20 most stressful jobs

i have a feeling mothers and fathers have to be placed at number 1 as they try to be helpful

Being a Father is not a job, it is a choice. Stressful? Yes, but not a job!

If your going to war, pray once. If your going to sea, pray twice. If your going to get married, pray three times. "Russian proverb"

Working 40+ hours a week to provide Medical, Dental, Vision, Insurance for my wonderful wife of 25 years & 2 wonderful children ages 14 & 17. Their wants & needs never end. I would do it again but it is very stressful to pay the mortgage, taxes, food, clothing & utility bills.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mother is probably the most stressing job

yes this is one of the top ten stressful jobs trust me i know im a mom of 3 lol but they should also add being a cashier ; like at a gas station, alot of pressure goes into that job as well you have to deal with rude people ,thieves, weather or not you will make it home that day or night because you may get robbed or killed, then you have all the normal parts of the job as well, alot of people forget about the ones that have jobs like these because they dont think the job is good enough. ask yourself this question do you think you could work 7-9 hours a day by yourself no breaks run a till remember every price in the store and hope its the same price because prices change almost weekly and because you have to manually type in price cant scan items; do lottery like scratch tickets and powerball; pulltabs; scoop ice cream and keep an eye on the gas pumps and store and run a till all at the same time if you think you can do all this without being stressed out no i didnt think so because its next to impossible

And don't even get me started about the nagging husband.

Yes, it's very stressful job. Im my opinion the most stressful job which we must do all day and night

This is not a job and im not a mother but think about all the things your mother has done for you as you were growing up. If she was paid for everything she did for you she would be a millionaire by now.

mom's and dad's should be #1 lol!!

Can agree more!! You are expected to do all these with tender loving care and zero paid...! Suddenly I feel like a super woman.

I definitely agree that the most difficult/ stressful part of being a controller is training.. I recently certified at Atl Approach ( which is my first facility ) and during the training process i lost 40 lbs from the amount of stress that i was subjected to.. I would agree that it is the most rewarding job as well. I love my job and wouldn't trade it for anything.

m also frm the same famliy....being a ATC now i understood importance of time . even of seconds!!! ya happy controlling

I am a retired controller. Worked tower in Jax Fl and approach control. Stressful? Sometimes, but what job isn't ? The pay is incredible and the work conditions are always good. Stressful? spending 8 hrs a day in a factory would be much more stressful. Cant imagine a better job exists, but it's not for everyone

my mothers husband was an air traffic controller and its an incredibly important job and sounds really cool however i dont think i could handle sitting and staring at the screen that in its self would be to stressfull for me.

Glad to see controllers admitting the stress levels involved in this job. I'm a controller myself, and so many of my fellow workers deny that they are stressed. The trouble with controlling is that stress comes in short, sharp bursts and seems to vanish once the event is over. But what many don't realise is that these short stressful periods have a cummulative effect on both body and mind.

I work at Heathrow. Enough said! I have grey hair already!

Proud wife of an air traffic controller!

its good to know im going into the air force to do the most stressful job in the world

When you are in training we have to be hard on you. You literally have hundreds of lives in your hand at any given moment. You have to be broken down so that we can see you have the ability to get back up. This job is fun and only a certain few can handle it. I have controlled in busy towers and RADARS just the same. It has been stressful at times, but if you know your stuff then the stress will take care of itself. The job is fun and the job satisfaction you get from setting up a sequence that seemed impossible is like nothing else.

This job is incredibly stressful. When you go to work for only 8 hours, and come home and you are physically, mentally and emotionally drained from one day of work, it doesn't make it very easy to want to go back. It would be nice to actually enjoy it, maybe in a couple of years. I couldn't imagine working at a busy airport. Those of you who love your job, consider yourself blessed, i'm sure it makes your life much easier. And always remember.. "Keep em' seperated"

the most stressful part of this career is being in training!!! constantly being under a microscope and being told you suck has some negative impact on your ego and on your personal life. this is a career that comes FIRST and your personal life including husband/ wife and even your child LAST

As a Pilot, I just want to say that the professionalism of Controllers is amazing. They should all be proud of themselves. They keep the skies organised and keep us safe! Well done guys and gals!

Used to be a Control Tower Operator in the Air Force at a training base... Not anymore... It wasn't too bad, but I was always exhausted. Crazy hours and when it get busy, it REALLY gets busy and it's easy to become fatigued. The tower isn't the most stressful, though... I feel for the radar controllers, man!

yeah very true.........its actually a very stressful job but u have to learn how to enjoy this job.........otherwise ur exhausted...........HAPPY CONTROLLING...........

i am proud to be a family of an air traffic controllers on the world.

Im a controller in the air force think you can handle it if you knew how easy it was to put 2 aircraft together you would probably never fly again if your gonna do this skip college and the FAA go AF then DOD it pays better and youll be a better controller surrounded by more experienced controllers who actually did this before getting hired college students going to the FAA scares me

I hope to start training to become an ATCO at NATS after I finish my final year at Uni! love the idea of the job!

I want to do this job for a living. I know that it is the most stressful job, but it takes alot to get me stressed.

That's what I do for living.....keeping skies organized

I have been riding the bus since car accident nearly two years ago. I have heard of one instance where a bus driver was shot. I have been on bus where there was "gang" that were threatening female passenger and the bus driver got involved, and one of the "members" checked him out to see if he could be intimidated. He couldn't - I was really impressed. I was on one bus recently where a passenger appeared to have died (or passed out) and we had to wait for the Sheriff. All that, and the people who need psychological help who talk to the driver continually while he is driving.

I deal with at least 800 passengers a day at an eye to eye level & most of them are great. I have my share of druggies, drunks, just general rude people, Brat teen age kids trying to get a girls attention, and did I forget the time schedule. I still have not gone to the restroom in over 6 hours because the bus does not have one & my schedule will not allow it or I'll be late & get yelled out by a passenger or two because they failed to plan ahead. You should not plan any trip to a doctor, lawyer or a job & just give yourself a 4 minute window. There really are cars in front of the bus. That is why it is not moving.

my dad is a nuclear reactor operator and it is a very stressful job..he works only 12 hour shifts an hour away from home.

whaaa?!? havent you seen the simpsons, looks fun ;) jks

I agree....when your tasked with generating enough power for a small state and keeping several thousand people safe with zero room for error.

This one should be top 5, especially Senior Reactor Operators...yikes

This is forsurely the most stressful of all!!!!!!!!!

I'm a surgeon, and I feed that there are definitely more stressful jobs out there. There ARE a lot of hours to work, and it is a matter of life and death, but just for the patient, not for me. I think being in the military, or a firefighter, police officer, etc (something where you could die) would be a lot more stressful.

That's what I do for a living.....keeping people from dying.

LPN's do not have it much better when it comes to long term care all nurses are treated terrible and highly undervalued and under appreciated. Is it any wonder most nurses are long dead before they ever make it into a long-term care facility themselves. Heart attacks and strokes are a common occurrence and I have sadly buried more coworkers who never had an opportunity to retire because they could never afford it. It is honestly one of the world's most unappreciated and undervalued professions.

I think we should rank higher on this list!

Not to mention being legally responsible for the physician's actions or lack thereof! Constantly getting yelled at by tired and grumpy doctors who need to take out their frustrations on someone makes a work environment hostile.

UNDERPAID??????? YEAH

Charge Nurse in a psychiatric hospital can be very stressful. Have had co-workers attacked (teeth knocked out, bones broken, stabbed with pens, etc.) and had a client put his face right into my face and tell me, "I'll kill you right now if that's what it takes to get into Atascadero." Besides the acts and threats of danger, the charge nurse is responsible for everything that happens on the unit during the shift. When one client starts to go off the deep-end, others go with them. Can't give an emergent med without talking with the MD first (meanwhile, 3-4 staff members are manually restraining a floridly psychotic patient with seemingly super-human strength). I agree with ICU RN - a demanding position in the physical, emotional, and mental domains, 12-hour shifts, and having to work holidays make this a difficult long-term work situation. When you work from 7:00a - 7:30p on Christmas or Thanksgiving, the holiday is over by the time you get home.

As an ICU nurse, the stress level is high. It can change from life to death in a matter of moments. There continues to be a high turnover rate, work related injuries, and burnout It is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding as well as rewarding. The hours are long, working holidays, weekends, and manditory on-call shifts.

I am a chef, I have worked 80 hours this week. Busy stressful services, 40-50 covers at some times to send out with constant pressure on you to do it as fast as you can. Burning yourself, cut hands, stinky clothes. Miss all holidays. Open 365 days a year 12 hours a day. Take like 2 weeks off a year, 6-7 days a week. Running kitchen, chemicals to work with. Low budgets to put up with. Never time to sit down, to go to the toilet during service, to even get a drink. Stink of grease at the end of the day and feel exhausted. With 8-9 hours left to wash, eat, sleep etc - NO room for a social life. The pay is awful for how hard chefs actually have to work. There is also nothing about the job that makes it seem worth it. I like cooking, but I hate being a chef. Btw, I am a microwave technician ranked second in the kitchen working in a pub restaurant chain in the UK. I don't recommend this job to anyone as it's just so stressful and I cannot wait to get out of this line of work!

