The Top 10 Most Stressful Jobs

The Top 10 Most Stressful JobsSearch The 10 Most Stressful Jobs Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailWhat are the Most Stressful Jobs in America? My job is SO stressful Most people think they have the fruchtwein stressful job thats only natural. And without a doubt, alfruchtwein every job has unique brands of stress. But lets face it, there are some jobs that are just way mora taxing than others. What are the most stressful jobs? We did a bunch of research on stressful occupations and there are tons of opinions. Many publications publish annual lists on the topic, and some even reach out to experts who examine factors such as hurs, working conditions, and consequences of mistakes. We examined the jobs in unterstellung articles, compared them to the jobs in our database, and chose our own top ten stressful jobs. 10. Teacher Job titleTeacher Annual zentralwert salary$55,390 Yeah yeah, we can hear some of you expressing disbelief right off the bat. Yes, most teachers get summers off and many get automatic pay raises. We know. But there is a flip side to that coin. First, teachers are never going to get rich teaching. Second, most teachers are working well outside school hours by grading papers, going over curricula, etc. Third, teachers have an unbelievably crucial responsibility to shape the minds of young people and properly prepare them for life after graduation. Failing to do so literally endangers the future for both the students and society in general. And finally, theres the stress of dealing with children and young adults every day. 9. Social worker Job titleSocial worker Annual zentralwert salary$48,671 Imagine being placed into emergency situations where eignung abuse or violence is taking place. No one else wants to step in, so it falls on you to deal with the aftermath, and youre getting paid peanuts. This is life as a social worker.Social workers have to advocate for those who are often in dire straits and dealing with one or mora c rises. While they have the opportunity to help families plan next steps and offer education on various topics, they must also witness and empathize with those in heartbreaking situations. Social programs are generally underfunded yet demand is constantly growing, causing fewer dedicated social workers to do more work with less support.8. Newspaper reporter Job titleNewspaper reporter Annual median salary$37,942 Life as a print journalist is leid easy. The pay is low, and very few strike it rich as a newspaper reporter. Beyond that, this job has long and unpredictable hours covering meetings, trials, and breaking news. Its notlage uncommon to work all day on a story, receive follow-up calls from editors well after youve handed the story in, and then get called in the middle of a night to cover a murder or major accident. Good reporters are never really off duty. In addition, the industry is not faring well at the moment. Thanks to the rise in digital media, papers are downsizing (wi th some even shutting down completely) a stressful issue that looms over almost every print journalist at the moment. 7. Emergency dispatcher Job titleEmergency dispatcher Annual median salary$34,262 The first half of this job title is a big tipoff as to why its on our stressful jobs list. When people call police and fire for help, officers and firefighters respond. But those officials only get to where theyre going because of the dispatchers, who are at the front lines of many emergencies and often mean the difference between life and death. Dispatchers not only have to collect the address from the caller and pass it on to police, they are relied upon by first responders to ensure safety. For instance, a dispatcher may have to give life-saving information to the caller such as how to perform CPR or the Heimlich, all while relaying information to responding personnel. Often, those officers need the dispatcher to find out how many people are in a building, if anyone is injured, a rmed, etc. before they get there. Mistakes by dispatchers can end with people getting hurt or, in extreme circumstances, killed.6. Registered Nurse ER Job titleRegistered nurse ER Annual median salary$66,517 Think about the last time you were in the hospital. You probably only saw the doctor a handful of times, right? Its the nurses who take care of the details and upon whom you rely for most things. The emergency room of any hospital is a hectic and chaotic place. Medical professionals are running every which way to determine who is a priority and who needs which treatments. Theres trauma almost everywhere you look, not to mention blood and other bodily fluids. Nurses are the link between patients and doctors, and are responsible for much of the sicherheit care before and during treatment. Everything from catheters to getting patients another warm blanket is done by a nurse. Doctors rely on them, patients rely on them, and when mistakes are made regarding peoples health, the resu lts can be catastrophic. 