Quick answer: Contract, Program and Project Administrators are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #168 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 46.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are responsibility burden and emotional demands.
Contract, Program and Project Administrators 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 demands41.9 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden68 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands50.1 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control23.1 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony68.9 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment29.4 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for contract, program and project administrators
Compared with the average Australian occupation, contract, program and project administrators score furthest above the norm on responsibility burden (68 vs 60 average), emotional demands (41.9 vs 37.9 average) and precision and monotony (68.9 vs 67.7 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 78.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for physical environment (29.4 vs 38.2), pace and demands (50.1 vs 56) and lack of control (23.1 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 contract, program and project administrators
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
78.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
76/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
- 3Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
75.8/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 4Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
72.5/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 5Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
72.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for contract, program and project administrators
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
41.9 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People18.8 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People52 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations55 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
68 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results76 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety75.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results71.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error44.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others72.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
50.1 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure67.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week61.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment12 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making72.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition37 vs 52.4
Lack of control
23.1 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions22 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work24.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
68.9 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks59 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate78.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
29.4 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable43.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting14.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures20.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections23.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity45 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for contract, program and project administrators 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.
- 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
Contract, Program and Project Administrators: how stressful is the job?
Contract, Program and Project Administrators rank #168 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 46.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 47.0% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for contract, program and project administrators?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (78.8/100), responsibility for outcomes and results (76/100) and responsible for others' health and safety (75.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for contract, program and project administrators?
Contract, Program and Project Administrators score below the national average for pace and demands (50.1 vs 56 average) and lack of control (23.1 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (29.4 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 contract, program and project administrators. 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.