Quick answer: Signwriters are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #305 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 36.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control.
Signwriters 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 demands18.6 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden40.1 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands39.9 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control30.5 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony53.5 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment35.5 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for signwriters
Compared with the average Australian occupation, signwriters score furthest above the norm on lack of control (30.5 vs 24.5 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 71.2/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for responsibility burden (40.1 vs 60), emotional demands (18.6 vs 37.9) and pace and demands (39.9 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 signwriters
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
71.2/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
70.2/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 3Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
67/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 4Physical environment
Physical Proximity
58/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
- 5Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
48.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
All 22 stress factors for signwriters
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
18.6 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People2.8 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People27.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations25.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
40.1 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results36.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety27.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results48.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error20.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others67 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
39.9 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure46.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week37.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment32.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making45.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition37.2 vs 52.4
Lack of control
30.5 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions33.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work27.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
53.5 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks35.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate71.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
35.5 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable70.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting28 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures21 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections0.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity58 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for signwriters 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.
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
Signwriters: how stressful is the job?
Signwriters rank #305 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 36.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 3.8% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for signwriters?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (71.2/100), sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (70.2/100) and coordinate or lead others (67/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in lack of control.
Which stress factors are lower for signwriters?
Signwriters score below the national average for emotional demands (18.6 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (40.1 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (39.9 vs 56 average) and precision and monotony (53.5 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (35.5 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 signwriters. 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.