Community Corner
You Said It: What Stresses You Out at Work?
The most stressful jobs might surprise you, and it has little to do with money.
Most of us don't have jobs with the stress level of, say, a U.S. Navy SEAL on a kill mission in Pakistan.
But every job comes with its own, specific type of stress. Basim Shannon, 50, had to think long and hard about what stresses him out when working at his PHD Barber Shop on Main Street in Laurel.
“There’s nothing really stressful about me cutting hair,” Shannon said. “This is something I like to do, and I’ve been doing it a little over 16 years.”
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But when the waiting area starts to fill up with customers, even Shannon admitted his nerves get tested.
Still, as far as stressful jobs go, Shannon thinks his profession is pretty far down any list–but apparently not at the bottom.
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A recent report by CareerCast.com, a job search website, listed audiology as the least stressful profession; an audiologist diagnoses and treats hearing and balance problems.
In another list of the Ten Most Stressful Jobs, CareerCast rated being a commercial airline pilot as the most stressful gig.
CareerCast rated jobs based on a numerical ranking system that takes into account job demands that could evoke stress. Categories ranked include travel, growth potential, deadlines, working in the public eye, competitiveness, physical demands, environmental conditions, hazards encountered, own life at risk, life of another at risk and meeting the public.
Salary was not taken into account when computing the rankings, and four of the 10 most stressful jobs make less money annually than the lowest-paying job on the least-stressful job list. A dietitians has the second-least stressful job and makes about $51,000 annually, the report said.
Newscasters ($50,000 per year), real estate agents ($40,000 a year), photojournalists ($40,000) and emergency medical technicians ($30,000) have some of the most stressful jobs and make less money annually than a dietitians, the report said.
A commercial pilot, ranked most stressful, makes over $161,000 a year on average, the report said. The stressful job with the highest salary, according to the CareerCast, is senior corporate executive at No. 3, with an annual wage upward of $161,000.
“Senior executives are expected to have in depth knowledge in many different fields at once,” the description says. “They face pressure to make company-wide decisions that can have far-reaching effects for the employees.”
The job everyone should want, according to CareerCast’s report, is mathematician. Mathematicians make an average salary exceeding $94,000 a year and are the eighth-least stressed.
The only problem is the jobs can be tough to secure, the report said: “From academia to the government, positions for mathematicians are in high demand, but the competition is tough for key jobs.”
Other jobs in the least-stressful category include dental hygienist ($67,000 per year), occupational therapist ($70,000) and philosopher ($61,000).
Check out our Patch video to find out the job stresses in your area of Maryland.
