Tools
Stardew Valley Profession Guide
Profession choices lock in long-term income multipliers. This comparison shows where each path performs best for farming, fishing, and mining-focused saves.
Level 10 professions are continuations of a level 5 choice, not separate alternatives. For example, Artisan requires Tiller and Angler requires Fisher.
By StardewProfit Editorial Team Reviewed Game version 1.6
Core profession comparisons
| Category | Level 5 choice | Level 10 continuation | Practical outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farming: processing | Tiller at level 5 (+10% crops) | Artisan at level 10 (+40% artisan goods) | Follow this path when kegs, jars, cheese, oil, or other artisan goods drive income. |
| Fishing: fish sales | Fisher at level 5 (+25% fish value) | Angler at level 10 (+50% fish value total) | Use this path when selling fish matters more than crab-pot convenience or treasure hunting. |
| Mining: materials | Miner at level 5 (+1 ore per vein) | Blacksmith or Prospector at level 10 | Choose more ore for tool upgrades and crafting, then specialize in bar value or coal supply. |
| Mining: gems and geodes | Geologist at level 5 (chance for paired gems) | Excavator or Gemologist at level 10 | Choose this path for more geodes or a 30% value bonus on gems and minerals. |
Read percentage bonuses correctly
Fisher and Angler are the same skill path. A fish with a 1,000g sale value becomes 1,250g with Fisher or 1,500g after choosing Angler; the bonuses do not stack into 1,750g. Geologist also does not increase the general chance of finding a gem. It gives mining nodes a chance to produce gems in pairs.
If your farm changes direction, the Statue of Uncertainty in the Sewers lets you pay 10,000g to change a skill's professions. Treat that cost as a reset fee when comparing a short early-game bonus with a stronger late-game path.
Simple recommendation table
| Goal | Recommended Profession | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Scale wine/jam empire | Tiller -> Artisan | Largest multiplier for late-game processing pipelines. |
| Sell raw crops early | Tiller | Immediate boost while machine count is still low. |
| Steady fish income | Fisher -> Angler | Consistent value increase on all regular fish sales. |
| Crab-pot convenience | Trapper -> Mariner or Luremaster | Choose no-junk catches or bait-free pots instead of the fish-sale path. |
| Ore-first progression | Miner -> Prospector or Blacksmith | More ore per run accelerates tool upgrades and keg crafting. |
| Gem and geode value | Geologist -> Gemologist or Excavator | Geologist can produce paired gems; level 10 then improves gem value or geode frequency. |
Test profession impact on your farm
Compare profession paths directly with your crop and artisan setup in the calculator.