Quick answer: Ministers of Religion are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #282 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 40/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are emotional demands and responsibility burden.
Ministers of Religion 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 demands42.2 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden63.1 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands54.9 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control11 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony43.8 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment25.2 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for ministers of religion
Compared with the average Australian occupation, ministers of religion score furthest above the norm on emotional demands (42.2 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (63.1 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is impact of decisions on co-workers or company results at 91/100 — against an all-occupation average of 70.4.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (43.8 vs 67.7), lack of control (11 vs 24.5) and physical environment (25.2 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 ministers of religion
- 1Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
91/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 2Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
90.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 3Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
85.5/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 4Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
83/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 5Pace and demands
Time Pressure
64/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
All 22 stress factors for ministers of religion
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
42.2 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People17.8 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People52.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations56.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
63.1 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results46.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety38.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results91 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error54 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others85.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
54.9 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure64 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week83 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making90.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition34.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
11 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions14 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
43.8 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks30.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate57.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
25.2 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable16 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting2.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures12.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections39.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity54.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for ministers of religion 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
Ministers of Religion: how stressful is the job?
Ministers of Religion rank #282 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 40/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 11.0% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for ministers of religion?
The highest-scoring hazards are impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (91/100), frequency of decision making (90.8/100) and coordinate or lead others (85.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands and responsibility burden.
Which stress factors are lower for ministers of religion?
Ministers of Religion score below the national average for pace and demands (54.9 vs 56 average) and lack of control (11 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (43.8 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (25.2 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 ministers of religion. 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.