Quick answer: Auctioneers, and Stock and Station Agents are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #146 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 47.7/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are precision and monotony and pace and demands.
Auctioneers, and Stock and Station Agents 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 demands34.4 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden65.7 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands64.5 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control9 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony82.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment30.4 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for auctioneers, and stock and station agents
Compared with the average Australian occupation, auctioneers, and stock and station agents score furthest above the norm on precision and monotony (82.4 vs 67.7 average), pace and demands (64.5 vs 56 average) and responsibility burden (65.7 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is frequency of decision making at 90.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 70.7.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (9 vs 24.5), physical environment (30.4 vs 38.2) and emotional demands (34.4 vs 37.9), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for auctioneers, and stock and station agents
- 1Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
90.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 2Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
90/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 3Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
86.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 4Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
84.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 5Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
80/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
All 22 stress factors for auctioneers, and stock and station agents
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
34.4 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People5.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People42.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations55 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
65.7 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results54.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety49.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results86.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error67 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others70.8 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
64.5 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure70.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week90 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment5.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making90.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition66 vs 52.4
Lack of control
9 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions10 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
82.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks80 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate84.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
30.4 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable57.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting28.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures14 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections1.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity51 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for auctioneers, and stock and station agents 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.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
- Work Monitoring →How worker performance is measured, observed, and reported.
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
Auctioneers, and Stock and Station Agents: how stressful is the job?
Auctioneers, and Stock and Station Agents rank #146 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 47.7/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 53.9% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for auctioneers, and stock and station agents?
The highest-scoring hazards are frequency of decision making (90.8/100), duration of typical work week (90/100) and impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (86.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for auctioneers, and stock and station agents?
Auctioneers, and Stock and Station Agents score below the national average for emotional demands (34.4 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (9 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (30.4 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 auctioneers, and stock and station agents. 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.