15 Low Stress Jobs That Pay Well (Many From Home)

6. Medical Records Specialist

Median pay: $24.59 an hour ($51,140 a year) (BLS). Education: Postsecondary certificate. Why it's calmer: Healthcare work without patient emergencies; many coding roles are remote. Watch out for: Productivity and accuracy targets.

7. Bookkeeper

Median pay: $24.36 an hour for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks (BLS). Education: Some college typical; software skills matter. Why it's calmer: Predictable monthly routines. Watch out for: Month-end and tax season crunches. See how to become a bookkeeper.

8. General Maintenance and Repair Worker

Median pay: $23.84 an hour (BLS). Why it's calmer: Hands-on work, variety, little desk time. Watch out for: Emergency repairs and physical demands.

9. Information Clerk

Median pay: $21.84 an hour (BLS). Why it's calmer: Structured, routine processing work. Watch out for: Some roles are customer-facing.

10. Medical Transcriptionist

Median pay: $19.43 an hour (BLS). Why it's calmer: Solo, focused editing work from home. Watch out for: BLS projects a 4% decline in jobs through 2035. See medical transcription jobs from home.

11. Grounds Maintenance Worker

Median pay: $19.27 an hour (BLS). Why it's calmer: Outdoors, physical, visible results, few meetings. Watch out for: Weather and seasonal hours.

Slow-Paced and Fun Jobs That Pay Well

12. Animal Care Worker

Median pay: $17.08 an hour for animal care and service workers (BLS). Why it's fun: Days spent with animals. Watch out for: Lower pay than the careers above.

13. Fitness Trainer

Median pay: $22.67 an hour (BLS). Why it's fun: Active work helping motivated people. Watch out for: Certification and irregular client schedules.

14. Freelance Proofreader

Pay: Varies by platform. See how much proofreaders make. Why it's calmer: Quiet, independent work you schedule yourself. Watch out for: Uneven income at first.

15. Transcriptionist

Pay: Rev lists $0.40 to $1.10 per audio minute (Rev). Why it's calmer: Headphones on, no meetings, choose your hours. Watch out for: Low hourly pay until you're fast.

Comparison Table

How to Find a Lower-Stress Job

• Look at the work, not the title. Ask in interviews about deadlines, on-call duties and how success is measured.

• Avoid quota-driven roles if pressure drains you: sales, collections and high-volume call centers.

• Remote can help or hurt. No commute lowers stress for many people, but isolation bothers others.

• Build skills gradually. Certificates in bookkeeping, IT or medical records take months, not years.

Introverts may also like our list of work-at-home jobs for introverts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the least stressful job that pays well?

It depends on your temperament, but technical writing and web development combine high BLS median pay ($43.46 and $47.85 an hour) with independent, project-based work.

What low stress jobs can I do from home?

Technical writing, web development, written translation, medical records and coding, bookkeeping, proofreading and transcription are commonly remote.

What are slow paced jobs that pay well?

Librarians, technical writers and medical records specialists tend to work at a steady, predictable pace with solid pay.

Are low stress jobs low paying?

Not always. Several jobs above pay above the median for all workers, but they usually require a degree or certification.

The Bottom Line

A low-stress job is one where the work matches your temperament: independent, predictable and free of constant conflict. Use the pay and education data above to pick a realistic target, then build the one skill it needs. More ideas: non-phone work from home jobs.