Quick answer: Sportspersons are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #121 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 50/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and pace and demands.
Sportspersons 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 demands40.1 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden60.1 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands62.2 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control22.9 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony68 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment46.4 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for sportspersons
Compared with the average Australian occupation, sportspersons score furthest above the norm on physical environment (46.4 vs 38.2 average), pace and demands (62.2 vs 56 average) and emotional demands (40.1 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is level of competition at 86/100 — against an all-occupation average of 52.4.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (22.9 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 sportspersons
- 1Pace and demands
Level of Competition
86/100
All-occupation average: 52.4
- 2Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
80.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 3Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
72/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 4Pace and demands
Time Pressure
71.8/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 5Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
69/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
All 22 stress factors for sportspersons
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
40.1 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People18.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People49.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations52.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
60.1 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results59.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety63.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results80.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error37.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others59.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
62.2 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure71.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week72 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment14.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making66.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition86 vs 52.4
Lack of control
22.9 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions21.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work24.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
68 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks67 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate69 vs 78.6
Physical environment
46.4 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable49.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting56.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures60.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections5.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity59.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for sportspersons 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
Sportspersons: how stressful is the job?
Sportspersons rank #121 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 50/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 61.8% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for sportspersons?
The highest-scoring hazards are level of competition (86/100), impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (80.2/100) and duration of typical work week (72/100). 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 sportspersons?
Sportspersons score below the national average for lack of control (22.9 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 sportspersons. 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.