I complain a lot — at least to anyone willing to put up with my incessant whining — about the stress I endure as editor of a business journal. My stress varies in intensity from merely bothersome to full-blown apocalyptic depending on how much work I have to complete and how close the next deadline looms.

According to the results of one study, however, my occupation doesn’t make the list of most stressful jobs. Not even close.

Dolman Law Group —  www.dolmanlaw.com — conducted research to rank the most stressful jobs, taking into account  median salaries, average work hours as well as unemployment rates and the proportion of people changing jobs after the first two years. The rankings also considered unique stress factors.

Some of the results weren’t too surprising — at least to me. But other results were.

Steelworker ranked as the most stressful job of all with a combination of physical demands, workplace hazards and long shifts. Moreover, steelworkers earn a lower annual median salary of around $58,000. In other words, hard and dangerous work for comparatively lower wages. By the way, 29 percent of steelworkers change jobs after two years.

Firefighter also ranks among the top five most stressful jobs because of physical danger, long shifts and comparatively lower wages. Again, not surprising. The threat of serious injury or even death would stress me out.

What was more surprising was some of the other occupations that made the list.

Surgeon ranked second in part because of long working hours that include 12- to 28-hour shifts as well as the responsibility for their patients’ health and even lives. But unlike steelworkers and firefighters, surgeons are compensated for the stress and education required with the highest annual median salary of all the jobs on the list at nearly $240,000.

Anesthesiologists ranked third for many of the same reasons as those that apply to surgeons. But anesthesiologists are also compensated comparatively well with annual median salaries of $208,000.

Lawyers ranked sixth on the list for such stress factors as pressure and the amount of documents and information with which they deal. Half of lawyers change jobs after one to two years, the highest proportion of any of the occupations in the ranking.

Other stressful occupations ranked in the study included security guard, clinical social worker and patrol officers. But not, as I noted, newspaper editor.

Kidding aside, I love my job. I get paid to meet business owners and managers and tell their stories. Despite the mostly self-imposed stress of deadlines, it’s rewarding stuff. And I wouldn’t want to change jobs.

Unless, that is, there was an opening for a lion tamer. Or a lumber jack.

Phil Castle is editor of the Business Times. Reach him at (970) 424-5133 or phil@thebusinesstimes.com.