Low stress jobs that pay over $100k
These roles are exceptionally rare and typically require enduring multiple physically sickening, highly stressful positions with difficult managers before finally landing one. The core difficulty is that well-paying careers often expect you to perform beyond your capabilities indefinitely, making it hard to find a lucrative job that simply becomes a confident routine once you learn the ropes.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1working in government rolesDid this help you?
- 2transitioning to privately held companies or plant accountingDid this help you?
- 3developing a detached mindset toward work deadlines and job securityDid this help you?
- 4enduring high-stress periods or 'paying dues' early in a careerDid this help you?
- 5Looking at government, police, or military roles.Did this help you?
- 6Considering jobs like delivering mail or driving a trash truck.Did this help you?
- 7Accepting a lower salary in exchange for job predictability and confidence.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“how many of you go to work and have 0/very little stress and make over $100k a year?”source ↗
“I don't know about other people, but that kind of job is hard to find for 99% of people out there.”source ↗
“paid my dues with some absolutely horrifically stressful jobs that literally made me physically sick.”source ↗
“Me, but took multiple attempts and dealing with a few insane controllers to get there.”source ↗
“Graduated with my computer science degree but learned I don't want to become a software engineer.”source ↗
“The biggest thing I dislike is when: A job expects me to do things I'm not capable of.”source ↗
“Just want a role that pays well and becomes routine after time.”source ↗
“I understand lesser paying roles have a lesser salary which I'm willing to accept for a routine job I'm confident in.”source ↗
“the thing with software engineering is that developers 10 years down the road still feel dumb and I learned I want a role where I'm confident in and becomes pretty routine once I learn the ropes.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 24Why are job boards full of impossible roles and ghost listings?
- 3Should I take a high paying job in a remote town?
- 13Should I take a very low-paying entry-level job out of desperation?
- 2Is taking a lower job title a red flag on a resume?
- 5Can I get a high-paying career with a felony record?
- 2Should I quit a low paying job with a long commute?