Quick answer: ICT Support and Test Engineers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #256 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 42/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are precision and monotony.
ICT Support and Test Engineers 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 demands30.5 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden46.6 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands54.3 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control23.9 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony76.2 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment20.6 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for ict support and test engineers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, ict support and test engineers score furthest above the norm on precision and monotony (76.2 vs 67.7 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 86/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for physical environment (20.6 vs 38.2), responsibility burden (46.6 vs 60) and emotional demands (30.5 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 ict support and test engineers
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
86/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Pace and demands
Time Pressure
72/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 3Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
70.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 4Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
66.5/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
- 5Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
64/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
All 22 stress factors for ict support and test engineers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
30.5 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People6 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People34.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations50.8 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
46.6 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results47 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety28 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results64 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error44.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others49.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
54.3 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure72 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week70.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment15.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making50 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition63.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
23.9 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions22 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work25.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
76.2 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks66.5 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate86 vs 78.6
Physical environment
20.6 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable43.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting3.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures1.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections2.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity52.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for ict support and test engineers 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
ICT Support and Test Engineers: how stressful is the job?
ICT Support and Test Engineers rank #256 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 42/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 19.2% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for ict support and test engineers?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (86/100), time pressure (72/100) and duration of typical work week (70.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for ict support and test engineers?
ICT Support and Test Engineers score below the national average for emotional demands (30.5 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (46.6 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (54.3 vs 56 average) and lack of control (23.9 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (20.6 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 ict support and test engineers. 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.