If you’ve just finished university and are trying to decide on a career, there are many things to take into consideration, from the salary you want to receive to how impactful you want to be. Mental health should indeed be one of your top priorities. After all, you’ll spend most of your day on the job.
Similar thoughts should roam the mind of those looking for a career change. Of course, many look for a new position because they want to earn more. But maybe you feel burnt from the excessive pressure or it’s hard for you to find the right balance between family and work responsibilities.
If that’s the case, find below a list of stress-free jobs that will give you the peace you’re looking for, including relaxing jobs that pay well in the UK (because you don’t necessarily have to compromise) and those that don’t require a degree.
What makes a job stressful?
Several experts and specialised publications tried to find the perfect recipe for a relaxing career. That means finding the elements that make people unhappy at work and taking them off the equation. Some of the factors they agree on include:
- Travel. The further you have to travel to and for work, the more stressed you’re likely to be.
- Competition. The environment you spend your time in is important. If your company and/ or team is full of toxic competitive types, you’re likely to feel nervous more often.
- The public. Those who deal with the public on a daily basis (whether because they are in the public eye or in a customer-facing position) are among the most stressed.Lack of potential. If a career is a dead-end and there is no possibility for growth, the frustration will rise quickly.
- Danger. All of the above may seem quite ok if you consider jobs that put your life at risk, where the environmental conditions are extreme, and hazards are encountered on a daily basis.
- Responsibility. What if it’s someone else to be in danger of losing their life, and their survival depends on you?
- Deadlines. This is on everyone’s mind when they think of stress: tight, often unachievable deadlines are hard to work with.
Which jobs are the least stressful?
Here is a list of jobs that are considered at a low level of stress. Some you may be expecting, others may come as a surprise:
Optometrist and audiologist
Yes, these professions are highly specialised meaning that they will require years of study, which of course involves deadlines and other stress factors. However, once you land the job, your life is likely to become quite easy and stress-free.
An audiologist diagnoses and treats hearing issues while optometrists conduct eye examinations and suggest solutions like glasses and lenses for eye-related problems.
Radiology technician
Next time you need an x-ray, you may be looking with envy at the person helping you take your examinations. Extensive training and practice are required for this position, however, if one is willing to follow strict safety guidelines at all times, it quickly becomes a relatively easy and relaxing job.
Audio engineer
There’s nothing quite like doing what you love every day. And those who love music can get involved in every step of its development with an audio engineer career — but without the public, travelling, and financial insecurity faced by performers.
Audio engineers can work on the recording, mixing, and editing of music for records or other media like movies. Those who enjoy big events can also specialise in concerts.
Sommelier
This is another path that focuses on passion. It does take practice and official certificates to become a real wine expert but once you are one, it is relatively easy to find a job in luxury hotels, restaurants, wineries, or writing for specialised magazines. And although you may be working in hospitality, you will be unlikely to feel the same pressure as chefs and waiters do.
University professor
Academia can be a competitive field and not everyone enjoys a stable position especially in the first few years. However, once you get tenure, working as a university professor has many perks.
It is not considered high-paced, you get plenty of free time, and most importantly, your work has an enormous social impact and is reported to be incredibly rewarding by most academics.
Stress-free jobs without a degree
What to do if you haven’t finished your studies or don’t want to go back to school to change industries? Fortunately, there are plenty of stress-free job opportunities out there that do not require tertiary education.
Plumber
Working as a plumber can be extremely attractive to those who don’t intend to go to university. You will be unlikely to ever worry about unemployment, and it pays very well. Of course, plumbers need to get proper training and it will take time to learn the tricks that will make the job easier.
Massage therapist
Massage therapists often rely on continuous education as they complete courses, workshops, and get new certificates to remain competitive and up-to-date with the latest techniques. However, they do not need to hold a university degree.
Instead, they get the rewarding feeling of having helped people feel better on a daily basis. Whether it’s by relaxing the muscles of someone in a stressful job or assisting athletes in overcoming injuries, massage specialists make a difference, a good living, and often choose their own hours.
Hairstylist
Another category that is in the business of making customers feel good is that of hairstylists. It takes some people skills to understand what a client needs and guide them through a maze of possible haircuts and colours but by the end of your appointment, you will have known that someone has left your salon happier than they were when they entered.
Garbage collector
Those who haven’t got a formal education and haven’t had the chance to write a CV full of special skills yet, can still earn a good pay as a waste collector. Sure, many wouldn’t consider it a fashionable occupation but you’ll be employed by the city council or local government (which means job stability and good contract conditions) and will spend most of your days completely stress-free.
What is the easiest job that pays the most?
You will have seen by now that stress-free jobs go well beyond guarding a lighthouse (unfortunately, a profession that is near-extinct now) and can be done in your town and often even without a university education. But which ones will also make you rich?
Find below a list of high-paying jobs with no stress strings attached.
- Physicist. Average annual salary over £90,000
- Economist. Average annual salary over £85,000
- Software developer. Average annual salary over £80,000
- Orthodontist. Average annual salary over £80,000
There are plenty of other options out there. If someone tells you that you need to feel the pressure if you want to earn money, don’t believe them. Do your research and compromise on a career you’re willing to study or train for and that will make your time at work rewarding and enjoyable.
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