12 Jobs With Low Stress, Decent Pay (Salary range mentioned)

Ditch The Stress...

During the recession, many workers have had to take what they could get in terms of employment. Now that the economy is showing signs of improvement, you might be considering how to get out of your high-stress job and exchange it for something a little less ulcer-inducing.

...Without Ditching the $

Happily, good pay doesn’t always mean workplace stress. You might be surprised that some jobs, considered less than stressful than others, still pay quite decently. If you are looking for a career change, you might consider one of the following 12 jobs that pay well without increasing your blood pressure.

1. Massage Therapist

The Bureau of Labor Statistics points out that there is strong job outlook for massage therapy. The work environment is generally low stress, with soothing sounds and comfortable lighting. Many massage therapists set their own hours and many workless than 40 hours a week. It is possible to make between $40,000 and $50,000 a year as a massage therapist.

2. Natural Science Manager

With more interest in the natural sciences, it is little surprise that this position is gaining popularity. StateUniversity.com reports that the median salary for these managers is around $88,660 a year. Natural science managers oversee scientists (biologists, chemists, medical scientists and agricultural scientists), and need good communications skills, since they coordinate with others. Unless a deadline is looming, many find that their jobs are relatively low stress when compared with other types of managers, since they rarely work with irate customers, and spend most of the time in the office.

3. Power Plant Operator

PayScale.com lists power plant operators as making between $49,791 and $77,712 a year. For the most part, power plant operators enjoy relative autonomy, and do not interact with irate customers. The job requires some specific training, but there is not a great deal of physical strain. Centralized operation centers can make the work easier as well, since those working in control rooms have less exposure to the risk of electric shock. Power plant operators do have big responsibilities, which can cause some stress, but advanced safety systems help alleviate some of that. The recent natural power plant blast in Middletown, Conn., happened as a result of controversial “blow down” technique to clear pipes.

4. College Professor

The abilities to buy out of classes, get assistants to grade assignments, set your own schedule and, in some cases, set your own curriculum, can make college professor a relatively low-stress job at least if you’re tenured. For those without tenure, you may need to “publish or perish,” and you may have student loans to pay back, contributing to some degree of stress. Inside Higher Ed points out that professors at Christian colleges may be the least stressed of all (even those without tenure), due to clear expectations and less pressure to publish. Pay varies according to the university you teach at, but Money Magazine points out that 75% of college professors make more than $61,780.

5. Speech Pathologist

Many speech pathologists derive satisfaction from helping others, which can lower stress and anxiety. From elementary schools to health clinics, speech pathologists work with others in settings that are often comfortable and one-on-one. About.com reports that the median annual salary of speech pathologists is $57,710.

6. Environmental Scientist

The Princeton Review points out that many become environmental scientists in order to help make the world better. Environmental scientists gather information about effects humans are having on the ecosystem, and recommend courses of action. Working in nature can be a stress reliever that works in tandem with the good feelings that come from feeling as though you are doing something worthwhile. You can make around $65,280 a year, according to the College Board.

7. Building Inspector

Building and home inspectors look through construction to ensure that structures are up to code. Often these inspectors work alone, with no need to soothe irate customers, and get to spend time in the field, as well as in the office. This change of scene can keep the work from becoming stressful through tedium. Most work regular hours. There can be stress related to the fact that if something goes wrong, it is on you. However, most large and complex projects have more than one building inspector, so there are people to help back you up.

It’s never fun to provide bad news that something isn’t up to code, but many building inspectors are backed up by specific points of law that allow them to better explain what changes need to be made to increase the safety of the building. Backlogs in some cities can cause stress and overwork, though, so be careful of the locale you choose. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Construction and Building Inspectors have a median wage of $50,180 a year.

8. Civil Engineer

If you like designing infrastructure, this could be a good job for you. Most civil engineers work in reasonably comfortable offices, and work regular hours. Due to the recognition that they do important work, there is a high amount of respect for civil engineers , which can lead to reduced stress and better feelings of job satisfaction. Indeed.com reports that the average salary of civil engineers is $89,000 a year. Not bad for someone who gets to sit and play with AutoCAD for a good portion of the day.

9. Occupational Therapist

Another job that centers on helping people, an occupational therapist focuses on helping others perform tasks in living and working environments. This is done in a one-on-one setting that sometimes changes, adding interest to the job and cutting through tedium that can become stressful. Often, the work environment is positive, reasonably low stress, and hours are regular. Salary.com reports that the salary range for this job is $61,467 to $84,638.

10. Sociologist

Studying groups of people, and find interesting trends, the main point of sociology is to use critical analysis to learn about human social activity in order to apply that knowledge to improve social welfare. Because many sociologists are employed by colleges and universities as research and lab assistants, adjunct faculty and sometimes professors, the work can be fairly low stress. Research can be fulfilling and interesting, and researchers rarely have to deal with upset customers, leading to lower stress. Sociologists sometimes work with others in youth services, management training and population careers. Some sociology careers, such as those in criminal justice, can offer a higher level of stress. Even when working with people, sociologists can derive satisfaction in helping others better their lives, creating a more positive and lower stress environment. StateUniversity.com reports the median salary at $57,870 a year.

11. Tour Escort

A tour escort is someone who accompanies groups on “vacation package” travel, helping to smooth the way and lead tours. This is not a job earning $10 an hour as a tour guide at the local aquarium. As long as you enjoy interacting with people, and enjoy learning about new places, this can be a great low stress job. You get to spend time outdoors in many (but not all) cases, and enjoy travel opportunities. In some cases, you even get your housing taken care of, leaving you with one less thing to worry about. However, this might not be an ideal job for someone who has a family, since you would likely be away from home a lot. Job Monkey reports that competent and popular tour escorts can earn between $30,000 and $60,000 a year.

