Quick answer: Authors, and Book and Script Editors are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #149 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 47.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are pace and demands and lack of control.
Authors, and Book and Script Editors 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 demands32.4 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden51.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands69.5 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control35 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony66.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment30.5 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for authors, and book and script editors
Compared with the average Australian occupation, authors, and book and script editors score furthest above the norm on pace and demands (69.5 vs 56 average) and lack of control (35 vs 24.5 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is time pressure at 92.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 71.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for responsibility burden (51.5 vs 60), physical environment (30.5 vs 38.2) and emotional demands (32.4 vs 37.9), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for authors, and book and script editors
- 1Pace and demands
Time Pressure
92.5/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 2Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
88.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 3Pace and demands
Level of Competition
86.5/100
All-occupation average: 52.4
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
84.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
79.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
All 22 stress factors for authors, and book and script editors
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
32.4 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People0 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People44.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations52.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
51.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results64.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety8.2 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results84.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error21.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others79.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
69.5 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure92.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week79.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment0.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making88.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition86.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
35 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions36 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work34 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
66.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks53.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate79.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
30.5 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable71.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting24 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures2.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections0 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity54.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for authors, and book and script editors 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
Authors, and Book and Script Editors: how stressful is the job?
Authors, and Book and Script Editors rank #149 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 47.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 53.0% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for authors, and book and script editors?
The highest-scoring hazards are time pressure (92.5/100), frequency of decision making (88.5/100) and level of competition (86.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in pace and demands and lack of control.
Which stress factors are lower for authors, and book and script editors?
Authors, and Book and Script Editors score below the national average for emotional demands (32.4 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (51.5 vs 60 average) and precision and monotony (66.4 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (30.5 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 authors, and book and script editors. 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.