10 Low-Stress Jobs That Pay Well: 2024

More and more people are searching for good-paying, low-stress jobs that allow them to enjoy work without taking stress home. Although it might sound too good to be true, employers also realize the benefits of ensuring staff members don’t feel stressed, and they’re taking steps to improve this in the workplace.

Explore 10 low-stress jobs, and learn what makes a job low-stress and how to find one that's right for you.  

1. Data scientist

Average annual salary (US): $108,020 [1]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 35 percent [1]

Requirements: A degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, or a field related to the role and the necessary data and programming skills. Some employers prefer a master’s or even a doctorate.

Data scientists collect information and organize, analyze, interpret, and use it to discover patterns and inconsistencies and solve problems. In this role, your tech skills come into play as you may use algorithms and machine learning to collect data and predict outcomes. Surveys, observation, and web scraping are also used to collect raw data.

Typically, data scientists work in an office environment, which opens the door to remote work opportunities. This type of work requires little in the way of meeting with others, as data scientists often work alone, so it also has the potential for flexible schedules, making it low-stress. 

Read more: What Is a Data Scientist? Salary, Skills, and How to Become One

2. Orthodontist

Average annual salary (US): $239,200 [2]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 4 percent [3]

Requirements: You will need to become a Doctor of Dental Medicine with an orthodontist specialty and obtain a license (four years of medical school and a two-year residency, following a bachelor’s degree).

An orthodontist is a specialist dental doctor who diagnoses and treats dental irregularities such as misaligned and excess teeth. The educational path can take anywhere from 10 to 14 years.

Orthodontists work with teeth only, so they are not exposed to the same kind of trauma and stress that other types of physicians, such as emergency room physicians, work with. Additionally, as an orthodontist, you typically only work when your practice or clinic is open, giving you greater control over your schedule.  

3. Materials scientist 

Average annual salary (US): $106,160 [4]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 6 percent [5]

Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in chemistry or a similar field. A master’s degree or PhD is likely required. 

Materials scientists work in research, analyzing chemical properties and substances and their composition and concentration of elements and investigating new ways to combine materials to make new ones. You’ll identify the products to test and optimal ways to test them, determine the safety of materials, and provide recommendations for product improvements. 

In this field, you may collaborate with other scientists or oversee a team. However, your work is typically independent, with time spent between the laboratory and the office without rigid or stressful deadlines. 

4. Curator 

Average annual salary (US): $57,120 [6]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 10 percent [7]

Requirements: A master’s degree in art, history, museum studies, or similar, and experience and courses in business administration, public relations, and marketing

Curators manage museums and collections. Their tasks commonly include negotiating prices, bringing in new artists, organizing exhibitions and storage, and managing sales. In this job, you may engage in public relations. In a large establishment, you may specialize in a specific field, like botany or history. 

Working in an art gallery offers low workplace stress and a quiet, calm, social environment, often alone restoring or assembling items. 

5. Web developer 

Average annual salary (US): $92,750 [8]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 16 percent [8]

Requirements: You can enter the field in multiple ways with a minimum requirement of a high school diploma plus relevant experience. Many employers prefer a degree.

Web developers write code using programming languages to create everything from mobile applications to websites. You can specialize as a front-end, back-end, or full-stack developer, working on the user-facing design elements, the behind-the-scenes components that impact performance, or a combination of both.  

Web developers primarily work alone at a computer, making way for remote opportunities. Because this profession has relaxed, varied educational requirements, you won’t necessarily have a high student debt to pay or stressful studies to complete. 

6. Audiologist 

Average annual salary (US): $87,740 [9]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 11 percent [9]

Requirements: Doctor of Audiology degree (AuD), with some earning a PhD or a doctor of science degree in hearing and balance sciences. A license is also required to practice. 

Audiologists are medical professionals who diagnose hearing loss and disorders, along with balance disorders and related problems. You may work in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private practices. 

While working in a medical profession may be stressful, audiologists focus on ear-related problems. Doing so means you rarely treat seriously ill patients, don’t have long working hours, and diagnose using high-tech equipment, taking much of the stress out of making complex decisions. 

