The truth is no job is ever going to be free from stress, says a new CareerCast report on the most and least stressful jobs of 2018. This year's least stressful job, Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, has the good fortune to work privately, avoid imminent risk of bodily harm to oneself or one's patient, and not be exposed to lots of travel or workplace hazards.
"However, the least stressful job —Diagnostic Medical Sonographer—isn't merely conducting pregnancy ultrasounds," says Kyle Kensing, online content editor at CareerCast.com. "Their days may include the task of cancer screenings, which can add stress."
When searching for a profession with low stress, it's important to keep in mind the job's growth outlook. While Jeweler (#7) is a low-stress profession, it has a negative growth outlook of -3%. On the other hand, Operations Research Analyst, which comes in as the ninth least stressful job, has a +27 percent growth outlook.
Most Stressful Jobs
Enlisted Military Personnel, Firefighters, Airline Pilots and Police Officers, the four most stressful jobs of 2018, commonly face risk of death or injury, physical demands, and other hazards every single day.
Reporter, Broadcaster and Public Relations Executive are professions with high public visibility. Nearly three-quarters of the American population is estimated to suffer from public speaking anxiety, so with that in mind, one could understand how these careers are high stress.
Add strict and regular deadlines, a pressing concern for those who work as Event Coordinators, as well as Broadcasters, Reporters, Public Relations Executives and Senior Corporate Executives, and the causes of stress are evident.
How much stress we feel can vary depending on the field and stressors can vary dramatically from job to job.
"While the nature of fears and stressors for the 10 most stressful jobs are different, they are common fears just the same," says Kensing. "For those who thrive on stress, one of our most stressful professions may be a good fit for you."
CareerCast's Most Stressful Jobs of 2018
Profession
Annual Median Salary:
Growth Outlook:
Stress Score:
1. Enlisted Military Personnel (E3, 6+ years of experience)
Annual Median Salary: $26,054
Growth Outlook: N/A
Stress Score: 72.47
2. Firefighter
Annual Median Salary: $48,030
Growth Outlook: 7%
Stress Score: 72.43
3. Airline Pilot
Annual Median Salary: $105,270
Growth Outlook: 4%
Stress Score: 61.07
4. Police Officer
Annual Median Salary: $61,600
Growth Outlook: 7%
Stress Score: 51.97
5. Event Coordinator
Annual Median Salary: $47,350
Growth Outlook: 10%
Stress Score: 51.15
6. Reporter
Annual Median Salary: $37,820
Growth Outlook: -11%
Stress Score: 49.90
7. Broadcaster
Annual Median Salary: $56,680
Growth Outlook: -1%
Stress Score: 49.83
8. Public Relations Executive
Annual Median Salary: $107,320
Growth Outlook: 10%
Stress Score: 49.44
9. Senior Corporate Executive
Annual Median Salary: $181,210
Growth Outlook: 8%
Stress Score: 48.71
10. Taxi Driver
Annual Median Salary: $24,300
Growth Outlook: 5%
Stress Score: 48.11
CareerCast's Least Stressful Jobs of 2018
1. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
Annual Median Salary: $64,280
Growth Outlook: 17%
Stress Score: 5.11
2. Hair Stylist
Annual Median Salary: $24,300
Growth Outlook: 10%
Stress Score: 6.61
3. Audiologist
Annual Median Salary: $75,980
Growth Outlook: 20%
Stress Score: 7.22
4. University Professor
Annual Median Salary: $75,430
Growth Outlook: 15%
Stress Score: 8.16
5. Medical Records Technician
Annual Median Salary: $38,040
Growth Outlook: 13%
Stress Score: 8.54
6. Compliance Officer
Annual Median Salary: $66,540
Growth Outlook: 5%
Stress Score: 8.78
7. Jeweler
Annual Median Salary: $38,200
Growth Outlook: -3%
Stress Score: 9.05
8. Pharmacy Technician
Annual Median Salary: $30,920
Growth Outlook: 12%
Stress Score: 9.14
9. Operations Research Analyst
Annual Median Salary: $79,200
Growth Outlook: 27%
Stress Score: 9.17
10. Medical Laboratory Technician
Annual Median Salary: $50,930
Growth Outlook: 12%
Stress Score: 10.00
To read the full report, click here. To take the job stress survey, visit CareerCast.
To rank the most and least stressful careers from the 200 professions on the Jobs Rated report, CareerCast evaluated 11 stress factors: travel required; growth potential; deadlines; working in the public eye; competition in the field; physical demands; environmental conditions; hazards encountered on a regular basis; own life at risk; life of others at risk; and meeting or interacting with the public at large. Median Annual Salary and Projected Hiring Growth by 2026 are via the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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