Quick answer: Greenkeepers are notably more stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #85 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 51.1/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control and physical environment.
Greenkeepers 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 demands43.9 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden52.2 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands54.4 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control53.8 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony43.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment58.9 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for greenkeepers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, greenkeepers score furthest above the norm on lack of control (53.8 vs 24.5 average), physical environment (58.9 vs 38.2 average) and emotional demands (43.9 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable at 93.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 52.3.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (43.4 vs 67.7), responsibility burden (52.2 vs 60) and pace and demands (54.4 vs 56), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for greenkeepers
- 1Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
93.5/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 2Physical environment
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
93.5/100
All-occupation average: 32.4
- 3Physical environment
Physical Proximity
75.8/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
- 4Pace and demands
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
71.2/100
All-occupation average: 23.1
- 5Lack of control
Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions
61.8/100
All-occupation average: 23.6
All 22 stress factors for greenkeepers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
43.9 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People19.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People57.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations55 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
52.2 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results54 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety57.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results54.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error47.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others47.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
54.4 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure57 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week57 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment71.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making43 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition43.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
53.8 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions61.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work45.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
43.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks32 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate54.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
58.9 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable93.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting23 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures93.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections8.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity75.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for greenkeepers 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
Greenkeepers: how stressful is the job?
Greenkeepers rank #85 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 51.1/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 73.2% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for greenkeepers?
The highest-scoring hazards are sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (93.5/100), very hot or cold temperatures (93.5/100) and physical proximity (75.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, lack of control and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for greenkeepers?
Greenkeepers score below the national average for responsibility burden (52.2 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (54.4 vs 56 average) and precision and monotony (43.4 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 greenkeepers. 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.