Quick answer: Mining Engineers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #180 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 46.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are pace and demands and physical environment.
Mining Engineers 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 demands28.2 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden60.2 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands59.6 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control20.9 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony69.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment40.4 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for mining engineers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, mining engineers score furthest above the norm on pace and demands (59.6 vs 56 average), physical environment (40.4 vs 38.2 average) and precision and monotony (69.4 vs 67.7 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 96.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (28.2 vs 37.9) and lack of control (20.9 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 mining engineers
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
96.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
77/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 3Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
71.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 4Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
66.8/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 5Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
66.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for mining engineers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
28.2 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People4.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People37.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations42.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
60.2 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results60 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety55 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results71.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error48 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others66.8 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
59.6 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure64.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week96.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment17.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making66.2 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition53.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
20.9 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions20.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work21 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
69.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks61.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate77 vs 78.6
Physical environment
40.4 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable58.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting46 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures43.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections6.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity47.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for mining engineers 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.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
- Work Monitoring →How worker performance is measured, observed, and reported.
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
Mining Engineers: how stressful is the job?
Mining Engineers rank #180 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 46.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 43.2% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for mining engineers?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (96.5/100), importance of being exact or accurate (77/100) and impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (71.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for mining engineers?
Mining Engineers score below the national average for emotional demands (28.2 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (20.9 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 mining engineers. 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.