Quick answer: Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Managers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #263 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 41.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are pace and demands and responsibility burden.
Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Managers 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 demands34 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden62.4 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands64.2 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control11.9 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony57.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment21 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for advertising, public relations and sales managers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, advertising, public relations and sales managers score furthest above the norm on pace and demands (64.2 vs 56 average) and responsibility burden (62.4 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 89/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for physical environment (21 vs 38.2), lack of control (11.9 vs 24.5) and precision and monotony (57.4 vs 67.7), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for advertising, public relations and sales managers
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
89/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
83/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 3Pace and demands
Time Pressure
80.2/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
78.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
77.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for advertising, public relations and sales managers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
34 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People4 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People43.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations54.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
62.4 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results76 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety30.2 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results78.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error44 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others83 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
64.2 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure80.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week89 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment0.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making77.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition73.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
11.9 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions14.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work9.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
57.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks44.5 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate70.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
21 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable35 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting8.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures12.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections1.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity47.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for advertising, public relations and sales managers map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Work Demands →The volume, pace, and complexity of what is asked of workers.
- Role Clarity →Whether workers clearly understand what is expected of them.
- Leadership →The quality and consistency of management behaviour at all levels.
- Schedule and Hours →The arrangement of working time and its effect on health and recovery.
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
Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Managers: how stressful is the job?
Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Managers rank #263 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 41.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 17.0% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for advertising, public relations and sales managers?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (89/100), coordinate or lead others (83/100) and time pressure (80.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden and pace and demands.
Which stress factors are lower for advertising, public relations and sales managers?
Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Managers score below the national average for emotional demands (34 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (11.9 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (57.4 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (21 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 advertising, public relations and sales managers. 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.