If you haven’t heard, the Girlboss is dead. We’re in an era of quiet quitting, bare-minimum Mondays and acting your wage. And Gen Z employees are leading the charge for setting boundaries and finding better balance in their careers.
Whether you’ve already felt the sting of burnout or you simply want to avoid going down that path, looking for a “low-stress” job might be the answer. Adopting more of a work-to-live not live-to-work mentality, is helping young workers feel empowered to set and stick to reasonable career goals.
The average salary in Australia is about $98,000 per year, while the median salary is around $65,000. What city you live in and your financial responsibilities will determine what feels like a “good” salary. These figures are solid benchmarks to understand where you’re at but pay varies greatly across industries.
And sure, salary matters. But there are a number of benefits to look out for in company policies or try and negotiate as part of your package. Wellness inclusions are one, including discounted gym memberships or allowances towards health and fitness services. If you’re craving a change of scenery, secondments to different departments or even different office locations can help to expand your skill set and horizons. Sabbaticals and extended leave opportunities or even flexible working hours (hello, four-day week) are also perks of some workplaces.
But how do you get a job that won’t cause the Sunday scaries? If you’ve been contemplating buying a lotto ticket so you might not have to go to work on Monday, read on for a wrap of low-stress jobs that pay well.
(Pro tip: LinkedIn has a filter for low-stress jobs.)
What Makes a Job Low Stress?
Everyone experiences stress differently. But some common denominators for feeling safe and secure at work include having an open and honest relationship with your manager, as well as feeling in control of your own time, including having the option to flex your hours and choose your working location.
The option to work remotely for even part of the week can help alleviate the anxiety of morning commutes, opening up more time to spend with your partner or family, squeeze in a morning workout or enjoy a later snooze.
Reasonable deadlines, a good culture and little-to-no drama or politics are also green flags for potential workplaces.
5 Low-Stress Jobs That Pay Well
1. Office manager or administration assistant
These roles largely fall into pretty standard 9–5 hours. If you’re a people person, you might find job satisfaction in helping employees with daily tasks, including fielding phone calls and IT requests, making sure efficient processes are in place, consolidating finances and payments, and keeping the place generally running smoothly.
According to Seek, the average annual salary for Office Manager jobs in Australia ranges from $75,000 to $90,000.
2. Data scientist
If numbers and patterns are your thing, a role as a data scientist might be the perfect fit. The day-to-day job generally involves analysing raw data and applying algorithms to find patterns, which provide insights or real-world problem solving to companies. Data scientists can work in finance, IT, public administration, health and retail sectors. Most people complete a degree in computer science, IT, mathematics or statistics as an entry into this field.
According to Seek, the average annual salary for Data Scientist jobs in Australia ranges from $115,000 to $135,000.
3. Carpenter
Trade work can be physically demanding and might sometimes involve early mornings and significant travel to job sites, but construction experts like carpenters and joiners generally experience job security and even some creative satisfaction. There’s often opportunities to work overtime or take on extra projects to help increase your income.
According to Seek, the average annual salary for Carpenter jobs in Australia ranges from $85,000 to $80,000.
4. Dental Hygenist
Dental Hygienist’s usually work alongside dentists in private practice to help treat and prevent oral disease. An average day might include teeth cleaning and teeth whitening treatments. But jobs are also available in schools, community health centres and aged care. Depending on the workplace, hours are usually pretty regular and you’ll work as part of a team.
According to Seek, the average annual salary for Dental Hygienist jobs in Australia is $105,000.
5. Hair stylist
Creativity and the ability to have a good chat are two key skills for hair stylists, our last (but not least) pick of the best low-stress jobs that pay well. While apprentices often begin on a lower wage (which impacts the overall average for the role), senior stylists, salon managers and even freelancers have the opportunity to increase their salary significantly over time.
According to Seek, the average annual salary for Hair Stylist jobs in Australia ranges from $50,000 to $60,000.
