Quick answer: Electricians are one of the most stress-exposed occupations in Australia — ranked #24 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 56.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are responsibility burden and physical environment.
Electricians 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 demands42.7 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden81 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands63.1 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control16.2 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony76.1 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment58 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for electricians
Compared with the average Australian occupation, electricians score furthest above the norm on responsibility burden (81 vs 60 average), physical environment (58 vs 38.2 average) and precision and monotony (76.1 vs 67.7 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 93/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (16.2 vs 24.5), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for electricians
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
93/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
91.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 3Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
88.8/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 4Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
87.5/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 5Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
83.8/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
All 22 stress factors for electricians
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
42.7 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People18.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People56.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations53.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
81 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results83.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety88.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results91.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error58.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others82.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
63.1 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure83 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week67.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment30.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making83 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition51.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
16.2 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions12.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work20 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
76.1 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks59.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate93 vs 78.6
Physical environment
58 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable87.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting68.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures79.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity49.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for electricians map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Exposure to Violence →Whether workers face the risk of physical or verbal aggression at work.
- Exposure to Trauma →Whether workers encounter traumatic events or material as part of their role.
- Work Interaction →The quality of relationships and interactions within the team and organisation.
- 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.
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
Electricians: how stressful is the job?
Electricians rank #24 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 56.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 92.4% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for electricians?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (93/100), impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (91.8/100) and responsible for others' health and safety (88.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for electricians?
Electricians score below the national average for lack of control (16.2 vs 24.5 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 electricians. 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.