Black horehound
The Most Stressful Jobs of 2015
CareerCast.com
The most stressful jobs of 2015 can be physically
dangerous, psychologically taxing—
and a great match for those with the passion and drive
necessary to succeed in such an environment.
David Barckhoff of Pittsburgh fits the bill. Barkchoff
says he became interested in a career
as a firefighter, the most stressful job of 2015, at age
eight or nine.
“I was interested in the excitement. I remember seeing
the truck go down the road
with the lights on,” he says. “The idea of rescuing
people…and the camaraderie"
with other firefighters appealed to him then and now. For
some, the job’s challenges might be
a deterrent. But not for Barckhoff, who was already used
to working in a stressful occupation.
Barckhoff transitioned into firefighting from a stint in
the second-most stressful job of 2015,
as an enlisted military specialist in the United States
Navy. He says the two paths share similarities.
Jobs Rated Stress Links
“The fire academy is almost like going through boot
camp,” he says.
“They take you from the beginning stages, then through
all the hazards you could possibly face,
with experts teaching from their real-world experience.”
Learning from the experience of others is invaluable in
any career, but in the most stressful jobs
of 2015, it’s critical. The conditions faced in such
stressful jobs as firefighter,
enlisted military personnel and police officer constantly
change.
The most important lesson from the experience, Barckhoff
says, is to avoid complacency.
“When you get complacent … that’s when something is going
to kill you,” he says.
The same mindset is necessary for airline pilots, the
fourth-most stressful job of 2015.
For the millions of Americans who entrust their safety to
them every year,
airline pilots must be able to adapt to changing
conditions when in flight without losing their cool.
Of course, not all of the most stressful jobs of 2015
find workers responsible for public safety,
but they are entrusted with seeing that the expectations
of large groups are met without problem.
Event coordinator is one such career. The tight
deadlines, the high expectations of clients
and the keen attention to detail needed to succeed as an
event coordinator land it on the list.
And with experience in the No. 1 and No. 2 most stressful
jobs, Barckhoff has an interesting
frame of reference for other jobs’ stress. After 25 years
in firefighting, he added another career path that was not nearly as
death-defying, but still among the most stressful: He became an actor.
Barckhoff has worked in different phases of television
and movies, including stunts and writing.
He says his military and firefighting experience helps
him add believability to fiction.
“It’s still stressful,” he says. “You have deadlines and
work long hours,”
and you never know where or when the next job will
emerge.
Yes, stress can come from a variety of factors. You need
not necessarily put your own life at risk
to be in a stressful work environment. Tight deadlines,
like those faced on a daily basis
by photojournalists, newspaper reporters and
broadcasters, contribute to high stress.
So, too, does working under the constant scrutiny of the
public eye.
It takes a thick skin and keen attention detail to thrive
in these work environments.
The following are the 10 most stressful jobs of 2015,
according to the 2015 Jobs Rated report.
Most Stressful Jobs of 2015: 1. Firefighter
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 71.59
Median Annual Salary: $45,600
Projected Growth by 2022:7%
Firefighters face dangerous situations in ever-changing
conditions, and their work is not limited
to battling blazes. Firefighters also assist with medical
emergencies and natural disasters.
ROOT
As a long term care nurse, I have, on average, 30-60
patients per shift, 12 hour shifts,
and rarely work fewer than 4-5 shifts a week. We're
getting cut back even more because
Medicare and Medicaid are being cut back, our regulations
just to give OTC meds
requires mountains of paperwork, and not only am I in
charge of keeping them alive,
but also dignified through their multiple complicated
chronic diseases (I dare you to try to check
the blood sugar and give a few units of insulin to a
highly combative person who is
about twice your size suffering from diabetes and
moderate dementia three times a day).
Not to mention, if you make one teeny mistake, such as
accidentally forgetting to initial
the microscopic box of the one medication of one of your
sixty patients,
you get reprimanded for "neglect".
REPLY
Child Protective Investigator
ROOT
Hands Down! Try it for a day or 2!
