Quick answer: Automotive Electricians are notably more stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #55 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 52.6/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and pace and demands.
Automotive Electricians 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 demands41.6 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden57.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands66.3 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control24.2 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony77.1 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment48.7 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for automotive electricians
Compared with the average Australian occupation, automotive electricians score furthest above the norm on physical environment (48.7 vs 38.2 average), pace and demands (66.3 vs 56 average) and precision and monotony (77.1 vs 67.7 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 92.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for responsibility burden (57.5 vs 60) and lack of control (24.2 vs 24.5), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for automotive electricians
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
92.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
91.8/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 3Pace and demands
Time Pressure
88.2/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 4Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
86.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 5Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
76/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for automotive electricians
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
41.6 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People12.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People59.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations53 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
57.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results45.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety54 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results69 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error59.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others59.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
66.3 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure88.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week86.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment29.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making76 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition51.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
24.2 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions21.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work27 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
77.1 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks61.5 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate92.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
48.7 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable91.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting40.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures51.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections2.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity57.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for automotive electricians map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Exposure to Violence →Whether workers face the risk of physical or verbal aggression at work.
- Exposure to Trauma →Whether workers encounter traumatic events or material as part of their role.
- Work Interaction →The quality of relationships and interactions within the team and organisation.
- 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.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
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
Automotive Electricians: how stressful is the job?
Automotive Electricians rank #55 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 52.6/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 82.6% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for automotive electricians?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (92.8/100), sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (91.8/100) and time pressure (88.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, pace and demands, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for automotive electricians?
Automotive Electricians score below the national average for responsibility burden (57.5 vs 60 average) and lack of control (24.2 vs 24.5 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 automotive electricians. 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.