Quick answer: Bakers and Pastrycooks are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #202 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 45.1/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are pace and demands and physical environment.
Bakers and Pastrycooks 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 demands23.8 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden59.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands61.5 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control19.6 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony66 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment40 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for bakers and pastrycooks
Compared with the average Australian occupation, bakers and pastrycooks score furthest above the norm on pace and demands (61.5 vs 56 average) and physical environment (40 vs 38.2 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is time pressure at 83/100 — against an all-occupation average of 71.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (23.8 vs 37.9), lack of control (19.6 vs 24.5) and precision and monotony (66 vs 67.7), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for bakers and pastrycooks
- 1Pace and demands
Time Pressure
83/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
80/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 3Physical environment
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
75/100
All-occupation average: 32.4
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
68.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
68/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
All 22 stress factors for bakers and pastrycooks
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
23.8 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People5.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People30.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations35.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
59.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results52.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety68 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results68.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error44.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others63.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
61.5 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure83 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week58 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment56.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making65 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition45 vs 52.4
Lack of control
19.6 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions20 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work19.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
66 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks52 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate80 vs 78.6
Physical environment
40 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable42.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting20.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures75 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections7.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity54.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for bakers and pastrycooks 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.
- Physical Environment →How the physical conditions of work affect psychological wellbeing.
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
Bakers and Pastrycooks: how stressful is the job?
Bakers and Pastrycooks rank #202 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 45.1/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 36.3% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for bakers and pastrycooks?
The highest-scoring hazards are time pressure (83/100), importance of being exact or accurate (80/100) and very hot or cold temperatures (75/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in pace and demands and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for bakers and pastrycooks?
Bakers and Pastrycooks score below the national average for emotional demands (23.8 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (59.5 vs 60 average) and lack of control (19.6 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (66 vs 67.7 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 bakers and pastrycooks. 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.