Quick answer: Crop Farmers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #208 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 44.6/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are responsibility burden and physical environment.
Crop Farmers stress profile vs the national average
Each occupation is scored across six categories of workplace mental health hazard, built from 22 stress factors identified in SafeWork Australia's occupational hazards data. Higher scores mean greater exposure.
- Emotional demands24.9 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden71.7 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands58.4 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control11.5 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony56.9 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment44.4 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for crop farmers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, crop farmers score furthest above the norm on responsibility burden (71.7 vs 60 average), physical environment (44.4 vs 38.2 average) and pace and demands (58.4 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 83.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (11.5 vs 24.5), emotional demands (24.9 vs 37.9) and precision and monotony (56.9 vs 67.7), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for crop farmers
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
83.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
80.5/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 3Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
77.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 4Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
75.5/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 5Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
74/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
All 22 stress factors for crop farmers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
24.9 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People4 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People30.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations40.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
71.7 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results74 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety80.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results77.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error51 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others75.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
58.4 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure62.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week83.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment30.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making63.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition52.2 vs 52.4
Lack of control
11.5 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions11.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work11.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
56.9 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks51.5 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate62.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
44.4 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable57 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting34.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures69.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections4.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity55.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for crop farmers map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Work Demands →The volume, pace, and complexity of what is asked of workers.
- Role Clarity →Whether workers clearly understand what is expected of them.
- Leadership →The quality and consistency of management behaviour at all levels.
- Schedule and Hours →The arrangement of working time and its effect on health and recovery.
- Physical Environment →How the physical conditions of work affect psychological wellbeing.
Methodology
Clearhead scored 317 occupations in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) using SafeWork Australia's Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset. We kept only the 22 hazard variables relating to mental health — such as conflict exposure, decision-making pressure, and time pressure — and deliberately excluded physical safety risks like working at height.
The 22 variables are grouped into six categories: emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony, and physical environment. An occupation's composite score is the equally weighted average of its six category scores. All scores run 0–100, where higher means more stress-inducing.
Two control-related variables are reported by SafeWork with inverted polarity (“freedom to make decisions” and “structured versus unstructured work”). We reverse these and present them as lack of autonomy to make decisions and amount of highly structured work, so that a higher score consistently indicates greater stress exposure.
Hazard exposure describes the average conditions of an occupation, not any individual's experience — everyone has a different tolerance for these challenges, and conditions vary between workplaces.
Frequently asked questions
Crop Farmers: how stressful is the job?
Crop Farmers rank #208 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 44.6/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 34.4% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for crop farmers?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (83.5/100), responsible for others' health and safety (80.5/100) and impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (77.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for crop farmers?
Crop Farmers score below the national average for emotional demands (24.9 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (11.5 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (56.9 vs 67.7 average), which partially offsets the higher-scoring hazards.
Where does this data come from?
Scores are derived from SafeWork Australia's Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset. Clearhead filtered the dataset to the 22 mental-health-related hazard variables — excluding physical safety risks — and scored 317 ANZSCO occupations across six categories: emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony, and physical environment.
Beyond the average
This is the average hazard exposure for crop farmers. Your workforce isn't average.
Clearhead's Psychosocial Risk Pulse measures the actual psychosocial risk in your organisation, quarterly — across 18 ISO 45003-aligned work factors.