The Least Stressful Jobs of 2009

This is the 2009 Most Stressful Jobs report
See the 10 Least Stressful Jobs of 2010

To determine our list of the most and least stressful jobs, CareerCast.com researches rely on 21 different job demands including competitiveness, the stamina required, deadlines, and responsibility for the lives of others. Each demand is assigned a range of points, with a high score given if the demand is a major part of the job, and fewer points given if the demand isn't normally required (for general information on scoring, visit our Methodology Page). Photojournalists, for example, who often face daily deadlines, received the maximum points in this category, while actuaries received the least since they seldom have deadlines. Each occupation is ranked using data from such sources as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as information provided by a wide range of trade associations and industry groups.

Interestingly, most of these least-stressful jobs are ranked among the 10 best jobs in the nation as well. To find out where your job stacks up in terms of stress, income, outlook, and other factors, check out JobsRated's complete ranking of 200 different jobs, our list of the 10 worst jobs you can get today, and those that boast the highest job satisfaction as well.

If you're looking for work or just feel it's time for a change, CareerCast.com offers unique career advice and is partnered with more than 500 top career sites throughout the country to help you find opportunities in your area. Using our secure system, searching for a new job, creating a resume, and submitting an application is all completely free.

Using this system, this year's least stressful jobs are actuary, dietitian, computer systems analyst, statistician and astronomer – all positions which offer comfortable work environments and don't require life or death decision-making. That isn't to say these jobs are completely stress-free, as for example astronomers face a tight job market and competition for academic funding, while software engineers deal with the pressure of completing work on time. However in a majority of cases, the following are the least-stressful jobs you can find today: