But feeling the strain isn’t unique to these occupations. At least 2 in 5 workers in the U.S. consider their job “very or extremely” stressful; at least 1 in 4 workers report “often or very often” feeling “burned out or stressed” at work. High stress levels in the workplace can make individuals feel burned out, depressed, or anxious, making it more difficult to perform their job or even function in their personal life. It can even lead to health problems and even injuries.
According to the American Institute of Stress (AIS), more than half of adults in the U.S. report feeling like they have little control over their stress and experiencing extreme fatigue in their jobs. Health care positions are seemingly the most stressful, and six occupations in the medical field landed on the list of most stressful jobs. The responsibility of caring for a human being, in addition to the constant exposure to infectious diseases and dangerous drugs, adds pressure to the crucial daily duties performed by nurses, health technicians, and doctors, who often confront severe illness and death regularly.
In other cases, workplace stress may be caused by external factors rather than the nature of the job. In a May 2025 survey from the American Psychological Association, 54% of American workers reported feeling stressed at work due to ongoing job insecurity, with 39% saying they fear losing their job in the next 12 months because of shifting government policies. Those numbers are something to keep a close eye on, given the health complications associated with stress. In a November 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers found that work-related stress spikes your risk of cardiovascular disease.
As important as it is to take stress seriously, it’s also worth noting that the data merits careful consideration. The AIS warns that polls and statistics about stress in the workplace must be analyzed thoroughly, since “stress is a highly personalized phenomenon.” The same occupation is perceived and performed in different ways by every employee. Each worker has a unique skill set and a pa rticular stress level tolerance. While some might thrive in a fast-paced environment, finding it challenging and rewarding, others prefer repetitive tasks with less responsibility.
One thing to also note is that individuals choose career paths and jobs for a multitude of reasons and motivations. While one person chooses a high-paying position knowing the toll it will take on their mental and physical health, others will settle for a lower wage in exchange for a better work-life balance.
To better understand the occupations where workers tend to work under stressful situations, Wysa cited information from O*NET, a data collection program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, to identify the 12 jobs that require the highest amount of stress tolerance. Data is collected through questionnaire responses by sampled workers and occupation experts and based on their rating of whether a job requires dealing with high-stress situations. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on annual salary for the occupation’s industry as of May 2022 is also included.
Read on to learn more about the jobs that call for high stress tolerance.
