Is Your Job on This List? 17 Industries Where Burnout Hits Hardest
Work isn’t just stressful anymore, it’s become unsustainable. People are clocking in tired, checked out, and one meeting away from walking out for good. It’s not just the job, it’s the whole system grinding them down.
A study cited by the American Psychological Association showed that 79% of employees have felt work-related stress, and nearly 60% said it’s hurting their mental health. Some industries are chewing through workers faster than ever, and burnout is the silent epidemic behind it.
This article breaks down the industries most likely to push people past their limit. You’ll see which fields have the shortest shelf life, why that’s happening, and what can be done to stop the spiral.
If you’ve ever felt like screaming into a pillow after work, you’ll want to stick around for this one.
Table of Contents
Education
Let’s just say this up front, teaching isn’t a job, it’s a grind. The average tenure in education is only 2.88 years, which says everything you need to know about how rough this field really is.
And if you thought digital classrooms were the answer, think again, e-learning providers are burning out even faster. Constant pressure, low pay, and a lack of support have turned classrooms into pressure cookers.
A national poll found that 60% of teachers describe their job as “always stressful.” That’s not a bad day, that’s every day. It’s no wonder so many educators are walking out before they hit year three.
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Technology, Information, and Media
The tech world loves to brag about innovation and disruption, but here’s a stat it doesn’t flaunt: people in tech jobs bounce out 43% faster than the national average. The typical tenure? Just 3.41 years.
Big-name companies like Amazon and Meta can’t even hold onto talent longer than 2.8 years on average. Behind the glossy perks and fancy job titles is a brutal pace, constant pivoting, and pressure to always be “on.”
Burnout in tech isn’t a bug, it’s a feature baked right into the system. Fast money, fast burnout.
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Real Estate and Equipment Rental Services
You’d think the world of open houses and commission checks would be more forgiving. Nope. Real estate pros and equipment rental workers have a median tenure of just 3.91 years. This line of work runs on long hours, heavy competition, and inconsistent income.
Add in market volatility and client pressure, and it’s a recipe for exhaustion. Even translation and localization gigs, lumped into this same category, show the same burnout pattern.
There are rare exceptions, some firms manage to hang on to their people longer, but they’re outliers in an industry that burns bright and fast.
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Administrative and Support Services
These roles are often treated like entry-level stepping stones, but the reality is a bit darker. With an average tenure matching real estate at 3.91 years, admin jobs are chewing through workers almost as quickly.
These positions often come with low autonomy, repetitive tasks, and little upward mobility. Add to that the expectation to juggle a dozen tasks at once, and burnout becomes the norm, not the exception.
It’s easy to overlook these roles, but the churn rate says they’re far more draining than most people assume. People don’t stick around long for a reason.
Retail
If you’ve ever worked a holiday shift at a big-box store, you already know retail can break your spirit. The average tenure is just 4.06 years, and in some corners of the industry, it’s much worse. Luxury shops and jewelry stores clock in at just 2.59 years.
Food and beverage retail? Not far behind at 3.10. Between demanding schedules, low pay, and customers who think you’re their emotional punching bag, it’s easy to see why retail workers burn out hard and fast.
You’d think all that human interaction would be energizing, it’s not.
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Accommodation Services
Bartenders, servers, caterers, food truck folks, these are the people keeping your nights out running smoothly. And they’re running on fumes. The average tenure in accommodation services is only 4.36 years, with bars and nightclubs dragging that number even lower.
Night shifts, weekend hours, low pay, and high customer friction make for one of the most emotionally and physically draining sectors out there. It’s the kind of job that sounds fun on paper, but reality hits fast, and it hits hard. Most don’t last.
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Construction
Construction isn’t just about heavy lifting, it’s about mental wear and tear too. With a median tenure of 4.71 years, the field lands right in the middle of the burnout list.
The physical toll is obvious, but what’s not as visible is the instability of job sites, weather delays, and the constant juggling of safety and deadlines. Some workers stick around because the pay can be solid and the satisfaction of building something real is rewarding.
But even that can’t fully offset the grind. The body gives out before the spirit does for a lot of these workers.
Entertainment Providers
This one might catch you off guard. People assume jobs in entertainment are all glitz and glam, but the truth’s less shiny. The average tenure in this space is just 4.79 years. That includes everyone working behind the scenes at live events, museums, sports, casinos, you name it.
Sure, there’s creative freedom in some roles, but freedom doesn’t mean stability. High pressure, irregular hours, and job insecurity turn even the coolest gigs into slow-burn stress factories.
It might look fun to the outside world, but burnout doesn’t care about appearances.