5. Police officer Job titlePolice officer Annual median salary$51,063 If your job consists of potentially putting your life on the line every time you punch in, thats stressful. Police officers never know what theyll be dealing with on any particular shift. From breaking up domestic disputes to high speed chases to shootouts, its all on the table. Even routine speeding tickets can turn deadly at a moments notice, which is why police officers can never drop their guard for a second. 4. Commerical airline pilot Job titleCommercial airline pilot Annual median salary$119,958 Soar miles above the Earth while traveling hundreds of miles per hour with a few hundred people entrusting you with their lives? That can be stressful. Yet thats exactly what commercial airline pilots do day after day. aya the technology today is advanced and some people claim the tuchs basically fly themselves, but try telling that to pilots like Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, who had to lan d his plane in the Hudson River when he encountered engine problems. Pilots who make mistakes risk being the cause of hundreds of deaths, making this a well-earned spot on our list. 3. Firefighter Job titleFirefighter Annual median salary$42,631 Firefighters choose an occupation that consists of running into a burning building when everyone else is trying like hell to get out. This is yet another profession on our list that only exists because people are in dire straits and in need of rescue. And while much of the job is battling infernos at homes, schools, and offices, many firefighters are also licensed EMTs who assist at accident scenes and other endeavors like water rescues. Working conditions are hazardous and dangerous to ones health, lives are on the line each and every shift, and the very real possibility of burning to death (or seeing someone burned) exists at all times. Its the definition of stressful. 2. Surgeon Job titleSurgeon Annual median salary$342,520 I understand its easy to look at that salary and wonder how anything can be stressful when youre making that much money. But hear me out. Surgeons are literally cutting you open. Sometimes they take bad stuff out, other times they put good stuff in, and most other times theyre fixing whats wrong. But the fact remains, these highly trained and qualified people are cutting you to operate on you and tinker with your insides. Any time youre dealing with opening up the menschenfreundlich body, theres a large amount of stress involved. As a surgeon, youre responsible for the life of the person on your table each and every time. And with so many things that can go wrong as you battle to make it right, it has to take a toll knowing one mistake one wrong move means youre forever responsible for someone dying. 1. Enlisted military personnel Job titleArmy Private E2 Annual median salary$18,127 I listed Army because we dont have salaries for the other branches in our database, but they would certainly apply here too. Bottom line this job consists of going through basic training, learning the skills necessary to fight in combat, and then going over to a foreign country if necessary to go up against enemy forces. It is a job that all too often involves killing or being killed, watching the back of the person next to you, and witnessing unthinkable acts of horror and violence. And even if soldiers make it home, they still have to battle things like PTSD. The kicker is its a job for which everyone volunteers. In my book, theres nothing more stressful than war and protecting freedom, which is why this job lands as 1 on our list with great respect. Related Salary.com Content How Are College Professors Paid? 25 Departments Ranked by Salary 5 Companies that Help Remote Workers Live and Travel Abroad Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles The 10 Most Stressful JobsThe Top 10 Most Stressful JobsSearch The 1 0 Most Stressful Jobs Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailWhat are the Most Stressful Jobs in America? My job is SO stressful Most people think they have the most stressful job thats only natural. And without a doubt, almost every job has unique brands of stress. But lets face it, there are some jobs that are just way more taxing than others. What are the most stressful jobs? We did a bunch of research on stressful occupations and there are tons of opinions. Many publications publish annual lists on the topic, and some even reach out to experts who examine factors such as hours, working conditions, and consequences of mistakes. We examined the jobs in these articles, compared them to the jobs in our database, and chose our own top ten stressful jobs. 10. Teacher Job titleTeacher Annual median salary$55,390 Yeah yeah, we can hear some of you expressing disbelief right off the bat. Yes, most teachers get summers off and many get automatic pay raises. We know. But there i s a flip side to that coin. First, teachers are never going to get rich teaching. Second, most teachers are working well outside school hours by grading papers, going