REPLY
Growing up in the '70s, our family was close with several
others where the father was a fireman. One of them drove the fire truck. He and
several others had heart attacks at a young age,
like early 40's, and one died at home after suffering a
massive CA. Back then, nobody did cardio
for an hour every morning or ran 5 miles in the evening
to take care of their hearts
and reduce stress. So I would agree, while fire fighters
spend a lot of time
hanging around the firehouse doing normal stuff like
cooking and cleaning,
they've got to be on pins and needles waiting for that
alarm to sound any second of the day or night.
REPLY
If I got married, I would marry a firefighter.
They cook, clean, mow the lawn, grocery shop, get red box
movies, etc. who wouldn't love them?
REPLY
No question fire fighters have the most stressful jobs.
In addition to the obvious work that we do, we're forced to live away from home
to do our jobs with people we may not like very much.
Then having to save lives and property at a moment's
notice, often in hazardous conditions –
it's doesn't get any more stressful than that!
REPLY
I work in a foundry that makes plane engine parts.
That has to top every category that could make a job
stressful.
REPLY
As a Correctional Officer Please come and stand on a Rec
yard with me,
600 convicted felons when there are only three officers
on the yard.
YOU, me and the other two Officers would make the odd's
150 to 1
(and what are you going to do when the crap hits the
fan).
Come with me and walk a dorm with 110 convicted felons
with attitudes
and its only YOU and me (and what are you going to do
when the crap hits the fan).
I could go on and on but . . . out of sight out of mind.
Please don't forget us. Oh and by the way weapons are not
allowed on the compound.
Let's take the walk, I'll bring you some toilet paper.
REPLY
I wonder where are the Air Traffic Controllers, who are
responsible for an average of 30.000 people's live in a single shift - and
that's only the ones in the air...
REPLY
Not all EMS are fire fighters. Here in KCMO at KCFD we
stay in the houses
but we run call non stop as EMTs and Paramedics. The job
is equally dangerous
and often times more dangerous. The responsibility level
is often greater than that of a fire fighter. Aside from working fires EMS
handle the majority of calls. Including motor vehicle accidents, assaults
(be it shootings, stabbings, or blunt trauma), ect.
Is unfortunate that EMS workers have been left out.
REPLY
Try nursing at a level 1 trauma center ER, ICU , or Step
Down Unit.
DRs are overloaded and can't respond, patients are too
sick, and staffing is shorted
to keep profits up. Can you say PTSD when you wake up in
a cold sweat after a 12-hour shift?
REPLY
I find that taking my allotted holidays help.
People worry about taking time off
because you are deemed to be lazy but ask yourself , does
your bosses boss take holidays?
Also you can get many discrete phone apps that you can
use to count down to your holiday.
I use TimecalcTimer for iPhone but there are
others
REPLY
I've been retired for 20+ years. When I worked, my job
was elevator mechanic.
I worked in installation, trouble shooting, maintenance,
etc.
Great job, but sometimes very stressful and occasionally
dangerous.
REPLY
Nursing, especially critically care RN have tremedous,
ongoing chronic stress.
The methodology is poor, in my opinion. True,
firefighters have exceedingly high stress
(acute stress) if they are in a burning building, the
actural time this occurs is vey infrequent. ICU/CCU nurses have life and
death matters, every day; and, the business of health care today (inadequate
staffing levels, desire to maximize profits) makes the burn out rate
much higher than firefighters, police, etc.
I fault your methodology, not to list critical
care/hospital nursing, as a top 'stress' profession.
REPLY
A BENEFIT SPECIALIST WORKER AT ANY DEPT. OF SOCIAL
SERVICES,
(OFTEN CALLED A FOODSTAMP WORKER)-A WORKER HAS NO RIGHTS
AND THE CLIENTS HAVE THEM ALL, EVEN WHEN FRAUD IS
FOUND.
REPLY
In my mind i would have to say a soldiers job in combat
would be more stressful than any other
with being in a foreign land where nobody wants you in
the first place,
not speaking the language and if that’s not enough having
to deal with being shot at or ied's
just to name a few. Having been a firefighter myself in a
small bedroom community fire dept, although stressful at times, the most stress
we had was trying to figure out
what we were gonna eat for lunch and super.
I guess this article must be referring to the big city
high rise firefighters or maybe smoke jumpers.
REPLY
I understand actors work very hard, however I do not
understand how their job is more stressful than mine as an ER nurse. Saving
entertainment vs saving lives...you do the math.
