Quick answer: Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #231 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 43.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control and emotional demands.
Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers 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 demands46.5 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden56.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands36.8 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control35.6 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony42 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment45.9 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers score furthest above the norm on lack of control (35.6 vs 24.5 average), emotional demands (46.5 vs 37.9 average) and physical environment (45.9 vs 38.2 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is physical proximity at 76.2/100 — against an all-occupation average of 61.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (42 vs 67.7), pace and demands (36.8 vs 56) and responsibility burden (56.5 vs 60), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers
- 1Physical environment
Physical Proximity
76.2/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
- 2Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
70.5/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 3Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
65.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 4Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
63.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 5Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
61.8/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
All 22 stress factors for early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
46.5 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People24.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People54.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations60.8 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
56.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results43 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety51 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results65.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error52 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others70.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
36.8 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure51.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week31.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment0 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making63.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition37.2 vs 52.4
Lack of control
35.6 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions36.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work35 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
42 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks25.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate58.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
45.9 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable61.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting15.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures24.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections51.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity76.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers 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.
- 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
Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers: how stressful is the job?
Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers rank #231 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 43.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 27.1% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers?
The highest-scoring hazards are physical proximity (76.2/100), coordinate or lead others (70.5/100) and impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (65.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, lack of control and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers?
Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers score below the national average for responsibility burden (56.5 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (36.8 vs 56 average) and precision and monotony (42 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 early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers. 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.