Quick answer: Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #147 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 47.7/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are pace and demands and precision and monotony.
Industrial, Mechanical and Production 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 demands38.8 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden60.3 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands66.2 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control11.5 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony73.1 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment36 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for industrial, mechanical and production engineers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, industrial, mechanical and production engineers score furthest above the norm on pace and demands (66.2 vs 56 average), precision and monotony (73.1 vs 67.7 average) and emotional demands (38.8 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 84.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (11.5 vs 24.5) and physical environment (36 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 industrial, mechanical and production engineers
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
84.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
84/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 3Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
79.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
71.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Pace and demands
Time Pressure
70.5/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
All 22 stress factors for industrial, mechanical and production engineers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
38.8 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People16.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People48.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations51.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
60.3 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results58.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety49.2 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results71.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error51.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others70.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
66.2 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure70.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week84.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment33 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making79.2 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition64 vs 52.4
Lack of control
11.5 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions13 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work10 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
73.1 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks62.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate84 vs 78.6
Physical environment
36 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable62.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting20.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures32.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections6.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity58.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for industrial, mechanical and production 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:
- 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
Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers: how stressful is the job?
Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers rank #147 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 47.7/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 53.6% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for industrial, mechanical and production engineers?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (84.5/100), importance of being exact or accurate (84/100) and frequency of decision making (79.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for industrial, mechanical and production engineers?
Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers score below the national average for lack of control (11.5 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (36 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 industrial, mechanical and production 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.