FIREFIGHTER DEEMED MOST STRESSFUL JOB OF 2015

01/08/2015

Firefighter, enlisted military personnel, airline pilot, and police officer top CareerCast's 2015 list of the nation's most stressful jobs due to their physical danger, unpredictability, and negative psychological effects. People in these high-stressjobs work in constantly changing conditions, must be prepared for a crisis and be ready to keep people safe without losing their cool.

Of course, not all of the most stressful jobs of 2015 involve personal risk. Event coordinators, who are entrusted with seeing that the expectations of large groups are met without problem, face tight deadlines and high expectations. Rounding out the most stressful jobs are actor, broadcaster, photojournalist, and lastly, newspaper reporter, which has a negative job growth of -13 percent, an average median salary of $37,090, and faces the constant threat of layoffs.

While these jobs are a great match for those with the passion and drive necessary to succeed in such an environment, people who prefer a low-stress profession should consider a career as a hair stylist, audiologist, or university professor, three of the least stressful jobs of 2015.

"Stress can come from a variety of factors, including tight deadlines, long hours and the need to put your life on the line while protecting others," explains Tony Lee, publisher, CareerCast.com. "It takes a thick skin and keen attention detail to thrive in environments fraught with hazards and long hours."

If your life is already filled with stress, CareerCast suggests you consider a profession that offers job security, a good hiring outlook and salary, but few physical demands, deadlines and danger. If you spend your days working one-on-one with others helping them in some way, and your schedule tends to be set more by you than by others, you likely have a job with a healthy stress level. "Job satisfaction and the pleasure of helping others can certainly go a long way to outweighing stress," says Lee.

While several of the least stressful jobs, such as hair stylist, seamstress, and forklift operator, don't require an advanced degree, landing a less-stressful job may require a higher level of education. Of the 10 least-stressful jobs, half require at least a bachelor's degree. Audiologists and tenured university professors require postsecondary education and some positions require doctorates.

To read the full report, visit http://www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/most-stressful-jobs-2015

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