In the world of Stardew Valley, there are tons of different professions that you can hone in order to become a better player. These skills include; Farming, Mining, Foraging, Fishing, and Combat. Each skill can be leveled up in various ways from level 0 all the way to level 10, and professions play a vital role in this system. Once you hit levels 5 and 10 in any skill you will be rewarded with your choice of a profession in that skill. While this choice may not seem important at first, the profession you choose will change the way you play Stardew completely. This choice may seem intimidating so we hope that this guide will help calm your nerves so that you can make the decision that best fits your gameplay style.
Farming
The Farming skill in Stardew can be leveled by taking care of animals via petting, milking, shearing, etc., or by harvesting crops. Farming professions include; Rancher, Tiller, Coopmaster, Shepherd, Artisan, and Agriculturist and each skill has a unique approach to farming that will change your Stardew Valley farming experience!
Farming Level 5
At farming level five players are given the choice between the Rancher and Tiller professions. The rancher profession increases the value of all animal products by 20% while the Tiller profession increases the value of all crops by 10%. Depending on the profession you choose now you will have the choice to pick one of four professions at level 10, those being Coopmaster, Shepherd, Artisan, and Agriculturist.
Farming Level 10
Once you reach level 10 farming players get the choice between two more professions depending on which they chose at level 5. If you chose the Rancher profession at level five you will get to pick from Coopmaster or Shepherd. The Coopmaster profession increases the speed at which players become friends with their coop-dwelling animals and decreases the incubation time for chickens and ostriches by 50%. Similarly, the Shepherd profession increases the speed at which players become friends with barn-dwelling animals and decreases the time it takes sheep to replenish their wool by 1 day. If you chose the Tiller profession at level five then you get the choice between the Artisan and Agriculturist professions at level 10. The Artisan profession increases the value of artisan goods by 40% while the Agriculturist profession increases the growth rate of all crops by 10%. Below is a simplified chart detailing all of the Farming professions and what they do as well as their in-game icons.
Level 5 Professions
| Name | Info |
 Rancher | Value of animal products +20% |
 Tiller | Value of crops +10% |
Level 10 Professions
| Name | Prereq | Info |
 Coopmaster | Rancher | Friendship w/coop-dwelling animals increases quicker. Decreases time needed for incubation of chickens and ostriches by 50% |
 Shepherd | Rancher | Friendship w/barn-dwelling animals increases quicker. Sheep produce wool 1 day sooner |
 Artisan | Tiller | The value of artisan goods increases by 10% |
 Agriculturist | Tiller | Growth speed of crops increases by 10% |
Mining
The mining skill in Stardew Valley changes the way that you break rocks in the game. Leveling the mining skill is as simple as breaking any rocks in the game whether it be on the farm, in the quarry, or in the mines and you can break these rocks with any means necessary (pickaxe, bombs, or monster attacks). Mining professions include; Miner, Geologist, Blacksmith, Prospector, Excavator, and Gemologist. These professions will change how you mine and what you mine for as they can completely change the ore spawns in the caves of Stardew Valley. No matter what you choose though you will have a great time exploring the caves and finding ores, gems, or geodes.
Mining Level 5
Mining level five presents players with two options, Miner or Geologist. The Miner profession increases the amount of ore per vein by 1 ore while the Geologist profession gives players a 50% chance that gems and geodes spawn in pairs of two.
Mining Level 10
Upon reaching level 10 in the mining skill players will be given another choice depending on their previous profession. If players picked the Miner profession they get to choose between the Blacksmith and the Prospector professions. The Blacksmith profession increases the value of metal bars by 50% while the Prospector profession doubles your chances of finding coal when mining. Picking the Geologist profession at level five gives you the choice of Excavator or Gemologist at level 10 instead. The Excavator profession doubles your chances of finding any geodes while the Gemologist profession increases the value of gems by 30%. Below is a simple chart with information about the Mining professions, this chart includes the in-game icons for each profession.
Level 5 Professions
| Name | Info |
 Miner | Increases the number of ore per vein by1 |
 Geologist | 50% chance for gems to be doubled |
Level 10 Professions
| Name | Prereq | Info |
 Blacksmith | Miner | The value of metal bars +50% |
 Prospector | Miner | Increase chance to find coal 2x |
 Excavator | Geologist | Increase chance to find geodes 2x |
 Gemologist | Geologist | The Value of gems +30% |
Foraging
The foraging skill in Stardew Valley can be increased by gathering forageable items that you find around the world or by chopping trees with your axe. Foraging professions include; Forester, Gatherer, Lumberjack, Tapper, Botanist, and Tracker. Whichever profession you pick will absolutely overhaul your foraging experience and make you a next-level Stardew player.
Foraging Level 5
Foraging level 5 gives players the choice between the Forester and Gatherer professions. The Forester profession increases the amount of wood gathered from chopping down trees by 25% while the Gatherer profession gives players a 20% chance to gather double the amount of forageable items. Players who pick the Forester profession will unlock the choice of Lumberjack or Tapper professions upon reaching level 10 Foraging while those who picked Gatherer will have a choice of either Botanist or Tracker.
