Quick answer: Delivery Drivers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #200 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 45.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control and physical environment.
Delivery Drivers 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 demands31.2 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden46.1 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands60.6 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control35.2 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony51.5 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment46.2 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for delivery drivers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, delivery drivers score furthest above the norm on lack of control (35.2 vs 24.5 average), physical environment (46.2 vs 38.2 average) and pace and demands (60.6 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is time pressure at 85.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 71.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (51.5 vs 67.7), responsibility burden (46.1 vs 60) and emotional demands (31.2 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 delivery drivers
- 1Pace and demands
Time Pressure
85.8/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 2Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
77.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
71/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
70/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Physical environment
Physical Proximity
66.8/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
All 22 stress factors for delivery drivers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
31.2 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People7.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People49.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations36.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
46.1 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results15 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety36.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results70 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error59.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others49.8 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
60.6 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure85.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week61 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment21.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making77.2 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition57.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
35.2 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions31 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work39.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
51.5 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks32 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate71 vs 78.6
Physical environment
46.2 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable55.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting33.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures62 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections13.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity66.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for delivery drivers 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.
- 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
Delivery Drivers: how stressful is the job?
Delivery Drivers rank #200 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 45.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 36.9% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for delivery drivers?
The highest-scoring hazards are time pressure (85.8/100), frequency of decision making (77.2/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (71/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in pace and demands, lack of control and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for delivery drivers?
Delivery Drivers score below the national average for emotional demands (31.2 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (46.1 vs 60 average) and precision and monotony (51.5 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 delivery drivers. 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.