over curricula, etc. Third, teachers have an unbelievably crucial responsibility to shape the minds of young people and properly prepare them for life after graduation. Failing to do so literally endangers the future for both the students and society in general. And finally, theres the stress of dealing with children and young adults every day. 9. Social worker Job titleSocial worker Annual median salary$48,671 Imagine being placed into emergency situations where potential abuse or violence is taking place. No one else wants to step in, so it falls on you to deal with the aftermath, and youre getting paid peanuts. This is life as a social worker.Social workers have to advocate for those who are often in dire straits and dealing with one or more crises. While they have the opportunity to help families plan next step s and offer education on various topics, they must also witness and empathize with those in heartbreaking situations. Social programs are generally underfunded yet demand is constantly growing, causing fewer dedicated social workers to do more work with less support.8. Newspaper reporter Job titleNewspaper reporter Annual median salary$37,942 Life as a print journalist is not easy. The pay is low, and very few strike it rich as a newspaper reporter. Beyond that, this job has long and unpredictable hours covering meetings, trials, and breaking news. Its not uncommon to work all day on a story, receive follow-up calls from editors well after youve handed the story in, and then get called in the middle of a night to cover a murder or major accident. Good reporters are never really off duty. In addition, the industry is not faring well at the moment. Thanks to the rise in digital media, papers are downsizing (with some even shutting down completely) a stressful issue that looms over a lmost every print journalist at the moment. 7. Emergency dispatcher Job titleEmergency dispatcher Annual median salary$34,262 The first half of this job title is a big tipoff as to why its on our stressful jobs list. When people call police and fire for help, officers and firefighters respond. But those officials only get to where theyre going because of the dispatchers, who are at the front lines of many emergencies and often mean the difference between life and death. Dispatchers not only have to collect the address from the caller and pass it on to police, they are relied upon by first responders to ensure safety. For instance, a dispatcher may have to give life-saving information to the caller such as how to perform CPR or the Heimlich, all while relaying information to responding personnel. Often, those officers need the dispatcher to find out how many people are in a building, if anyone is injured, armed, etc. before they get there. Mistakes by dispatchers can end with peop le getting hurt or, in extreme circumstances, killed.6. Registered Nurse ER Job titleRegistered nurse ER Annual median salary$66,517 Think about the last time you were in the hospital. You probably only saw the doctor a handful of times, right? Its the nurses who take care of the details and upon whom you rely for most things. The emergency room of any hospital is a hectic and chaotic place. Medical professionals are running every which way to determine who is a priority and who needs which treatments. Theres trauma almost everywhere you look, not to mention blood and other bodily fluids. Nurses are the link between patients and doctors, and are responsible for much of the routine care before and during treatment. Everything from catheters to getting patients another warm blanket is done by a nurse. Doctors rely on them, patients rely on them, and when mistakes are made regarding peoples health, the results can be catastrophic. 5. Police officer Job titlePolice officer Annual med ian salary$51,063 If your job consists of potentially putting your life on the line every time you punch in, thats stressful. Police officers never know what theyll be dealing with on any particular shift. From breaking up domestic disputes to high speed chases to shootouts, its all on the table. Even routine speeding tickets can turn deadly at a moments notice, which is why police officers can never drop their guard for a second. 4. Commerical airline pilot Job titleCommercial airline pilot Annual median salary$119,958 Soar miles above the Earth while traveling hundreds of miles per hour with a few hundred people entrusting you with their lives? That can be stressful. Yet thats exactly what commercial airline pilots do day after day. Sure the technology today is advanced and some people claim the planes basically fly themselves, but try telling that to pilots like Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, who had to land his plane in the Hudson River when he encountered engine problems. Pilots who make mistakes risk being the cause of hundreds of deaths, making this a well-earned spot on our list. 3. Firefighter Job titleFirefighter Annual median salary$42,631 Firefighters choose an occupation that consists of running into a burning building when everyone else is trying like hell to get out. This is yet another profession on our list that only exists because people are in dire straits and in need of rescue. And while much of the job is battling infernos at homes, schools, and offices, many firefighters are also licensed EMTs who assist at accident scenes and other endeavors like water rescues. Working conditions are hazardous and dangerous to ones health, lives are on the line each and every shift, and the very real possibility of burning to death (or seeing someone burned) exists at all times. Its the definition of stressful. 