Quick answer: Marine Transport Professionals are one of the most stress-exposed occupations in Australia — ranked #22 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 56.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and responsibility burden.
Marine Transport Professionals 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 demands39.6 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden81.9 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands71.8 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control13.9 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony70.8 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment62.9 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for marine transport professionals
Compared with the average Australian occupation, marine transport professionals score furthest above the norm on physical environment (62.9 vs 38.2 average), responsibility burden (81.9 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (71.8 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is frequency of decision making at 90.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 70.7.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (13.9 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 marine transport professionals
- 1Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
90.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 2Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
90.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 3Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
88.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 4Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
86.8/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 5Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
85.8/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
All 22 stress factors for marine transport professionals
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
39.6 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People15.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People48.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations55.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
81.9 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results77 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety86.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results90.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error82.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others72.8 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
71.8 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure74.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week88.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment45.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making90.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition59.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
13.9 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions11.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work16.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
70.8 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks64.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate77.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
62.9 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable85.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting76.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures63.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections16.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity71.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for marine transport professionals 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
Marine Transport Professionals: how stressful is the job?
Marine Transport Professionals rank #22 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 56.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 93.1% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for marine transport professionals?
The highest-scoring hazards are frequency of decision making (90.8/100), impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (90.2/100) and duration of typical work week (88.5/100). 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 marine transport professionals?
Marine Transport Professionals score below the national average for lack of control (13.9 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 marine transport professionals. 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.