12. Freelance Writer

Sometimes the deadlines can be brutal, but many freelance writers enjoy the ability to set their own schedules. Many work from home, and can decide to accept or reject assignments, increasing their own job satisfaction and allowing them time to relax. Freelance writers enjoy a flexibility in hours, work environment and attire (work in your pajamas!) that others only dream of. Earnings vary widely, depending on the work done, but there are freelance writers who earn six figures.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

If you are interested in a career change, you might consider obtaining the education and training necessary to do one of these lower stress jobs. Remember that not all these jobs are low stress for everyone; people feel stress in individual ways. However, if one of these jobs appeals to you, you might be able to enjoy life more, with greater job satisfaction. And, if you pick the right career, you might not even have to give up a good salary.

By Miranda Marqui – forbes.com

HOW TO: Reclaim Your Privacy on Facebook

Facebook is at the center of a privacy debate following the web-wide release of “Like” buttons, with some users ready to ban together to quit Facebook altogether. For those concerned about privacy but looking for a less drastic alternative, there’s a new tool you can use to reclaim your privacy on Facebook.

Reclaim Privacy is an open-source browser-based privacy scanner that automatically inspects your Facebook privacy settings and denotes settings that are risky privacy-wise.

Concerned Facebookers can drag the Scan for Privacy bookmarklet to their browser’s bookmarks toolbar, log in to Facebook and click to see which settings “might be unexpectedly public.”

The results of the privacy scan are displayed above your profile. The scan detects whether or not you’ve opted-in to Instant Personalization, assesses what types of information personal, contacts, tags, friends, etc. you share with your social circle and beyond, and also detects what your friends and/or applications can share about you. Higher risk items are called out with red “insecure” alert buttons and links to the appropriate destination to alter your settings.

The bookmarklet is simple to use and perfect for those of us confused by Facebook’s overwhelming array of privacy options. Of course, to use the tool you have to trust Reclaim Privacy not to violate your privacy, but the company promises that, “we never see your Facebook data” and “we never share your your personal information.”
 

By Jennifer Van Grove

Job Strategies: Recovering what you’ve lost in this recession

The comment was a show-stopper, at least for me. Sitting in on a small group discussion between laid-off workers and a finance professional, I was listening for new insights on how the recession is affecting people.

I got an answer I didn’t expect when the facilitator asked participants what they had lost in the economic downturn.

Taking their cue from the leader’s expertise in finance, most people talked about economic losses. But the group was small enough to hear a low intake of breath when one woman in her 40s said: “I’ve lost the laughter. I used to laugh all the time, and now I just don’t.”

There was a brief silence while others around the table nodded or looked down; then the facilitator picked up the conversation and we rolled forward, wrapping the woman’s comment into the general conversation.

Even though the woman did laugh a little when someone made a joke, I thought I understood what she meant about “losing the laughter.” It’s one thing to laugh as a social gesture, but it’s an entirely different matter to feel lighthearted enough to simply laugh.

The woman’s comment got me thinking about the things we lose when our work lives get upended and about the losses people have felt during this economy in general. In the weeks since, I’ve been listening more carefully as I meet with job seekers, to hear their own stories of loss. Here are some of the answers I received, either directly or embedded in our conversations:

• Dreams. Twin Cities author and grief specialist Ted Bowman (“Finding Hope When Dreams Have Shattered,” www.bowmanted.com) was the first person I ever met who spoke about the loss of dreams as collateral damage from other losses. For example, he explained, when parents lose a child to death, they suffer the first horrific loss and then the cascading losses of the hopes they had held for that child’s future. The dreams are gone.

Likewise, I’ve always known that the loss of a job can interrupt a person’s dreams and goals or put them on the back burner altogether. But in listening more closely these past few weeks, I’m hearing a deeper theme in my clients’ conversations. Not only are they postponing specific goals, but many are reluctant to make plans of any sort. Gone are conversations about retirement to warmer climates, second-career business startups and even the relatively modest European vacations people used to save for.

• Self-esteem. I’ve heard this answer so many times, I’ve lost count. Executives who had to make cuts feel powerless to save their teams. Workers who got cut feel devalued. Workers whose jobs were spared feel ineffectual against the overwhelming tide of projects. No one, it seems, feels good about work these days.

Of course, where self-esteem goes, confidence is sure to follow. Devalued, ineffectual, powerless workers are not likely to be confident. The result is a type of Mobius strip where negative emotions march on without pause. Job search at this point is tricky, as every rejection gets supersized in the worker’s mind and the will to overcome obstacles erodes.

• Energy and health. Many studies link health problems with unemployment and unhappiness at work. Energy, too, is affected by employment problems. One solution to both issues is to improve exercise and nutrition. Ironically, this low-cost remedy can be elusive to the unemployed, even with their wealth of free time. Perhaps the loss of dreams plays a part, but many seem unable to structure the time for their own good.

• Social activities and fun. As it turns out, a number of my job seekers tell me they’ve been able to enjoy their families more during the recession, even while letting go of costly activities they used to do together. But my still-employed or overemployed clients? No, they’re not having fun. There’s a kind of wartime mentality raging in these households, where time, money and perhaps laughter are managed closely. Plainly speaking, many of these people look worn out.

This hasn’t been an upbeat litany of recessionary woes, has it? Nevertheless, I do believe that problems are easier solved once they’re named. Here’s your challenge: If you see yourself on this list, it’s time to take action. Regardless of the toll this recession has taken, there’s at least one thing that you still own -- the right, and the responsibility, to tend to your own happiness.

This transition may last a long time; don’t let these years be the black hole in your story. Fill them with memories of good times and do what you can to recover your losses.

By Amy Lindgren

For the AJC