Quick answer: Office Managers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #225 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 44.1/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are responsibility burden and emotional demands.
Office Managers 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 demands40.2 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden64.7 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands54.1 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control19.5 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony66.2 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment19.9 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for office managers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, office managers score furthest above the norm on responsibility burden (64.7 vs 60 average) and emotional demands (40.2 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is responsibility for outcomes and results at 84/100 — against an all-occupation average of 58.5.
The occupation scores below the national average for physical environment (19.9 vs 38.2), lack of control (19.5 vs 24.5) and pace and demands (54.1 vs 56), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for office managers
- 1Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
84/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
80.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 3Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
76.8/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 4Pace and demands
Time Pressure
76/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 5Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
74.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
All 22 stress factors for office managers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
40.2 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People6 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People53.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations61 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
64.7 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results84 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety40.2 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results74.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error48 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others76.8 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
54.1 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure76 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week69.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment2.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making74 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition48.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
19.5 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions24.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work14.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
66.2 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks51.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate80.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
19.9 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable34.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting3 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures5.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections9.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity47.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for office managers 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
Office Managers: how stressful is the job?
Office Managers rank #225 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 44.1/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 29.0% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for office managers?
The highest-scoring hazards are responsibility for outcomes and results (84/100), importance of being exact or accurate (80.8/100) and coordinate or lead others (76.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands and responsibility burden.
Which stress factors are lower for office managers?
Office Managers score below the national average for pace and demands (54.1 vs 56 average) and lack of control (19.5 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (66.2 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (19.9 vs 38.2 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 office managers. 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.