12 Low-Stress Jobs That Pay Well

You don't have to lose your sanity for a six-figure salary!

October 14, 2025

Is your job slowly draining your sanity? 🫨

You’re not alone. According to a recent report, more than 8 in 10 employees globally are at risk of burnout, with some even developing stress-related illnesses.

But here’s the good news: not every paycheck has to come with anxiety attacks and late-night Slack pings. We found 12 jobs that pay well and won’t keep you up at night. Keep reading to learn more!

Ops Services Specialist, Sweetgreen: $65K-$92K (Los Angeles, CA)

Registered Nurse, Mount Sinai: $55-$61/hr (Brooklyn, NY)

Executive Assistant, WGU: $66.3K-$99.5K (Raleigh, NC)

That’s not you in the burning room, pretending everything’s fine? Could’ve fooled us!

Between burnout, constant notifications, and bosses who think “PTO” means “pretend time off”, work stress is everywhere. But not every paycheck has to come with panic!

We dug into data from the BLS and O*NET to find 12 careers that check both boxes: low stress and high pay. Think six-figure salaries, strong work-life balance, and, in some cases, no four-year degree required.

These roles span healthcare, technology, finance, and environmental sectors with options for different work styles and personalities. To find more salary and job data, search for any of the below positions in our salary database or job board, and don’t forget to join and add your salary too!

1. Water Resource Specialist or Engineer

As the highest-paying role on this list with one of the lowest stress rankings (59), water resource specialists have a structured job managing water systems, such as municipal water supply systems, so that their communities have access to clean water. It’s low-stress because of the predictable work schedule with standard business hours (especially if they work for a government agency) and because over half of the work is done independently.  

Median salary: $161,180 per year

Highest salary recorded in our database: $125,000 per year

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, hydrology, or similar area is typically required

Learn the skills for this job: Sustainable Urban Water Systems

2. Quality Assurance (QA) Tester or Engineer

QA testers run different software tests to find existing bugs and what’s causing them, while QA engineers are the ones who develop the automated tests they run. However, both duties may be combined into one role. It depends on the company and how their teams are structured.

This role has much lower stress levels than other high-paying tech jobs. They have a standard work schedule with a lot of flexibility and remote work opportunities, and no on-call rotations like tech support roles have.

Median salary: $131,450 per year

Highest salary recorded in our database: $170,000 per year

Requirements: Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in computer science or similar area, or QA bootcamps and certifications.

Learn the skills for this job: Software Quality Assurance and Testing, we also interviewed a former professional baseball player who was able to pivot their career to software QA testing through a bootcamp!

3. Actuary

Actuaries are like data analysts, but they’re solely focused on analyzing financial risk for things like insurance and financial planning (such as pensions and a company’s 401(k) plan). With a stress rating of only 57, this role is considered low-stress due to a collaborative work environment and job security from growing demand for their skill set (set to grow by 22% by 2034).

Median salary: $125,770 per year

Highest salary recorded in our database: $220,000 per year

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in actuarial science, mathematics, or statistics is preferred.

Learn the skills for this job: Business and Financial Modeling

4. Environmental Economist

Environmental economists are economists who use statistical techniques to analyze how we use the natural environment. It’s perfect for those looking for a job where they can contribute to protecting our planet. This role has the lowest stress ranking (52) of O*NET roles. It’s also seen as low-stress because of the job satisfaction it provides and the flexible environment that allows them to work independently.

Median salary: $115,440 per year

Highest salary recorded in our database: $850,000 per year

Requirements: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in environmental economics is typically required.

Learn the skills for this job: Environmental Economics

5. Data Scientist or Analyst

A data scientist analyzes large datasets, often across multiple systems, to identify patterns and relationships to build machine learning models and AI agents. The demand for their expertise is growing faster than any other role on this list (34%), making it one of the best-paying future jobs to watch. 

The role offers a lot of autonomy and remote work options, but stress definitely depends on the company. Government and research roles tend to be lower-stress than in startups, finance, or roles with direct revenue impact.

Median salary: $112,590 per year

Highest salary recorded in our database: $260,000 per year

Requirements: An Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in computer science or data science is preferred, but there are ways to break in via bootcamps and by building a portfolio (from bootcamp learning, personal projects, or freelancing).

Learn the skills for this job: Python for Data Science, AI & Development

See you next week for more career tips, money moves, and transparent advice! 💚

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