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There is much published research about teachers' organisational stress but relatively little about the effect of the coping resources brought to bear to counter or reduce the effects of occupational stress. This study examines two major issues: which personal resource variables most frugally predict various measures of vocational teacher strain and secondly, whether gender and age differences have a moderating effect on the significance, contribution and relationship between these variables. The stress, strain and personal resource strengths of a group of 256 vocational teachers were examined. The teachers completed the standardised Occupational Stress Inventory (OSI), which enables measures of organisational stress, strain and coping resource strength. Sub-groups were formed on the basis of gender and age and the resultant sample data examined. The results showed a significant negative relationship between some of the personal sub-scale measures of the OSI and some measures of occupational strain. The nature of the relationship, however, differed considerably, both qualitatively and quantitatively, depending on gender, age and each particular measure of strain. The outcomes indicate that both gender and age play a moderating role in the relationship between the efficacy of personal resources and teacher strain. The results have implications for how stress is handled in the workplace.