Cells activate various stress response pathways when exposed to chemicals that can damage cellular macromolecules and organelles. Whether different chemical stressors activate common and/or stressor-specific pathways and to what extent is largely unclear. Here, we used quantitative phosphoproteomics to compare the phosphorylation signaling cascades induced by four stressors with different modes of action: the DNA damaging agent: cisplatin (CDDP), the topoisomerase II inhibitor: etoposide (ETO), the pro-oxidant: diethyl maleate (DEM) and the immunosuppressant: cyclosporine A (CsA). We show that equitoxic doses of these stressors induce distinctive and complex phosphorylation signaling cascades. Our results reveal stressor-specific kinase motifs and pathways. CDDP activates the DNA damage response (DDR) predominantly through the replication-stress related Atr kinase, whereas ETO triggers the DDR through Atr as well as the DNA double stranded break associated Atm kinase. CsA shares with ETO, a strong activation of CK2 kinase and significant Atm phosphorylation but lacks prominent activation of the DDR. Congruent with their known modes of action, CsA-mediated signaling is related to down-regulation of pathways that control hematopoietic differentiation and immunity whereas oxidative stress is the most prominent initiator of DEM-modulated stress signaling. This study presents an unprecedented molecular insight into the activated phosphorylation signaling cascades after various types of stressors.