Lots of stress. Unlike many jobs, you cant work extra hard today so that tomorrow you have less work to do. The heat and the knives aren't stressful, you don't have the time to worry about getting cut or burned. Ive been doing this for a few years now and im not surprised to see that most of my chef/cook friends have turned to drugs and/or alcohol... myself included.

should be higher worked in a kitchen from age of 11 chefin from age 15 am 28 now and only had 2 holidays had loads off stress and fatigue problems and the biggest pain is the health inspectors who dont have a clue about running a restaurant

Hmm I just have to say, to the comment above - I have worked at several cooking jobs and several waiting jobs, and outside the pay I really enjoyed cooking. However Id rather go live in a tent than go back to waitressing.

I can't help but laugh at a waiter saying its more stressfull then a chefs position. cry me a river you have to deal with customers, and the line cooks both upset at you. make a short list of what a waiter and a chef has to do waiter - deal with customers, o and lets not forget roll silverware. ok Chef - deal with the stupidity of a server and the cooks who are just there for a job, cook food that wont kill people and is delicious and uniform to the recipe, prepare large bulk recipes in the middle of service, work both with a ticket and verbal orders, work as a team with people you may or may not like, work with knives and be around everything that can burn you and under allot of heat while wearing a chef coat. o and when all said and done have to stay untill everything is cleaned and spottless. not to mention the average 10 to 14 hour days with no breaks and 6 to 7 day work weeks. the only thing i am glad i dont have to do and not to say that i havent is doing a split shift. other then that a waiter will make 3 times what i make while doing 1/4th of the work.

fire and knives!

I have worked as a waiter for years now and whether or not being a chef is more stressful, is debatable. While I have a huge amount of respect for you and what you do (I couldn't do it), at the end of the day, when all is said and done, you guys don't have to deal with customers and that's where ninety five percent of my frustration comes from.You have to deal with us, yes, but you don't have to deal with customers and that is why we are always so stressed out!

Cooking is FOR SURE stressful. I would say it would have to be one of the least paying jobs for the actual intensity you have to deal with. it is not uncommon to have 5,6, or sometimes even 7 hour service periods where you have to be alert, focused, quick and precise to avoid crashing the whole show. It is physically and mentally exhausting. There are times of sheer panic and confusion, I'm not kidding. It is alot more stress than most people could imagine, but at the end of the day, were not saving lives, we're cooking food. You will almost never get rich by cooking, but a great cook doesnt do it for the money. We do it because we love it and we couldent imagine doing anything else.

No way serving is way more stressful that cooking ... I've worked on both sides. If the kitchen screws up they dont get yelled at by customers and they don't get stuck with the bill if someone walks out. On top of that the kitchen staff will yell at me if a customer is complaining or wants something extra ... and all the while I have ti maintain an upbeat attitude and smile. Servers get it from both sides.

omg!!!!!!!! my guy hs got his dream job of bein a chef...was so happy for him too, until i read these posts.... keeping my fingers crossed :) just pray that he'll be sane after so mch stress....

Chef in place number 79? I can't believe waiter has been voted more. People obviously have never been in a kitchen, been a chef is probably one of the mos stressful jobs out there. Just look at how many chefs are on drugs, alcohol or how many smoke (many say this is a stereotype that chefs smoke. I work at the Ritz and it is VERY stressful, people demand everything to be perfect, long working hours (prep, lunch and dinner service), you hardly have time to SIT, you have to keep everything in order, motivate the line cooks and waiters, hygiene, creativity, feedback, i can go on for hours. BUT the worst thing is.... You miss TONS AND TONS OF social and family events.

I go to catering college full time and work part time. I'm only 17 yet i've already had more stress from work than I thought was possible. I feel sorry for the higher employees in the kitchen. Chef should defo be higher!

On a busy friday shift I put a glass of water in front of me as i started at 10am by the time I finish at 10pm I never took a sip of it.

chef has to be the most stressful...I know I am one...I would like anybody to try and run a kitchen...man oh man....everything flies at you at once including staff.....if it is not perfect than *&^% hits the fan

Now I must say I don't have that much exp. in other lines of work. Just on a factory assembly line (easy but lonely), sales rep at a shoe store (fun, social, yet we all know how picky customers get), and at a coulpe of fast food places (easy, easy, easy, but depressing :( ), and then two jobs as a line cook. Being a line cook is definitley the most stressful job I've had but it's fast paced and i love it. Although it defintley varies from restaurant to restaurant and also for the individual. There is always going to be a person that doesn't want to do the job right so you have to step in and either correct it or simply do it your self. These individuals accumulate like mad in the kitchen considering alot of restaurants don't care about hiring people with exp. The things that suck about working in a kitchen (Bill times, Bitchy front of house, Endless stocking and food prerparation, the sound a chit makes as an order gets punched in, customers not knowing how a steak is supposed to be cooked, incompetent employees, oven timers and dishes breaking, being surrounded by food that is never for you, memorizing all the things being called out and not forgetting the food thats on the go, 911's, app lines, desserts, and just the plain old randomness of when it gets busy, customers are like the rain you see a dark cloud next thing you know your drenched.) isn't actually that bad depending on if your restaurant is organized. unlike chicken strips i don't float when I'm cooked

im 19 an i work 2 kitchen jobs 75plus hours a week, ths shud be way higher, stress as a line cook is quite inense, your head chef calling 15 orders at a time ya lets see you remember all that

ya exactly chef is probably one of the most stressful jobs becuase everything has to be perfect especially where i come from an staff an all that have tot take the heat so if anythign chef shhould be up way higher

People dont even have a clue, a kitchen to run, staff to motivate, a gp to meet and a stressfull serivce. Oh sorry pls the health hygine saftey, feedback, menu writing and the fact you will be liabble (PRISON) for any ilness that may occur as a result of your food. Oh yeah 65+ hours per week

waiter more stressful than a chef no way.

I was excited when I finally became a Corrections Officer. I started in a Maximum security prison and was in awe of everything... a few years have past and now i find myself disgusted. My work has affected my social outlook, relationships, and general dealings with everyday strangers. I stay because i have a son and my responsibility to my family outweighs my hate for my job.

I have been a Deputy Sheriff working in the corrections division for 9 years and have found it to be the most mentally stressing job I have ever had. Compared to fast paced factory work to bartending (dealing with drunks so like the jail) and working in public sales, I have to conduct myself just as professional as any other job and treat the (not so average) population with the same kind of respect as I would expect. These "people", in most cases, are verbally, mentally and can be physically challenging. I learn not take to anything personal but alot of days you just have to walk away and say I am not dealing with this right now. This job has affected my relationships and my personality toward the worst. I recoment to any "wanna be police officer" to start with a dept. that does not run its oun jail. Good Luck!

I HATE this damn job

Best job in the world if u can handle the huge amounts of stress. It will make u or break u

absolutely right.. They just turn from the wrong become right..

This should definitely be higher up in the list. I work as a customer service call agent for a telecommunications company and it drains me out. You have call stats to meet everyday, managers breathing down your neck so they see every minute of your 8.5 hours of work is utilised efficiently and endless follow up cases to do. The money is good for a temp job and the co-workers are mostly great. Ut the job itself really sucks.

I have been in call center industry for 8 years and must admit it is one of the most stressfull jobs you can think of at all levels starting from reps till top management.

I hear a lot of people stating that dangerous jobs are stressful...really? most people who get into dangerous jobs enjoy it...but now its stressful? I think and always will no matter where I go in life that customer service is the most stressful job hands down (I work full-time, go to school part-time, am a single mom and always have been, for 9 years now, the bread winner, and wear the pants in the family, as well as run my household)...customer service is not generally a job people choose, like surgeons, firefighters, police officers etc. it's what's available! You literally are expected to be a robot...this isn't a stretch of my imagination, seriously, if you react or change the tone in your voice once - you could ultimately fail the company's Quality Assurance which could eventually lead to you losing your job. I'm sorry I'm a human if you give me 2 or 3 different stories and I'm confused, my tone is going to change. If you aren't or never have been in customer service, my biggest piece of advise is TELL THE TRUTH! you make our lives a lot easier and we're generally more willing to help someone who can admit they made a mistake. Ask anyone who is in a customer service role, how they honestly feel about the position - good luck on finding someone who tells you they enjoy it!

Im giggling to myself as I just quit my job doing call center work to go back to school to be an RN, which according to this list is a notch more stressful! While I am just a student and only starting to deal with patients, I would have to say I dont think being a nurse could be anymore stressful. At least there is a value on nursing, people see it as doing something good. However when I worked at the call center I wouldnt even ADMIT the company I worked for, because I could not even BE at work and if I mentioned the company name i would STILL get people upset with me about my "evil giant"!

