breath and start thinking small. Breaking down big tasks into smaller chunks is a lifesaver—it will help you think more clearly and start taking action.
Lastly, try a time management method like the Pomodoro technique. This approach involves working in focused 25-minute increments, followed by a 5-minute break. By incorporating the method into your daily routine, you’ll maintain your energy levels and stay productive for longer periods of time.
#3. Prioritize Self-Care
Prioritizing self-care is the best thing you can do for yourself when trying to manage stress from work. Ensure you get enough sleep, as sleep deprivation can seriously affect your mental health and cognitive functions, including attention, learning, and memory.
Another great practice is to create a morning routine; whether it’s brewing your favorite coffee or preparing the most delicious meal, the key is to start the day on a positive note.
Small self-care habits like these can make a big difference in maintaining balance and resilience.
#4. Celebrate Small Wins
Celebrating small wins is another great stress management technique. Let’s say you’ve completed a challenging task or successfully handled a difficult client. Treat yourself with a reward, like your favorite snack, or visit a cozy coffee shop you love!
Practicing a ritual like this helps you build your motivation, provides a sense of accomplishment, and fosters resilience—something you need to manage stress at the workplace successfully.
#5. Get Into a Workout Routine
Exercising to relax is among the easiest ways to relieve stress and improve your mood. That’s why it’s a good idea to develop a daily workout routine—it can sharpen your focus and give you a good start to the day.
Whether it’s light stretching, running, or taking a short walk, movement releases endorphins and reduces stress hormones. In the long run, this is a straightforward practice that can change your ability to cope with stress at the workplace and remain healthy.
Final Thoughts
Although demanding, the most stressful jobs we discussed are highly rewarding. However, the ongoing stress they come with can take a toll on both your physical and mental health. That, in turn, can lead to burnout or more serious conditions.
Remember, no job is worth your health and well-being. So, if you’re feeling stressed at work, try out some of the most effective stress management methods we provide in this article. Make time for activities that recharge you, be it a Netflix binge or walking with your pet. Your well-being should be your priority, so take care of yourself!
