Quick answer: Engineering Managers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #212 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 44.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are responsibility burden and pace and demands.
Engineering 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 demands33.5 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden66.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands59.9 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control11.9 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony68.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment26.6 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for engineering managers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, engineering managers score furthest above the norm on responsibility burden (66.5 vs 60 average), pace and demands (59.9 vs 56 average) and precision and monotony (68.4 vs 67.7 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 92/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (11.9 vs 24.5), physical environment (26.6 vs 38.2) and emotional demands (33.5 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 engineering managers
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
92/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
80.2/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 3Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
79.8/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
- 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
74.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for engineering managers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
33.5 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People3.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People40 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations57.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
66.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results79.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety55.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results78.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error38 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others80.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
59.9 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure69.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week92 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment3.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making74.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition59.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
11.9 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions11.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work12 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
68.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks62 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate74.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
26.6 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable51.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting13.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures17 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections0 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity51.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for engineering 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.
- 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
Engineering Managers: how stressful is the job?
Engineering Managers rank #212 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 44.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 33.1% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for engineering managers?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (92/100), coordinate or lead others (80.2/100) and responsibility for outcomes and results (79.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for engineering managers?
Engineering Managers score below the national average for emotional demands (33.5 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (11.9 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (26.6 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 engineering 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.