These Jobs Offer the Highest Pay, Lowest Stress: Report

Is it possible to make decent money in a low-stress job? Do low-stress jobs even exist?

If you’re looking to reduce stress next year, a job change might be on your mind. Resume Genius recently released a report that examined the top jobs deemed “low-stress” yet still “high-paying” for 2025. The resume company used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and career site O*NET Online to compile its “2025 Low-Stress, High-Paying Jobs” report.

“Heading into 2025, prioritizing mental health in the workplace is essential for job seekers to feel more at ease,” said Eva Chan, a career expert at Resume Genius. “With remote work and hybrid setups becoming the norm, work-life boundaries are increasingly blurred. Our report on low-stress, high-paying jobs shows you don’t have to sacrifice a competitive salary to achieve a healthier work-life balance. With the right role, it’s possible to thrive both financially and mentally.”

It’s important to note that all of the top 10 require at least a Bachelor’s degree, and school is not stress-free. Plus, people who actually work in these jobs might disagree about how stressful their jobs are (and how much they get paid).

To create the report, researchers filtered out high-stress jobs using O*NET’s “stress tolerance” database and then cross-referenced job titles using BLS’s Occupational Outlook Handbook data with at least the national median salary of $48,060 and demonstrated “faster-than-average growth.”

Here’s the list, according to the data:

1. Water resource specialist

• Median annual salary: $157,740

• Number of jobs (2023): 86,300

• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 8%

• Degree needed: Bachelor’s degree

2. Astronomer

• Median annual salary: $149,530

• Number of jobs (2023): 23,500

• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 7%

• Degree needed: Doctoral or professional degree

3. Actuary

• Median annual salary: $120,000

• Number of jobs (2023): 30,200

• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 23%

• Degree needed: Bachelor’s degree

4. Environmental economist

• Median annual salary: $115,730

• Number of jobs (2023): 17,500

• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 5%

• Degree needed: Master’s degree

5. Mathematician

• Median annual salary: $104,860

• Number of jobs (2023): 34,800

• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 11%

• Degree needed: Master’s degree

6. Computer systems analyst

• Median annual salary: $103,800

• Number of jobs (2023): 527,200

• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 11%

• Degree needed: Bachelor’s degree

7. Fuel cell engineer

• Median annual salary: $99,510

• Number of jobs (2023): 291,900

• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 11%

• Degree needed: Bachelor’s degree

8. Remote sensing scientist and technologist

• Median annual salary: $92,580

• Number of jobs (2023): 26,000

• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 5%

• Degree needed: Bachelor’s degree

9. Geographer

• Median annual salary: $90,880

• Number of jobs (2023): 1600

• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 3%

• Degree needed: Bachelor’s degree

10. Transportation planner

• Number of jobs (2023): 45,200

• Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 4%

• Degree needed: Master’s degree

Read the full report and see five more “low-stress” jobs, here.