Quick answer: Science Technicians are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #280 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 40.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control and precision and monotony.
Science Technicians 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 demands13.2 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden47.4 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands44.3 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control30.1 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony72 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment34 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for science technicians
Compared with the average Australian occupation, science technicians score furthest above the norm on lack of control (30.1 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (72 vs 67.7 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 84.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (13.2 vs 37.9), responsibility burden (47.4 vs 60) and pace and demands (44.3 vs 56), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for science technicians
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
84.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
59.2/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
- 3Pace and demands
Time Pressure
58.2/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 4Pace and demands
Level of Competition
53.2/100
All-occupation average: 52.4
- 5Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
52.2/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
All 22 stress factors for science technicians
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
13.2 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People2.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People14.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations23 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
47.4 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results51.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety51 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results39 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error43 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others52.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
44.3 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure58.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week46.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment22.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making40.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition53.2 vs 52.4
Lack of control
30.1 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions28.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work31.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
72 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks59.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate84.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
34 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable39.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting31.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures9.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections39 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity50.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for science technicians 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.
- 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
Science Technicians: how stressful is the job?
Science Technicians rank #280 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 40.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 11.7% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for science technicians?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (84.8/100), importance of repeating same tasks (59.2/100) and time pressure (58.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in lack of control and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for science technicians?
Science Technicians score below the national average for emotional demands (13.2 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (47.4 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (44.3 vs 56 average) and physical environment (34 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 science technicians. 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.