I am a single mother and as I admit it is one of the most challenging experiences I have endured in my lifetime... Call Center should be number one...sorry. Aside from people complaining back to back about policies that cannot be changed we also have to deal with the stress of our company monitoring each call and being graded for our job performance on surveys customers fill out. You can be polite and friendly as possible but get a bad report from customer because the customer was not happy with your "difficult message" which in turn effects your negatively as an employee in the eyes of the company. (when its their policy in the first place that customers complain about). On top of that you have metrix to meet, call handle times, and time you spend between calls making notes (which for my company are nearly impossible to meet) the stress adds on and on. Since I started this position I have so much respect for customer service reps and really give them a huge pat on the back...this is the most difficult job to do and I cannot wait until something else comes along or until my degree is finished to get something better. Very stressful.. Id rather be a single parent of a hundred children first..before doing this type of job again.

I agree! I work at a Call Centre and to listen to people complain all day really sucks your soul dry and I find myself getting very bitter. I am planning an exit strategy to get into real estate. The money is decent in this job, but the cost of doing the work is expensive. I suppose for someone who is , well I don't know what kind of person, maybe a robot!!! You just get so numb to the complaints and start to not really consider their point of view, cause you do not have the option to personally see to it that the issue is resolved or even to correct the issue that caused the problem so it doesn't ghappen again. It's all about the money and the level of service is compromised in my opinion by call centre's cause they are more concerned with getting off the phone before their average handle time ratio goes up....very tiuresome and what a waste of life!

Omg...I 1000% have to agree on this. It is REALLY a soul crashing job!! I cannot find a real human being in there. Everyone has trained to be like a robot. Mind and body is kept in one place in front of the screen for 8 hrs. No creativity. No social life with other colleagues. Real interpersonal skills get worse. You have a mental breakdown from time to time. ....don't even think about it

I work for a collection company call people all day and night trying to getnthem to pay there bills when the eccnom is bad really sucks

Absolute hell. When I hang up the phone it is already ringing again with a new person/problem and there is no time between calls to fix the previous customer's problems. If it can't be fixed while the customer is on the phone, it's a lost cause. Then they call back wondering why I didn't follow through, and accuse me of avoiding their calls because I was on the phone every time they called back and couldn't take their calls right away. I get called every name in the book and I am held personally responsible by each customer I speak with for "screwing up". It is my fault that UPS was closed on Saturday and couldn't deliver the customer's merchandise after they ordered Next Day delivery on Friday night after business hours. And on and on. It's miserable.

this should def be in the top 10...i work for call center that deals with cell phone customer service...omg...i have been there 5yrs due to the fact that i make decent money and not a lot of jobs here but really it should be in the top 10 for sure

It is basically listsening to people screaming 8 hours a day, with no way to make it stop!!

IT that supports sales is even worse, they make promises that you can't keep and you ae left explaining that to angry customers. Every single customer that I work with wants me to re-arrange my schedule to get to them sooner.

I can completely agree with this. Trying to manage an IT department is very difficult and stressful. One reason being is all the users that you have to deal with have a "I am the most important" attitude. I find myself working on 3 things at a time. If you don't resolve their problem within a couple of hours you hear about it. Like mentioned above, sometimes I wish I could just turn the phone off so I can get some work done. In this particular job I feel like I am a computer technician and a psychiatrist because every person comes to you complaining about how this computer being slow or infected with viruses is affecting their lives. So you have to calm the person down before you start to work on the computer. Hearing complaints all day gets very tiring. On the side note I always try to avoid telling people I meet that I am a computer tech. All you will hear is about their computer problems.

I can only agree to what has been said. I have been in IT support for over 4 years now... and I just want out.

IT sucks, I used to work as IT Manager and after a while I realized that being responsible for IT was one of the worst things in the world so I quit and became an English teacher. No more phones ringing asking stupid questions, thank God.

Getting yelled at by other ppl because of their own mistakes. My mind is totally dead

the apple does not fall far away from the tree. thats what you are dealing with when it comes to bad parents and kids at school. teachers deal with this on a regular basis

its not human vs computer or sitting at a cubicle all day and working when you you feel like it. you have to put on a happy face regardless of how you are feeling and deal with mutiple personalities and emotional issues while trying to teach kids who can disrupt your class at any given day throughout the year.

NO idea.. try being a preschool teacher in charge of 20 children's safety and comfort every day from 7 to 6

most people who have no clue wouldn´t survive a full day, nevermind come back for another.

29th?? Really? I am a teacher. You guys have no idea what true stress really is.

Marines and military jobs are the hardest and most stressful jobs hands down. Making sure you all keep your "stressful jobs" and freedom!

NOT AS HARD AS WAITING ON A FIRE!

As a police officer I can tell you that there is something that is very stressful but is often overlooked by outsiders. That is the frivilous complaints that result in extensive investigations that the average citizen would never be subject to. A lot of rights that citizens have do not apply to police officers.

On top of the hard work that the police do, they are also subject to a 24 hour a day code of conduct and expected to act any time if they see something serious happening.

I applaud all officers who give their time and their efforts to keep the citizens of their communities safe. While you are underpaid for your job, just know that you are appreciated. The growing amount of stress for officer through strict rules and guidelines, ensure that each suspect is treated fairly and given all rights under the constitution, even if they are undeserving. An officers dedication in these working conditions, and to his/her job should be recognized. It is not easy to give up their personal lives in hopes that their citizens can be secure in theirs. Thank you for all that you do.

Some departments are slow. You go to any city over a million ppl. We run all night. Dallas, LA, NY, Chicago, Detroit. Very busy and very stressfull.

Firefighter turned cop. Police work far, far more stressful

i would like to say that if you dont actually work as a firefighter you dont know anything about the job. i am one and i dont diss other occupations since i clearly dont know what another job consists of. i work 24 hour shifts and absolutely hate them. i cant quit because i have too much time in and i need the security as i have a family to support. when people talk about the tax payers dime its clearly obvious that they dont have a clue how the job is classified. fire services are a service, not a business. we dont generate an income for the city. we cant strike, we dont have the ability to work to rule like police. we dont give tickets to generate income, we rely on the tax payer as they rely on us to be there to aid, help, save lives and property. we deal with PTS. i have never forgotten the bad calls that i have gone to and how many people died in car crashes, or the jumpers, or the ones that hang themselves or gas and shoot themselves. i live with these memories everytime i go through an intersection or drive by a street or an apartment building where these things occured. we deal with occupational diseases like crazy. this year alone we had 4 active members die within 3 months from age 48-52 due to disease that is directly related to our job. we deal with brain cancer, lung and heart disease, a myriad of other cancers,let alone the physical stresses such as knees, hips and backs. our national average of death is in the range of 62 years of age. im not sure what the average age of death is for someone swinging a hammer and hitting his thumb but i would guess not 62. we have to retire at age 60. thats mandatory. what happens if because things have happened that retiring at 60 is not really an option due to financial strain? so like i say, while i am not here to say that other occupations are or are not stressful, i know what being a firefighter is all about. this is not a job that i want my two sons to do, however if they so decide i will support them totally.

If your dad is working 24 hour shifts he obviously has lots of time to relax and sleep. This is all on the taxpayer's dime. I know several firemen and they often go an entire 24 hour shift with NO calls. And as for being away from home.....they work two of those shifts a week, the rest of the time they ARE at home, or wherever else they want to be. Oh, and that's BEFORE their holidays!

Excuse me but my dad is a firefighter and know how stressed he gets. Lets see you go on 4 calls in the middle of the night within a couple hours of each other spending 24 hour shifts away from home.

There is no way this is a stressful job! I'm a contractor and have done work in several fire stations in my town. They all sit in big leather chairs watching television and then sleep at night. ONCE they went on a call while I was there....they were back 20 minutes later. Then they have the nerve to say they should get paid as much as the cops; what a joke.

OK, I get that going into a burning building is pretty exciting (stressful?) But look at the balance: all that playing pool, flirting with the girls and going out on strike. No wonder so many people want this job!

im a dum fireman wh kant spel worth a **** omg backdraft is on

My father was a fireman and it was a bizarre mix of extremes. Most of the time he was bored witless with nothing to do, then when a shout did come in it was the most scary, stressful and exciting thing in the world.

I feel thatthis is the most stressful job in the world I happen to be a fire fighter in NY and save lives ever from burning building as well as being one of the fire fighers who lived threw fighting the fire at 911

call centre operator is number 6 yet this is number 16. wow.

we pick our professions

much respect to these guys

amen

wicked job $457000 per year 3 week s off a monyh west jet rocks

you guys retards they are talking about fighter pilots

What?

I don't think it is so stressful, emirates offers 3 days as holiday per weak! That's even better than most schools!

Having to finance your own training, endless exams, flight test, medicals, fighting to get your first job. Paying for your type rating, taking a hit on your pay whilst under probation. Simulator check rides, operating proficiency checks. Oh not to mention Air Traffic slots on half hour turnarounds, missing bags, missing passenger, poor weather, medical emergencies, all with the pressure of time and fuel considerations. Stressful, you could say.

