Stress.
We throw the word around all the time, but what does it really mean?
Medically speaking, stress is how your body reacts or adjusts – either mentally, emotionally, or physically – to change that requires a response. While stress is a natural and normal part of life, the modern day workplace is becoming more and more taxing.
Burnout is now considered an official medical condition, and the demand for low-stress careers has never been higher.
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How Is Stress Measured?
Generally, there are two ways to measure stress – physiological tests and psychological questionnaires. The former includes monitoring things like heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones like cortisol.
What Makes A Job Low-Stress?
What makes a job low-stress can vary from person to person, depending on their personalities and interests. However, a majority of the population would probably agree on some important qualities that help make a job low-stress such as flexibility, good wages, and low-pressure and non-demanding environments.
So if you think you’re stuck in a high-stress job that may be taking a toll on your health, maybe you should consider a career shift to one of many easy low-stress jobs.
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the best paying low-stress jobs under different categories that could fit your skills and needs.
Low-Stress Jobs
Mathematician
Average Salary: $AUD103,500
It may be surprising for some, but it turns out that there’s a huge demand for mathematicians thanks to the need for businesses to analyse high volumes of data. Any organisation that needs precise services and projections will definitely have a department for a numbers whiz. It’s generally quite a relaxed and consistent profession, making it one of the best low-stress jobs around.
Audiologist
Average Salary: $AUD75,900
Audiologists focus on diagnosing hearing loss and inner ear problems, meaning they usually deal with veterans and senior citizens. The job entails almost no physical demands in a typically calm and composed environment. This makes it one of the best low-stress high paying jobs out there. Another great thing about being an Audiologist is that the increase in the aging population means that the demand for this job will grow as well.
Massage Therapist
Average Salary: $AUD97,000
Easily one of the most desired high salary low-stress jobs in Australia. Most massage therapists have a ton of control over their work-life balance because they have the freedom of working from home and taking house calls whenever they please. It also pays extremely well for such a laid-back career.
Low-Stress Jobs in Australia
Meteorologist
Average Salary $AUD80,000
Meteorologists are the people behind the daily weather forecast. They use scientific principles to explain, understand, observe, and forecast the earth’s atmosphere and how it affects the planet.
Jeweller
Average Salary: $AUD38,000
Jewellers cut, polish, and set gemstones into different kinds of jewellery. Being a jeweller can be one of the least stressful jobs in Australia because they usually only have one project happening at once, also usually with a comfortable amount of time to finish it. Imagine a higher level of arts and crafts, except you’re getting paid – a lot!
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
Average Salary: $AUD65,000
Easily one of the least stressful medical jobs in the healthcare field. Sonographers use specialised equipment that uses sound waves to assess various health conditions. It’s a great relaxed career for those interested in the medical field.
Low-Stress but High-Paying Jobs
Speech Pathologist
Average Salary: $AUD62,000
Speech Pathologists diagnose and treat speech and swallowing disorders. Most of them handle children and patients with autism. Speech pathologists literally give people their voice, and we can’t imagine a more fulfilling career than that!
Political Scientist
Average Salary: $AUD190,000
Don’t be fooled by the name – this isn’t the sort of scientist that works in a lab. A political scientist’s job is to study political systems, including their origin, development, and operations. A regular day might entail studying a particular government, their policies, and political trends. This is the kind of job that has very few deadlines, making it one of the best high paying low-stress jobs in Australia.
Hydrologist
Average Salary: $AUD115,000
Who says having a low-stress job means you can’t help the Earth? Hydrologists do that by helping scientists clean up the environment through their research on the distribution and circulation of the earth’s water.
Low-Stress Jobs Without a Degree
Gardener
Average Salary: $AUD49,306
Sometimes working hours under the sun is a lot less stressful than working in a toxic office. Gardeners also get quite a lot of variety in terms of their work environment, which can be really refreshing if you hate being cooped up indoors!
Hairstylist
Average Salary: $AUD24,900
Want to make people look their best and earn a lot? Hairstylists who work in an upscale salon get better clientele and better pay, plus the tips are big too!
