Stardew Valley professions: Best jobs to pick for each skill

With just 24 hours in a day, you’re dedicating every second to Stardew Valley while your farmer’s out there juggling more gigs than a circus performer.

In Stardew Valley, you can develop five skills and work in 30 different professions. Turns out you didn’t leave the concept of multitasking behind after quitting your desk job to work on Grandpa’s farm. Unless you’re willing to pay up 10000 gold for your indecisiveness, you better choose the best professions for every skill from the get-go. In this guide, I’ll go over the best professions for each skill in Stardew Valley, as well as how you can change the ones you’ve already chosen.

Best Farming profession in Stardew Valley

Unsurprisingly, your farming skills in Stardew Valley are the most important. The best farming profession in Stardew Valley is Tiller at level five and Artisan at level 10.

When you hit level five, you’ll choose between two professions: Tiller or Rancher. Tiller is the go-to choice early on since selling crops is more profitable than dealing with animals. While Rancher offers Coop master and Shepherd professions at level 10, they’re not as generally beneficial as sticking with Tiller, especially if you want to farm Ancient Fruit.

At level 10, there’s the option to choose between Agricultural and Artisan professions. If you’re growing crops with longer growth times, go for Agricultural to speed things up. But once you’ve processed everything into wine, switch to Artisan to boost sale prices by 40 percent.

Best Fishing profession in Stardew Valley

Fishing is a love-it-or-hate-it aspect of Stardew Valley that’s pretty crucial. It may seem tough at first, but it gets smoother with practice. The best fishing profession in Stardew Valley is Fisher at level five and Angler at level 10.

At level five, you’ll choose between Fisher or Trapper. Early on, Fisher is the winner, since it boosts your earnings by 25 percent. You can store all your freshly caught fish in Stardew Valley 1.6’s Big Chest. Trapper reduces crab pot crafting costs, but it’s not as lucrative. Trapper leads to Mariner or Luremaster at level 10. Mariner keeps crab pots clean of trash, and Luremaster eliminates the need for bait. Both are handy if you’re heavy on crab pots, but I lean towards Fisher for a more organic fishing experience.

At level 10 fishing, you’ll face the choice of Angler or Pirate. Angler ups fish selling prices by 25 percent, great for those who fish and sell often, while Pirate boosts treasure find chances by 15 percent. Both options are solid, but if you’re banking on fish as your primary money-maker, Angler is the way to go for maximum profitability, especially if you focus on finding Squids.

Best Mining profession in Stardew Valley

Mining is key in Stardew Valley for crafting essentials like sprinklers and cool gadgets like Crystallariums. The best mining profession in Stardew Valley is Miner at level five and Prospector at level 10.

At level five, choose between Miner and Geologist. Miner nets you an extra ore per node, while Geologist offers a 50 percent chance of extra gems from gem nodes. Early on, Miner is more dependable. Opting for Miner unlocks Blacksmith and Prospector professions; go for Prospector early on since ore is always scarce. But, if you can, switch professions in the sewers later. 

Geologist opens up Excavator and Gemologist paths. While Excavator helps find more geodes, it’s not essential. Go for Gemologist instead to boost gem values by 30 percent, especially handy if you’re duplicating gems with Crystallariums. 

Best Foraging profession in Stardew Valley

Foraging in Stardew Valley is pretty much second nature as you’ll be doing it without even realizing it. The best foraging profession in Stardew Valley is Gatherer at level five and Botanist at level 10.

Once you hit level five, you’ve got two solid choices. Forester simply ups the wood yield from tree chopping. The Gatherer profession offers a 20 percent chance of doubling forageables, which isn’t all that great on its own, but it leads to something awesome

If you went the Forester route, at level 10 foraging, you choose between Lumberjack and Tapper. Lumberjack adds a chance of hardwood dropping from regular trees, which is pretty handy. Tapper, however, isn’t worth it as it only slightly boosts syrup value, which doesn’t sell for much anyway.

But if you picked Gatherer, you’ll choose between Botanist and Tracker. Botanist makes every forageable high-quality, which is amazing for inventory management, higher selling prices, and even truffle sales. Tracker, on the other hand, gives you an arrow pointing to forageables, but it’s not as helpful, especially since it also works on panning spots. My advice is to skip Tracker and go for Botanist.

Best Combat profession in Stardew Valley

Combat in Stardew Valley may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s still there for gaining experience. The best combat profession in Stardew Valley is Fighter at level five and Brute at level 10.

At level five, players choose between Fighter and Scout professions. Scout increases your base critical strike chance by 50 percent, but it’s not as impactful as it sounds since it’s applied to the base chance. Fighter, on the other hand, offers more reliability. 

At level 10, if you’ve chosen Fighter, decide between Brute and Defender. Brute boosts your base damage by 15 percent, which is more valuable than a flat 25 health increase from Defender. 

If you’ve opted for Scout, things get interesting. Acrobat is great for hammer users like the Galaxy Hammer, while Desperado turns daggers like the iridium needle into lethal weapons. But if you prefer swords, stick with Fighter and Brute for reliability.

How to change professions in Stardew Valley

To switch professions in Stardew Valley, you need the Rusty Key to unlock the Sewers and 10,000 gold. You get the Rusty Key from donating 60 items to the Museum.

1. Head to the Sewers of Pelican Town and interact with the Statue of Uncertainty.
2. Pay 10,000g and choose the skill you want to switch professions in.
3. Wait until you go to bed that night. Upon waking up, you’ll be prompted to select new professions for level five and level 10, if reached. If you need help reaching level 10, here’s a guide on how to level up all skills in Stardew Valley.

If changing a level 10 profession, you must also choose a level five profession, as the entire branch is reset. You can repeat this process as many times as you want, but it’s a costly procedure.