What jobs have the highest rate of depression?

Asked by: Kraig Schamberger  |  Last update: March 21, 2026
Score: 4.4/5 (47 votes)

Jobs with the highest depression rates often involve high stress, emotional toll, demanding customer interaction, long hours, or low control, with top industries including Healthcare Support, Food Services, Arts/Entertainment/Media, and Education, while specific roles like nurses, social workers, teachers, and first responders also see elevated rates due to inherent pressures like trauma exposure, patient crises, or difficult working conditions.

What jobs have the most mental health issues?

Jobs with high mental health issues often involve significant stress, trauma exposure, emotional labor, or high pressure, with common examples including healthcare (nurses, doctors), first responders (police, firefighters, EMTs), educators, social workers, and roles in arts/media, sales, and customer service, often due to burnout, long hours, trauma, and lack of support. The oil/gas extraction industry also shows high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
 

What major has the highest rate of depression?

MEDICINE MOST STRESSFUL MAJOR

Students studying in medicine-related fields led the pack. Right behind them were the law, social work, and engineering majors.

What jobs have the highest stress level?

A high salary can offset a high-pressure role, but it's important to consider other factors such as your physical and mental health. The health care field holds many of the most stressful jobs, but social services and construction also include demanding roles.

What is the least depressing job?

Below, we've rounded up the top low-stress jobs that also offer excellent salaries.

  1. Professor. Teaching is an incredibly rewarding profession, offering the opportunity to impact lives and impart essential skills. ...
  2. Art Director. ...
  3. IT Managers. ...
  4. Dentist. ...
  5. Librarian. ...
  6. Copywriter. ...
  7. Cartographer. ...
  8. Software Engineer.

Mental Health Monday: Healthcare & service jobs have high depression rates

30 related questions found

What is the #1 happiest job?

There's no single #1 happiest job, as it varies by individual, but recent studies and surveys often point to Construction as a top industry for overall worker satisfaction due to good pay, culture, and time outdoors, while specific roles like Data Scientists, Surgeons, Firefighters, and Psychologists are frequently cited for high satisfaction, often linked to meaningful impact, good compensation, or autonomy. 

What is the 3 month rule in a job?

The "3-month rule" in a job refers to the common probationary period where both employer and employee assess fit, acting as a trial to see if the role and person align before full commitment, often involving learning goals (like a 30-60-90 day plan) and performance reviews, allowing either party to end employment more easily, notes Talent Management Institute (TMI), Frontline Source Group, Indeed.com, and Talent Management Institute (TMI). It's a crucial time for onboarding, understanding expectations, and demonstrating capability, setting the foundation for future growth, says Talent Management Institute (TMI), inTulsa Talent, and Talent Management Institute (TMI). 

What is the #1 hardest job in the US?

While there's no single "#1" hardest job, recent surveys consistently rank Firefighters, Construction Workers, and Military Personnel** as the toughest, followed closely by Doctors and Police Officers, due to physical demands, life-threatening risks, high stress, and emotional toll, with trade jobs often topping these lists. The "hardest" job can also depend on whether it's physical danger (mining, farming), mental strain (air traffic control, nursing), or extreme stress (telemarketing, live editing), as highlighted by various reports. 

What is the most peaceful job?

Peaceful jobs often involve quiet, independent work with clear tasks, like librarian, archivist, technical writer, or data analyst, allowing for focus and routine, while other calm careers include massage therapist, welder/fabricator, or landscape designer, offering hands-on creation or outdoor settings, and roles in compliance or UX design provide structured, detail-oriented environments with low social pressure.
 

Which job has the most burnout?

Jobs with the highest burnout rates consistently involve high emotional demands, long hours, and critical decision-making, with Healthcare (nurses, doctors, social workers), Education (teachers), and First Responders (EMTs, police) topping lists due to intense patient/student needs, chronic understaffing, and exposure to trauma. Other highly impacted sectors include Leisure & Hospitality, Agriculture, and roles in Finance, IT, and Transportation, often linked to irregular schedules, financial pressure, and high-stakes environments.
 

What profession has the most depression?

1. Nursing home workers/caregivers: according to a survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nursing home workers were four times more likely to experience depression compared to other occupations.

What are the best jobs to have during a depression?

Other careers that may work well for people with depression include:

  • Delivery driver.
  • Warehouse clerk.
  • Health records technician.
  • Personal trainer.
  • Nonprofit worker.
  • Prep cook.
  • Janitorial work.
  • Administrative assistant.

