Quick answer: Other Miscellaneous Clerical and Administrative Workers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #169 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 46.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are precision and monotony and lack of control.
Other Miscellaneous Clerical and Administrative Workers 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 demands37.2 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden48.7 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands40.9 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control37.5 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony85.2 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment31.2 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for other miscellaneous clerical and administrative workers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, other miscellaneous clerical and administrative workers score furthest above the norm on precision and monotony (85.2 vs 67.7 average) and lack of control (37.5 vs 24.5 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 90/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for pace and demands (40.9 vs 56), responsibility burden (48.7 vs 60) and physical environment (31.2 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 other miscellaneous clerical and administrative workers
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
90/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
80.5/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
- 3Pace and demands
Time Pressure
69.2/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
68.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Physical environment
Physical Proximity
64.2/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
All 22 stress factors for other miscellaneous clerical and administrative workers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
37.2 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People16 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People52.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations43.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
48.7 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results43.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety36.2 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results68.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error35.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others59.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
40.9 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure69.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week44.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment11.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making52 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition27.2 vs 52.4
Lack of control
37.5 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions43 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work32 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
85.2 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks80.5 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate90 vs 78.6
Physical environment
31.2 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable46.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting9.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures7.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections28 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity64.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for other miscellaneous clerical and administrative workers map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Autonomy →The degree of control workers have over how they do their work.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
- Work Monitoring →How worker performance is measured, observed, and reported.
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
Other Miscellaneous Clerical and Administrative Workers: how stressful is the job?
Other Miscellaneous Clerical and Administrative Workers rank #169 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 46.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 46.7% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for other miscellaneous clerical and administrative workers?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (90/100), importance of repeating same tasks (80.5/100) and time pressure (69.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in lack of control and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for other miscellaneous clerical and administrative workers?
Other Miscellaneous Clerical and Administrative Workers score below the national average for emotional demands (37.2 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (48.7 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (40.9 vs 56 average) and physical environment (31.2 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 other miscellaneous clerical and administrative workers. 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.