Online Merchant
Average Salary: $AUD50,021
Thanks to globalisation and the internet, it’s become a lot easier to set up your own online store. Being an online merchant means you can work anywhere at any time so you have complete freedom over your hours.
Low-Stress Jobs for People with Anxiety
Technical Writer
Average Salary: $AUD77,718
Technical writers are professional communicators. They make sure that information is transferred efficiently between two parties. A lot of technical writers are often involved in creating online training material.
Dog Trainer
Average Salary: $AUD33,000
While being a dog trainer might have some steep requirements to practice professionally, this sort of work is a perfectly relaxing day job for people with social anxiety. Dogs can be a little tough to deal with, but at the end of the day, they really don’t judge you!
Accountant
Average Salary: $AUD69,429
People might think that accounting is boring, but the environment is perfect for those who are suffering from social anxiety especially if you opt to become a private accountant. It’s just you, your balance sheets, a cup of coffee, and the occasional client meetup.
Low-Stress Jobs for Introverts
Private Chef
Average Salary: $AUD36,000
Working in a commercial kitchen is probably one of the most stressful jobs ever. But being a private chef? The heat is mild, you only have to cook for a small party, and you get paid graciously.
Interpreter/Translator
Average Salary: $AUD47,190
Learning a new language might be difficult, but being able to speak different languages fluently opens a lot of opportunities. Plenty of interpreters stay at home and relax while they translate books.
Audio Engineering Technician
Average Salary: $AUD54,500
Audio engineering technicians operate and repair specialised equipment that is used to record and play back sound in public spaces. They make sure their audio qualities are met and that their sound systems are tailored according to client needs.
Low-Stress Medical Careers
Biomedical Engineer
Average Salary: $AUD85,620
Biomedical engineers design biomedical equipment and devices, such as artificial internal organs and replacements for body parts. They also do research on the engineering aspects of biological systems which they can use to develop new drug therapies.
Medical Laboratory Technician
Average Salary: $AUD50,930
Laboratory technicians work away from the stress of the hospital and in the comfort of their laboratory. They deal with blood, tissue, and different bodily fluids to analyse illnesses and possibly diagnose patients.
Chiropractor
Average Salary: $AUD70,050
Becoming a chiropractor requires a doctorate level degree in order to practice professionally, but once you get past the studying, it’s actually one of the least stressful jobs out there. It placed highly on the Careercast.com 2016 job rankings due to the lack of stress and deadlines.
Low-Stress IT jobs
Database Architect
Average Salary: $AUD120,000
Database architects act as the manager over the organisation’s data architecture. They define how a company’s data must be stored, consumed and managed by the company’s IT systems.
IT Industry Analysts
Average salary: $AUD70,324
IT industry analysts do research on the current IT trends, speak to professionals, and predict what can happen in the IT industry.
Computer Lab Support
Average Salary: $AUD20 per hour
Computer lab technicians work in educational facilities such as school computer labs and libraries, making sure that all computers are functioning and ready for use.
Low-Stress Healthcare Jobs
Orthodontist
Average Salary: $AUD100,503
Orthodontists deal with the diagnosis and prevention of malpositioned teeth. Becoming an ‘ortho’ is considered one of the best low-stress careers because you get to escape the stressful environment of the hospital and dictate your own hours.
Dermatologist
Average Salary: $AUD112,500
Dermatologists, also known as skin doctors, deal with diseases on the surface of our body. Like orthodontists, dermatologists are also situated in the less stressful part of the medical industry. You rarely get emergency calls for skin disease and you’re usually your own boss.
Actuary
Average Salary: $AUD99,030
Actuaries work for insurance companies, analysing risk to prevent loss. While it’s a standard nine-to-five job, not including overtime, the salary is very competitive making it a really good paying low-stress job.
Conclusion
If you have an open mind and put in the effort, you’d be surprised with the variety of low-stress careers you can find out there. You may even stumble into a profession that isn’t just low-stress, but also fits your personality, lifestyle, and interests!
The important thing is that you put your health and well-being first because no occupation or career is worth the damage that prolonged stress can cause.
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