What occupation has the highest PTSD rate?

PTSD is particularly prevalent among certain occupational groups, such as police officers, firefighters, medical workers and military personnel, all of whom can experience events that might trigger PTSD.

What job pays $400,000 a year without a degree?

Yes, jobs paying $400,000 without a degree exist, notably Walmart Supercenter Managers, who can earn that much with bonuses and stock, but other paths include high-stakes sales, software development, commercial real estate, skilled trades (like power plant operators), and successful entrepreneurship/influencing, all requiring expertise and performance over formal education. 

What is the most unhealthy job?

There isn't one single "unhealthiest" job, but roles in healthcare (dentists, nurses, EMTs, radiologists), transportation (flight attendants, material handlers), and industrial settings (metal refiners, chemical operators) consistently rank high due to risks like infectious disease, radiation, stress, contaminants, and physical strain, with dentists often topping lists for disease exposure and sitting risks. Factors like burnout, hazardous materials, radiation, and prolonged sitting contribute to the poor health outcomes in these professions.
 

What job makes $10,000 a month without a degree?

You can earn $10,000 a month without a degree in high-skill trades (elevator tech, electrician), sales (solar, real estate, insurance), specialized trucking (owner-operator), tech roles (web dev, drone pilot), or by starting your own business/freelancing in areas like content creation or digital marketing, often requiring specialized training, certifications, or strong commission-based performance rather than a traditional degree. 

What is the #1 happiest profession?

There's no single #1 happiest job, as it varies by individual, but recent studies and surveys often point to Construction as a top industry for overall worker satisfaction due to good pay, culture, and time outdoors, while specific roles like Data Scientists, Surgeons, Firefighters, and Psychologists are frequently cited for high satisfaction, often linked to meaningful impact, good compensation, or autonomy. 

What is the #1 dream job?

The number one dream job globally, based on recent studies analyzing search trends, is a Pilot, appealing for travel and competitive pay, while in the U.S., it can vary, with roles like Flight Attendant or Real Estate Agent appearing high, and other popular dreams include Attorney, Nurse, Police Officer.
 

What is the most unhappy job?

There's no single "unhappiest job," as it varies by study, but recent reports often point to pharmacy roles (technicians/workers) and delivery/postal services (mail carriers) due to long hours, stress, and feeling underappreciated, while older data highlights security officers, registered nurses, and teachers for low satisfaction scores, often linked to poor compensation, demanding work, and lack of control, with general themes of physically demanding, customer-facing, or highly stressful roles appearing frequently. 

What jobs pay $400 an hour?

400 per hour jobs

  • LPN - Licensed Practical Nurse - FT FLEX. ...
  • LPN - Licensed Practical Nurse - FT Nights/Weekends. ...
  • LPN Long Term Care - PRN Days. ...
  • LPN Long Term Care (LTC) (Straight Nights) ...
  • RN or LPN - Canby Care Center - Part Time Nights. ...
  • LPN - Licensed Practical Nurse - FT Nights.

What jobs pay $2000 a day?

Earning $2,000 daily usually involves high-income skills or scaling businesses, with options like specialized freelancing (consulting, web design, high-ticket sales), digital products (courses, printables), e-commerce (dropshipping, flipping), or high-demand gig work (AI training, specialized rentals), often requiring significant upfront effort or existing expertise to reach that level quickly, with some options taking months or years to become consistent. 

How long is too long to stay at a job?

If you stay at a job less than two years, you might be seen as a job-hopper who could be aimless, difficult to work with or chasing the highest salary offer. If you stay more than 10 years in the same position, recruiters might question why you weren't promoted or if you're motivated to learn new ways of doing things.

What is the 70 rule of hiring?

The 70% rule of hiring is a guideline suggesting you should apply for jobs or hire candidates who meet 70-80% of the listed requirements, focusing on potential and trainability for the missing 20-30% rather than seeking a perfect 100% match, which rarely exists and can lead to missed opportunities. It encourages hiring managers to look for transferable skills, eagerness to learn, and fresh perspectives, while candidates are advised to apply if they have most core qualifications, letting the employer decide on the gaps. 

What is the first day of work called?

A job orientation occurs on the first few days of a new hire's employment. It involves introducing them to their team, showing them their workspace and administering new hire paperwork. Employees will usually spend a portion of their job orientation reviewing onboarding information like dress code, benefits and salary.