Quick answer: Livestock Farm Workers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #249 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 42.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and lack of control.
Livestock Farm Workers 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 demands25.2 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden55.1 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands38.7 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control26.2 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony51.6 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment57.8 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for livestock farm workers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, livestock farm workers score furthest above the norm on physical environment (57.8 vs 38.2 average) and lack of control (26.2 vs 24.5 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is very hot or cold temperatures at 71.2/100 — against an all-occupation average of 32.4.
The occupation scores below the national average for pace and demands (38.7 vs 56), precision and monotony (51.6 vs 67.7) and emotional demands (25.2 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 livestock farm workers
- 1Physical environment
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
71.2/100
All-occupation average: 32.4
- 2Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
64.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 3Physical environment
Physical Proximity
64.2/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
- 4Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
63.8/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 5Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
63/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
All 22 stress factors for livestock farm workers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
25.2 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People8.8 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People31.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations35.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
55.1 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results53 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety63.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results55.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error52.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others51 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
38.7 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure34.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week54 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment13 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making64.2 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition28 vs 52.4
Lack of control
26.2 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions25.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work26.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
51.6 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks44 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate59.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
57.8 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable63 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting52.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures71.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections37.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity64.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for livestock farm workers map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Autonomy →The degree of control workers have over how they do their work.
- Physical Environment →How the physical conditions of work affect psychological wellbeing.
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
Livestock Farm Workers: how stressful is the job?
Livestock Farm Workers rank #249 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 42.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 21.5% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for livestock farm workers?
The highest-scoring hazards are very hot or cold temperatures (71.2/100), frequency of decision making (64.2/100) and physical proximity (64.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in lack of control and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for livestock farm workers?
Livestock Farm Workers score below the national average for emotional demands (25.2 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (55.1 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (38.7 vs 56 average) and precision and monotony (51.6 vs 67.7 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 livestock farm workers. 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.