Quick answer: Vending Machine Attendants are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #234 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 43.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are precision and monotony and physical environment.
Vending Machine Attendants 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 demands39.1 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden39.8 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands51.4 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control15 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony76.2 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment41.6 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for vending machine attendants
Compared with the average Australian occupation, vending machine attendants score furthest above the norm on precision and monotony (76.2 vs 67.7 average), physical environment (41.6 vs 38.2 average) and emotional demands (39.1 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of repeating same tasks at 76.2/100 — against an all-occupation average of 56.9.
The occupation scores below the national average for responsibility burden (39.8 vs 60), lack of control (15 vs 24.5) and pace and demands (51.4 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 vending machine attendants
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
76.2/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
76.2/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 3Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
75.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
66.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
66.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for vending machine attendants
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
39.1 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People15.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People63.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations38 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
39.8 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results27.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety27 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results66.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error32 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others46 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
51.4 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure50.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week75.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment25 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making66.2 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition39.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
15 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions4.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work25.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
76.2 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks76.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate76.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
41.6 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable56 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting40.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures46.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections7.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity58 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for vending machine attendants 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.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
- Work Monitoring →How worker performance is measured, observed, and reported.
- Physical Environment →How the physical conditions of work affect psychological wellbeing.
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
Vending Machine Attendants: how stressful is the job?
Vending Machine Attendants rank #234 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 43.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 26.2% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for vending machine attendants?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of repeating same tasks (76.2/100), importance of being exact or accurate (76.2/100) and duration of typical work week (75.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for vending machine attendants?
Vending Machine Attendants score below the national average for responsibility burden (39.8 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (51.4 vs 56 average) and lack of control (15 vs 24.5 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 vending machine attendants. 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.