Work Fit IQ

Career Ranking

Lowest-Stress Careers

Stress tolerance is a real fit dimension, not a weakness. Some people do their best, longest work in calm, predictable roles — and burn out fast in high-adrenaline ones. These are the lowest-stress careers in our catalogue, ranked from calmest up.

Two honest caveats: "lower stress" is a property of the typical role, not a guarantee — a bad manager can make any job stressful. And low stress often trades against pay ceiling or pace of advancement. The goal is a sustainable match, not the lowest number for its own sake.

  1. 1Librarian$48K – $105K38/100 stress
  2. 2Bookkeeper$36K – $78K42/100 stress
  3. 3Private Tutor$28K – $165K42/100 stress
  4. 4Technical Writer$62K – $168K44/100 stress
  5. 5Audiologist$72K – $148K44/100 stress
  6. 6Dental Hygienist$62K – $115K46/100 stress
  7. 7Laboratory Technician$38K – $88K46/100 stress
  8. 8UX Writer$72K – $195K46/100 stress
  9. 9Data Analyst$65K – $165K48/100 stress
  10. 10Registered Dietitian$54K – $122K48/100 stress
  11. 11Instructional Designer$58K – $148K48/100 stress
  12. 12Corporate Training Specialist$55K – $142K48/100 stress
  13. 13Market Research Analyst$52K – $152K48/100 stress
  14. 14Radiologic Technologist$52K – $115K48/100 stress
  15. 15Optometrist$92K – $195K48/100 stress
  16. 16Marketing Analyst$58K – $165K50/100 stress
  17. 17Photographer$36K – $148K50/100 stress
  18. 18Chiropractor$60K – $148K50/100 stress
  19. 19Actuary$72K – $245K50/100 stress
  20. 20Insurance Underwriter$52K – $152K50/100 stress
  21. 21Environmental Scientist$52K – $142K50/100 stress
  22. 22Statistician$72K – $215K50/100 stress
  23. 23Compensation Analyst$62K – $175K50/100 stress
  24. 24Podcast Producer$42K – $158K50/100 stress
  25. 25Speech-Language Pathologist$65K – $132K50/100 stress

Ranked by typical stress level (0-100, lower is calmer) from the Work Fit IQ catalog. Individual experience varies widely by employer, team, and seniority.

Other rankings

Which of these fits you?

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