Even though the U.S. is experiencing a recession, there are still plenty of jobs available in a variety of industries, but picking the right path might be difficult for some job seekers. If you're looking for work, consider the following list from Forbes regarding the 10 most stressful jobs in 2014. Each one has its own share of stressors, but if you've served in the military your well qualified for dealing with any of them because enlisted personnel rank number one. Don't worry, officers, you're number two.
1. Enlisted Military Personnel – If you're a servicemember or veteran, this one is a no-brainer. Serving in the military, in nearly any capacity, is a very stressful thing to do. At worst, enlisted personnel worry about their physical safety and that of their brothers in arms. At best, they are performing tasks in a high pressure, high stress environment with rigid standards
Average Salary: $29,000
2. Military General – Despite the griping of some enlisted servicemembers, high-level officers shoulder an enormous amount of responsibility. They don't usually face the same physical dangers as those on the frontlines, but they are burdened by a number of high-stress tasks including ensuring the safety of everyone under their command and effectively enforcing foreign policy measures of the executive branch.
Average Salary: $196,000
3. Firefighter – Despite the name of the job, firefighters are all-around first-responders to emergencies. Their job is physically demanding and often places them in dangerous situations. Although they're usually given more days off than other professions, the breaks are well-earned considering their daily challenges include lugging pounds of gear into unstable structures.
Average Salary: $45,000
4. Airline Pilot – Commercial airline pilots may sound stress-free over the cabin intercom, but their jobs are far from easygoing. It's one thing to get to work on time, but it's quite another to ensure that dozens of passengers travel hundreds of miles within a specific frame of time. These pilots operate within strict schedules, and must memorize litanies of plans, contingencies, and protocols. If something goes wrong with or in the plane, they're responsible for handling the issue.
Average Salary: $114,000
5. Event Coordinator – Event coordinators are responsible for just about every aspect of putting on a large event. Whether negotiating prices with contractors or making sure invites are properly sent out, they serve as a fixed point for all complaints to rush towards and from which all plans flow. Some events may be easier to run than others, but at a live show it's hard to hide anything under the rug.
Average Salary: $46,000
6. Public Relations Executive – If you've ever commented on something on the internet and received negative comments in return, you've experienced a miniscule taste of what it's like to work as a public relations executive. When you represent the face of a company or corporation, there's an enormous burden on you to portray your employer in the best light possible no matter what's happening. Not only do you have to answer to complaints aimed at the company, you'll have to explain those complaints and how you handled them to other high-level executives.
Average Salary: $54,000
7. Senior Corporate Executive – When the success of an entire company rests on your shoulders, the responsibility is not something to be taken lightly. Just about every business-related decision they make has far-reaching consequences which affect the lives of every employee beneath them. Their duties often extend beyond the office and necessitate maintaining a social life invested in making and keeping fruitful relationships.
Average Salary: $168,000
8. Newspaper Reporter – Print journalists had stressful jobs before the internet: news never stops. But, nowadays journalists must contend with a recent explosion of technology. With so many methods of conveying ideas online, reporters can't simply write an article and be done with it; their jobs require an active and engaged relationship with social media, blogs, and online journalism.
Average Salary: $36,000
9. Police Officer – Police officers are tasked with responding to emergencies and keeping the peace, neither of which are easy to do. Police officers must constantly be aware of their surroundings and potential danger. Unless a situation necessitates the presence of federal officials, police officers are the primary responders to dangerous, sometimes lethal situations.
Average Salary: $55,000
10. Taxi Driver – The idea of driving a car around town and transporting the occasional civilian might sound simple, but there's a reason an entire show was created around the strange encounters taxi drivers sometimes experience. The average person getting into a taxi may just be trying to get home from work, but that person may also be incredibly high, or drunk, or unstable in any number of ways; this is especially true if you operate after midnight. Taxi drivers are responsible for ferrying numerous people around town at all hours, and must do so within strict time constraints.
Average Salary: $23,000
