The 10 Most Stressful Jobs (+ Their Less Stressful Alternatives) (2024)

What makes a job stressful?

• You have to travel a lot

  While free travel (and the rewards that come with it) may sound appealing at first, the appeal quickly wears off. Traveling for work exacerbates the bad sides of jet setting – jet lag, homesickness, flight delays – but usually keeps you from seeing the sights of your destination. Airplane pilots are workers who travel constantly without necessarily seeing as much of the world as they would like. But consultants or other business people can be flown to the most exotic destinations - just to see some offices and meeting rooms.

• Your income is not growing much

  It's stressful to have the same or similar salary ten years later as when you first started your career.

• There are significant physical demands

  For example, if you are on your feet all day or have to stay up late at night to work long shifts. Or, if you have to sit in uncomfortable positions for hours, you're more likely to feel tired and stressed (hello, healthcare workers and police officers).

• There are dangers to your own life or to the lives of other people

  Working on roads (as taxi drivers), in air traffic control, on an oil rig or even in human roles during the COVID-19 pandemic comes with risks and high levels of stress. People who encounter life-threatening situations in their daily work, such as First Responders (law enforcement personnel, firefighters, mental health professionals such as social workers and paramedics) or military personnel are at risk of trauma from their stressful jobs.

• You have tough competition

  Always having to be the best in corporate environments such as investment banks or law firms can be chronically stressful. It can cause you to work long hours every day, ruin your personal life, put you in demoralizing work situations, and leave you with a constant sense of insecurity.

• There are constant deadlines

  Most people thrive in a job with some chance of rest after completing an intensive piece of work. But some stressful jobs just keep up the intensity without the rest. Working as a game developer or at a tech startup are notorious careers for 'crunch' time - where intense work and night shifts are expected to deliver work milestones on time, sometimes for years to come. Ultimately, the stress will lead to burnout. Constant deadlines also affect event coordinators and journalists with breaking news.

• Your role is public-oriented

  If you're under massive scrutiny for every decision you make, or if people are waiting for a blunder or mistake, you're probably feeling some level of stress. This stress will affect broadcasters, newspaper reporters, radio producers, social media workers, PR managers, senior business leaders and anyone in the public eye.

Based on these factors, these are the ten most stressful jobs in the world, according to research from US News Best Jobs-database, is:

10. Financial analyst

A financial analyst works at an investment bank. They spend their workdays researching financial data, which they then use to make investment recommendations. It is a mentally stimulating role where new opportunities are identified.

What makes it stressful?

Investment banking is a highly competitive sector with endless deadlines, long working hours and a high risk of burnout.

Strong growth

predicted for the next five years

What are some less stressful alternatives?

Other investment bank positions can also be well paid without the long hours. Business communications or risk analysis are some less stressful alternatives. Outside of investment banking, you can use your skills as financial advisor or planner.

READ MORE

7 types of finance careers: what you can do with a finance qualification

9. Sales manager

Sales managers are involved in selling a company's products to customers. It is a senior role that also requires managing people, setting performance goals for sales teams and being accountable for achieving those goals.

What makes it stressful?

Sales are very competitive. And you should always follow tracks, regardless of the time of day. Always being 'on' can be a recipe for burnout. Your salary may be based on commission, making your income unreliablesales managers earn a high average salary.

Strong growth (4.4%)

predicted for the next five years

What are some less stressful alternatives?

As a people person, you may find working as a customer satisfaction manager more satisfying and less stressful. Your role would be to listen and anticipate the needs of existing technology enterprise customers to strengthen relationships and secure repeat business.

READ MORE

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8. Spiritual advisor

Mental health counselors assess and support people with a variety of mental health problems.

What makes it stressful?

You may find yourself working with people in crisis all the time. Because they are at risk, you may be answering customer calls literally all hours of the day to ensure their safety. The trauma of others puts you at risk of experiencing vicarious trauma.

Very strong growth (14.2%)

predicted for the next five years

What are some less stressful alternatives?

Often people became burned out in helping professions find fulfillment in working on upstream crisis prevention. You may find a role in early intervention services, teaching children or community groups about mental health, or in a public policy role designed to prevent crises before they start.

READ MORE

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7. Anesthesiologist

Anesthesiologists (or anesthetists) are doctors who administer medications to patients during surgical procedures. You ensure that the patients do not feel any pain or are likely to be unconscious during their operation.

What makes it stressful?

