No stress in academia?

Professor ranked as one of the least stressful jobs.

Inside Higher Ed has a report on an annual work survey which again names Professor as a low-stress job.

This year’s report ranks university professor the No. 4 least-stressful job, behind audiologist, hair stylist and jeweler. Seamstress/tailor, dietician, medical records technician, librarian, multimedia artist and drill press operator round out the top 10 least stressful jobs. The No. 1 most stressful job is enlisted member of the military, followed by military general. Unlike last year – when adjunct professors pointed out that uncertain employment and low per-course pay were particularly stressful aspects of their jobs – the ranking notes that it refers specifically to tenured professors.

The 11 factors considered  for each of the 200 careers reviewed are as follows:

• Travel (the more travel, the higher the stress)
• Growth potential (dead-end jobs tend to create more stress)
• Deadlines
• Working in the public eye
• Competitiveness within the organization
• Physical demands
• Environmental conditions
• Own life at risk
• Hazards encountered
• Meeting the public
• Life of another is at risk

Given the criteria used it is perhaps not that surprising a result. However, it does not feel remotely accurate or seem at all like the other “low-stress” jobs ranked with it. Whilst academia is a long way from the most stressful jobs in front-line military roles the ranking here doesn’t quite seem to capture the realities of what can be highly challenging work.