Quick answer: Software and Applications Programmers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #296 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 38.7/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control.
Software and Applications Programmers 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 demands22.4 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden37.8 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands48.4 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control39.6 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony67.1 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment16.9 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for software and applications programmers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, software and applications programmers score furthest above the norm on lack of control (39.6 vs 24.5 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 80.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for responsibility burden (37.8 vs 60), physical environment (16.9 vs 38.2) and emotional demands (22.4 vs 37.9), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for software and applications programmers
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
80.5/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Pace and demands
Time Pressure
76/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 3Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
65.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 4Pace and demands
Level of Competition
63.8/100
All-occupation average: 52.4
- 5Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
53.8/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
All 22 stress factors for software and applications programmers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
22.4 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People0 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People30.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations37 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
37.8 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results42.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety7 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results53.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error38.5 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others47.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
48.4 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure76 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week65.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment3.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making33.2 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition63.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
39.6 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions39.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work40 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
67.1 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks53.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate80.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
16.9 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable41.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting3.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures0.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections0 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity39 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for software and applications programmers 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
Software and Applications Programmers: how stressful is the job?
Software and Applications Programmers rank #296 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 38.7/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 6.6% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for software and applications programmers?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (80.5/100), time pressure (76/100) and duration of typical work week (65.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in lack of control.
Which stress factors are lower for software and applications programmers?
Software and Applications Programmers score below the national average for emotional demands (22.4 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (37.8 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (48.4 vs 56 average) and precision and monotony (67.1 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (16.9 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 software and applications programmers. 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.