2. Surgeon Job titleSurgeon Annual median salary$342,520 I understand its easy to look at that salary and wonder how anything can be stressful wh en youre making that much money. But hear me out. Surgeons are literally cutting you open. Sometimes they take bad stuff out, other times they put good stuff in, and most other times theyre fixing whats wrong. But the fact remains, these highly trained and qualified people are cutting you to operate on you and tinker with your insides. Any time youre dealing with opening up the human body, theres a large amount of stress involved. As a surgeon, youre responsible for the life of the person on your table each and every time. And with so many things that can go wrong as you battle to make it right, it has to take a toll knowing one mistake one wrong move means youre forever responsible for someone dying. 1. Enlisted military personnel Job titleArmy Private E2 Annual median salary$18,127 I listed Army because we dont have salaries for the other branches in our database, but they would certainly apply here too. Bottom line this job consists of going through basic training, learning the skills necessary to fight in combat, and then going over to a foreign country if necessary to go up against enemy forces. It is a job that all too often involves killing or being killed, watching the back of the person next to you, and witnessing unthinkable acts of horror and violence. And even if soldiers make it home, they still have to battle things like PTSD. The kicker is its a job for which everyone volunteers. In my book, theres nothing more stressful than war and protecting freedom, which is why this job lands as 1 on our list with great respect. Related Salary.com Content How Are College Professors Paid? 25 Departments Ranked by Salary 5 Companies that Help Remote Workers Live and Travel Abroad Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles The 10 Most Stressful JobsThe Top 10 Most Stressful JobsSearch The 10 Most Stressful Jobs Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailWhat are the Most S tressful Jobs in America? My job is SO stressful Most people think they have the most stressful job thats only natural. And without a doubt, almost every job has unique brands of stress. But lets face it, there are some jobs that are just way more taxing than others. What are the most stressful jobs? We did a bunch of research on stressful occupations and there are tons of opinions. Many publications publish annual lists on the topic, and some even reach out to experts who examine factors such as hours, working conditions, and consequences of mistakes. We examined the jobs in these articles, compared them to the jobs in our database, and chose our own top ten stressful jobs. 10. Teacher Job titleTeacher Annual median salary$55,390 Yeah yeah, we can hear some of you expressing disbelief right off the bat. Yes, most teachers get summers off and many get automatic pay raises. We know. But there is a flip side to that coin. First, teachers are never going to get rich teaching. Second , most teachers are working well outside school hours by grading papers, going over curricula, etc. Third, teachers have an unbelievably crucial responsibility to shape the minds of young people and properly prepare them for life after graduation. Failing to do so literally endangers the future for both the students and society in general. And finally, theres the stress of dealing with children and young adults every day. 9. Social worker Job titleSocial worker Annual median salary$48,671 Imagine being placed into emergency situations where potential abuse or violence is taking place. No one else wants to step in, so it falls on you to deal with the aftermath, and youre getting paid peanuts. This is life as a social worker.Social workers have to advocate for those who are often in dire straits and dealing with one or more crises. While they have the opportunity to help families plan next steps and offer education on various topics, they must also witness and empathize with those in heartbreaking situations. Social programs are generally underfunded yet demand is constantly growing, causing fewer dedicated social workers to do more work with less support.8. Newspaper reporter Job titleNewspaper reporter Annual median salary$37,942 Life as a print journalist is not easy. The pay is low, and very few strike it rich as a newspaper reporter. Beyond that, this job has long and unpredictable hours covering meetings, trials, and breaking news. Its not uncommon to work all day on a story, receive follow-up calls from editors well after youve handed the story in, and then get called in the middle of a night to cover a murder or major accident. Good reporters are never really off duty. In addition, the industry is not faring well at the moment. Thanks to the rise in digital media, papers are downsizing (with some even shutting down completely) a stressful issue that looms over almost every print journalist at the moment. 