Serving in the military tends to come with two states of existence: incredible boredom and intense adrenaline rushes. It probably didn't take long to figure out which you preferred. While some transitioning veterans might seek out professions with similar levels of excitement, others may prefer to keep their career as stress free as possible. Alabama Local News took a list of the top 10 least stressful jobs for 2015, and we've commented on each for you below. If your priority is a quiet life, these are some of the most suitable careers available.
1. Hair Stylist
This job requires strong interpersonal skills and a passion for helping others look their best. It can be a very rewarding job if you build a loyal clientele, but be wary of low salaries. If you're comfortable with the paycheck and like working with people, this low-stress job may be perfect for you.
- Median salary: $22,770
- Stress score: 5.47
2. Audiologist
Certain jobs in the health-care industry are extremely stressful, but plenty are fairly easygoing and comfortable. Audiologists are essentially ear experts; they focus on hearing and balance issues. Needless to say, there are very few situations where an ear checkup becomes overly stressful.
- Median salary: $69,720
- Stress score: 6.30
3. University Professor (Tenured)
New professors are fairly stressed out, but once they land tenure, the job becomes much more relaxed. The pressure to perform that new professors experience tends to fade, and the job becomes less about producing attention-grabbing work and more about focusing on what you love doing. The path to becoming a professor, let alone one with tenure, is long and arduous, but you may find the journey worthwhile once the uphill battle is over.
- Median salary: $68,970
- Stress score: 6.94
4. Medical Records Technician
The health-care industry produces volumes of records, and it requires specialists to keep track of them. Medical records technicians tend to earn solid paychecks, and their job is fairly laid-back. If you prefer the quiet and calm of working with files and databases, give this career careful consideration.
- Median salary: $34,160
- Stress score: 7.55
5. Jeweler
It's not the type of career often considered, but jewelers tend to have fairly relaxed setups. Working with precious stones and expensive metals can be very rewarding if you have the passion for it. It may sound ridiculous, but there's something to be said for being the expert on expensive jewelry, not to mention handling it all day, five days a week.
- Median salary: $35,350
- Stress score: 8.10
6. Medical Laboratory Technician
The health-care industry has no shortage of stable, lucrative and stress-free positions. Medical laboratory technicians aren't involved in anything intensive; they're responsible for testing and analyzing samples such as tissues and body fluids. While they may be the first to discover a patient is infected with a fatal disease, they're rarely the ones responsible for letting them know.
- Median salary: $47,820
- Stress score: 8.98
7. Seamstress/Tailor
Unless you're working in high-pressure environments in the fashion industry, working with clothes is just about one of the least stressful things you can do. Seamstresses and tailors need to be good at working with people, and while some customers can be wellsprings of stress, little else ever will be.
- Median salary: $25,590
- Stress score: 9.56
8. Dietitian
Today's culture is packed with mixed messages about food: what's healthy, what's not and exactly what it does to your body. Dietitians are food experts. They go beyond hyped-up fads to know precisely what foods are composed of, and how the ingredients impact your health. Aside from a nice paycheck, dietitians typically work in very low-stress environments.
- Median salary: $55,240
- Stress score: 10.23
9. Librarian
Libraries are seen as temples of boredom and dullness by many. While the reputation is well-deserved if you're not a fan of books, those who are can find solace among numerous tomes of knowledge and wisdom. People skills help but aren't crucial to the role.
- Median salary: $55,370
- Stress score: 10.58
10. Forklift Operator
You might think lifting heavy objects with a forklift might come with some amount of stress, but sitting comfortably in a padded chair while the machine does most of the work comes with its own atmosphere of calm.
- Median salary: $31,150
- Stress score: 11.43
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