Skill levels in Stardew Valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

All profession buffs in Stardew Valley

Choices, choices...

All skills in Stardew Valley can be progressed to the maximum level of 10 and every level increase offers better proficiency, as well as additional recipes and unlocked abilities. When you reach level 5, you’re offered your first choice of professions, and this happens again at level 10. 

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It can be hard to choose between these professions, as each comes with its own perks and buffs which seem incredibly useful. However, as your level five choices directly impact which choices you’ll have available to you at level 10, knowing what to expect from each option can go a long way to figuring out which is the best choice for you.

It’s also worth noting that these choices are not entirely permanent. You can change your choice at a later date if you feel that you made the wrong decision, or even if you just think a different perk would benefit you more in the moment.

Farming profession choices in Stardew Valley

Animals on the Farm in Stardew Valley
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Level five choices

  • Rancher
    • Animal products (such as Eggs, Truffles, and Milk) sell for 20% more
  • Tiller
    • Crops (such as Blueberries, Carrots and Ancient Fruit) sell for 10% more

Level 10 choices

If you chose Rancher at level 5, your level 10 choices will be:

  • Coopmaster
    • Befriend coop animals (Chickens, Rabbits, Ducks and Dinosaurs) more quickly. Egg incubation period is halved.
  • Shepherd
    • Befriend barn animals (Cows, Pigs, Goats and Sheep) more quickly. Sheep produce wool more often.

If you chose Tiller, your level 10 choices will be:

  • Artisan
    • Artisanal goods (such as Wine, Jelly, and Cheese) sell for 40% more
  • Agriculturist
    • Crops grow 10% more quickly

Fishing profession choices in Stardew Valley

Fishing minigame in Stardew Valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Level five choices

  • Fisher
    • Fish sell for 25% more
  • Trapper
    • Resources needed to craft crab pots are reduced

Level 10 choices

If you chose Fisher at level five, your level 10 choices will be:

  • Angler
    • Fish sell for 50% more
  • Pirate
    • You have double the chance to find treasure while fishing

If you chose Trapper at level five, your level 10 choices will be:

  • Mariner
    • Crab Pots will no longer catch trash items
  • Luremaster
    • You no longer need to fill Crab Pots with bait in order to catch something

Foraging profession choices in Stardew Valley

Foraging within the Secret Woods in Stardew Valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Level five choices

  • Forester
    • Trees drop 25% more wood
  • Gatherer
    • When collecting forageable items (such as Leeks, Salmonberries, and Mushrooms), you have a 20% chance to receive a double harvest

Level 10 choices

If you chose Forester at level 5, you can choose between the following options at level 10:

  • Lumberjack
    • Normal trees occasionally drop Hardwood
  • Tapper
    • Syrups obtained through a Tapper are worth 25% more

If you selected Gatherer at level 5, your level 10 choices are:

  • Botanist
    • Foraged items are always of the highest quality
  • Tracker
    • Forageable items are revealed by small arrows on screen when they’re nearby

Mining profession choices in Stardew Valley

The Quarry in Stardew Valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Level five choices

  • Miner
    • Receive one more ore per Node mined
  • Geologist
    • Gems have a 50% chance to appear in pairs

Level 10 choices

If you opted for Miner at level five, you’ll have the following choices at level 10:

  • Blacksmith
    • Bars (Copper, Steel, Gold, Iridium, or Radioactive) sell for 50% more
  • Prospector
    • Chance to find Coal is now doubled

If you selected Geologist at level five, you’ll be able to pick from the following two choices at level 10:

  • Excavator
    • Geodes are now twice as common
  • Gemologist
    • Gems (such as Ruby, Emerald, and Diamond) sell for 30% more

Combat profession choices in Stardew Valley

Inside the Dungeons in Stardew Valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Level five choices

  • Fighter
    • All attacks deal 10% more damage and you receive +15 HP
  • Scout
    • Critical Strike chance is increased by 50%

Level 10 choices

If you chose Fighter at level five, your level 10 choices will be:

  • Brute
    • Damage increased by 15%
  • Defender
    • HP is increased by 25

If you opted for Scout at level five, your level 10 choices will be:

  • Acrobat
    • Cooldown of special attack is cut by 50%
  • Desperado
    • Critical strikes deal twice the damage

Once you’ve reached level 10 in every skill, you can unlock the Mastery cave and begin working on gaining your mastery in each skill to unlock exclusive items and rewards. 

How to change your profession choices in Stardew Valley

The Statue of Uncertainty in Stardew Valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Let’s be honest, we can all be a little indecisive sometimes. Don’t worry, Krobus has you covered. In order to unlock the ability to change your profession choices in Stardew Valley, you’ll first need to unlock the Sewers by donating 60 Artifacts to the museum and receiving the Rusty Key as your reward. 

Once the Sewers are unlocked, you can go down the ladder and, on the left side, find the Statue of Uncertainty. Upon interacting with the statue, you’ll be prompted to hand over 10,000 Gold and once you have, you can select which skill you wish to change professions for. 

Nothing will happen immediately, but once you go to sleep that night you’ll be prompted to choose new professions for both level 5 and 10, as long as you’ve reached the appropriate level in your chosen skill. 

You can do this as many times as you like, even if you just need a specific perk for one day only. As long as you’ve got the funds, the statue is happy to oblige. 


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Author
Image of Paula Vaynshteyn
Paula Vaynshteyn
With her first experience of gaming being on an Atari ST, Paula has been gaming for her entire life. She’s 7,000 hours deep into Final Fantasy XIV, spends more time on cozy games than she would care to admit, and is also your friendly resident Whovian. Juggling online adventuring with family life has its struggles, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.