Quick answer: Beauty Therapists are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #301 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 38/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are precision and monotony.
Beauty Therapists 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 demands26.8 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden37.9 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands37.2 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control24.1 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony68.8 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment33 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for beauty therapists
Compared with the average Australian occupation, beauty therapists score furthest above the norm on precision and monotony (68.8 vs 67.7 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is physical proximity at 98.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 61.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for responsibility burden (37.9 vs 60), pace and demands (37.2 vs 56) and emotional demands (26.8 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 beauty therapists
- 1Physical environment
Physical Proximity
98.8/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
- 2Pace and demands
Level of Competition
74.2/100
All-occupation average: 52.4
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
71.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
65.8/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
- 5Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
59/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for beauty therapists
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
26.8 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People0.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People41.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations38.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
37.9 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results29.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety44.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results53.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error41 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others21.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
37.2 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure29.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week20.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment2.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making59 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition74.2 vs 52.4
Lack of control
24.1 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions9.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work38.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
68.8 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks65.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate71.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
33 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable8.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting8.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures13.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections35.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity98.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for beauty therapists map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- 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
Beauty Therapists: how stressful is the job?
Beauty Therapists rank #301 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 38/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 5.0% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for beauty therapists?
The highest-scoring hazards are physical proximity (98.8/100), level of competition (74.2/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (71.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for beauty therapists?
Beauty Therapists score below the national average for emotional demands (26.8 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (37.9 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (37.2 vs 56 average) and lack of control (24.1 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (33 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 beauty therapists. 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.