How about the physical checkups and massive exams every six months, not including the jet lag and being away from your family for long periods of time. ****

the 100k and the autopilot stress me the fark out!

I disagree with the ranking, but agree with the comments. My wife is a 911 operator. Ask an emergency services professional. These 911 operators are their absolute life line for not only the police,fire and ambulance but for the people calling in in distress. They must also listen to the person calling in screaming at the other end of the line and remain composed. How would you like to listen to a person on the other end of the line that has just lost a loved one talking to them all the while having to remain silent so they know that person isn't going to do something irrational. I think the person who rated these jobs seriously DIDN'T have a clue as to the real world.

Are you kidding? This should be in the top 10. We work long hours with literally no breaks except to relieve bodily functions. We are basically chained to a console by way of a headset. We have to eat our meals at are consoles. And I've been a dispatcher for 24 years and have yet to be able to know what I had for dinner much less enjoy it. We are responsible for every police officer, firefighter, and ems person in the county. We must monitor other jurisdictions for major incidents in progress, and we are held to very high Aren't and are quality assured on all 911 calls. We are trained in emergency medical dispatch as well as emergency fire and police dispatch. And we must follow these protocols even when the caller is screaming foe us to JUST send an ambulance or place or fire depaetment. We are underapprreciated even by our own management and are always guilty until proven innocent when something goes wrong.

This should be ranked a little higher. We have to endure alot from the general public, officers, and administrators. It can be very stressful getting yelled at by just about everyone-and you have to take it.

absolutely stressful. i am professional firefighter and have worked in our alarm room filling in for 3 years off and on. i couldnt handle it. thank god there are people capable of doing this. the phone rings, the officers talking to you on the radio and if it is a multi rig alarm you are talking to a lot of people at the same time. then they need you to call police, hydro, gas company, and the like. there is a lot going on. very stressful and should be rated WAY higher.

While I don't think we have the same type of stress as a police officer-after all, we don't face getting shot on a daily basis-we do however face many similar stresses and then some different ones. We have bad and/or long hours, have to deal with the public who are not happy to call the police and keep officers safe. We are held to the same higher standard of conduct, same laws, rules and regulations. If we make an error people can die-officers or citizens. We listen to people fight, scream at us or even kill themselves on the phone-and as soon as that call is done-go onto the next one. The larger the department, the worse it is. While I didn't take this job to get "have a nice day" at the end of the call, I think this job needs more recognition as a profession and given more respect and awareness.

I do this in the UK - 12 hour days and nights, bad pay and more of less responsible of a situation until a crew arrives on scene. Take abuse from drunks, people who wont take the advice that they've called to receive and not to mention trying to give CPR instructions over the phone.

I don't know if I'd compare this job to that of a Police officer. However, I do agree that it can be extremely stressful at times. Operators need some serious communication skills and definitely need patience and the ability to keep calm.

I believe this should be ranked higher on the list; tied with police officer, actually. This person is responsible for so many lives and is held so highly accountable. The stress is enormous.

work all day with giant pipes when you get home your so tired you say "f the shower theres a bed in the other room" this feild has had the most deaths in the last 5 years than most of these other ones...

trying to remember the numbers to the pagers of all the real doctors is extremely difficult. Let's order labs and a CT scan, oonsult everybody, and hope that someone will actually take care of the patient and make a diagnosis.

Not to mention that you have 80+ people working for you, with 80+ different personalities. You have to get along with, and make sure that they all get along with each other. With 3500 people a week coming through your doors and yes they are "always right".

I have been in the restaurant biz for 23 years, 17 of them as a manger. The hardest part is that there are 100 things going on all at the same time and you have to be on top of all of them all the time.Taking care of pissed guest,stupid employees,lazy people, the drama, oh the drama, not to mention the pressure from above to hit all your monthy numbers, and all to the tune of 60+ hours a week. It's a greatjob if you find the right place, but if you are in a poorly run establishment or have an owner who is crazy, you can burn out real fast. It's a young persons game. Once you reach your 40's your pretty much shot.

I guess that working as a bar or restaurant staff should be on a much higher position in this ranking. I've been doing this job for a while beside studies in a very known five-stars hotel chain. Working hours as mentioned above, a VERY BAD PAYMENT for the everyday staff (not me as a part-time helper) and a very high level of stress are reason enough for me to say that I definitely won't do this job for my whole lifetime because one get paid too badly for the stress one has to suffer. I've been really glad that I have decided for studies and not for this job, although that I love working with lots of people, are flexible in thinking and much more. Nevertheless, you should know that I am German and not British or American. I don't know the difference between the places, but I'm almost for sure that it isn't big when taking into account that guests or just guests - No matter where one works!

i did this full time before my current profession and i feel it can be very stressful. with more and more cars on the road and a lot of people that dont know how to drive properly it can be maybe more frustrating then stressful. i have never been an owner operator but being one would for sure add a lot of stress to the job as you have to be aware of costs. its also a very important job to the whole success of the economy. so yes, i agree that it can be a stressful job, but its more of a frustrating job BUT its a VERY IMPORTANT job. look at all the trucks on the road. how do you think stuff gets to where ever its being sold, or used? so i would suggest to the 4 wheelers to be aware of the trucks and do your best to allow them the room they need.

In my opinion, we truck drivers are too far down on the list. A lot of people think our job is easy for the simple fact that all we do is hold onto a steering wheel all day. Well, we do, but think about it, ALL DAY. It takes a special kind of person to be able to sit behind the wheel for 11 hours straight day in and day out. Not to mention the varied hours every day and night. Truck drivers can be compared to a swing shift worker in the way that we have no idea what hours we will be working from day to day or where our job will be taking us that day. Most drivers are home weekly nowadays but some are still away from home for 2-3 weeks or more. I, myself, like to think ofmy career as a combination of jobs, for instance, we are part ground traffic coordinator, public relations manager, bookkeeper, financial analist, and most of all, dispatcher. We drivers realize that we have chosen our career and don't want or expect pity. We would just like a little respect for doing a very important and thankless job.

People under estimate the stress we go through. There are many people out there on the highways and by ways that are willing to die for 10 feet of pavement. We have angry dispatchers, a-hole drivers, weather, 10-18 gears we have to (work) through, 80,000 pound loads and time away from home. If we were to stop trucking, this country would shut down in 3 days.... No b.s, just plain facts man.

Remember you have to deal with the lack of light, flooding, gas leaks (natural gas & methane), getting lost, caveins, mice, rats, snakes & many types of insects.

True, a lot of people couldn't do this job. But the challenge is the physical aspect. It's not that stressful. Unless you're having Methane problems down there. And then you can panic.

Most of you wimps couldn't last one full day at this job.....

I agree that jobs where you hold peoples lives in your hands are the most stressful...but this one should be higher on the list. Some of the rudest and meanest people are dining customers! You meet hundreds of new people a week (20--30 at a time) and you have to adjust your personality, speed, manners and tone with every table...and unlike most other jobs...your income relies on this. Not a lot of other workers have to put up with being yelled at, insulted, demeaned and even being the stress relief target for others and still have to smile and apologize without having time to take a break and shake it off. Don't believe me? I challenge anyone to try it for a week!

I have worked as a waiter for close to seven years now, in many different restaurants and concepts. I personally believe this position should rank in the top three on this list. It doesn't take a genius to wait tables, but you have to be very tough. The amount of ignorance and selfishness that some people insist on conveying on a daily basis, astounds me. Many people are rude just because you are payed to be polite. Not to mention that you have to deal with bratty children (not all),people that modify their entire order,computers that are complicated,cards that get declined, people that want checks split ten ways,people that want change,people that want to change their order,hosts that cant seat in rotation,cooks that are far from perfect, managers that instead of telling you "nice job," insist on riding you about mentioning and selling an array of complicated new or additional items, to every table!! Normally this is all going on at the same time and just when you think you are going to up and quit if it gets any worse....you get sat with another party of six.

unless you have waited you will never know what it's like a lot of people think it's simple but there is a lot more behind the scenes. try taking care of 20 to 30+ people at the same time making sure drinks are filled food is put in right, comes out right, and that every person is happy, and if they aren't you don't get paid cause the 3.65$ they make only covers taxes.

People try to get everything free most of the time just to not pay you not understanding that yoour tips is most likely what you live on

Oh, and for the technician at the top, I would love to come and work at your store. I have NEVER worked in a store where I got to just stand there and watch all day long. You must work in one of those "model" stores I have been told about that is actually given close to a reasonable number of hours. These are the stores they train new pharmacists and technicians in before throwing them into real world pharmacy where there is not even enough time to fill vials, file scripts, do returns, ect EVER unless you stay late. But, even staying late doesn't get the job done because 10 customers come by begging you to reopen and call corporate when you tell them you don't have a register anymore. Plus, if you make a mistake, your license won't be taken away at the end of the day. It will be my license that I went to school for 6 years to get. So, now we can add your attitude to the long list of things that make my job stressful. I'm sorry everyone else. I just had to get that off my chest.