REPLY
I see that last year, soldiers were ranked most
stressful, and now they're ranked second
behind firemen. How can that be? They're on the front
lines defending our country.
No knock on firemen, but it's no comparison in my mind.
REPLY
I love the my job is tougher than your job. Number one
stress job doesn't win a trophy.
If you all want to be stressed out beat up and away from
your family and be paid and low hourly wage to boot. Quit your jobs and be a
firefighter, heck I'll switch with you.
Grow up, most jobs are sucky. Everyone is under paid and
over worked and we all think we’re doing all the work. It's just this year
firefighters are in the spotlight. Maybe next year it will be dispatchers or
teachers. Haven't really heard of a bunch of teachers or dispatchers being
killed recently,
but I'm sure stress is measured in different ways.
REPLY
As far as the 2 firefighters you know, it isn't what you
portray it to be.
First, firefighters work an average of 52 hours a week
and the 12 hours are NOT overtime
compared to a 40 hour work week. Our shifts in many
departments are 24 hours so we do
3 days in one (compared to standard jobs). For the people
who think we sleep at night
(I work in a Very large metro city). We don't sleep all
night. We get calls in the middle of the night and some are very long calls
(fires and technical rescues take the longest). We spend time away from our
families and we are exposed to toxic smoke (high cancer rates in firefighters).
I've seen Many bad things but love my job and wouldn't
trade it for the world.
I'm not trying to say our job is above anyone else's and
respect what each person does for work.
I just want you to know that it isn't always days off and
vacation.
REPLY
Would love to see CareerCast publish how this study was
conducted.
This speaks of just terrible science and worse
journalism. Psychologists have the highest rate
of suicide due to stress, but not even a mention?
Radio station DJ is more stressful? REALLY?
And no mention of ER doctors? Yes, Event
Coordinators may have to try to keep a lot of people happy, but what about
keeping people ALIVE? An Event Coordinator makes a mistake he/she
may lose some business. A doctor does it and he/she
has lost his career. No law enforcement making the list either eh?
Well, at least being a University Professor responsible for hundreds
of students' possible futures each semester and under
pressure to produce on a consistent basis
is barely more stressful than cutting hair.
REPLY
I do agree that the military on the front lines is
stressful, however, I'm responding to the ER doctors. Yes, it can be
stressful to try and save a life in a clean room with all the resources they
need,
try keeping them alive long enough to get them to the
doctor in the pouring rain and mud
under a live car with it lighting all around you. People
tend to forget if they can't be kept alive
long enough to make it to the ER then that doctor is not
going to do anything for the pt.
REPLY
More than likely that fire department works a 48/96 or a
Kelly schedule which actually means
they work 56 hours a week. And it's not necessarily what
we do it's what we may have to do.
When you deal with the amount of ugly situations and
death like we do we deserve every ounce
of pay, benifits ,and retirement we get. Not taking away
anything from any other job they are all important but if people don't like
what we get then Take the test it's open to everyone.
REPLY
Why do actors have stressful jobs? They only have
to memorize lines. Try to be a scientist.
That's stressful. You are expected to produce
volumes of work, with long hours, and low pay.
You cannot spend prestige or titles.
REPLY
and teaching did not make the top 10??? What
teachers were ranked? How was travel rated? Anyone been on a field trip
with students of any age? Looked at a teacher salary schedule?
worked with teacher certification renewal rules? Had
weekly observations of your classroom?
Have to be ranked according to your skill in using
technology in front of 30+ students in comparison to other teachers? Had to
stoop to listen to a small student, climb desks to decorate class bulletin
boards? sprint the entire diameter of a building to cover a class during your
prep in the five minute passing period? Worked in a sick (mold-infested)
building? Teach all day, hold three hours of parent conferences in the evening,
then grade 110+ papers for the next day? Yes, with the exception
of the outbreak of school shootings, teaching is
relatively safe, but certainly not stress-free.
REPLY
I have just recently retired from a 30 year career in fire
dispatch. Stress yes absolutely,
sleep deprived, 14 hour night shifts. Away from your
families, sending your brothers/sisters
to calls that are sometimes unknown the dangers that they
will be confronting. Keeping a calm voice when the caller is screaming at you.
This is the callers worse day of their lives when they call 911 fire.
