Tech jobs with the highest stress levels
Stress is part of most workplaces, including those employing IT and engineering professionals.
IT professionals often have to cope with stressful situations and high-stress jobs – while the stress levels are further influenced by the general working environment.
According to CareerCast, the amount of stress a worker experiences can be predicted by looking at the demands and crises inherent in their job.
CareerCast has developed a stress-ranking system which considers 11 different job demands which can evoke stress.
These demands include: travel, growth potential, deadlines, working in the public eye, competitiveness, physical demands, environmental conditions, own life at risk, hazards encountered, meeting the public, and life of another at risk.
Each demand is assigned a range of points. A high score is awarded if a particular demand is a major part of the job, while fewer points are awarded if the demand is a small part of the job.
According to the ranking system, the most stressful job is a firefighter, followed by enlisted military personnel, a military general, an airline pilot, and a police officer.
The least stressful jobs are a hair stylist, an audiologist, a tenured university professor, a medical records technician, and a jeweller.
CareerCast’s 2015 job report recently ranked technology and engineering positions according to stress levels, as detailed below.
Stress level of IT and engineering jobs
Stress tolerance
Another measure of stress in the workplace is stress tolerance, where the job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
O*NET OnLine, which developed an application for the U.S. Department of Labor to provide occupational information, published a stress-tolerance list – ordered by occupation.
According to the list, urologists must have the highest stress tolerance level, followed by police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers; and anesthesiologist assistants.
The occupations which need the least stress tolerance include ship skipper; probation officers; and agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes.
The table below details the required stress tolerance levels in IT and engineering occupations.
| Occupation | Stress Tolerance (/100) |
| Telephone Operators | 98 |
| Chief Executives | 94 |
| Information Security Analysts | 88 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Tool Programmers, Metal and Plastic | 87 |
| Technical Directors/Managers | 87 |
| Telemarketers | 87 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | 83 |
| Graphic Designers | 82 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | 81 |
| Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | 81 |
| Audio and Video Equipment Technicians | 79 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | 79 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists | 79 |
| Video Game Designers | 79 |
| Database Administrators | 78 |
| Electrical Engineering Technologists | 78 |
| Electrical Engineers | 78 |
| Information Technology Project Managers | 78 |
| Telecommunications Engineering Specialists | 78 |
| Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers | 78 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 77 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 76 |
| Robotics Technicians | 76 |
| Software Developers, Systems Software | 75 |
| Web Developers | 75 |
| Computer Programmers | 74 |
| Computer Network Architects | 73 |
| Robotics Engineers | 73 |
| Computer Systems Engineers/Architects | 72 |
| Database Architects | 69 |
| Web Administrators | 69 |
| Computer Science Teachers, Post-secondary | 68 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 67 |
| Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers | 66 |
| Software Developers, Applications | 65 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 64 |
More on IT jobs
The degrees which will get you the highest starting salary in South Africa
Biggest salaries in South African telecoms
IT salaries in South Africa – how much money people really earn
Loading ...