The 10 Least Stressful Jobs of 2010

Imagine that you were given the chance to cut your amount of job-related stress in half – would you do it?

It's doubtful many employees would refuse such an opportunity, especially at a time when the economy is causing heightened workplace anxiety. But while embracing a stress-free lifestyle may sound like a wonderful idea, for some it might not be worth the cost. Would you be willing to sacrifice a career with growth potential for less anxiety? How about a good salary, or a job with high levels of satisfaction? Examining the 10 least stressful jobs for 2010, this is a choice many job seekers have to make if they want less tension in their work lives.

This year's least stressful job, Musical Instrument Repairer, ranks well in the three stress "Mega Factors" (work environment, job competitiveness and risk) used to measure tension levels, but offers little earning potential or opportunity for advancement. The same deficits apply to several other jobs on the list, such as Appliance Repairer, Piano Tuner and Janitor, which are unlikely to cause tension headaches, but also have relatively low median incomes and (with the exception of Janitor) poor employment prospects.

See how our rankings are determined in the complete 2010 Jobs Rated report Methodology

Of course, everyone's desire to climb the corporate ladder is different, and for some the relatively low stress of being a Librarian is more appealing than the potential of a high risk, high reward career like Senior Corporate Executive. Similarly, Surgeons work long hours and have little room for error, but are paid exceptionally well for their efforts. Whether this is enough to ease the pain of such a high-pressure career, however, depends largely on the job seeker.

Think it's time to ditch the rat race and find a job that won't cause indigestion? Check out one of the 10 Least Stressful Jobs for 2010: