Quick answer: Surveyors and Spatial Scientists are notably more stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #64 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 52.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and precision and monotony.
Surveyors and Spatial Scientists 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 demands37.3 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden64.3 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands56.8 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control28.2 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony77 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment49.5 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for surveyors and spatial scientists
Compared with the average Australian occupation, surveyors and spatial scientists score furthest above the norm on physical environment (49.5 vs 38.2 average), precision and monotony (77 vs 67.7 average) and responsibility burden (64.3 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 92/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (37.3 vs 37.9), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for surveyors and spatial scientists
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
92/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
76.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 3Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
75.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 4Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
72.5/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 5Pace and demands
Time Pressure
70.8/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
All 22 stress factors for surveyors and spatial scientists
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
37.3 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People19.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People47.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations45.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
64.3 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results67 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety65.2 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results75.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error57.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others56.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
56.8 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure70.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week65.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment16.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making76.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition54.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
28.2 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions21 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work35.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
77 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks62 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate92 vs 78.6
Physical environment
49.5 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable72.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting53.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures64.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections9.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity48.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for surveyors and spatial scientists 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.
- Autonomy →The degree of control workers have over how they do their work.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
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
Surveyors and Spatial Scientists: how stressful is the job?
Surveyors and Spatial Scientists rank #64 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 52.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 79.8% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for surveyors and spatial scientists?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (92/100), frequency of decision making (76.5/100) and impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (75.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for surveyors and spatial scientists?
Surveyors and Spatial Scientists score below the national average for emotional demands (37.3 vs 37.9 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 surveyors and spatial scientists. 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.