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Financial Services
Finance looks polished on the surface, but behind the scenes, it’s a pressure cooker. The median tenure here clocks in at 4.83 years, which says a lot considering how lucrative this sector can be.
Stress is the cost of entry, handling other people’s money brings a unique kind of pressure. Between sales quotas, market swings, and compliance headaches, it’s a never-ending treadmill.
Many stay in it for the pay, but plenty don’t last long enough to see the big rewards. The burnout is real, and no bonus is big enough to fix chronic stress.
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Professional Services
Professional services sound stable on paper, but the grind behind client work tells a different story. Median tenure? 5.31 years. These jobs demand a high level of skill, and that sounds like a good thing, until you realize how much that expertise is squeezed.
Deadlines, demanding clients, and constant expectations to perform at 110% turn many of these careers into high-functioning burnout zones. Professionals may have longer tenures than those in retail or hospitality, but the internal pressure often builds quietly until it erupts.
It’s a slow drain, not a sudden blowout.
Hospitals and Health Care
No surprise here. Health care workers sit at 5.33 years of average tenure, and honestly, it’s impressive that number isn’t lower. Between the emotional toll, the long shifts, and the non-stop emergencies, these jobs ask for everything and give back very little in return.
Doctors, nurses, paramedics, they’re worn out not because they lack passion, but because they’re constantly pouring out more than they can refill.
The sense of purpose helps, but even that can fade when the tank stays empty. And burnout doesn’t ask for permission, it just shows up and shuts people down.
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Farming, Ranching, Forestry
These jobs are tough in every possible way. The average tenure sits around 5.46 years, and it’s not hard to figure out why. This is physical work that demands long hours, constant focus, and thick skin.
Add in unpredictable weather, fluctuating markets, and equipment failures, and you’ve got the stress trifecta. There’s a certain pride in this kind of work, no question, but that pride doesn’t cancel out the grind.
Even the most seasoned ranch hand or forest manager needs a break, and in this line of work, breaks are rare.
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Transportation, Logistics, Supply Chain, and Storage
At 5.82 years, this industry sees burnout show up a little slower, but it still hits. Truck drivers, warehouse managers, and logistics coordinators are constantly juggling delays, tight schedules, and customer pressure.
The work is mission-critical, people expect packages to show up and shelves to stay stocked. When that pressure sits on your shoulders day in and day out, it wears you down.
The roles might be behind the scenes, but the stress is front and center. And once it settles in, it’s tough to shake.
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Manufacturing
Here we’re looking at production workers, quality controllers, machine operators, the backbone of industrial America. The tenure? 5.83 years. That sounds solid until you factor in the physical demands, repetitive tasks, and noisy environments.
For some, the stability keeps them around longer than other fields, but the mental wear builds quietly. There’s pride in making something tangible, but that pride doesn’t insulate against exhaustion. Sooner or later, the long shifts and constant output start to take their toll.
Oil, Gas, and Mining
Here’s one of the few industries with a longer tenure, 6.35 years on average, but don’t let that number fool you. These jobs are intense. Remote worksites, dangerous conditions, and round-the-clock operations make this one of the most taxing fields out there.
Workers stay longer not because it’s easy, but because the pay is solid and the skill set is niche. But once burnout starts creeping in, there’s no cushy office job waiting on the other side. You either push through or get out fast. There’s not much middle ground.
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Utilities
At 6.90 years, utility workers show some staying power. These roles come with responsibility, keeping the lights on, the water flowing, the heat running. Sounds noble, and it is, but emergencies don’t care what time it is.
When a storm knocks out power at 2 a.m., someone’s got to fix it. The work can be physically demanding and mentally draining, especially during crisis calls. What helps keep tenure up is job security and decent benefits, but that doesn’t mean burnout isn’t lurking.
It just takes longer to set in.
Government Administration
Government jobs sit at the top with the longest average tenure: 7.36 years. That’s a full two years longer than many private sector roles. Why? It’s not the excitement, it’s the structure. Predictable hours, solid benefits, and clear job ladders make these roles feel more stable.
That said, it’s not exactly stress-free. Bureaucracy, red tape, and slow change can frustrate even the most patient worker. Still, the burnout rate is lower not because the work is easier, but because the pace is manageable and the risk of chaos is lower than in the private sector.
That’s the tradeoff, and for a lot of people, it’s worth it.
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Burnout Stops Here
Burnout doesn’t ask for permission, it just shows up and takes over. You don’t have to accept that as your default. The job might be tough, the industry demanding, but you still get to decide how much of yourself you’re willing to give away.
Protect your energy like your future depends on it, because it does. Say no more often, take breaks without guilt, and stop trying to prove something to people who wouldn’t notice if you vanished tomorrow.
You’ve got one life, don’t spend it burning out for a paycheck.
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