Any way you cut it there just needs to be more help in most pharmacies. It would not be nearly so stressful if we had more help. If we had the power to pay the good technicians more, we would not have to train new help all the time when they leave because of the stress. The pharmacist would also have more time to help with these other tasks if there were two pharmacists instead of only one responsible for filling 400+ scripts per day. Its kind of hard to answer two technician questions, answer the doctor calling on line one, answer the patient question on line two, counsel the patient out front about an herbal product, and fill CII script that just came in....not to mention all the waiters in between around 5pm. The lack of help sometimes makes us turn on eachother. Thank goodness I love my technicians where I am now. For the most part, we try to stick together and it makes the day so much better :) I have their backs and they have mine. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world, and I make sure they know it!

I use pharmacists just like doctors, even though they're not - for me, they're usually more informed than doctors, without the pay, etc. Are they qualified to be treated that way? If I were them, I'd lose sleep too

I think there are some truths in the above comments, but the situation is quite different in Canada,..or at least in my province. Almost all pharmacy students work as technicians during the school year to gain experience in the pharmacy environment, and during the summers we do internships with the pharmacist in different settings. I think it's great because it allows them to learn the various tasks in the pharmacy while learning the theory, but it also allows them to experience the pharmacy setting from a different perspective (that IMHO will make for a more understanding pharmacist later on) I won't say that pharmacy technicians have an easier time because they don't, but I don't think it's appropriate to say the pharmacist has an easier job either, they're just different and require good communication so that the entire task can be completed effectively. The pay is also quite different here for pharmacy technicians. From my personal experience in pharmacy, whenever there was a rush, the pharmacist would help with the technical work/insurance if there were no patients waiting at the other end already. They're both hardworking components of a team that deserve the same respect.

Yeah right, as a pharm tech turned pharmacist, I would say the technicians are definitely under the most stress. Most pharmacists have never worked as technicians, and have no idea how stressful it is. As a pharmacist I try to keep in mind how little the techs get paid when I b*tch and moan at them to do things.

Pharmacists have just as many responsibilities as a pharm tech, but they're not as diverse. They do a lot of different things on the phone, they check and they take care of C II's and such. But, yes, technicans deserve to get paid more and this should definitely be moved up higher than #32 if you consider high volume pharmacies that fill more than 350 a day, such as mine.

True, but it's the Pharmacist who is responsible for what happens in the Pharmacy. The liability is on them. The Pharmacist has to oversee the staff to make sure that everything is running appropriately, if not, they'll have to step in and handle it accordingly. Also, the Pharmaicist is the one who has to deal with upper management and their numbers. They also make any adjustments in staffing and their hours when called upon to do so, which isn't easy. Oh yeah, in between all that they have to make sure the drug is apporpriate and safe for the patient. Now, lets talk about flu shots....

Actually pharmacy technicians enter the rx's, taking care of the customers at the counter, at the drop-off, and at the drive-thru all at the same time. I have never seen a pharmacist call on an insurance problem, the techs do this also. Tech's also take inventory, count the pills, organize tech staff, put rx's in bins and remove and credit insurance if not picked up after calling the patient. Make IV medications, oral extemps, run discrepancy reports and correct errors, etc. etc. Oh…yeah…and make around $20,000 a year. A pharmacists verifies orders and counsels customers. The techs do the rest. It’s a sad simple truth.

As a pharmacist, you are multi-tasking like mad. You have doctors calling in scripts, patients waiting for their prescriptions at the counter, at the drop-off, the drive-thru, ...then there's the gazilliion insurance companies you have to contact for billing issues. Not to mention, after all that is out of the way, you have to make sure that the drug is appropriate, safe, and effective for the patient...oh, and can't forget drug shortages!! So next time you get a prescription, do not ask why it would take 20mins to do. And please don't ring up your milk at the pharmacy.

I work as a social worker for older people and i agree with your example. I see for myself the stress of your job, that of the care worker also. And to make matters much worse... the pay is far too low.

time is only one stress factor. labor is expensive. people are depending on the technician to make the correct diagnosis in a timely manner. also i dont think people realize that an inatentive mechanic can ruin your car, cost you a bunch of money. and worst case would be a failed brake job during an emergency stop, or a wheel falling off on the freeway.

you'd be astounded at how much money management spends trying to make sure you engineers don't screw things up. Managing finances, people, and engineers (yes they are separate almost like children) is a huge responsibility

You'd be astounded how much money engineers are responsible for. Managing finances and being liable for your engineering decisions is a huge responsibility.

Engineers have the easiest job on earth, no one understands what they are doing, and they don't understand what others do ....

I deepest upset but Its TRUE..

There is nothing called military air traffic controller. A controller is just a controller, let it be military or civil. So it should be ranked at par with Air Traffic controller.

My hat is off to you & I would pay you more but in this area you will never be able to win. I would not be a foster parent, even if you paid me a million dollars. There are way to many variables in this mess. The system is deseigned to fail & it almost always does.

i am also stunned that it isnt higher on the list!

I completely agree. I am a social worker and i often worry about when the **** hits the fan. We're the worker ants and will be sold out and blamed at any opportunity - by everyone. I often feel embarrassed to admit my job in 'social' situations - everyone hates social workers.

After seeing what happened to chilean miners we have to agreer that this job is rather difficult.

I am a teacher. It may well be that 20 years ago, stressors didn't have that big of an impact, but these days, what with demands from the state as well as the nation, budget cuts, special accommodations, etc., teaching is exceedingly stressful. If all I did was teach, I would love love love my job. But as it stands, every year, more gets added to our list of things to do with less time and fewer resources to accomplish those tasks. If it weren't for the kids, I wouldn't stay in the field. I teach for them.

I am a teacher in an international school in a city. Teaching is a very stressful yet it's the most interesting job that i can deal with children. I'm teaching Music, ICT and also a classroom teacher. Teaching music is really interesting but it is very stressful when there are special events in the school where you have to train each and every event & all of them should be up to the expected level of the principal and all other teachers,parents. Dealing with kids 8- 15 age is a really hard work and sometimes when i feel tired like a donkey after controlling those playful children for all the items. Being a classroom teacher is nice because even I'm 24yrs old i feel like a mom when I'm with them. but it's really stressful because all the classroom activities should be handled by myself. taking all the risks of every child is a hard work. Specially in a term-end all the music and ICT answer scripts should be marked before a due date, this is the most hectic work.And all the progress reports, average lists,prize lists must be prepared by myself. Up to today i have never return home at the 1.30pm with other teachers because every I have to stay for senior and junior Bands,choirs trainings and i have spent lots of over nights on marking papers and making term plans. Teachers do get a vacation but if they don't get it they will run high tension at the end. Teaching is a really stressful job with a inner happiness of sharing knowledge!

The person who had the audacity to state that they are a night class teacher and find teaching a breeze should try getting a proper teaching job! I work from quarter past seven until five every day and then still take home at least an hour of marking every day. Half my weekend is also spent marking and planning, Most days I don't even have time to go to the toilet at school. Every illness I get is picked up from sick children whose parents couldn't be bothered to keep them home. An inclusive classroom is like working in a zoo. Imagine 30 people demanding your FULL attention for 6 hours a day, there is never a moment when you can relax. Forget about ever being able to show how you may truly be feeling, you just have to smile all day long. Teaching is the worst job I have ever had and after 7 years I cannot wait to resign at the end of the month. People who think teachers have it easy really are uninformed, ignorant morons.

I'm not a teacher but I want to be one, ok teachers do work hard very very much For example they have to run off papers for the kids and get ready for the year and there are a lot more ( to much to list) I'm very glad to help out.

I have had bad jobs - Fast food (higher on the list), sales person (higher on this list) and I have cleaned toilets! I am now a teacher and it is by far the most stressful job. Maybe teaching in British schools is different to America. Oh and by the way - teaching an english class at an evening school is not the same as a school teacher!

I love teachers but they hardly ever work. In Portland, OR the average teacher works less than 7.5 months a year. Our teachers get lots of holidays, teacher planning days, Thanks Giving break, Christmas break & just under 3 months off during the summer. I am aware of their stress & the problems that they have to deal with concerning management & the childrens families.

That last post was well stated. I teach at a private school, where I don't have to worry about whether or not my students are getting enough to eat at home and I don't have to worry too much about discipline issues because most are fairly well behaved. STILL, the amount of time it takes to grade, lesson plan, communicate with parents, after school tutorials, schedule make-up work for absent/sick students, collaborate with colleagues, go to staff meetings, update my class websites daily, get evaluated by administrators, respond to school-wide emails, and of course TEACH, demands 60 - 80 hours from me each week. I feel I earn that summer vacation when I'm working double the amount of hours most jobs require.

