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December 13, 2022

The 37 most stressful health care jobs, according to O*NET

Daily Briefing

    The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) recently released its list of the most stressful jobs in the United States, with 37 health care jobs ranking among the top 100.

    About the rankings

    For the list, O*NET, a part of the U.S. Department of Labor, ranked 873 of the most stressful jobs in the United States.

    The rankings highlighted the importance of tolerating criticism while calmly and effectively handling high-stress scenarios in each role. Each job was scored using those inputs from one to 100.

    Some roles on the list require multiple degrees or post-graduate school, but the overall list consists of "many low and middle skilled occupations with high levels of stress," said Sania Khan, chief economist at Eightfold AI.

    According to Khan, the United States could experience a dip in high-stress jobs, such as entry-level positions at investment banks or law firms, due to "overall worker sentiment changes."

    "People are less tied to their employers nowadays, as we encountered with the 'great resignation,' so workers may feel less inclined to pursue such paths," Khan said.

    The most stressful jobs in health care

    According to O*NET, 37 health care roles ranked among the top 50 most stressful jobs in the United States, including:

    1. Urologists

    3. Anesthesiologist assistants

    6. Acute care nurses

    7. Obstetricians and gynecologists

    10. Nurse anesthetists

    11. Nurse midwives 

    15. Patient representatives

    16. Advance practice psychiatric nurses

    17. Art therapists

    19. Clinical and counseling psychologists

    22. Health care social workers

    23. Midwives

    24. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons

    26. Critical care nurses

    32. Mental health counselors

    33. Physician assistants

    35. Psychiatric aides

    36. Respiratory therapists

    37. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors

    40. Dietetic technicians

    44. Hospitalists

    47. Neurologists

    48. Prosthodontists

    57. Hearing aid specialists

    59. Pharmacists

    60. Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians

    63. Allergists and immunologists

    69. Diagnostic medical sonographers

    75. Naturopathic physicians

    77. Phlebotomists

    78. Psychiatric technicians

    82. Surgical assistants

    87. Family medicine physicians

    92. Mental health and substance abuse social workers

    94. Neurodiagnostic technologists

    95. Ophthalmologists, except pediatric

    99. School psychologists

    (Alund, USA Today, 12/12; O*NET Stress Tolerance rankings, accessed 12/12)

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