Quick answer: Chemical and Materials Engineers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #224 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 44.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are responsibility burden.
Chemical and Materials Engineers 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 demands25.4 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden72 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands54.8 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control22.1 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony59 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment31.8 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for chemical and materials engineers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, chemical and materials engineers score furthest above the norm on responsibility burden (72 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 86.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (25.4 vs 37.9), precision and monotony (59 vs 67.7) and physical environment (31.8 vs 38.2), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for chemical and materials engineers
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
86.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
84/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
81.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
79.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Responsibility burden
Consequence of Error
69.2/100
All-occupation average: 49
All 22 stress factors for chemical and materials engineers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
25.4 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People4.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People26.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations45.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
72 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results61.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety84 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results79.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error69.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others66 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
54.8 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure61.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week86.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment6.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making56.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition62.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
22.1 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions22.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work21.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
59 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks36.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate81.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
31.8 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable50 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting19 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures33.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections11.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity45.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for chemical and materials engineers 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.
- Role Clarity →Whether workers clearly understand what is expected of them.
- Leadership →The quality and consistency of management behaviour at all levels.
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
Chemical and Materials Engineers: how stressful is the job?
Chemical and Materials Engineers rank #224 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 44.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 29.3% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for chemical and materials engineers?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (86.5/100), responsible for others' health and safety (84/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (81.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden.
Which stress factors are lower for chemical and materials engineers?
Chemical and Materials Engineers score below the national average for emotional demands (25.4 vs 37.9 average) and pace and demands (54.8 vs 56 average) and lack of control (22.1 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (59 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (31.8 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 chemical and materials engineers. 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.