Dispatchers are slowly getting recognition for their expertise.
Hats off to ALL who have a career in public safety.
REPLY
Couldn't agree more. Thank you for your amazing career
and sacrifice!
REPLY
2 firefighters that live in my neighborhood are off more
than they work. one works for the city
and the other for the county in the same city and both
are off at the same times, weekends,
and are also constantly on vacation. Also
homeschool their kids. Not taking anything away
from hardworking firefighter locations all over but this
leaves a bad taste in your mouth
when you know it is a city, county, state, or federal
employee
REPLY
Those firefighters that are off more than they work....do
they work 24 hour shifts? Are they at work while you are sound asleep in your
bed? Do you realize that while they work less days per month, they actually
work more hours than some guy with normal "9-5" hours?
Did you know that those firemen are not guaranteed to get
off on time? It is horrible calling home, letting your loved ones know you will
be 2 or 3 hours later for whatever is planned
because you are trying to extricate a man that is pinned
under a vehicle.
That is what city, county, and federal employees do.
If your neighbors happen to be in their forties or
fifties, then maybe they don't work as much because they are near retirement
and have been doing the above for 25+ years.
REPLY
Try this at home sometime: Have someone set your alarm a
couple hours earlier than normal (without any prior knowledge). On your night
stand they leave an address to a location within a mile or so of your location.
You now have 6 minutes (4 if you are good) to get dressed, get in your car, and
drive to said location. Don't worry about lights or sirens.
They are only useful in traffic (should not be a problem
at 03:00). When you arrive at said location
(if you haven't failed so far, resulting in a call to the
professionals) successfully complete an oral
or written exam relative to your profession, and complete
a job related skill or two.
Once complete you can begin the physical exam.
(HINT: You save lots of time by not stopping to use the
restroom, stretching, eating,
smoking a cig... you will have plenty of time for morning
rituals tomorrow!)
Anything from lifting the weight of a human to climbing
the stairs to the top of a highrise
(don't forget your gear). Upon successful completion of
all exams, head back home and fire up
the computer as you will need to "document what you
did or else you didn't do it".
Oh and remember if you fail any portion of this little challenge
it could result in the termination
of your employment, the death/s of someone's mother,
husband, and/or children.
And there's also that "negligence" term they
like to use in courts. Have fun and be careful.
Challenge your friends and family. Be sure to follow the
law and remember Safety First! Fun Facts: Life expectancey of a career
Firefighter - 55, Divorce rate > 70%, Majority have a second job,
Average yearly income < $46k, Average hourly rate <
$15/hr, Average hours per week - 56,
Math can be fun: 1 week = 7 days, 1 day = 24 hours, 24
hours x 7 days = 168 hours,
Most people work 40 hours/week so... 168 - 40 = 128, 128
> 40, so....
Most people are off more than they work! 56 hours - 40
hours = 16 hours x 52 weeks = 832 hours more per year, that’s 20.8 extra 40
hour weeks or about 5 months per year extra, so...
40% more hours on average including NIGHTS, WEEKENDS,
HOLIDAYS, BIRTHDAYS, ANAVERSARYS, FULL MOONS, BLACK FRIDAYS, GIRL'S NIGHTS,
SUPERBOWLS, SCHOOL PLAYS, YOUTH SPORTS, WEDDINGS, CHILD'S BIRTH, PROM, BINGO
NIGHTS, BOWLING LEAGUES, AND DURING AMERICAN IDOL.
They have been shot, stabbed, slapped, punched, kicked,
cursed at, spit on, and pooped on. Contaminated, infected, inhaled, ingested,
burned, bruised, broken, crushed, and cut. Oh and killed.
Despite the various environmental and biological hazards,
the mass murders, the school shootings, and the terrorist attacks...... they
aren't the ones complaining. They don't seek thanks, or awards,
or to be called heroes. But less complaining would be
great. Thanks, Career Firefighter/EMT
REPLY
The firefighters I know go to work for 24 to 48 hours at
tome. What’s your work day 8 hours?
If you would think about it and do the math most
firefighters work 56 to 72 hours a week.
REPLY
They may have more "days off than you" but than
again their shift is not 8 hours like yours.