Read more: What Is an Audiologist? Duties, Skills, and Career Paths

7. Chemical engineer

Average annual salary (US): $112,100 [10]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 8 percent [10]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or similar. Practical experience is an advantage.

Chemical engineers typically work in manufacturing products such as food, fuel, drugs, and everyday materials using chemistry principles. You might also design equipment used in chemical plants and oversee product creation processes.

Working as a chemical engineer means you are largely laboratory and office-based, with some offsite work at plants and other locations. However, much of the work is research-based, meaning you work alone and in an environment where managing stress is possible.  

8. Mathematician 

Average annual salary (US): $104,860 [11]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 30 percent [11]

Requirements: Master’s degree in mathematics or statistics as a minimum.

Mathematicians work in various industries, from business to engineering, working with data and using mathematical theories to solve problems and report on their findings. You might work in academia, national security, robotics, and other sectors.

A career as a mathematician is low-stress because you work alone, mainly in an office setting, on your schedule until you solve the problem. While this might sometimes involve long hours, the pressure is typically low.

9. Astronomer 

Average annual salary (US): $127,930 [12]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 5 percent [13]

Requirements: PhD for work in academia. In some cases, a bachelor's degree in physics may be sufficient.

Astronomers study the universe, including planets, stars, galaxies, asteroids, and black holes. You may also come up with scientific theories to explain the natural world, conduct studies and experiments, and design and develop new scientific software and equipment. 

Astronomers typically work in research for universities, government departments, or private sectors such as aerospace firms. The work is relatively low-stress, given that it is in a scientific field. You'll observe, analyze, and research at your pace in a low-risk environment. 

10. Technical writer

Average annual salary (US): $80,050 [14]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 7 percent [14]

Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, or a technical subject and relevant technical knowledge or experience. 

If you become a technical writer, you'll write articles, white papers, user guides, help sections, and other text for organizations. Your role is to simplify complex information so that non-technical users can easily understand it.

As a technical writer, you’ll work on projects that lead to flexibility in work-life balance and the opportunity to work remotely. 

Read more: What Does a Technical Writer Do? Career Guide

What makes a job low-stress?

Many factors contribute to the stressfulness of a job, and different people will be more affected by specific stressors than others:

• Shift work

• Physical hazards

• Putting your life or the lives of others in danger

• Physical demands

• Strict deadlines

• Competitiveness

• Level of responsibility

• Working with other people

• Workplace distractions

• Long hours

• Micromanagement

Low-stress jobs have low levels of items on the above list. However, it’s also notable that while these are all stressors, they may not stress all people equally. For example, targets and deadlines motivate some while causing stress and anxiety for others.

Read more: Micromanagement: What It Is and How to Deal With It

How to find  low-stress jobs

Finding low-stress jobs might take some research and reflection. To start, consider what you find stressful. Once you understand your stressors, you can design your job search to avoid roles that could make you stressed or overworked. Many job boards and career sites have job satisfaction scores, which can be helpful because they provide details about the scores. Use these to list what you want in a job and what to avoid. 

Experience can be the ultimate deciding factor in how you feel about something. Consider trying out some roles or contacting people who work in those positions to see how they enjoy their jobs and whether they consider them stressful.

Next steps

While “low stress” means something different to everyone, many people find that jobs with easy deadlines, low levels of responsibility, flexibility, lack of competition, and little physical demand are some of the least stressful. Choosing a job that fits some of these requirements can be better for your overall work-life balance.  

To begin your search for a low-stress job, start by making sure your professional skills are up-to-date and relevant for the role you want to apply for. Coursera partners offer several educational options to help you do just that. For example, consider brushing up on your interview and resume writing skills with the Interviewing and Resume Writing in English Specialization, delivered by the University of Maryland.

Alternatively, you could gain a deeper knowledge of specific subjects that interest you. For example, you might explore the beginner-friendly Materials Science for Technological Application offered by Arizona State University or delve into data science with the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate. You’ll find these and many more options on Coursera.