Quick answer: Midwives are one of the most stress-exposed occupations in Australia — ranked #29 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 55.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and responsibility burden.
Midwives 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 demands52.4 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden78.9 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands61.2 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control15.1 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony69.6 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment57.5 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for midwives
Compared with the average Australian occupation, midwives score furthest above the norm on physical environment (57.5 vs 38.2 average), responsibility burden (78.9 vs 60 average) and emotional demands (52.4 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is physical proximity at 98.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 61.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (15.1 vs 24.5), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for midwives
- 1Physical environment
Physical Proximity
98.5/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
- 2Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
93.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 3Responsibility burden
Consequence of Error
92.2/100
All-occupation average: 49
- 4Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
91/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 5Physical environment
Exposed to Disease or Infections
89/100
All-occupation average: 20.2
All 22 stress factors for midwives
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
52.4 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People25.8 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People63.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations68.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
78.9 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results59.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety75 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results88 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error92.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others79.8 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
61.2 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure70.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week91 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment2.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making93.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition48.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
15.1 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions8.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work22 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
69.6 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks52.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate87 vs 78.6
Physical environment
57.5 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable65.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting30.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures4.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections89 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity98.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for midwives 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
Midwives: how stressful is the job?
Midwives rank #29 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 55.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 90.9% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for midwives?
The highest-scoring hazards are physical proximity (98.5/100), frequency of decision making (93.8/100) and consequence of error (92.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for midwives?
Midwives score below the national average for lack of control (15.1 vs 24.5 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 midwives. 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.