Least Stressful Jobs for 2013

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When was the last time you said, "Man, I wish I had a less stressful job!"



Three minutes ago, right?!

But if pressed, would you know exactly what type of jobs are the least stressful?



Well, CareerCast is out with its annual list of the Least Stressful Jobs of 2013 as well as the Most Stressful Jobs.



So what makes a job "least" stressful?



"If you look at the list, the key that you see there is these are jobs where people are in control of their day – working as fast as they feel they need to be effective," said Tony Lee, publisher of CareerCast.com. "You don't have somebody kind of breathing over your shoulder. There's no physical risk at all, and no one is depending on you in your job to make their life expectancy last longer!"



"These are jobs that that keep your blood pressure nice and low," Lee said.



And while you won't hear a lot of "thank yous" for the most stressful jobs, these least stressful jobs are loaded with them!



"Most people tend to be thankful for what they do," Lee said. "They get a lot of 'thank yous' and smiles and warm fuzzies!"



Wow, low blood pressure and warm fuzzies – where do I sign? Are there any downsides?



"They don't necessarily pay particularly well," Lee said. "Salaries on average are higher for the most stressful jobs than the least stressful."



So what are the least stressful jobs of 2013 and is yours on the list? Click the arrow above to find out.



CHECK OUT THE VIDEO: Gahhhhh! Cindy Perman Talks About Which Jobs Made the List of MOST Stressful Jobs of 2013.



By Cindy Perman

Posted 2013 Jan. 3

10. Drill Press Operator

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Median Salary: $31,910



This is a high-skill job in the manufacturing sector, where the person operates drilling machines or taps holes into workpieces according to specifications. So, it could be anything from golf clubs to dashboards. An important distinction – this job is not part of an assembly line, but rather involves working on parts that are then fed into the assembly line.



Because of that, "you aren't getting pressure," Lee said. "You're the expert at what you're doing, and you do it at the speed at which you can do it. That helps keep the stress a lot lower."

9. Librarian

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Median Salary: $54,500



"You're working in a comfortable environment. Your job is to help people use services as best as possible. Given that environment, stress levels are low," Lee said. "What's the most stressful thing a librarian faces? Teenagers with a paper due and you don't have the books. It's not really your stress," Lee said.



Plus, there are mandatory "quiet" rules in libraries and you're surrounded by books.



Books don't talk back or criticize the job you're doing!

8. Hair Stylist

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Median Salary: $22,500



First, if you're in the hair business then love hair. Second, you get to work with friends all day.



"I've heard hair stylists say, 'Most of my customers are my friends! I get to spend the day chatting with my friends while I do their hair and make them look good,'" Lee said.



And, they're loving you for it.



"This is one of those jobs where people are thanking you all day long!" Lee said.



"The pay isn't great, but that's not what we're measuring when we're measuring stress!" he said.

7. Dietitian

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Median Salary: $53,250



Dietitians typically work in hospitals or doctors' offices and work with patients such as diabetics to help them change their eating habits.



One of the big perks here is that dietitians are largely in control of their day. They decide how they help people and can even set their own schedules.



"If they want to take off, they can," Lee said. "If they don't like having a patient every 20 minutes, they can do it every 30 minutes or every 45 minutes."

6. Audiologist

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Median Salary: $66,660



Audiologists help people with hearing issues. They're not doctors and don't have Ph.D.s – most work with hearing aids, doing hearing tests, etc.



As with dietitians, a big perk is that they get to set their schedule for whatever works for them.



And, thanks to baby boomers, the outlook for this career booming.



What?



(That was too easy.)

5. Medical Laboratory Technician

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Median Salary: $46,680



These are specially trained technicians who deal with lab tests (blood tests, urine tests, etc.) and data from those samples.



Due to the critical importance of getting the analyses of these tests right, there isn't a lot of pressure.



"They're given the latitude to do the job at their own pace because it's important that they get it right," Lee said.

4. Jeweler

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Median Salary: $35,170



"Jewelers tend to be self-employed and work in an environment where they're given a lot of flexibility and leeway," Lee said. "Because they have an expertise, they're given the bandwidth to make their own decisions about how they manage their workday," Lee said.



Not to mention, you're surrounded by pretty, sparkly things all day, and you get a lot of "thank yous" for helping people pick out pretty, sparkly things!

3. Medical Records Technician

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Median Salary: $32,350



These are technicians – not administrative assistants – who are specially trained to deal with medical records. Making sure patient files are updated, given to the correct people, etc.



Like the lab work, this is a critical job that you don't want to mess up, so they're given more room to move at their own pace. Plus, it's a 9-to-5 job.



"You walk in to work, you turn it on. You walk out, you turn it off," Lee said. "It's not like something's going to weigh on you and keep you from sleeping!"

2. Seamstress/Tailor

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Median Salary: $25,850



The big advantage here is time flexibility. People bring things in, and the seamstress or tailor tells them when it will be ready.



"Most seamstresses and tailors are independent business people, so that means they're in control of their day," Lee said. "If they want to take off early see their kids play, if they want to not work and go fishing, they can do that and take a little bit longer to get things done."



Of course, you also get a lot of "thank yous" for repairing or tailoring clothing to fit better.



And, like the librarian with the books, you have an added bonus – clothes don't talk back!

1. University Professor

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