Quick answer: Secretaries are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #221 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 44.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are precision and monotony and emotional demands.
Secretaries 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 demands39.8 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden48.6 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands45.2 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control24.2 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony81.5 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment25.9 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for secretaries
Compared with the average Australian occupation, secretaries score furthest above the norm on precision and monotony (81.5 vs 67.7 average) and emotional demands (39.8 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of repeating same tasks at 82.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 56.9.
The occupation scores below the national average for physical environment (25.9 vs 38.2), responsibility burden (48.6 vs 60) and pace and demands (45.2 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 secretaries
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
82.5/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
80.5/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 3Pace and demands
Time Pressure
77.2/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 4Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
66.8/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 5Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
65/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
All 22 stress factors for secretaries
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
39.8 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People10 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People58.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations50.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
48.6 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results49.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety34.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results65 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error27.5 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others66.8 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
45.2 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure77.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week49.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment4.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making61.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition32.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
24.2 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions30.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work18 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
81.5 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks82.5 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate80.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
25.9 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable42.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting11.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures4.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections29 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity42.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for secretaries 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.
- 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
Secretaries: how stressful is the job?
Secretaries rank #221 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 44.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 30.3% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for secretaries?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of repeating same tasks (82.5/100), importance of being exact or accurate (80.5/100) and time pressure (77.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for secretaries?
Secretaries score below the national average for responsibility burden (48.6 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (45.2 vs 56 average) and lack of control (24.2 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (25.9 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 secretaries. 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.