You can be on duty day and night. When you're part of a surgical team, your day doesn't end until the patient is on the mend, no matter how long that takes. Mistakes in this role are fatal, so even though you may be exhausted, you must always put your skills and concentration to work.

Strong growth (3%)

predicted for the next five years

What are some less stressful alternatives?

You can remain an anesthesiologist, but in a position where you can work with less high-risk patients. Or with patients who need to undergo routine, elective surgery instead of emergency patients. Alternatively, your skills and experience could be valuable in public health policy, anesthesiology research, or training new physicians.

6. Patrol officer

Patrol officers are responsible for public safety and security. You ensure that the law is followed, investigate crimes, monitor traffic and handle emergency situations.

What makes it stressful?

You are a first responder in various stressful situations, where you always have to act quickly and carefully. The work can be physically demanding and you are scheduled into shifts at any time of the day.

Moderate growth (3%)

predicted for the next five years

What are some less stressful alternatives?

You can use your skills in your own practice as a private detective or security advisor. Or you can get involved in less dangerous, more typical 9-to-5 police specialties such as detective work.

5. IT-chef

IT managers take care of an organization's IT resources. You ensure that networks function safely, that computers and other IT equipment are maintained and you solve any problems.

What makes it stressful?

IT tasks can be repetitive and you typically work with customers who are not in a good mood. This is a role with constant deadlines - users always need help. It may seem like you haven't made much progress on your to-do list, even though you've had a hard day's work. Making a mistake can also mean that an organization's IT systems fail or that people lose important data.

Very strong growth (17.7%)

predicted for the next five years

What are some less stressful alternatives?

Your technological skills would be valuable in the tech industry, which offers many career opportunities. You can discover your creative side as a web developer; improve your coding skills to become a software engineer; use your IT security knowledge to become an ethical hacker, or expand your user empathy skills to work with UX design.

4. Construction manager

What makes it stressful?

Mistakes in construction are at best expensive, and at worst they can even be fatal. It can be difficult to meet the constant deadlines you face to complete construction work on time. Construction work can also be physically demanding, even if you are not responsible for the construction yourself. You are often on your feet all day.

Strong growth (10.2%)

predicted for the next five years

What are some less stressful alternatives?

Your skills make you a perfect project manager. This role is needed in virtually every industry and sector. Or you use your construction knowledge as a draftsman to design and plan a new construction without the stress of executing the plan.

READ MORE

How to Become a Construction Manager: Your Guide to Building a Rewarding Career

3. Doctor

Doctors are also called doctors. You can specialize in a particular medical area (such as emergency medicine, cardiology or neurology) or work as a general practitioner.

What makes it stressful?

Healthcare work meets many of the requirements for a typically stressful job. This may involve physically demanding shifts where your tasks are constantly piling up. You may be the first to respond to life or death situations, and small mistakes can be fatal.

Strong growth (10.2%)

predicted for the next five years

What are some less stressful alternatives?

Although this is generally a stressful career, you can find ways to make it less stressful. Owning a private practice allows you to choose less stressful hours and work with patients you find most rewarding to treat. Doctors can also enjoy a career change into medical research, education and policy.

2. Lawyer

Lawyers represent and advise clients in a variety of legal situations: from negotiating contracts, overseeing mergers and acquisitions, defending or prosecuting crimes, settling disputes, buying and selling real estate and much more.

What makes it stressful?

Law is a very competitive career. Long hours are expected from anyone who wants to advance in the company hierarchy. It's a role where there always seems to be more to do, and it can be difficult to switch off.

Very strong growth (21%)

predicted for the next five years

What are some less stressful alternatives?

READ MORE

How to Become a Construction Manager: Your Guide to Building a Rewarding Career

1. Financial manager

Financial managers have a lot of responsibility: they are responsible for the overall financial health of the organization, ensuring that the organization meets its financial obligations, establishing a financial strategy and producing financial reports.

What makes it stressful?

Strong growth (11.7%)

predicted for the next five years

What are some less stressful alternatives?

Your experience in finance can be useful in a number of financial careers, for example as a financial planner. Your high-level management experience will come in handy as a consultant or if you want to start your own business, where you can choose your hours and the type of work you do.

READ MORE

How to Become a Financial Advisor (or Planner): Empower people to create financial freedom

More stressful professions

Factors that make a job stressful can apply to many other roles. According to a 2018 analysis by CareerCast, the most stressful jobs also include:

• Fireman
• Police offers
• Pilot
• Social worker
• Events coordinator
• Military personnel
• Taxi chauffeur

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