Miner or Geologist in Stardew Valley: Which Profession Should You Pick?

How to choose the best level 5 mining profession

Written by Kyle Smith

Last Updated: January 19, 2023

About the Professions

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Which is better?

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Level 10 Professions

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Tips

Stardew Valley is filled with tough choices. What to name your character? Which pet to pick? The topic of this article — Miner or Geologist? You’re presented with this choice at level 5 Mining. In short, the Miner is better because you can upgrade your tools quickly. But the choice also comes down to your preferred playstyle. This wikiHow compares the level 5 Mining professions, Miner and Geologist.

Things You Should Know

Miner gives you an extra ore per node.
Geologist gives you a 50% chance of finding 2 gems.
The Miner is better because you can upgrade your tools faster.

Section 1 of 3:

About the Professions

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The Miner gives you one extra ore per vein. This speeds up the ore collection process significantly. Each iron vein (also called a node) typically drops 1 to 3 iron ore. An extra ore for each node is great if you want to quickly upgrade your tools.^{[1]
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The Geologist gives you a chance to find two gems. Usually, you can only find one gem in a node or geode, but this profession makes it so that there’s a 50 percent chance of finding two. Since gems can sell for hundreds of gold, this is a great profession for making a lot of money.
- Gems are also often “liked” and “loved” gifts. If you’re trying to build up friendship points, it’s good to have spare gems around!
- Speaking of gold, there’s a way to change the profit margins in Stardew Valley if you’re looking for an increased challenge.

Section 2 of 3:

Which is better?

The Miner. An extra ore for every node adds up to a ton of ores in the long run. Ores are necessary for upgrading your tools — and upgrading your tools makes Stardew Valley significantly faster and easier, giving you more time to work on other tasks!
- Ultimately, when choosing, you should consider your playstyle. If you value faster tool upgrades, Miner is great. If you value an early source of additional gold and gifts, the Geologist is the way to go!
- Note that you can change your profession using a late game feature, but you’ll likely have your chosen profession for a while.
- See the next section for information on the level 10 professions, which vary depending on the level 5 profession you chose.

Section 3 of 3:

Level 10 Professions

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The Miner can choose the Blacksmith or the Prospector. These level 10 professions have the following traits:
- Blacksmith - metal bars will sell for 50% more gold
- Prospector - chance to find double the amount of coal
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The Geologist can select the Excavator or the Gemologist. These level 10 professions have these attributes:
- Excavator - chance to get two geodes when you find one
- Gemologist - gems will sell for 30% more gold