At least 2 in 5 workers in the United States consider their job to be very or extremely stressful; of those, at least 1 in 4 report being often or very often burned out or stressed out at work.
High stress levels in the workplace can make employees feel burned out, depressed, or anxious, which makes it more difficult to perform their duties, which can overflow to affect how they function in their personal lives. Stressful workplaces can even lead to health problems and injuries.
Traditionally, the most stressful jobs often involve life-or-death situations, high responsibility, public demands, and long hours, frequently including roles in healthcare (nurses, anesthesiologists, surgeons), emergency services (police officers, firefighters, 911 dispatchers), and the military, alongside high-pressure corporate/finance roles, airline pilots, and sometimes even teaching or social work due to emotional toll and heavy workloads. Key stressors include danger, public interaction, tight deadlines, and significant emotional or physical demands.
Common High-Stress Occupations
- Healthcare: ER Nurses, Anesthesiologists, Surgeons, Respiratory Therapists, Social Workers.
- Emergency & Public Safety: Police Officers, Firefighters, Public Safety Telecommunicators (911 Dispatchers).
- Military: Enlisted Personnel, Military Officers.
- Transportation: Airline Pilots, Taxi Drivers.
- Corporate & Media: Senior Corporate Executives, Public Relations Executives, Newspaper Reporters, Broadcasters, Event Coordinators.
- Education: Teachers, Professors.
Why These Jobs Are Stressful
- Danger & Risk: Firefighters, police, and military personnel face life-threatening situations.
- Emotional Toll: Healthcare, social work, and teaching involve constant exposure to suffering and high emotional demand.
- High Stakes: Pilots, surgeons, and executives carry immense responsibility for lives and outcomes.
- Public Interaction: Police, customer service, and PR involve managing difficult or demanding people.
- Long Hours & Demanding Conditions: Miners, oil rig workers, and many in tech/finance face grueling shifts and intense workloads.
Key Stress Factors
- Life-or-death consequences.
- Physically and mentally taxing environments.
- Unpredictable schedules and emergencies.
- High public scrutiny or pressure.
Most Stressful Jobs
According to The U.S. News, the 15 most stressful jobs listed from least to worst are:
- 15. Medical Record Technicians
- 14. Registered Nurses
- 13. Delivery Truck Drivers
- 12. Nurse Practitioners
- 11. Flight Attendants
- 10. Pilots
- 9. Electricians
- 8. Bakers
- 7. Solar Photovoltaic Installers
- 6. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
- 5. Medical Assistants
- 4. Carpenters
- 3. Dental Hygieneists
- 2. Construction Workers
- 1. Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
The American Institute of Stress has its own Top 12 list as well, listed from least to worst:
- 12. Transit and railroad police (tie)
- 12. Nurse midwives (tie)
- 12. Nurse anesthetists (tie)
- 12. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers (tie)
- 8. Public safety telecommunicators (tie)
- 8. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- 8. Acute care nurses (tie)
- 5. Telephone operators (tie)
- 5. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates (tie)
- 5. Anesthesiologist assistants (tie)
- 2. Film and video editors
- 1. Urologists
The Most Stressful Industries in the U.S. for 2025
Welltory, the stress and energy management app, has created an exclusive ranking of the most stressful industries to work in across the U.S. for 2025. We are offering you the chance to see the ranking before we even publish it on our website.
The industries were selected by their size, and then they were ranked by the following factors:
- Average Weekly Hours – Longer hours often signal a higher workload and increased stress levels
- Job Openings Rates – The rate of open jobs in the industry, which indicates labour shortage, and this will usually put more stress on the existing workers
- Workplace Injury and Illness Rate – Higher rates reflect more physically demanding or hazardous work environments.
- Average Weekly Earnings – Lower earnings contribute to financial stress, especially within industries with demanding workloads.
- Layoff and Discharge Rates – Represent how frequently workers are laid off or discharged. Higher rates indicate job insecurity, which often leads to high stress.
- Employee Quit Rates – Shows the percentage of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs. High quit rates often point to dissatisfaction, burnout, or stressful working conditions.
- Worker Burnout Rate – Reflects the percentage of employees reporting burnout symptoms such as exhaustion, low motivation, or mental fatigue — a direct indicator of workplace stress.
After selecting the factors, each factor was then normalized so they can be compared on the same scale using a standard min–max normalization formula, a standard scientific and statistical method used to fairly compare values measured on different scales by bringing them into the same range.
Then, using a unique formula, we ranked each industry on a scale from 1 to 100, and this is the top 5 most stressful industries in the U.S. and their score:
- Leisure and hospitality – 66
- Professional and business services – 56
- Transportation and warehousing – 53
- Mining and logging – 50
- Private education and health services – 46
Full Ranking Chart and Data
Methodology: The source of collecting data was official – the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is an agency of the US government.
Knowing the Difference Between Stress and a Challenge
Stress is overwhelming and damaging; Challenge is energizing, motivating, and leads to satisfaction when overcome. Managing stress means turning overwhelming situations into manageable challenges.
Stress Management
Dealing with job stress is crucial because chronic stress harms mental health (anxiety, depression), physical health (heart issues, high blood pressure, weakened immunity), and drastically reduces productivity, focus, and job satisfaction, leading to burnout and turnover; managing it improves well-being, performance, resilience, and creates a healthier, more positive work environment for both employees and employers.
This article was created at the WHN News Desk in collaboration with Dion Pllana on behalf of Welltory, an All-in-One Wellness Platform guiding you to become healthier, more focused, and full of energy, hoping that you let it be your guide to longevity.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
