12 Low-Stress Jobs, Really?

Who wants a low-stress job? I see lots of virtual hands raised out there. Browsing business websites produced a couple of those infamous lists – "10 Best Jobs," "15 Highest-Paying Jobs," etc. I don’t know about you, but those lists irritate me. Who collects the data and who supplies the data? Sometimes I think they must catch the “best jobs” respondents well into their post-work happy hour or after they just received a nice raise.

So I just read Mainstreet’s "12 Jobs with Low Stress, Decent Pay"  Honestly, most of the jobs listed I haven’t a clue about, but found it interesting to find my job and several of my friends’ jobs listed. Hmmm, not sure my friends and I realize how lucky we are to have this tranquil, high-paying work.

Here’s the list:

·         Massage Therapist – The article mentions “soothing sounds” and “comfortable lighting.” Well, that’s more of a benefit for the client. My pal who’s a massage therapist used to like her job until the stress on her body took a toll. And she gets hit up by people for freebies all the time.

·         Occupational Therapist–Another friend has this job and she is talented, respected and really likes her work. But like my pal above, it’s taking a toll on her body after 35 years. It’s also tough waiting to get paid by the snail-paced government entities with whom she contracts.

·         College Professor-My friend is new to this career and likes it. But it doesn’t sound all that low-stress to me. I think people imagine you teach a couple classes, sit in your scholarly office, meet with students during your 1-3 p.m. office hours and grade a few essays. I do know, having grown up in a college town, that competition for jobs and getting tenure can make it tough.

·         Freelance Writer-That’s me and many of my friends. I love my work, but wouldn’t call it low-stress. The writing is actually a much smaller portion of the job than you think. Marketing yourself, always looking for new work and the unpredictable payment schedule make it challenging.

Okay, I haven’t a clue about these jobs, so I’ll just list them:

·         Natural Science Manager

·         Civil Engineer

·         Building Inspector

Although I don’t know much about these two, they sound potentially stressful to me:

·         Environmental Scientist-Can you say “oil spill?”

·         Power Plant Operator-Uh, nuclear accidents and deadly blasts?

I’ll admit, these jobs sound interesting and fun:

·         Speech Pathologist-Hard work, but I imagine it’s rewarding.

·         Sociologist-Occasionally, I find people interesting. But if you REALLY like people, cultural and social aspects of our world, this might be the ticket.

·         Tour Escort-C’mon, let’s go to Tuscany...


This post was written by Jobacle team member Nancy LaFever.

Comments

[Megan]

I'd say that being a tour escort has to be frustrating. Keeping 20 confused vacationers together for three weeks straight, visiting the same monument 6 or 7 times a year, and a brutal travel schedule - I mean, the perks are great, but I'd think some of the day to day stuff would get stressful after a couple of years.

[Rhonda]

I am, among other things, a massage therapist. Yes, everyone you meet starts rubbing their shoulders and tells you exactly where it hurts. Like, I want to leap to my feet and scream, "Let me fix it, can I, can I... PLEEEZZZ!" And, of course, they look offended if you tell them your fee. Would they expect a Doctor to give them free medicine or a chiropractor to crack their back for free? Oh yes, and the soft music, etc. After about 3 hours of 'Yawn-i", I am ready to put on some zumba tunes or Black Eyes Peas and rolf them off the table. C,mon, when do I get to have some fun? Lastly, after about 5 massages in a row, my arms and back hurt SO bad... hey, are you a massage therapist?

[Dawn allcot]

I think low-stress is more in the mindset of the person than in the job. I'm sure a job with no responsibilities could be low-stress, but then it probably wouldn't pay well (thereby creating other stress) and it would be really boring!

I find freelance writing much more low stress than I did 2 years ago -- especially compared to the highest stress job in the world: Parenting! I think some of the things that make freelance writing low stress are: - You get to set your own hours (to a degree), you can choose the jobs you want to do (again, to an extent), and, on some level, most freelance writers choose the career for the opportunity to do something they love.

It's also WAY less stressful than working for a publishing company in the editorial department. AND less stressful than retail at Christmas. :)

[Amy]

I imagine every job sounds greener on the other side. I always say my job would be perfet if there weren't any customers, coworkers, or bosses!