7. Emergency dispatcher Job titleEmergency d ispatcher Annual median salary$34,262 The first half of this job title is a big tipoff as to why its on our stressful jobs list. When people call police and fire for help, officers and firefighters respond. But those officials only get to where theyre going because of the dispatchers, who are at the front lines of many emergencies and often mean the difference between life and death. Dispatchers not only have to collect the address from the caller and pass it on to police, they are relied upon by first responders to ensure safety. For instance, a dispatcher may have to give life-saving information to the caller such as how to perform CPR or the Heimlich, all while relaying information to responding personnel. Often, those officers need the dispatcher to find out how many people are in a building, if anyone is injured, armed, etc. before they get there. Mistakes by dispatchers can end with people getting hurt or, in extreme circumstances, killed.6. Registered Nurse ER Job titleReg istered nurse ER Annual median salary$66,517 Think about the last time you were in the hospital. You probably only saw the doctor a handful of times, right? Its the nurses who take care of the details and upon whom you rely for most things. The emergency room of any hospital is a hectic and chaotic place. Medical professionals are running every which way to determine who is a priority and who needs which treatments. Theres trauma almost everywhere you look, not to mention blood and other bodily fluids. Nurses are the link between patients and doctors, and are responsible for much of the routine care before and during treatment. Everything from catheters to getting patients another warm blanket is done by a nurse. Doctors rely on them, patients rely on them, and when mistakes are made regarding peoples health, the results can be catastrophic. 5. Police officer Job titlePolice officer Annual median salary$51,063 If your job consists of potentially putting your life on the line every time you punch in, thats stressful. Police officers never know what theyll be dealing with on any particular shift. From breaking up domestic disputes to high speed chases to shootouts, its all on the table. Even routine speeding tickets can turn deadly at a moments notice, which is why police officers can never drop their guard for a second. 4. Commerical airline pilot Job titleCommercial airline pilot Annual median salary$119,958 Soar miles above the Earth while traveling hundreds of miles per hour with a few hundred people entrusting you with their lives? That can be stressful. Yet thats exactly what commercial airline pilots do day after day. Sure the technology today is advanced and some people claim the planes basically fly themselves, but try telling that to pilots like Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, who had to land his plane in the Hudson River when he encountered engine problems. Pilots who make mistakes risk being the cause of hundreds of deaths, making this a well-earned s pot on our list. 3. Firefighter Job titleFirefighter Annual median salary$42,631 Firefighters choose an occupation that consists of running into a burning building when everyone else is trying like hell to get out. This is yet another profession on our list that only exists because people are in dire straits and in need of rescue. And while much of the job is battling infernos at homes, schools, and offices, many firefighters are also licensed EMTs who assist at accident scenes and other endeavors like water rescues. Working conditions are hazardous and dangerous to ones health, lives are on the line each and every shift, and the very real possibility of burning to death (or seeing someone burned) exists at all times. Its the definition of stressful. 2. Surgeon Job titleSurgeon Annual median salary$342,520 I understand its easy to look at that salary and wonder how anything can be stressful when youre making that much money. But hear me out. Surgeons are literally cutting you open . Sometimes they take bad stuff out, other times they put good stuff in, and most other times theyre fixing whats wrong. But the fact remains, these highly trained and qualified people are cutting you to operate on you and tinker with your insides. Any time youre dealing with opening up the human body, theres a large amount of stress involved. As a surgeon, youre responsible for the life of the person on your table each and every time. And with so many things that can go wrong as you battle to make it right, it has to take a toll knowing one mistake one wrong move means youre forever responsible for someone dying. 