(ABC News)--Looking for a low-stress job? Being a full-time university professor is
the least stressful career for 2013, according to jobs site CareerCast.com.
It's the first time that career has won the title of least stressful in the site's 20-year history of assessing jobs.
"Professors are kings of their kingdoms," said Tony Lee, publisher of
CareerCast.com and JobsRated.com. "They tell students what they must
do."
Lee said the list does not distinguish whether a professor is tenured, though that may be a factor in stress-level.
University professors, with a median salary of $62,050, topped last
year's winning career, which was medical records technician. That
career, with a median salary of $32,350, came in third this year.
In assessing 200 careers, CareerCast.com's criteria included 11 stress
factors like travel, job outlook, deadlines, working in the public eye,
competitiveness, physical demands, environmental conditions, hazards
encountered, own life at risk, life of another at risk, and meeting the
public.
CareerCast works with math and statistics researchers at the University
of Wisconsin to compile the list, using data from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, trade reports and other sources.
Lee said the least stressful careers tend to entail positive feedback
from people on a regular basis. In those cases, people are working are
generally pleased, he said.
"The most stressful list tends to be opposite," he said.
The silver lining is that the more stressful a job is, the higher the
likelihood you'll get paid more, said Lee. The logic follows somewhat
that military enlisted personnel and military generals are the first and
second most stressful careers, with median salaries of $45,528 and
$196,000. Being a firefighter, which was the second most stressful job
last year, was ranked as the third most stressful career in the current
survey.
Lee concedes that what may is stressful for one person may not affect another person.
"You can argue a firefighter is not stressed if they relish adrenaline
and rushing into a burning building," he said. "But using analytical
data, most people would say rushing into a burning building is
stressful."
The following are the least stressful jobs for 2013, followed by the most stressful jobs:
Least Stressful Jobs:
Median salary: $62,050
2. Seamstress/Tailor
Median salary: $25,850
|
3. Medical Records Technician
|
Median salary: $32,350
Median salary: $35,1705.
|
5. Medical Laboratory Technician
|
Median salary: $46,6806.
Median salary: $66,660
Median salary: $53,250
Median salary: $22,500
Median salary: $54,500
Median salary: $31,910
Most Stressful Jobs:
|
1. Enlisted Military Personnel
|
Median salary: $45,528 (W-1, 8 years experience)
Median salary: $196,300
Median salary: $42,250
|
4. Commercial Airline Pilot
|
Median salary: $92,060
|
5. Public Relations Executive
|
Median salary: $57,550
|
6. Senior Corporate Executive
|
Median salary: $101,250
Median salary: $29,130
Median salary: $36,000
Median salary: $22,440
Median salary: $55,010
Copyright 2013 by ABC News
