This Is the Most Stressful Job of the Year (Is It Yours?)


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In today’s not-so-shocking news: Putting your life on the line is freakin’ stressful. A recent study done by job search site CareerCast found that the most stressful jobs are those that put your life at risk, with enlisted military personnel coming in first, followed by military general and firefighter. Airline pilot, which, let’s be serious, comes with its own form of life-risking, comes in fourth.

If you’re sitting in your fluorescent-lit cubicle thinking, “WTF. Why isn’t my job on the most-stressful list. IT. IS. SO. STRESSFUL,” here’s how the results were determined: The study evaluated a job’s stress level by considering 11 different job demands that typically create stress, including own life risk, life of another at risk, deadlines, competitiveness and working in the public eye.

So who are the lucky folks leading the least-stressed professional lives in the country? Well, according to the study, the least stressful jobs are those that don’t pose any imminent danger to employees’ lives, with audiologist coming in at number one, followed by hair stylist, jeweler, and tenured university professor. So if you’re looking to change career paths, you should probably go with one of these. (Although, I’m not so sure about hair stylist being on there: Hell hath no fury like a woman with a bad haircut. Am I right?)

I’m no expert but, I gotta say, I’m pretty surprised that not a single type of doctor made it onto the most-stressful jobs list. I mean, I would think a neurosurgeon would lead a pretty stressed work-life, no? But, who knows? Maybe I just watch way too much Grey’s Anatomy.

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