1. Enlisted military personnel Job titleArmy Private E2 Annual median salary$18,127 I listed Army because we dont have salaries for the other branches in our database, but they would certainly apply here too. Bottom line this job consists of going through basic training, learning the skills necessary to fight in combat, and then going over to a foreign country if nece ssary to go up against enemy forces. It is a job that all too often involves killing or being killed, watching the back of the person next to you, and witnessing unthinkable acts of horror and violence. And even if soldiers make it home, they still have to battle things like PTSD. The kicker is its a job for which everyone volunteers. In my book, theres nothing more stressful than war and protecting freedom, which is why this job lands as 1 on our list with great respect. Related Salary.com Content How Are College Professors Paid? 25 Departments Ranked by Salary 5 Companies that Help Remote Workers Live and Travel Abroad Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles The 10 Most Stressful JobsThe Top 10 Most Stressful JobsSearch The 10 Most Stressful Jobs Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailWhat are the Most Stressful Jobs in America? My job is SO stressful Most people think they have the most str essful job thats only natural. And without a doubt, almost every job has unique brands of stress. But lets face it, there are some jobs that are just way more taxing than others. What are the most stressful jobs? We did a bunch of research on stressful occupations and there are tons of opinions. Many publications publish annual lists on the topic, and some even reach out to experts who examine factors such as hours, working conditions, and consequences of mistakes. We examined the jobs in these articles, compared them to the jobs in our database, and chose our own top ten stressful jobs. 10. Teacher Job titleTeacher Annual median salary$55,390 Yeah yeah, we can hear some of you expressing disbelief right off the bat. Yes, most teachers get summers off and many get automatic pay raises. We know. But there is a flip side to that coin. First, teachers are never going to get rich teaching. Second, most teachers are working well outside school hours by grading papers, going over curri cula, etc. Third, teachers have an unbelievably crucial responsibility to shape the minds of young people and properly prepare them for life after graduation. Failing to do so literally endangers the future for both the students and society in general. And finally, theres the stress of dealing with children and young adults every day. 9. Social worker Job titleSocial worker Annual median salary$48,671 Imagine being placed into emergency situations where potential abuse or violence is taking place. No one else wants to step in, so it falls on you to deal with the aftermath, and youre getting paid peanuts. This is life as a social worker.Social workers have to advocate for those who are often in dire straits and dealing with one or more crises. While they have the opportunity to help families plan next steps and offer education on various topics, they must also witness and empathize with those in heartbreaking situations. Social programs are generally underfunded yet demand is cons tantly growing, causing fewer dedicated social workers to do more work with less support.8. Newspaper reporter Job titleNewspaper reporter Annual median salary$37,942 Life as a print journalist is not easy. The pay is low, and very few strike it rich as a newspaper reporter. Beyond that, this job has long and unpredictable hours covering meetings, trials, and breaking news. Its not uncommon to work all day on a story, receive follow-up calls from editors well after youve handed the story in, and then get called in the middle of a night to cover a murder or major accident. Good reporters are never really off duty. In addition, the industry is not faring well at the moment. Thanks to the rise in digital media, papers are downsizing (with some even shutting down completely) a stressful issue that looms over almost every print journalist at the moment. 