With one-third of U.S. workers reporting rising burnout levels, finding a high-paying job that doesn’t sacrifice your health has become a critical priority. According to recent research from Robert Half, 36% of professionals feel burned out at work. Yet, the consequences extend beyond fatigue. A MyPerfectResume survey found that one in five workers contemplate quitting daily, while 32% experience increased anxiety and 30% suffer frequent headaches. Perhaps most concerning, 77% believe their job negatively impacts their personal life.
Since workplace burnout in the U.S. has hit record highs, professionals seek careers that offer financial security and overall well-being. Let’s explore a list of 10 high-paying, low-stress jobs identified by Coursera, the leading global online learning platform.
What Makes a Job Low Stress?
Before delving into career choices, it’s worthwhile to understand what constitutes a “low-stress” job. While stress is subjective and varies from person to person, several factors consistently contribute to workplace stress levels. Shift work, physical hazards, high-stakes responsibilities, strict deadlines, workplace competitiveness, micromanagement, and long hours contribute to burnout. Low-stress jobs typically minimize these factors while still providing meaningful work and adequate compensation.
The ideal low-stress position often features:
- Reasonable workloads with manageable deadlines
- Autonomy and control over your schedule
- Clear role definition and expectations
- Supportive management and recognition
- Opportunities for career growth
- Healthy work-life boundaries
- Limited physical demands or hazards
With these criteria in mind, let’s explore 10 high-paying jobs that can help you avoid burnout while still earning an impressive salary.
10 High-Paying, Low-Stress Jobs for 2025
1. Data Scientist
Average annual salary (U.S.): $108,020
Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 35%
As a data scientist, you’ll collect, organize, analyze, and interpret information to discover patterns and solve problems. This role leverages your technical skills in algorithms and machine learning to predict outcomes and extract meaningful insights from raw data.
Why It Helps Avoid Burnout
Data scientists typically work in office environments with remote work possibilities. The role involves limited meetings and often allows for independent work with flexible schedules. The analytical nature of the work provides clear objectives and measurable outcomes, reducing ambiguity that can lead to stress.
2.
Average annual salary (U.S.): $239,200
Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 4%
Orthodontists are specialized dental doctors who diagnose and treat dental irregularities, such as misaligned teeth. While the educational path is lengthy (10-14 years, including undergraduate, dental school, and residency), the payoff is substantial regarding compensation and work-life balance.
Why it helps avoid burnout
Unlike emergency physicians or surgeons, orthodontists work with non-life-threatening conditions, reducing the emotional toll of medical decision-making. You’ll typically work standard business hours with predictable schedules and appointments, giving you greater control over your work-life balance.
3. Materials Scientist
Average annual salary (U.S.): $106,160
Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 6%
Materials scientists analyze chemical properties and substances, investigating new ways to combine materials to create innovative products. You’ll identify products to test, determine optimal testing methods, assess material safety, and provide recommendations for improvements.
Why it helps avoid burnout
Unlike many other high-paying jobs, this field offers a blend of independent research and collaborative work without rigid deadlines. The laboratory and office-based environment provides structure without the constant pressure found in many competitive industries. The intellectual stimulation of discovery helps maintain engagement without overwhelming stress.
4. Curator
Average annual salary (U.S.): $57,120
Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 10%
Curators manage museums and collections, negotiate prices, bring in new artists, organize exhibitions, and manage sales. In larger institutions, you might specialize in a specific field like botany or history.
Why it helps avoid burnout
Working in galleries and museums offers a calm, quiet environment with meaningful cultural impact. The work often involves periods of solitary focus on restoration or assembly, providing a peaceful work atmosphere that contrasts sharply with high-pressure corporate environments.
5. Web Developer
Average annual salary (U.S.): $92,750
Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 16%
Web development has emerged as one of the most accessible high-paying jobs in the tech sector. These professionals write code using programming languages to create everything from mobile applications to websites. You can specialize as a front-end developer (working on user-facing design elements), back-end developer (focusing on performance and functionality), or full-stack developer (handling both aspects).
Why it helps avoid burnout
Web development offers exceptional flexibility, abundant remote work opportunities and project-based schedules. The field has relatively relaxed educational requirements, reducing the financial stress of student debt. The creative and problem-solving aspects of coding provide intellectual stimulation without the stressors of management or customer-facing roles.
6. Audiologist
Average annual salary (U.S.): $87,740
Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 11%
Audiologists are medical professionals who diagnose hearing loss, balance disorders, and related problems. You may work in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private practices.
Why it helps avoid burnout
While still in the medical field, audiologists focus on non-emergency conditions and rarely treat seriously ill patients. The diagnostic process relies heavily on technology, reducing the pressure of complex decision-making. Regular business hours and limited on-call requirements contribute to a sustainable work-life balance.
7. Chemical Engineer
Average annual salary (U.S.): $112,100
Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 8%
Chemical engineering stands out among high-paying jobs for its balance of technical challenges and structured work environment. These professionals use chemistry principles to create products such as food, fuel, drugs, and everyday materials. You might design equipment for chemical plants and oversee product creation processes.
Why it helps avoid burnout
Much of this work is research-based, allowing for independent problem-solving in controlled laboratory and office environments. The structured nature of engineering work provides clear parameters and expectations, reducing the ambiguity that often contributes to workplace stress.
8. Mathematician
Average annual salary (U.S.): $104,860
Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 30%
Mathematicians work across various industries, from business to engineering, applying mathematical theories to solve problems and reporting on their findings. Career paths include academia, national security, robotics, and other technical sectors.
Why it helps avoid burnout
This career offers significant autonomy, with work typically conducted independently in office settings. While deadlines exist, the pressure is generally lower than in client-facing or emergency-response roles. The satisfaction of solving complex problems provides intrinsic motivation without the interpersonal stressors found in many high-paying fields.
9. Astronomer
Average annual salary (U.S.): $127,930
Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 5%
Astronomers study the universe, including planets, stars, galaxies, asteroids, and black holes. You may develop scientific theories to explain natural phenomena, conduct studies and experiments, and design new scientific software and equipment.
Why it helps avoid burnout
Despite being in a scientific field, astronomy offers relatively low-stress working conditions. The work involves observation, analysis, and research at your own pace in a low-risk environment. The wonder and discovery inherent in astronomical research provide meaningful engagement without the pressure of immediate commercial demands.
10. Technical Writer
Average annual salary (U.S.): $80,050
Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 7%
Among communication-focused high-paying jobs, technical writing stands out for its combination of creativity and analytical thinking. Technical writers create articles, white papers, user guides, help sections, and other documentation for organizations. Your role is to simplify complex information so that non-technical users can easily understand it.
Why it helps avoid burnout
Technical writing offers an excellent work-life balance with abundant remote and flexible work opportunities. Projects typically have reasonable deadlines without the constant pressure of emergency responses. The satisfaction of making complex information accessible provides meaningful work without the emotional toll of many high-stress professions.
Balancing High-Paying Jobs and Well-Being
While these high-paying jobs offer a clear path to financial security with reduced burnout risk, it’s crucial to recognize that stress is inherently personal. Evaluating potential career paths requires more than just assessing salary and title. It means considering your individual stress triggers, the organizational culture of prospective employers, your core strengths, and the lifestyle you aspire to maintain outside of work. In an era where burnout has become a silent epidemic, prioritizing high-paying jobs that also protect your well-being is imperative. Long-term success isn’t simply about climbing the corporate ladder—it’s about making intentional career choices that preserve your energy, creativity, and sense of purpose.