Quick answer: Secondary School Teachers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #238 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 43.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are emotional demands.
Secondary 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 demands50.7 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden56.7 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands55.8 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control16.8 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony51 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment31.9 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for secondary school teachers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, secondary school teachers score furthest above the norm on emotional demands (50.7 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 81.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (51 vs 67.7), lack of control (16.8 vs 24.5) and physical environment (31.9 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 secondary school teachers
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
81.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
81.2/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 3Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
74/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
70.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Physical environment
Physical Proximity
69.5/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
All 22 stress factors for secondary 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
50.7 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People21.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People64.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations66.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
56.7 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results42.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety47.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results70.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error41 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others81.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
55.8 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure69 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week81.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment3 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making74 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition51.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
16.8 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions17.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work16 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
51 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks37 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate65 vs 78.6
Physical environment
31.9 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable51 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting9.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures13 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections16.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity69.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for secondary 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.
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
Secondary School Teachers: how stressful is the job?
Secondary School Teachers rank #238 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 43.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 24.9% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for secondary school teachers?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (81.5/100), coordinate or lead others (81.2/100) and frequency of decision making (74/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands.
Which stress factors are lower for secondary school teachers?
Secondary School Teachers score below the national average for responsibility burden (56.7 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (55.8 vs 56 average) and lack of control (16.8 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (51 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (31.9 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 secondary 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.