Well if you are "teaching English at night" one would be led to think this group of individuals are either: in college, pursuing a GED, or removed from the normal school day for other reasons. Whatever the case, night school is not representative of a normal school's demographics. Teaching 130+ 14-16 year olds through a 7 hour day in an urban school district is a bit different. The actual teaching is the enjoyable part. Now add in meetings with administrators, PLCs, unions, parents, departments, IEP commity, and other specialized school programs. How about all the latest "vitally important" mandates and changes coming from all levels of district administration, the state, and federal levels on a weekly basis? And for those of us who care about the success of our students: staying long after school ends to help kids and giving up planning periods and lunch periods to do the same. I am a head coach 3 seasons a year and anyone who coaches certainly knows that the monetary compensation does not make up for the hours put into the job. I have just briefly outlined the job of "teacher" that was added to this stressful job list. If you do not know what it is like to be THIS kind of teacher, please do not comment. Thank you.

I've already been a can collector, chicken killer, office worker and Information Technology Manager. Now I'm a Salesperson during the day and at night I teach English and I feel like I'm in heaven now. Stop complaining, if you've ever done only one thing in your whole life, you have no parameters to say that teaching is a bad job. maallsi@hotmail.com

I agree with the person that said teaching is VERY STRESSFUL!!!! If you care and you are doing a great job, it is beyond stressful. I work in an urban school district where everyone is on welfare and parents are in jail and barely anyone speaks English as a first language. Try being the best teacher and getting these kids to pass all state and federal testing as well as parenting these parents. The responsibilities are ENORMOUS and never ending. The first teacher who said the first year is the only stressful year must teach a half day in rich suburbia. She has no idea!!!!!

I don't know what planet the teachers above are from or the quality of their teaching! But teaching is by far one of the most demanding and stressful jobs around if you give 100% for the good of the children in your care. I have been a classroom teacher for 10 years and I describe it as the best and worst of all jobs - the kids are great however the relentless paperwork, changes in policy etc and parents that don't care together with children who really shouldn't be in mainstream education for their own sake all add to the pressure - not to mention the pace at which you work at. Personally, I am lucky if I manage to get a hot cup of tea or find time to go to the toilet each day. However, I wouldn't want to do anyother job in the world!

I am a teacher and when I get the summers off I realize how stressful things were, especially with all the testing the students have to go through.

i am a teacher and i think that it is the responsibility of the parents to tell their kids to behave properly in the school than a teacher. The teacher who threatens students are more tensionless than those who are friendly towards them.

I teach elementary school and my biggest stress factor by far are parents. Too many parents have no idea how to parent, spend no time with their kids, and make poor decisions that have severe consequences on their kids emotionally. On the other side, are parents who think they, and their kids, are entitled to special treatment. If they don't get it, they come into school screaming at my or my principal. Ugh!! I am trying to talk my daughter out of majoring in education in college next year! No human being deserves to be treated the way too many parents treat teachers.

I've been a teacher for several years now. I have to say that as a Middle School teacher, there are times that can be rather stressful. Still, the most stressful thing you have to deal with is the parents. They either don't care how their kids are doing, or they provide a drug and alcohol filled homelife, or they go ballistic over every "c" or below that their child makes while not showing any concern before the grades come out. Sometimes I think that a person should have to go to school to learn how to be a proper parent.

I am a teacher - this work is stressful only for the first year - then you can get used to - it becomes nice, as you have some methods of dealing with kids worked out.

signal , one bad move of a control or short in the system an people die equipment gets damaged an even your very own life can be taken so this should be under air traffic controller . same stress factor if not more people die but unlike an air traffic controller your own life is at risk .

well you have people lives in your hands, moving millions of dollars of equipment with lives with in reach of the load your lifting . moving a few inches at a time in the blind with only a radio of a guy standing on a beam up by the load . the power of doing this with your finger tips like flying a jet aircraft (fly by wire ) on bad signal , one bad move of a control or short in the system an people die equipment gets damaged an even your very own life can be taken so this should be under air traffic controller . same stress factor if not more people die but unlike an air traffic controller your own life is at risk .

Add the stress described in restaraunt/bar manager, waiter, and call center operator and you might be a front desk clerk... then you have to remember that at least those places ususally have closing times... a hotel 27 / 7 / 365.... the stress never ends... and all the jerks you deal with are staying in the building... so you know you still have to deal with them every time they pass you in the lobby. The front desk is like a prison with no place to run or hide.

hahaha, reception in a nutshell! no-one will ever understand what the stress is like on the front desk until they actually do it, as well as everything above, expect minimal payment and regular freaking out!

Agree 100%. Healthy eating, exercising(even regular 1/2hour walking), socializing with positive people, as well as Thankfulness for good things in life will go long way in diminishing effects of daily job stress(most situations not that negative, focus on the the positive job interactions as well), :))

I agree, and doing drugs and smoking shows you are incapable of handling your self and probably shouldn't have the job.

AGREED! As a trucker myself, I realize that the stress comes from the fact that I have to constantly balance the amount of energy drinks I have with the sleeping pills I take while on the road. If I have too much energy, it usually makes me want to get up on the roof of my truck and reenact that similar scene from the Matrix. If I take too many sleeping pills, well I obviously go to sleep. So the trick is to get the perfect balance in between. Sometimes I also think the endless parties, harems of women and mountains of drugs are an additional source of the stress, but I suppose that just comes with the territory. When I get really stressed driving on icy roads, sometimes I like to pretend that I am Optimus Prime and all the other vehicles on the road are Decepticons driven by black people (nothing against black people, it was just the first thing that came to mind). I then proceed to run them off the road. I have come to realize that a great stress reliever while on the road is eating copious amounts of bacon and getting high fives from passing truckers. We in the trucking industry call this a trucker's cheer. This is accomplished by first seeing a fellow trucker approaching towards you, then through a series of very complicated gestures, horn honks and flare shots, we confirm that the trucker's cheer is underway. We then begin to drive as close as possible to the center lane and stick our left hands out to prepare for the high five. You get ranked based on how fast you were going as well as how close your trucks were to eachother at the moment of the high five. I got rank A one time and our trucks were 2 cm apart and we were both going 90MPH.

thats what you have nco for...micro managing is stressful and decremental to morale

I agree! But any dealership! Long hours, irate customers, impossible goals, high pressure to meet unreasonabale goals. Customers are already unhappy when they bring their car in, then theres dealing with managment, dispatch, technicians, call backs, csi scores, estimates, meetings..long hours...worst job I've ever had!

I have been a service advisor for 16 years. I have worked Ford, Gm, Chrysler and Toyota. I ran the Toyota desk for 6 months and truely wanted to kill myself!!!! Toyota owners are ridiculous!!!

This should be a top 5 if not ten

Service advisor at any dealership is stressful!

And not just Toyota

It may be a dream job, but it is very dangerous.

please this is a dream job

Certainly stressful if you drive for a factory team (e.g. Ferrari, Audi) because there is great expectation for you to do well but very less if you turn up to a race meeting with your own car, self finance you own stuff but then not many people do, which is why drivers needs sponsorship which means spending times chasing them up and the need to keep them happy. If you can't afford your own car, you can drive somebody elses, but then if it that car was a multi million dollar Ferrari racing at the Goodwood Revival or Monterey Historics which kissed the wall...surely it must be stressful if that car was yours....just think about how much these cars there are worth.

Was a NYC yellow taxi driver for 3 years and my IT job is 10 times more stressful..

worst job in anyone can do

wow!---the very basic spelling errors----too- much money- to too stupid people

PLEASE, real estate agents do A LOT MORE than just opening doors. I'm sure you expect him/her to take you call at 10pm on Sunday, 7am on Monday, and anytime in between.

AMEN!!! We are always at fault for something. Our job is one of the least respected out there, as the comments below illustrate.

Not sure if I agree, Real estate agents complaining about the large pay offs after showing houses several times? Please.

calm down

I sold all my rental properties & I now hate real estate. I bought, sold & lost my but. People always play with you by making offers and counter offers that they don't really care about. The price is to HIGH when they are buying & TO LOW when they are selling or renting.

deadlines is tooooo stressful, especially is the system is not yet ready for implementation

Few people realize how stressful this jobs is

I Was pilot for months and it's an easy job. Software developer is much more stressful than Airline Pilot....

o.o; it should be at top 10... teaching is much easier...

- excessive testing/debugging - stuff that used to work before suddenly stops working and u have to know why in a short period of time. - you have to use some impossible programming language. - missing out one comma crashes your software and you can't solve the problem for days. - you are constantly infront of a computer

the jobs stinks. long hours. debuggin issues. really stressful. Should be at the top!!

the job sucks literally debugging is an issue and a lot

Yea and when you do make a mistake, YOU KILL SOMEONE! Live with that!

its hard to look up their age and weight on a chart. I hate math.

Clearly one of the top 10 stressful jobs--paid to never make a mistake. Frequent life threatening emergencies in the operating room, always a target of frequent litigation.

Some jobs have no place on this list... This is a prime example.

