Jobs With Least Stress, Best Outlook

If you don't like stress, consider becoming an audiologist.

ByABC News
January 7, 2014, 8:27 AM
A librarian is seen in this undated stock photo.
A librarian is seen in this undated stock photo.
Getty Images

Jan. 7, 2014 -- intro:

If you don't like stress but still want a career with good prospects and a decent salary, consider becoming an audiologist, says a new report by CareerCast.com.

Audiologists, hair stylists, jewelers and tenured university professors lead the list of great jobs where stress isn't an issue, according to the list of least and most stressful jobs of 2014.

Seamstress/tailor, dietician, medical records technician, librarian, multimedia artist and drill press operator round out the nation's least stressful jobs.

The most stressful entail unpredictable conditions and high-stakes situations -- enlisted military personnel, firefighters and airline pilots, for example

"If your life is already filled with stress, you might want to consider a profession that offers job security, a good hiring outlook and salary but few physical demands, deadlines and danger," suggests Tony Lee, CareerCast's publisher.

Demand for audiologists -- professionals who treat patients' hearing needs -- is expected to grow in coming years, thanks to an increase in the senior population and the relationship between aging and loss of hearing, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Other low-stress health care jobs expected to grow include medical records technicians, who keep track of the history of and care of patients, and dieticians, who assist people with achieving a healthier lifestyle.

Landing a low-stress job may require a higher level of education. Of the 10 least-stressful jobs in the report, half require at least a bachelor's degree.

Take a look, below, to see which jobs rank best and worst for stress in the 2014 report. Figures for median salary and projected growth are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics unless otherwise noted:

quicklist:category: 1. (Worst) title: Enlisted Military Personnelmedia: text: Median Salary: $28,840
Projected Job Growth: N/A

quicklist:category: 2. (Worst) title: Military Generalmedia: text: Median Salary: $196,300
Projected Job Growth: N/A

quicklist:category: 3. (Worst) title: Firefightermedia: text: Median Salary: $45,250
Projected Job Growth: 9%

quicklist:category: 4. (Worst) title: Airline Pilotmedia: text: Median Salary: $114,200
Projected Job Growth: 11%

quicklist:category: 5. (Worst) title: Event Coordinatormedia: text: Median: $45,810
Projected Job Growth: 44%

quicklist:category: 6. (Worst) title: Public Relations Executivemedia: text: Median Salary: $54,170
Projected Job Growth: 21%

quicklist:category: 7. (Worst) title: Corporate Executive (Senior)media: text: Median Salary: $168,140
Projected Job Growth: 5%

quicklist:category: 8. (Worst) title: Newspaper Reportermedia: text: Median Salary: $35,870
Projected Job Growth: -6%

quicklist:category: 9. (Worst) title: Police Officermedia: text: Median Salary: $55,270
Projected Job Growth: 7%

quicklist:category: 10. (Worst) title: Taxi Drivermedia: text: Median Salary: $22,820
Projected Job Growth: 20%

The following are the 10 best (least-stressful) jobs in 2014:

quicklist:category: 1. (Best) title: Audiologistmedia: text: Median Salary: $69,720
Projected Job Growth: 37%

quicklist:category: 2. (Best) title: Hair Stylist media: text: Median Salary: $22,700
Projected Job Growth: 14%

quicklist:category: 3. (Best) title: Jewelermedia: text: Median Salary: $35,350
Projected Job Growth: -5%

quicklist:category: 4. (Best) title: University Professor (Tenured)media: text: Median: $64,290
Projected Job Growth: 17%

quicklist:category: 5. (Best) title: Seamstress/Tailormedia: text: Median Salary: $26,280
Projected Job Growth: 1%

quicklist:category: 6. (Best) title: Dietitianmedia: text: Median Salary: $55,240
Projected Job Growth: 20%

quicklist:category: 7. (Best) title: Medical Records Technicianmedia: text: Median Salary: $34,160
Projected Job Growth: 21%

quicklist:category: 8. (Best) title: Librarianmedia: text: Median Salary: $55,370
Projected Job Growth: 7%

quicklist:category: 9. (Best) title: Multimedia Artistmedia: text: Median Salary: $61,370
Projected Job Growth: 8%

quicklist:category: 10. (Best) title: Drill Press Operatormedia: text: Median Salary: $35,580
Projected Job Growth: 6%