Quick answer: University Lecturers and Tutors are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #311 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 33.5/100 against a national average of 47.4.
University Lecturers and Tutors 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 demands30.9 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden45 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands49.5 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control7 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony48.5 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment20.1 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for university lecturers and tutors
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (48.5 vs 67.7), physical environment (20.1 vs 38.2) and lack of control (7 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 university lecturers and tutors
- 1Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
68.8/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 2Pace and demands
Time Pressure
67/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 3Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
66.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 4Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
64/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 5Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
62.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
All 22 stress factors for university lecturers and tutors
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
30.9 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People10.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People41.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations40.8 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
45 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results40.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety33 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results62.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error20.5 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others68.8 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
49.5 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure67 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week64 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment0.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making66.2 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition49.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
7 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions6.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work7.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
48.5 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks40.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate56.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
20.1 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable40.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures4.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections2.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity48 vs 61.1
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
University Lecturers and Tutors: how stressful is the job?
University Lecturers and Tutors rank #311 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 33.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 1.9% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for university lecturers and tutors?
The highest-scoring hazards are coordinate or lead others (68.8/100), time pressure (67/100) and frequency of decision making (66.2/100).
Which stress factors are lower for university lecturers and tutors?
University Lecturers and Tutors score below the national average for emotional demands (30.9 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (45 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (49.5 vs 56 average) and lack of control (7 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (48.5 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (20.1 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 university lecturers and tutors. 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.