What occupation has the highest PTSD rate?

Asked by: Ms. Kiera Effertz Jr.  |  Last update: April 3, 2026
Score: 4.6/5 (62 votes)

While specific rankings vary by study, military personnel consistently show the highest rates of PTSD due to combat exposure, moral injury, and MST, with first responders (police, firefighters, paramedics) also having extremely high rates from repeated trauma, alongside roles like emergency call handlers, social workers, and journalists (war correspondents) who face intense secondary or direct trauma.

What jobs have 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 are the most traumatic jobs?

The health care field holds many of the most stressful jobs, but social services and construction also include demanding roles.

What profession has the most mental health issues?

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 careers have the highest depression rates?

Jobs with the highest depression rates often involve high stress, emotional labor, and demanding conditions, with frequent top contenders including Healthcare Support, Community/Social Services, Food Preparation/Serving, and roles in Arts, Entertainment, Sports, & Media, as well as Education, due to factors like burnout, underappreciation, long hours, and exposure to difficult situations. Other sectors like Retail, Transportation, and certain Professional Services also show elevated risks.
 

How to Get the Highest Rating for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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What profession has the highest burnout rate?

The highest burnout jobs are consistently found in healthcare (nurses, ER doctors, primary care), education (teachers), and social work, due to high emotional demands, long hours, and high-stakes decisions, with emergency services (EMTs, police) also topping lists, alongside roles in finance, legal, and tech facing pressure from constant demands and deadlines. Industries like agriculture, finance, and telecommunications also report high overall burnout rates, often linked to systemic issues like understaffing and poor work design. 

Which profession has the happiest people?

17 of the happiest jobs

  1. Physician. National average salary: $217,850 per year Primary duties: Physicians, or doctors, provide physical, mental and emotional care to patients. ...
  2. Software engineer. ...
  3. Software developer. ...
  4. Real estate agent. ...
  5. Sales representative. ...
  6. Logistics manager. ...
  7. Fitness instructor. ...
  8. Executive assistant.

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 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.

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 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 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 best job for PTSD?

Outdoor/physical jobs and exposure to the natural environment in a calm and engaging way can help relieve physical symptoms of PTSD. These could include jobs in gardening or landscaping, fitness training, sports coaching, an activity coordinator, or working with animals at a shelter or dog grooming [4].

What are the 10 most stressful jobs?

The top most stressful jobs often involve high stakes, life-or-death decisions, public safety, and demanding conditions, consistently featuring roles like Enlisted Military Personnel, Firefighters, Airline Pilots, Police Officers, and ER Nurses/Doctors, alongside high-pressure medical roles such as Surgeons, Nurse Anesthetists, and Obstetricians, and demanding emergency communication roles like Public Safety Telecommunicators (911 Operators), with industries like hospitality also ranking high due to irregular hours and customer demands. 

What is the 42% rule for burnout?

The "42% rule for burnout" suggests dedicating roughly 10 hours (42%) of your 24-hour day to rest and recovery—sleep, stress-reducing activities, hobbies, movement, and connection—to combat chronic stress and prevent burnout, a concept popularized by health scientist Amelia Nagoski. It's a science-backed guideline emphasizing that true productivity requires balancing work with non-negotiable downtime for recharging, rather than just pushing through constant busyness. 

What is the #1 cause of PTSD?

The most common causes of PTSD involve experiencing or witnessing traumatic events like combat, serious accidents (car, plane), natural disasters, physical or sexual assault, abuse (childhood, domestic), and the sudden death or serious injury of a loved one, with various forms of violence and abuse often cited as leading triggers, though any life-threatening event can cause it. It's not just direct experience; indirect exposure, like a first responder witnessing trauma, can also trigger PTSD.
 

Which job has the most burnout?

The highest burnout jobs are consistently found in healthcare (nurses, ER doctors, primary care), education (teachers), and social work, due to high emotional demands, long hours, and high-stakes decisions, with emergency services (EMTs, police) also topping lists, alongside roles in finance, legal, and tech facing pressure from constant demands and deadlines. Industries like agriculture, finance, and telecommunications also report high overall burnout rates, often linked to systemic issues like understaffing and poor work design. 

What job is easy but pays well?

Easy jobs that pay well often involve sales, trades, tech support, or remote administrative roles, leveraging skills like communication or basic computer literacy for opportunities in sales rep, HVAC/electrical trades, IT support, virtual assistant, or even specialized roles like insurance agent or dental hygienist, with many offering training or flexible, high-income potential. 

What jobs should you avoid with anxiety?

Healthcare Professionals: Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers often face high-stress environments, long hours, and the emotional weight of dealing with illness and death, which can induce anxiety. Sales Professionals: Careers in sales often involve a great deal of pressure to meet targets and quotas.

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 much is $60,000 a year hourly?

$60,000 a year is approximately $28.85 per hour, calculated by dividing the annual salary by 2,080 work hours in a year (40 hours/week x 52 weeks/year). This is your gross pay before taxes and deductions, and it can change if you work more or fewer hours than the standard 40 per week. 

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 dream job?

The number one dream job globally, based on search trends, is overwhelmingly Pilot, appealing for travel and adventure, while in the U.S., Flight Attendant often tops lists, with other popular choices including YouTuber, Doctor, Police Officer, and Pharmacist. Specific roles vary by country and individual interest, but aviation and healthcare consistently feature high. 

What is the best job to enjoy life?

The best jobs for enjoying life often offer good work-life balance, autonomy, and fulfillment, with popular choices including roles in Technology (Web Developer, Data Analyst, IT Manager), Creative Fields (Graphic Designer, Marketing Specialist, Content Writer), Healthcare (Physical Therapist, Dental Hygienist, Pharmacist, Psychologist), and Education (Teacher, Librarian). Public sector jobs, like state government roles, also frequently provide great benefits and stable hours, while careers like Real Estate Agent, Engineer, and Firefighter offer high satisfaction and varied experiences. 

What profession makes $300,000 a year?

Jobs paying $300k/year are typically in specialized fields like medicine (surgeons, anesthesiologists), law (big law partners), finance (investment banking, private equity), and high-level tech (principal software architects, senior engineering/product management), requiring significant education, experience, or specialized skills, though some roles in sales, skilled trades, or entrepreneurship can also reach this level. Roles often involve advanced degrees (MD, JD, MBA), high responsibility, or performance-based compensation, with top earners often being specialists or executives.