Quick answer: Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #258 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 41.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control and pace and demands.
Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators stress profile vs the national average
Each occupation is scored across six categories of workplace mental health hazard, built from 22 stress factors identified in SafeWork Australia's occupational hazards data. Higher scores mean greater exposure.
- Emotional demands22.3 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden48.8 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands60.4 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control36.9 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony51.6 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment31.5 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for agricultural, forestry and horticultural plant operators
Compared with the average Australian occupation, agricultural, forestry and horticultural plant operators score furthest above the norm on lack of control (36.9 vs 24.5 average) and pace and demands (60.4 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 84.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (51.6 vs 67.7), emotional demands (22.3 vs 37.9) and responsibility burden (48.8 vs 60), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for agricultural, forestry and horticultural plant operators
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
84.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Physical environment
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
72.5/100
All-occupation average: 32.4
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
68/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Pace and demands
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
64.8/100
All-occupation average: 23.1
- 5Pace and demands
Time Pressure
60/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
All 22 stress factors for agricultural, forestry and horticultural plant operators
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
22.3 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People15.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People21.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations30 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
48.8 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results53.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety49.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results51 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error44 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others46.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
60.4 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure60 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week84.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment64.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making43 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition49.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
36.9 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions45.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work28.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
51.6 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks35.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate68 vs 78.6
Physical environment
31.5 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable29.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting12.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures72.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections4 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity39.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for agricultural, forestry and horticultural plant operators map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Work Demands →The volume, pace, and complexity of what is asked of workers.
- Schedule and Hours →The arrangement of working time and its effect on health and recovery.
- Autonomy →The degree of control workers have over how they do their work.
Methodology
Clearhead scored 317 occupations in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) using SafeWork Australia's Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset. We kept only the 22 hazard variables relating to mental health — such as conflict exposure, decision-making pressure, and time pressure — and deliberately excluded physical safety risks like working at height.
The 22 variables are grouped into six categories: emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony, and physical environment. An occupation's composite score is the equally weighted average of its six category scores. All scores run 0–100, where higher means more stress-inducing.
Two control-related variables are reported by SafeWork with inverted polarity (“freedom to make decisions” and “structured versus unstructured work”). We reverse these and present them as lack of autonomy to make decisions and amount of highly structured work, so that a higher score consistently indicates greater stress exposure.
Hazard exposure describes the average conditions of an occupation, not any individual's experience — everyone has a different tolerance for these challenges, and conditions vary between workplaces.
Frequently asked questions
Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators: how stressful is the job?
Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators rank #258 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 41.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 18.6% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for agricultural, forestry and horticultural plant operators?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (84.5/100), very hot or cold temperatures (72.5/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (68/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in pace and demands and lack of control.
Which stress factors are lower for agricultural, forestry and horticultural plant operators?
Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators score below the national average for emotional demands (22.3 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (48.8 vs 60 average) and precision and monotony (51.6 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (31.5 vs 38.2 average), which partially offsets the higher-scoring hazards.
Where does this data come from?
Scores are derived from SafeWork Australia's Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset. Clearhead filtered the dataset to the 22 mental-health-related hazard variables — excluding physical safety risks — and scored 317 ANZSCO occupations across six categories: emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony, and physical environment.
Beyond the average
This is the average hazard exposure for agricultural, forestry and horticultural plant operators. Your workforce isn't average.
Clearhead's Psychosocial Risk Pulse measures the actual psychosocial risk in your organisation, quarterly — across 18 ISO 45003-aligned work factors.