Quick answer: Agricultural and Forestry Scientists are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #271 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 41.1/100 against a national average of 47.4.
Agricultural and Forestry Scientists 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 demands26.6 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden60 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands49.8 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control16.1 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony60.6 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment33.5 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for agricultural and forestry scientists
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (26.6 vs 37.9), lack of control (16.1 vs 24.5) and precision and monotony (60.6 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 agricultural and forestry scientists
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
74/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
72.5/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 3Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
70.2/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 4Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
66.2/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 5Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
64.2/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
All 22 stress factors for agricultural and forestry scientists
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
26.6 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People7.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People35 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations37.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
60 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results64.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety70.2 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results57.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error41.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others66.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
49.8 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure58.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week74 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment12 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making46.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition58.2 vs 52.4
Lack of control
16.1 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions15.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work16.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
60.6 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks48.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate72.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
33.5 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable42.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting33.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures52.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections3.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity35.8 vs 61.1
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
Agricultural and Forestry Scientists: how stressful is the job?
Agricultural and Forestry Scientists rank #271 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 41.1/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 14.5% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for agricultural and forestry scientists?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (74/100), importance of being exact or accurate (72.5/100) and responsible for others' health and safety (70.2/100).
Which stress factors are lower for agricultural and forestry scientists?
Agricultural and Forestry Scientists score below the national average for emotional demands (26.6 vs 37.9 average) and pace and demands (49.8 vs 56 average) and lack of control (16.1 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (60.6 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (33.5 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 agricultural and forestry scientists. 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.