Foraging Level 10
After reaching foraging level 10 there are four possible options of professions depending on your level five choice, those are Lumberack, Tapper, Botranist, and Tracker. If you choose the Forester profession at level 5 then you get to choose between the Lumberjack and Tapper professions. The Lumberjack profession gives all trees a small chance to drop hardwood while the Tapper profession increases the value of all syrups by 25%. If players chose the Gatherer profession then they get to pick between Botanist and Tracker as their level 10 profession. The Botanist profession makes it so that all forageable items are always at least iridium quality. The Tracker profession is a little unique in that it places yellow arrows on the screen to point players towards any and all forageable items in the area you currently are. Below is a simplified chart that includes all of the Foraging professions and their information as well as their in-game icons.
Level 5 Professions
| Name | Info |
 Forester | Wood gained from trees, stumps, and logs is increased by 25% |
 Gatherer | 20% chance to gather 2x foraged items |
Level 10 Professions
| Name | Prereq | Info |
 Lumberjack | Forester | Trees can now drop hardwood |
 Tapper | Forester | The Value of all syrups increases by 25% |
 Botanist | Gatherer | All forageable items will always be iridium quality |
 Tracker | Gatherer | Adds small arrows that point you towards spawned forageable items |
Fishing
The fishing skill in Stardew can be increased by catching any items, including trash and seaweed, with your fishing rod or by gathering items from crab pots. Fishing professions include; Fisher, Trapper, Angler, Pirate, Mariner, and Luremaster. Fishing is one of the most customizable skills in Stardew as you can tailor your fishing experience to your own liking depending on what profession you decide to choose.
Fishing Level 5
Level five fishing gives players the option to pick between the Fisher and Trapper professions. The FIsher profession increases the value of all fish by 25% while the Trapper profession decreases the cost to build crab pots to just 25 wood and 2 copper bars. Depending on your choice of profession you will be able to choose between the Angler, Pirate, Mariner, or Luremaster professions at level 10.
Fishing Level 10
When you reach level 10 fishing you are able to choose between four professions based on which profession you choose at level 5. If you picked the Fisher profession you can choose between the Angler and Pirate professions. Angler increases the value of fish by 50% and Pirate doubles your chance to find treasure when fishing. If players chose the Trapper profession they can pick between the Mariner and Luremaster profession at level 10. The Mariner profession stops crab pots from producing garbage altogether while the Luremaster profession stops crab pots from needing bait to function. Below is a simple chart that has all the information needed about the fishing professions along with their in-game icons.
Level 5 Professions
| Name | Info |
 Fisher | The value of fish increases by 25% |
 Trapper | Crab pots now only cost 25 wood and 2 copper bars |
Level 10 Professions
| Name | Prereq | Info |
 Angler | Fisher | The value of fish increases by 50% |
 Pirate | Fisher | Increases your chance to find treasure x2 |
 Mariner | Trapper | Garbage will no longer be caught by crab pots |
 Luremaster | Trapper | Bait is no longer needed for crab pots to catch animals |
Combat
The Combat skill in Stardew Valley affects how you play when around monsters. This skill can be leveled up by fighting monsters in the mine, quarry mine, skull caverns, or the wilderness farm. Combat professions include; Fighter, Scout, Brute, Defender, Acrobat, and Desperado. Leveling Combat allows players to have more protection when fighting monsters and helps you to get further in places like skull caverns without losing much health.
Combat Level 5
Level five combat gives you the choice between the Fighter and Scout professions. The Fighter profession increases the damage of all attacks by 15% and gives you a +15 to your HP. The scout profession increases your chance for a critical strike by 50% but does not increase your HP at all. Depending on your choice at this level you can pick between these four options at level 10; Brute, Defender, Acrobat, and Desperado.
Combat Level 10
Once you reach combat level 10 you are given a possibility of four options based on which level 5 profession you decided on. If you picked the Fighter profession you are given a choice between Brute and Defender. The Brute profession increases the amount of damage you deal by 15% while the Defender profession increases your health by 25 H0P. Choosing the Scout skill will change your options to Acrobat or Desperado. The Acrobat profession reduces your cooldown time for special attacks by 50% while the Desperado profession doubles the damage that critical strikes deal. Below is a simple chart detailing all of the combat-based professions in Stardew along with their in-game images.
Level 5 Professions
| Name | Info |
 Fighter | Damage of all attacks increased by 10% Gain 15 HP |
 Scout | Chance for a critical strike increases by 50% |
Level 10 Professions
| Name | Prereq | Info |
 Brute | Fighter | All damage increased by 15% |
 Defender | Fighter | Gain 25 HP |
 Acrobat | Scout | Special attack cooldown decreases by 50% |
 Desperado | Scout | Damage from critical strikes is doubled |
Changing Professions
Choosing a profession that will change your gameplay forever might sound intimidating at first, but Stardew Valley offers players the ability to change their professions later on down the line. After unlocking the sewers players can visit the Statue Of Uncertainty which allows players to change their professions by paying 10,000g. After speaking to the statue you can pick which skill you would like to change professions in and then pay the 10,000g. Upon making the payment the player can go about their day until they sleep. Sleeping will trigger the profession picking screen which will ask you to pick a level 5 and 10 profession based on your current level. 10,000g may seem like a lot at first glance but by the time you reach level 10 in any skill you will certainly have enough gold or resources to pay that hefty price tag.
