It’s a stressful world out there, no doubt about it—and some of the jobs that brave people do reflect that high stress level. It shouldn’t be surprising that life-or-death occupations like soldier, police officer, firefighter and airline pilot are ranked among the most stressful, but it might be a little off-putting to see that four of CareerCast.com’s new ranking of the Top 10 Most Stressful Jobs of 2019 are comms and media-related. “PR Executive” is right in the mix, ranked #8 on the list.
According to the research, 78 percent of respondents rate their job stress at seven or higher on a ten-point scale—a sizable jump from CareerCast’s 2017 stress survey, which found 69 percent of responding readers scored their job stress seven or higher. The most common stress factor cited in the 2019 survey was meeting deadlines (38 percent of respondents), with growth potential and interacting with the public tied for a distant second stressor at 14 percent each—helping to explain why comms careers are considered such nail-biters.
New pressures on media in the wake of a fake news epidemic and the current administration’s declaration that media is the “enemy of the people” likely spurred two tough journalism positions—“Broadcaster” and “News Reporter,” placing at #5 and #7 on the list, respectively—into the Top 10. Meanwhile, the comms-relevant position of “Event Coordinator” ranked #6, while the title of “Senior Corporate Executive” placed ninth.
CareerCast’s Most Stressful Jobs of 2019:
“Stress in the workplace might prompt job seekers to consider a career change. We have identified jobs such as Medical Records Technician, Operations Research Analyst and Massage Therapist, which might be a good fit for those seeking a less stressful position,” said Kyle Kensing, online content editor at CareerCast, in a news release.
“However, people who thrive on the pressures inherent to high-stress jobs and are willing to put themselves in immediate danger, might choose a stressful job like firefighter or police officer,” he added. “While no job is stress-free, choosing a profession based on its stress level is purely a personal choice.”
CareerCast’s Least Stressful Jobs of 2019:
The average American ages 25 to 54 spends 40.3 hours per week at work, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s approximately one-quarter of the entire week, a third of waking time for those who sleep an average of seven hours per night. Factor in travel to-and-from one’s place of employment, and the amount of time dedicated to employment increases further. All this is to say that work occupies so much of our life that if work’s stressful, life will be stressful.
The research is based on an evaluation of 11 stress factors, including deadlines, hazards, physical demands and public interaction.
