Quick answer: Finance Managers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #207 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 44.7/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are precision and monotony and pace and demands.
Finance 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 demands30.7 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden65.1 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands62.5 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control16 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony79 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment14.8 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for finance managers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, finance managers score furthest above the norm on precision and monotony (79 vs 67.7 average), pace and demands (62.5 vs 56 average) and responsibility burden (65.1 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 91/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for physical environment (14.8 vs 38.2), lack of control (16 vs 24.5) and emotional demands (30.7 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 finance managers
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
91/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
90/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 3Pace and demands
Time Pressure
84/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 4Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
80.2/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 5Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
80/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
All 22 stress factors for finance managers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
30.7 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People3 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People36 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations53 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
65.1 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results78 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety29 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results80 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error58.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others80.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
62.5 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure84 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week90 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment3 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making72 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition63.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
16 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions16 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work16 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
79 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks67 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate91 vs 78.6
Physical environment
14.8 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable30 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting1 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures3 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity38 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for finance 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
Finance Managers: how stressful is the job?
Finance Managers rank #207 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 44.7/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 34.7% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for finance managers?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (91/100), duration of typical work week (90/100) and time pressure (84/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for finance managers?
Finance Managers score below the national average for emotional demands (30.7 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (16 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (14.8 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 finance 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.