Quick answer: Medical Imaging Professionals are one of the most stress-exposed occupations in Australia — ranked #18 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 57.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are emotional demands and physical environment.
Medical Imaging Professionals 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 demands56.3 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden68.8 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands57.4 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control26.5 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony82 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment53.5 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for medical imaging professionals
Compared with the average Australian occupation, medical imaging professionals score furthest above the norm on emotional demands (56.3 vs 37.9 average), physical environment (53.5 vs 38.2 average) and precision and monotony (82 vs 67.7 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is exposed to disease or infections at 97/100 — against an all-occupation average of 20.2.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for medical imaging professionals
- 1Physical environment
Exposed to Disease or Infections
97/100
All-occupation average: 20.2
- 2Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
94.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 3Physical environment
Physical Proximity
93/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
- 4Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
91.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 5Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
83/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
All 22 stress factors for medical imaging professionals
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
56.3 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People41.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People74.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations53.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
68.8 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results57.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety75 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results83 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error60 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others68.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
57.4 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure66.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week42 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment28.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making94.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition55.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
26.5 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions24.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work28.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
82 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks72.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate91.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
53.5 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable49 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting25.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures3.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections97 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity93 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for medical imaging professionals map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Exposure to Violence →Whether workers face the risk of physical or verbal aggression at work.
- Exposure to Trauma →Whether workers encounter traumatic events or material as part of their role.
- Work Interaction →The quality of relationships and interactions within the team and organisation.
- 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.
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
Medical Imaging Professionals: how stressful is the job?
Medical Imaging Professionals rank #18 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 57.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 94.3% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for medical imaging professionals?
The highest-scoring hazards are exposed to disease or infections (97/100), frequency of decision making (94.5/100) and physical proximity (93/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for medical imaging professionals?
Medical Imaging Professionals score at or above the national average across all six stress categories.
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 medical imaging professionals. 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.