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One of the most important things to do in Stardew Valley is mining. The resources found by mining have a long list of uses, from crafting important items to constructing farm buildings. Additionally, spelunking through the Mines will reward the player with new equipment, combat experience, and much more.
Mining is one of the five core skills in Stardew Valley, and like the rest, it will come with fantastic bonuses. As the Mining skill is leveled up, players will unlock access to crafting recipes and other helpful mechanics. Most importantly, they'll gain the ability to choose between some very helpful bonuses via the Mining Professions. These Professions are unlocked at Mining Level 5 and Mining level 10.
There are a handful to choose from, so we've outlined what they all do, as well as some pros and cons of each to help indecisive players choose.
Updated May 1, 2023 by Michael Christopher: We've refreshed this guide to make it as helpful as possible and add some more information about switching Professions as need be.
Stardew Valley Mining Professions Summary
The Mining Profession is pretty straightforward. It concerns everything related to breaking rocks and nodes, smelting metal bars, and the like. Leveling up the Mining skill will grant an increase to Pickaxe proficiency. This causes the Pickaxe to consume less of the player's energy when used.
Here are the Stardew Valley Mining Professions at a glance:
Mining | ||
|---|---|---|
Level 5 | Level 10 | |
Miner
| Miner Chosen ⮫ | Blacksmith
|
Miner Chosen ⮩ | Prospector
| |
Geologist
| Geologist Chosen ⮫ | Excavator
|
Geologist Chosen ⮩ | Gemologist
| |
Stardew Valley Mining Professions, Explained
Level 5 Choices
At Mining Level 5, two choices are offered: Miner or Geologist. Miner and its Level 10 choices are focused on ore and metal, while the Excavator branch is more focused on gems and Geodes.
> Miner
The Miner Profession is extremely straightforward: each ore vein will contain one additional ore when broken.
> Geologist
This Profession will cause gem nodes to drop gems in pairs 50% of the time. This Profession also affects Geodes, adding a 50% chance for a double drop when Geodes are found in rocks.
Geologist Chosen - Level 10 Choices
Geologists will be presented with two choices at Level 10.
> Excavator
This Profession will increase the player's chances of finding Geodes.
> Gemologist
Becoming a Gemologist makes Minerals and Gems sell for 30% more gold.
Miner Chosen - Level 10 Choices
Miner is concerned with ore, coal, smelting, and everything related to metals. Choosing Miner at Level 5 opens up Blacksmith and Prospector as choices when the player reaches Level 10.
> Blacksmith
The Blacksmith Profession will increase the selling price of metal bars by 50%. This includes Copper Bars, Iron Bars, Gold Bars, Iridium Bars, and Radioactive Bars. However, it does not include Refined Quartz.
> Prospector
The Prospector Profession is great for anyone who has trouble finding enough Coal for smelting and crafting. It adds a chance for any coal dropped from most sources to be doubled.
Best Mining Professions in Stardew Valley
Unlike other skills, there is no clear winner when it comes to which Mining Professions to choose.
The Best Choice -> It Depends!
It's really up to the individual which Mining Profession they choose. The two branches will each serve a player well, though they have some advantages over each other in different situations.
Anyone in the early game might get more of a benefit from choosing Miner at Level 5 and Prospector at Level 10. This will help the player gather ore and Coal to help craft machinery, construct farm buildings, and more. The extra resources can really help save some time.
In the later game, Geologist slightly ekes out Miner at Level 5. There will come a point when the average player isn't hard-pressed for ore or Coal, but they'll still earn a hefty bit of cash for any extra gems they sell, so they should increase those profits by switching to Geologist. Then, depending on the situation, the Level 10 choice could go either way.
Players trying to finish the Museum collection should opt for Excavator to increase the number of Geodes they find. Those who have finished the Museum or aren't too concerned about it might want to choose Gemologist, as this can be a pretty profitable bonus. Crafting a bunch of Crystalariums and tossing Diamonds into them can be paired with Gemologist to make some impressive profits.
Don't forget: Professions can be swapped at any time by visiting the Statue of Uncertainty and paying a 10,000g fee. This allows the player to switch between these Mining Professions as they please, meaning, as one example, they could switch to Excavator to help with the Museum and then switch to the Gemologist bonus after to earn some extra money.
Stardew Valley is available on PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, and iOS.