7. Emergency dispatcher Job titleEmergency dispatcher Annual median salary$34,262 The first half of this job title is a big tipoff as to why its on our stressful jobs list. When people call police and fire for help, officers and firefighters respond. But those officials only get to where theyre going because of the dispatchers, who are at the front lines of many emergencies and often mean the difference between life and death. Dispatchers not only have to collect the address from the caller and pass it on to police, they are relied upon by first responders to ensure safety. For instance, a dispatcher may have to give life-saving information to the caller such as how to perform CPR or the Heimlich, all while relaying information to responding personnel. Often, those officers need the dispatcher to find out how many people are in a building, if anyone is injured, armed, etc. before they get there. Mistakes by dispatchers can end with people getting hurt or, in extreme circumstances, killed.6. Registered Nurse ER Job titleRegistered nurse ER Annual median salary$66,517 Think about the last time you were in the h ospital. You probably only saw the doctor a handful of times, right? Its the nurses who take care of the details and upon whom you rely for most things. The emergency room of any hospital is a hectic and chaotic place. Medical professionals are running every which way to determine who is a priority and who needs which treatments. Theres trauma almost everywhere you look, not to mention blood and other bodily fluids. Nurses are the link between patients and doctors, and are responsible for much of the routine care before and during treatment. Everything from catheters to getting patients another warm blanket is done by a nurse. Doctors rely on them, patients rely on them, and when mistakes are made regarding peoples health, the results can be catastrophic. 5. Police officer Job titlePolice officer Annual median salary$51,063 If your job consists of potentially putting your life on the line every time you punch in, thats stressful. Police officers never know what theyll be dealing wi th on any particular shift. From breaking up domestic disputes to high speed chases to shootouts, its all on the table. Even routine speeding tickets can turn deadly at a moments notice, which is why police officers can never drop their guard for a second. 4. Commerical airline pilot Job titleCommercial airline pilot Annual median salary$119,958 Soar miles above the Earth while traveling hundreds of miles per hour with a few hundred people entrusting you with their lives? That can be stressful. Yet thats exactly what commercial airline pilots do day after day. Sure the technology today is advanced and some people claim the planes basically fly themselves, but try telling that to pilots like Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, who had to land his plane in the Hudson River when he encountered engine problems. Pilots who make mistakes risk being the cause of hundreds of deaths, making this a well-earned spot on our list. 3. Firefighter Job titleFirefighter Annual median salary$42,631 Firefig hters choose an occupation that consists of running into a burning building when everyone else is trying like hell to get out. This is yet another profession on our list that only exists because people are in dire straits and in need of rescue. And while much of the job is battling infernos at homes, schools, and offices, many firefighters are also licensed EMTs who assist at accident scenes and other endeavors like water rescues. Working conditions are hazardous and dangerous to ones health, lives are on the line each and every shift, and the very real possibility of burning to death (or seeing someone burned) exists at all times. Its the definition of stressful. 2. Surgeon Job titleSurgeon Annual median salary$342,520 I understand its easy to look at that salary and wonder how anything can be stressful when youre making that much money. But hear me out. Surgeons are literally cutting you open. Sometimes they take bad stuff out, other times they put good stuff in, and most other t imes theyre fixing whats wrong. But the fact remains, these highly trained and qualified people are cutting you to operate on you and tinker with your insides. Any time youre dealing with opening up the human body, theres a large amount of stress involved. As a surgeon, youre responsible for the life of the person on your table each and every time. And with so many things that can go wrong as you battle to make it right, it has to take a toll knowing one mistake one wrong move means youre forever responsible for someone dying. 1. Enlisted military personnel Job titleArmy Private E2 Annual median salary$18,127 I listed Army because we dont have salaries for the other branches in our database, but they would certainly apply here too. Bottom line this job consists of going through basic training, learning the skills necessary to fight in combat, and then going over to a foreign country if necessary to go up against enemy forces. It is a job that all too often involves killing or b eing killed, watching the back of the person next to you, and witnessing unthinkable acts of horror and violence. And even if soldiers make it home, they still have to battle things like PTSD. The kicker is its a job for which everyone volunteers. In my book, theres nothing more stressful than war and protecting freedom, which is why this job lands as 1 on our list with great respect. Related Salary.com Content How Are College Professors Paid? 25 Departments Ranked by Salary 5 Companies that Help Remote Workers Live and Travel Abroad Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles The 10 Most Stressful Jobs