Most likely it is 24-48 hours Straight. Oh yes
they have a bed, but even if they never run a call
at night (very unlikely) they do not get a nights rest.
REPLY
Are people supposed to be at work more than they are off
work?
I was led to believe that a 40 hour work week is a fairly
acceptable average out of the 168
total hours available to work in a week. Most
firefighters work 48-72 hours per week.
REPLY
But what you fail to recognize is that when most people
are at home for the Holidays, firefighters
are not. They are forced to miss many of their kids
Birthdays, life events and Christmas. The fire department never closes
and many sacrifice a lot to be there for you when you have an emergency.
REPLY
Just realize that they are working when you are sleeping.
They are seeing what you thought
was only in movies. And if they live together they are
wisely putting together two really crappy incomes to make ends meet. A man with
an experience is not at the mercy of a man with an opinion. Sincerely, a 10
year firefighter / paramedic.
REPLY
Firefighters work a variety of shifts all over the
country so I can only speak for my City's:
they work 24 on, 48 off.
Order-ins not included. 24 hours away from family, 3
times a week. The first day off is spent
being exhausted, as they worked 24 hours and had runs all
night or even just sporadically...
enough to really mess with your health. Catching on yet?
You and I work 8 hour shifts.
The other 16 is not spent at work. So the "days
off" illusion is exactly that. An illusion.
You should talk to your firefighter neighbors and get to
know them. Then see if they have a ride along program so you can educate
yourself before you make ignorant comments on the internet, most likely from
your 9-5 desk.
REPLY
What an ignorant response. One fire makes up for those
days off and then some. Try fighting a fire, getting past the smoke, saving a
life, carrying a burnt victim, falling through a rough,..
REPLY
What do you really know about their schedules!? Some FF
work 24 hr shifts 2 days a week
for a 48hr work week is that not enough for you? Maybe go
and find out before you post dumb opinions without knowing about what kind of
schedules they work. Sour grapes is all I'm hearing.
REPLY
Try teaching in a poverty school. Or wading through
a rice paddy carrying an M14. Retired ff.
I've done all three. Fire fighting was least
stressful.
REPLY
Well Firefighter is definitely on the top. But I never
seem to see dispatcher, or 911 operator
on that list. I love my firefighters, I was one and it is
hell. However go back and listen to the tape from the Boston fire last year and
listen to the female dispatcher. We go through hell too.
She kept her calm and god bless she was the last voice
those two amazing firefighters heard.
We get all of the stuff before the fire and police get
there. Some departments stay on the phone
and give pre care instructions, talk to suicidal people,
I could go on and on. And most of the time
we have no idea what the outcome is. It definitely wears
on you. I am not putting any job down
they are all tough in their own way.
When it comes to firefighters, and Police they are on top
and we should be there too. Patty
REPLY
Patty, I am a career fire fighter and I would like to say
I agree with you 100%.
The dispatchers never seem to get the credit they
deserve.
A good dispatcher is worth their weight in gold!
Thank you for what you do!!
REPLY
I agree dispatchers are not accounted for in these. They
are the life line to fire/police
and never know the ending to most calls they take. Hats
off to all dispatchers and thank you .
REPLY
I've been a fireman for 20 years, after spending 6 years
as a cop, and I agree that we have
the more stressful job. We work much longer shifts, and I
know a lot of cops who live behind desks instead of out in the street. The
catch is that firemen get paid less than cops,
which doesn't make any sense.
REPLY
Not quite bud. Actual scientific studies have
shown the stress of working as a police officer
is significantly more physically and emotionally taxing
on the body than being a fire fighter,
hanging out at the fire station, running medical aid
calls, cooking, cleaning, and sleeping.
You must be joking. There's a reason firemen
stage.
REPLY
everybody in law enforcement has a stressful job yes but
you try being firefighter pulling some kid out of a car wreck that's not even 8
years old and watching him die in your arms. you want to talk about stress? Let
me tell you what that's more than stress that is absolutely horrifying.
When you see that kid in your dreams for years and years
it causes more than stress
it causes emotional problems to the point where you have
to see a specialist to even begin to try
to help with that burden of knowing an 8 year old boy
died in your arms while his parents
were on the side of the road begging and pleading to see
their kid
come talk to me when you had that happen.
ETC.
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