Work and stress go hand-in-hand, and that's nothing new. Sure, they didn't have to answer late-night emails, but we can't imagine gladiators were too thrilled about their jobs, either. But these days, with the average work week getting longer, it can be easy to be nostalgic for a simpler time, when your boss couldn't reach you on a Sunday night and happy hour started promptly at 5 p.m.
While the smartphone isn't going anywhere, there are jobs out there that might cause less tension than your current gig. CareerCast has ranked the least stressful jobs for 2017, looking at factors like deadlines, growth, and competition. Jobs were then given a numerical score based on those 11 factors. The lower the number, the less stressful the job.
"A job with little-to-no travel, promising growth opportunities, an immediate urgency or risk of death or severe harm, and relative anonymity from the public eye... scores as less stressful," the website explains. Interestingly, there's some overlap for the best jobs of 2017 in the top 10. IT, business, and healthcare also factor heavily into both lists. Additionally, most, but not all, of the least stressful jobs also pay well, with half making a median salary of over $60,000 a year.
Click through to see the entire list — are you surprised by the jobs that made it?
10. Medical Laboratory Technician
Median Annual Income: $50,550
Growth Outlook: 9%
Stress Score: 10.31
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
9. Pharmacy Technician
Median Annual Income: $30,410
Growth Outlook: 9%
Stress Score: 9.10
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
8. Operations Research Analyst
Median Annual Income: $78,630
Growth Outlook: 30%
Stress Score: 9.02
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
7. Jeweler
Median Annual Income: $37,060
Growth Outlook: -11%
Stress Score: 8.95
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
6. Medical Records Technician
Median Annual Income: $37,110
Growth Outlook: 15%
Stress Score: 8.57
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
5. University Professor (Tenured)
Median Annual Income: $72,470
Growth Outlook: 13%
Stress Score: 8.17
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
4. Audiologist
Median Annual Income: $74,890
Growth Outlook: 29%
Stress Score: 7.31
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
3. Hair Stylist
Median Annual Income: $23,710
Growth Outlook: 10%
Stress Score: 5.80
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
2. Compliance Officer
Median Annual Income: $65,640
Growth Outlook: 3%
Stress Score: 5.73
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
1. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
Median Annual Income: $63,630
Growth Outlook: 24%
Stress Score: 4.00
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
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