The 10 most and least stressful jobs in America
Job stress is something just about every employee can relate to, but not all jobs are created equal when it comes to the mental and physical toll some professions can take.
Military personnel, firefighter and airline pilot unsurprisingly rank as the most stressful occupations, according to a survey of most and least stressful professions from CareerCast. It evaluated 11 stress factors including travel required, industry growth potential and hazardous conditions — like putting your life at risk.
Soldiering on the front lines, rushing into burning buildings and piloting a plane full of passengers and crew could all have tragic consequences if anything goes wrong.
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Eight out of 10 Americans are reporting high job stress, the survey found. The most common stress factor people cited was meeting deadlines.
While stress may lead some workers to seek jobs elsewhere, all occupations can be stressful, and some people may find that they thrive better in high-pressure jobs.
"While no job is stress-free, choosing a profession based on its stress level is purely a personal choice," Kyle Kensing, online content editor at CareerCast, said in a statement.
Least stressful occupations include diagnostic medical sonographers, compliance officers and hair stylists, according to workers in those professions.
The 10 most stressful jobs and their median salaries:
- Enlisted military personnel of three or four years: $26,802
- Firefighter: $49,080
- Airline pilot: $111,930
- Police officer: $62,960
- Broadcaster: $62,960
- Event coordinator: $48,290
- News Reporter: $39,370
- Public relations executive: $111,280
- Senior corporate executive: $104,700
- Taxi driver: $24,880
The 10 least stressful jobs and their median salaries:
- Diagnostic medical sonographer: $71,410
- Compliance officer: $67,870
- Hair stylist $25,850
- Audiologist: $75,920
- University professor: $76,000
- Medical records technician: $67,870
- Jeweler: $37,960
- Operations research analyst: $81,390
- Pharmacy technician: $31,750
- Massage therapist: $39,990