This is a 24/7 job and continually high stress. The variety of the work includes the stress of many of the other jobs listed above: social worker (plus cross cultural difficulties), doctor (without support of equipment and staff you are used to), teacher (with different sometimes unclear expectations), pastor (with cross cultural situations), pilot (with dangerous landing and take off conditions), moms (without cultural support base), etc.

razor thin profits at the branch level put stress on the no mistakes part

All that plus we are constantly mystery-shopped both in person & on the phone. After 14 years. I like my clients, but not the job anymore.

Constant multi-tasking, everyone needs everything now. No time to really evaluate the requirement. The chances of errors are enormous due to this constant pressure.

hi i am a buyer at a power station and it is stressful as you say,especially if you try to be the honest one, then evryone hates you and sees you as a snitch....mmm whatalotoftoughcookies!

This should be in the top 20.

i cant believe this isnt in the top 10!!! thats just insane!!

yes!! i work at a daycare center and the parents always think that we have no other lives besides taking care of their children. it can be a very rewarding job, but one of the most stressful jobs i've had. i get paid minimum wage and work very long, demanding hours. people (including the owner of the daycare) don't understand how tough it is to take care of 10 screaming infants with just 2 people in the room! and to keep track of all their belongings when the parents don't label them!!

I totally agree. I worked for a non-profit daycare who constantly said it was OK, for a parent to "sliiiiide" on a payment or two...and then have the audacity to confront me, when they are 3 months behind, and demand to know "why haven't they paid?"...all I can say is, NO WONDER TEACHERS/DAYCARE CARE PROVIDERS HAVE THE # 2 HIGHEST ALCOHOLIC RATE IN THE COUNTRY...cuz if it ain't the kids, it sure as h*ll is all the adults!

ABSOLUTELY IN THE WRONG PLACE. You are responsible for all your employees as well as the customers. Should be in the top 15

Pride swallowing? Yes. Stressful? Not really. I'd rather deal with customer complaints than have any real sort of responsibility. In this job you are s pin cushion. That's a given, if you accept this, it's becomes very stress free...

I work in a big box retail store within the service department. Most of our customer base is angry people who don't know how to work their units. Everyone in my department who lasts more than 6 months becomes a drug addict or alcoholic.

I've been working in retail for almost two years now. There is nothing worse, you're treated horribly by customers and even worse by managers if you don't learn to deflect blame it all ends up on you, I've seen two entire staff changes including two managers since I started, I've been given promotions that lead to more responsibility with none of the benefits of money, respect, or time off. I'm only there still because there are no other jobs in this city that are hiring.

What is retail asistant? Also I work in a gas station and i never see my job on any of these kinds of lists, and let me tell you about a stressful job. Were the punching bags for every ahole that walks in the door, i really cant do anything about the (gas) prices so givin me a hard time wont solve anything. Also the job is as dangerous as a cop or cab driver. I dont think there is any job out there where the workers are treated worse or more abused by both the boss and costumer. If a cop gets cursed at he maces the f&@€r while i get to apologize when i did nothing wrong!

You're kidding me right?

True, I smoke. There is one person at my job that "doesn't smoke" and she still smokes occassionally. I've worked at the same store for three years and customers are not always right, they are mostly wrong. The trick is to pretend like they are right. I just greet my regular customers now. Other people generally give you a dirty look....just a word of advice greeting is part of our job, dont flatter yourself and assume that I really care to talk to you. I wish perverts would stop talking to me the way they do and DONT TOUCH ME! Thank goodness I almost done school!!

AIR FORCE pilot. Not Navy. Air Force does not land on Aircraft Carriers, numbnuts.

Maybe he was writing this while landing a million dollar plane?

If u wuld have put 3 instead of another 2 on your list i wuld have took u more seriously

119 ?!? Really! We got beat by fast food workers. So it's more stressful to serve tacos than to handle payroll, net 30 billing cycles, customers that are spending the cost of a value meal to the tenth power, paint colors, skyrocketing gas prices, the list could go on forever. Being a GC is very stressful.

Lugging your equipment around when you're a percussionist. That usually means about 40-60 kilograms in drums. Plus i don't have a driving license

Drinking every night, sleeping in until noon every morning, no paper work, no quotas, groupies... I've been there.

I totally agree with the last comment! I have a degree and many other certificate courses and yet I have yet to find a decent paying meaningful job that will use the skils I have learned. I am angry because I had student loans and paid alot of my own money into furthering my education and yet I have been struggling. It makes no sense - some degrees pay better than others and are more recognized. It's hard to get ahead too and take more education if you can't even afford the basics of living...a vicious cycle..

Ha! College student?!? What a joke! Ya sleeping in until the mid afternoon, smoking excessive amounts of weed and banging a fresh floozy every week is terrible! Just wait until you're in the real word buddy THEN let's talk stress. This 'occupation' has no place on this list. If you can't hack in in college I'll be seeing you in McDonalds. Yes, I will supersize my fries thanks.

I went through school and I know that in this moment it can feel very taxing, but you will be pleading for a return to your earlier years in regards to the level of stress and expectations. When you are maintaing a management carrer in business, 60+ hours a week, paying a mortgage & helping raise 3 children then come back to this list and reconsider your post.

I can't agree with this more. I'm double majoring (trying to be more marketable for the job force) and I'm working two jobs to pay my apartment rent and buy food because my parents have three kids in college and are trying to pay their own mortgage payment. I go to class for six to eight hours a day, and then work, so I easily put in twelve hours a day, and then come home and do homework until the early hours of the morning. I know I'm not the typical student out there, but this really is a full time that others don't understand.

Are you kidding? If you can't handle college, how can you handle a career? College was the best time of my life and I know why there are so many "professional" students. Scheduling your class times, always some extracurricular/social activity going on, easy work study job. I wish I could go back. I agree with being careful of the loan debt, and by all means, get a degree that will get you a decent job.

It should be college graduate not college student. Pick your degree wise or else you will graduate, have no job or prospect of a decent paying job, have student loan’s out your ears, lose your self-worth, live paycheck to paycheck while struggling with the decision to start a family and regret each and every day making the decision to pay thousands of dollars for an education that is paying nothing in return. Pick your degree wise!!

its a stresssful job...i feel from birth since i m a son of a journalist....

Constant deadlines, understanding and condensing new info each day , finding people willing to meet with you and be interviewed ( and in TV- filmed),getting the facts right and starting from zero each day...is stressful but at times- very exciting.

very stressful as a union commercial carpenter i know first hand that when the job does not get done on time, you are, in most cases, laid off. of course that depends on your coworkers work ethic, but you are always pressed to hang more drywall, frame more walls, put in more ceiling tile, etc.

YES! I am about to start that lifestyle. For me though the stress will definitely be worth the money. Yes beware that you must ALWAYS be courteous to others because remember...the cameras do not lie and are always watching. Procedures to dealing are key, you can not steal (not that I would because the money is great), you can not be rude, most of the times you can not make decisions outside of your duty. Very military-like structure as far as a "pecking order". Know your place in the casino, the game(s) you deal for, know the payouts to everything, and if you are a poker dealer, KNOW WHATS IN THE POT AT ALL TIMES TO THE DOLLAR! So do not think you can weasel your way out of trouble once you make a wrong move...

It is a high stress job. You're being overworked, deal with angry customers, you get all kinds of ridiculous requests, and IT'S YOUR FAULT and MY HUSBAND KNOWS BETTER are the words you're gonna be hearing all day long

You really dont know what you are walking into when you do residential work. You literally have to keep your head on a swivel while you do your job. Two weeks ago, a telecom tech was shot in the back running from some young punk who just asked him for some spare change. You want to be courteous and show some respect, but if being nasty and disrespectful keeps you safe, so be it. Most customers don't care anyway, just as long as their service is working once you leave the premises.

Agreed. Totally! The latest doco's on National Geographic have shown how intense the job can be.

litigation is merciless on secretaries. I have seen the toughest women cry serious, for real tears.

Totally agree. I've been a legal assistant for over 3 years and it's caused me to want to go to sleep forever! I am usually outgoing, fun and enjoyable to be around! However, after dealing with the constant problems at the office which include, answering phones, typing long documents, handling client relations, answering discovery, drafting pleadings, research and dealing with the terrible personalities of attorneys, you find yourself totally beat down by the end of the day. Generally I have nothing left to give my friends and family. I highly recommend never becoming a legal assistant. Way too many expectations for way too little in return. I am in the process of a career change...

The sales man job is more stressful because 1. There are targets which are always unachievable. 2. Day and night you get screwed for not generating business required by company. 3. Other department people will earn good or equal salary with very little stress and work. 4. This requires mental and physical activity many times. you have to work as you are working for your own company to close the deal and won't get much benefit in salary or commission. 5. There is very less security in this job become underperformed or ask for salary hike employer is ready kick you off. 6. It requires skills and commitment to get sale for p/s of company so people should understand the importance of sales people.

easy as 1, 2, 3... Why the heck is this so hard? When I was a salesman, all I did was talk to my co-workers, fold clothes, talk, talk, go on break and than clock off...

