Low-stress jobs
Of 911 occupations compared, jobs such as Climate Change Policy Analysts; Geodetic Surveyors; Mathematicians combine fewer strict deadlines, less conflict, fewer unpleasant interactions and less serious consequences of mistakes, based on O*NET work-context data. No job is stress-free: this compares work-pressure conditions, not how stressed a person will feel.
Top 25 by typical work conditions
| # | Job | Median pay | Typical entry education | Time pressure | Conflict situations | Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Consequence of error | Why it is listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Climate Change Policy Analysts | $82,220* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 88% of occupations compared |
| 2 | Geodetic Surveyors | $75,440* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 89% of occupations compared |
| 3 | Mathematicians | $126,710 | Master's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 91% of occupations compared |
| 4 | Self-Enrichment Teachers | $46,800 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 97% of occupations compared |
| 5 | Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $50,620 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 88% of occupations compared |
| 6 | Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | $41,600 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 96% of occupations compared |
| 7 | Astronomers | $128,820 | Doctoral or professional degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 96% of occupations compared |
| 8 | Hydrologists | $96,600 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 95% of occupations compared |
| 9 | Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers | $76,910* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 90% of occupations compared |
| 10 | Microsystems Engineers | $122,930* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on time pressure than 87% of occupations compared |
| 11 | Dishwashers | $34,810 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 84% of occupations compared |
| 12 | Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles | $56,460 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 85% of occupations compared |
| 13 | Sewers, Hand | $36,480 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on time pressure than 90% of occupations compared |
| 14 | Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators | $55,490 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 84% of occupations compared |
| 15 | Craft Artists | $46,080 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 98% of occupations compared |
| 16 | Tour Guides and Escorts | $38,120* | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 81% of occupations compared |
| 17 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $39,150 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 99% of occupations compared |
| 18 | Actuaries | $130,000 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on time pressure than 90% of occupations compared |
| 19 | Manicurists and Pedicurists | $35,760 | Postsecondary nondegree award | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 99% of occupations compared |
| 20 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $78,760 | Bachelor's degree | Low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 67% of occupations compared |
| 21 | Industrial Ecologists | $82,220* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 84% of occupations compared |
| 22 | Environmental Economists | $124,720* | Master's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 97% of occupations compared |
| 23 | Potters, Manufacturing | $46,170* | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on time pressure than 94% of occupations compared |
| 24 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $101,920 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on time pressure than 86% of occupations compared |
| 25 | Conservation Scientists | $73,010 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on time pressure than 86% of occupations compared |
* pay of the broader BLS occupation group. Levels compare each job with all 911 occupations: very low = the lowest fifth.
Higher-paying picks: national median pay of $75,000 or more
| # | Job | Median pay | Typical entry education | Time pressure | Conflict situations | Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Consequence of error | Why it is listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Climate Change Policy Analysts | $82,220* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 88% of occupations compared |
| 2 | Geodetic Surveyors | $75,440* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 89% of occupations compared |
| 3 | Mathematicians | $126,710 | Master's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 91% of occupations compared |
| 4 | Astronomers | $128,820 | Doctoral or professional degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 96% of occupations compared |
| 5 | Hydrologists | $96,600 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 95% of occupations compared |
| 6 | Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers | $76,910* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 90% of occupations compared |
| 7 | Microsystems Engineers | $122,930* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on time pressure than 87% of occupations compared |
| 8 | Actuaries | $130,000 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on time pressure than 90% of occupations compared |
| 9 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $78,760 | Bachelor's degree | Low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 67% of occupations compared |
| 10 | Biostatisticians | $105,650* | Master's degree | Very low | Low | Very low | Low | Lower on time pressure than 83% of occupations compared |
No college degree typically needed to start
| # | Job | Median pay | Typical entry education | Time pressure | Conflict situations | Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Consequence of error | Why it is listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Self-Enrichment Teachers | $46,800 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 97% of occupations compared |
| 2 | Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $50,620 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 88% of occupations compared |
| 3 | Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | $41,600 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 96% of occupations compared |
| 4 | Dishwashers | $34,810 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 84% of occupations compared |
| 5 | Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles | $56,460 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 85% of occupations compared |
| 6 | Sewers, Hand | $36,480 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on time pressure than 90% of occupations compared |
| 7 | Craft Artists | $46,080 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 98% of occupations compared |
| 8 | Tour Guides and Escorts | $38,120* | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 81% of occupations compared |
| 9 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $39,150 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 99% of occupations compared |
| 10 | Manicurists and Pedicurists | $35,760 | Postsecondary nondegree award | Very low | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 99% of occupations compared |
Refine this list
Stress depends on the person, the employer and the role. What data can show is how often an occupation typically involves strict deadlines, conflict, unpleasant people and serious mistakes. Each part is shown on its own; there is no combined stress score.
Example preferences: fewer strict deadlines, less conflict and fewer unpleasant interactions, less serious consequences of mistakes. Change them to match what pressure means to you.
Loading job data…
How these jobs were picked
- Each occupation's typical work conditions come from O*NET 31.0 Work Context ratings by workers and occupational experts.
- Every condition is compared only with the same condition in other occupations, split into fifths (very low to very high). Missing or suppressed data is never counted as zero.
- Pay is the BLS national median for May 2025; education is the BLS typical education needed for entry.
- The order is a comparison, not a guarantee that a job will suit you. Read the methodology.
Dataset 2026.10.8 · wf-rank-1.1.0 · preset low-stress 1.0