This is the cruise-iest job I've ever had, yet I have had nothing to compare it too. So if this the most stressful job there is, then bring on the surgery

This is by far the Most Stressful job in the world! Anyone that has attempted this profession would agree!

This job is nice. Having to be nice to jerk people isn't that bad, just think about the figures and everything will be alright.

errr .... there are plenty of sales people who are jerks

I have been a workers compensation adjuster for over 20 years. It is a very stressful job. Many people do not understand that just because something happens at work does not mean their job caused it. Everyone wants something for nothing.

sometimes its easier to deal with the attorneys than an angry person because something will not be covered under this loss

Dealing with people in their moment of crisis is never easy. People look to you to make everything better - NOW! and don't understand there is a process that has to happen. They transfer their anger about the situation to you and take out all their frustrations when you're just trying to help get them back to where they were.

You try telling someone that everything they lost is not covered and walking out of their home!

I cried every morning before going to work, and decided life is too short to deal with this amount of stress.

They have a high infidelity rate too, like cops. Maybe it's stress !:-) I worked in a prison once, the majority of these custody workers where hitting on me, while wearing their wedding rings! Sad

I completely agree. Its one of the most difficult and stressful jobs in the world. You can give a gurantee or a warranty on a product but never on the performanece of a person, you could out in loads of man hours and still not find a suitable candidate for the client. Both the client and the candidate can change their minds at the last minute and thtrough the entire process the recruitment consultant has their fingers crossed! Total crap, The single biggesr problem every employer has is getting good employees. There comes a point where you actually feel - what the hell, i dont care that you dodnt have good staff - what can i do!!!

This job is worse than people realize because there is zero reward in it other than the money you can make. Teachers stressful? Sure. But it's also something you can love. Recruiting just sucks. An airline pilot? At least they love to fly and make great money. Recruiting just sucks. You're forced to lie, people lie to you. All day long.

i agree! i hate lieing to people ALL day. its a drag, then dealing with people calling in and being soo rude! It stresses me out likie crazy

When you work 10-12 hours a day swinging upwards to 60 pieces a day while keeping your mind on where the iron workers are, you leave work completely mentally exhausted. You have to make sure the steel doesn't hit the boom or the boom will buckle (collapse). Many times you can't even see the connectors and have to rely on radio communication to be told where to place the steel.

Should be up at number 1. Peoples lives are in our hands everyday. When we make a mistake it can kill someone. Crane operators are the unsung heros. When you sit in the seat of a crane and lifting something to 90 percent or more of the cranes capacity and they always want you to do that ofcourse. One wrong move and that crane is going over. When you sit in something that heavy and it feels light as a feather behind you that is just anyother day. Stay safe boys.

It should be number 2 next to Air traffic Controllers

hmm I just read on another site that this is one of the 10 least stressful jobs. OMG his breath smells! Get over it, they know what theyre getting into when they take the job

There's a saying in my team - We've done so much for so long with so little without complaining that they now expect us to do even more with even less.

The pay is not bad but a call centre agent has no knowledge requirements and responsibility of doing anything that could potentially bring down the infrastructure which could cause companies thousands (possibly more) per hour/day when the systems are offline... We do not only have the annoying parts of people screaming and shouting but the responsibility to ensure optimal uptime of entire production lines etc, it becomes interesting, any choice we make could have dire consequences...

At least you get paid a good chunk of money. A call center agent is being yelled at all day long for a close-to-minimum wage.

I agree. People need to understand the fundamental difference between "Technician" and "Magician". The latter doesn't do computers and the first can't wiggle his fingers and make computer problems go away just like that. We work long hours that go beyond our assigned work schedules, We have to contend with the dissatisfied who think a computer is this magic box that has decided to plot against them. And when anything goes wrong, they point the finger at you, like it's your damn fault for opening so many windows all at once or installing limewire on your PC when you were told not to! And what to say of the "extra-curricular" requests of some superiors who think that you can fix their relatives toys for free? I sometimes hate the false sense of self-entitlement that some give themselves. We, who are IT professionals, are unsung heroes in the workplace, let me tell you. We are the ones making sure that your database is working, We are the ones who make sure that email goes through. We are the ones who make sure that important teleconferencing call is static free and the connections unbroken. We check every little blackberry, we inspect every little packet, remove every little viruses and go out of our way to make sure the networks that are used stay usable. While the big boss is catching some rays in cuba or some other exotic locale, we, make sure his computer is pristine when he returns. When the new intern, who is about as tech savvy as a lump of clay, comes in and screws up his or her workstation, and that they feel the heat from the delays, we have to take it on the chin. Repeatedly. The IT man, is not a weak man. We can't afford to be. You depend on us so much!!

I hear ya buddy. Why isn't this further up?!

I hear that! I have been under such pressure trying to please everyone, make things work, correct problems and keep up with work load. That is why I done a search for this list, I honestly thought it would be much higher on the list...

I am a pharmacy tech and everything that was so stated above is absolutely true. It's the worst job you can have. Especially if you are working your way through school. It's constant stress, no breaks, and little to no appreciation from the customers you work so hard to help. Your the main job is to be the "fall boy" and get blamed for the patients unreliable insurance, unfair/ridiculous corporate policies, and any error that may occur( in result of constantly rushing).

Worst job ever! Retail is a nightmare and hospital work is just awful. Pharmacy Tech’s are at the bottom of the pay scale for the medical field. Can someone please explain to me why an employee who admits patients is making more money than the person who made the patients IV drip? You have to deal with angry customers, patients, arrogant pharmacists and don’t get me started on the nurses and doctors. A day in the life of a retail certified pharmacy technician goes something like this: you walk in the door (anxiety level raises), before you have even put your things away a customer is hailing you, drive-thru bell rings (both lanes are full…hurry customers are waiting), counter has people lined up, drop off is 4 deep, phone is ringing off the hook (OH hurry…before the wait time turns red, management is watching), break what break, lunch what lunch, afternoon break..are you kidding me lol, ahhh insurance is denied have to call to fix (customer gets angry and blames you), on speaker hold because you have to help count or transcribe medication, oh they answered…”yes customer X’s prescription is not going through I was wondering if you could help me” (keep that smile on your face corporate name at sake), Insurance company needs prior authorization for medication because it is not considered an emergency and they need time to evaluate what the dr. wrote for (insurance has now become the healthcare professional), tell customer they will have to wait up to 72 hours for their insurance to review the claim (customer’s head just about explodes), customer complains while the line of customers continues to pile up, phone still ringing, hurry watch the wait time…..on and on and on for your entire shift. Oh yeah and you started there making anywhere from $9.00 if you are certified to $12.00 if you are lucky (if you are not certified expect to make $6.50 with a few dollar an hour raise once you pay for and pass the exam).

as a pharmacy tech,we deal with allthe issues in a pharmacy as the pharmicists do.The tech deals with the customers in a one on one situation trying to work out problems they may have.we also have to answer phones while entering prescriptions in the computer and counting the medicine while most of the time the patient is standing there tapping their foot waiting on the meds.then comes all the insurance problems.I go home at night wondering if I sold the right med to the right person,did I read that last prescription right?.it a never ending thing.always in your brain even on days off.The techs do all the ordering of the medicines and sending outdates back.We basically run the pharmacy.

I have worked construction and as a mechanic. I will say this selling has by far been the most stressful out of those trades. In automotive sales the salesperson is caught between what the customer wants vs what the dealer wants. It leaves you in the position of doing the impossible on a regular basis. Management can put more stress on you than most customers that would use any ploy to get something for nothing. Its amazing that the turnaround rate of automotive salespeople is not way more than what it is. An average salesperson is on commision and that commission is your only income. You can make good money one month and the next virtually starve, there is no guarantee. Hours are usually extreamly poor and most are expected to be looking there best in there sunday suits while emptying a truck bed or removing a spare tire. Dont get me wrong, if you are exceptional at controlling stress and forgive most people for the way they act at a car dealership which is usually uncharacteristic of them, and are able to continuely ask for 10's of thousands of dollars for you product knowing it is good value for the money. A person can do good at sales. Ignore the negative of what customers think they should be doing, stand your ground with management to be fair to all parties. All in all virtually most people cannot do automotive sales as a career. It does take a special breed as with almost any stressful job.

How has this only been mentioned once!!?? Right off the bat people hate you before they even meet you The hours, managenent you must answer to and deal with, fighting for hours on a sale only to make 50 bucks. Its insane. At least with most these jobs you can clock in and start making money, this job takes huge dedication to do it right. Now there are some dealers that are less stressful than the huge corporate stores, but still your income is based on talking with customers that lie and compare you to 20 other places. People think we pressure and lie but fact is when you leave a dealer to shop, someone else will give the extra pressure to make the sale. And lieing at my store will get you fired, there isnt any room for error with todays customer and their online rescources. It has to be one of the most stressful jobs in America

Not to mention the constant stress of having to please everyone who sits in your chair and like your art. If they don't you will know what stress feels like. The constant pretending you are a beautician and a magician