Occupations - Project Zomboid Guide - IGN (2024)

Picking the right Occupation to suit your playstyle can make or break a Project Zomboid run. This game offers a mountain of customizable factors for players to change when setting up their run, and Occupations alter how your player character performs in the game itself.

Here, you'll find IGN's complete breakdown of every Occupation in Project Zomboid - looking at what they mean, which Traits are associated with them, and which Game Modes work best for certain Occupations. Use the links to hop to a specific Occupation or keep reading for a full guide.

• Unemployed
• Fire Officer
• Police Officer
• Park Ranger
• Construction Worker
• Security Guard
• Carpenter
• Burglar
• Chef
• Repairman
• Farmer
• Fisherman
• Doctor
• Veteran
• Nurse
• Lumberjack
• Fitness Instructor
• Burger Flipper
• Electrician
• Engineer
• Metalworker
• Mechanic

If you're not sure which Occupation to pick, it could be worth setting up a custom character with the Unemployed option. Make sure to read through our Game Modes guide to get a feel for how the game works and which sorts of Traits you might need if you choose this option.

Unemployed

Unemployed is essentially the "build your own" option in the Project Zomboid character creation process. It's the perfect selection for players who are familiar with the Project Zomboid experience and want to tailor their experience as much as possible.

Picking the Unemployed option gives you standard Fitness and Strength stats, along with 8 free points to assign to various Traits. You can pick negative Traits to free up even more free points if you're willing to mitigate some annoying circ*mstances.

Fire Officer

To start off, the Fire Officer Occupation is one of the best Occupations to pick if you're a new Project Zomboid player. It doesn't start you off with any negative points - which means you don't need to take any negative Traits to balance the Occupation out.

On top of this, the Occupation provides a buff to using an Axe and Sprinting. While the Axe can be somewhat situational, both skills can be immensely useful during your first few attempts at an Apocalypse or Survivor run.

The Fire Officer also gets the standard Fitness and Strength stats.

Police Officer

If you're hunting for a tanky Occupation that's suitable for combat-intensive gameplay, the Police Officer is a worthwhile pick.

This Occupation gets a buff to Aiming and Reloading, along with a small boost to the Nimble skill. There's nothing notable about the Fitness or Strength stats, but this can be remedied with exercising your character and picking handy Traits.

Speaking of Traits, picking Police Officer will start you off with -4 points during the character creation process, so it could be worth looking up optimized builds if you're unsure which negative Traits to pick out for balancing.

Park Ranger

The Park Ranger Occupation is arguably one of the most powerful picks you can make when building a character. It's also a solid pick for new players.

It maintains the standard Fitness and Strength stats and doesn't gain any interesting Traits. However, the Occupation provides a buff to using an Axe and doing Carpentry, alongside a big buff to Foraging and Trapping.

If you prefer playing Project Zomboid with more rural maps and locations in mind, this could be the best selection for you to make. It does start you off with -4 points, but this is easy to overcome with the right negative Trait picks.

Construction Worker

If you want to play as a character who can thrive in both combat-heavy and laidback, survival-oriented scenarios, the Construction Worker is a worthwhile Occupation to consider.

On top of the standard Fitness and Strength stats, this Occupation provides a buff to Carpentry and a notable buff to Short Blunt weapon proficiency. This means that the Construction Worker can build and craft efficiently while also being self-reliant, which is ideal for Apocalypse runs.

The main issue with picking the Construction Worker is that you start off with -2 points during the character creation process. It's not the most expensive point deficit by any means, but it's worth spending some time reading up on Project Zomboid Traits to maximize your build.

Security Guard

The Security Guard is an interesting Occupation, getting the Night Owl Trait by default. This Trait gives your character less of a reliance on sleep and a buff to alertness while sleeping.

On top of this, the Occupation provides a buff to the Lighthearted and Sprinting skills, which can be useful during both combat and stealth scenarios. The Fitness and Strength stats are unchanged here, and picking this Occupation will start you off with -2 points to spend.

Carpenter

The Carpenter is one of the simplest Occupations in this list, but it's worth looking at if you're someone who enjoys the crafting side of Project Zomboid.

In terms of buffs, the Carpenter gets access to (unsurprisingly) a solid Carpentry buff alongside Short Blunt weapon proficiency. The Fitness and Strength stats here are standard.

One of the best things about the Carpenter Occupation is that it starts you off with 2 free points to use during the character creation process. You can just hop straight into a game with the basic Carpenter build, though, it's down to personal preference and your desired playstyle.

Burglar

If you're a fan of sneaky gameplay and want a stealth-oriented character for an Apocalypse run, the Burglar is the perfect Occupation for you.

The Fitness and Strength stats remain standard with this Occupation, but a buff is provided for the Lighthearted, Nimble, and Sneaking skills in equal measure.

On top of this, the Burglar Trait is provided, meaning it's possible to hotwire vehicles and break locks on windows less often.

You'll need to pick out some negative Traits for character balancing if you pick this Occupation, as it starts players off with -4 points.

Chef

The Chef offers a myriad of buffs and interesting perks. Notably, it provides the Cook Trait, which allows for quick and safe cooking during a run.

On top of this, the Chef Occupation gets access to Short Blade weapon proficiency, a steady Cooking skill buff, and a minor Maintenance buff. The Fitness and Strength are nothing to sneeze at, either - you'll notice these stats remain the same for most Occupations and builds.

You'll need to be mindful of which Traits you pick to balance out the -4 points that the Chef Occupation starts players off with. With some smart character building, you can essentially bypass these negative points with some inoffensive negative Traits.

Repairman

The Repairman Occupation is arguably one of the most valuable picks that you can make when building your character. It's geared towards long-term survivability and offers plenty of interesting buffs on top of the standard Fitness and Strength stats.

More specifically, the Repairman gets access to Short Blunt weapon proficiency, a Maintenance skill boost, and a small Carpentry buff. These all have a plethora of uses in both crafting and combat.

You will have to mitigate -4 points when picking this Occupation, but it's well worth the effort if you're looking to survive for as long as possible in your run.

Farmer

As the name might suggest, this Occupation simply provides a huge buff to the Farming skill while offering the standard Fitness and Strength stats. It's simple yet incredibly effective, especially if you enjoy PZ runs with a survival focus.

On top of this, the Farmer Occupation gives you 2 free points to spend when building your character, allowing for some customization and breathing room.

Fisherman

If you're hoping to find a survival-oriented experience with either Apocalypse or Builder playthroughs in Project Zomboid, Fisherman is another worthy pick.

This Occupation provides a solid buff to the Fishing and Foraging skills, which means that you'll be able to survive off the grid for longer. It also offers the standard Fitness and Strength skills.

Picking Fisherman does mean that you'll have to overcome -2 points at the start of your character creation process, but this shouldn't be too demanding. Simply picking a negative Trait that can be easily managed like Slow Reader can help here.

Doctor

The Doctor Occupation is worth considering as a new player. It's a self-sufficient Occupation that can make surviving the apocalypse easier and it starts off with 2 spare points, allowing for some customization.

On top of the regular Fitness and Strength stats, Doctors have access to Short Blade proficiency and a heavy First Aid buff. Both of these buffs can be immensely helpful in Project Zomboid, no matter the Game Mode it is that you're playing in.

Veteran

The Veteran is a powerful Occupation that'll require some customization and understanding of the game in order to pull off. It's perfect for experienced players who enjoy the Survivor game mode.

On top of the standard Fitness and Strength stats, Veterans have access to Aiming and Reloading buffs, which makes this Occupation an ideal pick for stressful combat situations.

Alongside this, the Veteran Occupation provides the Desensitized Trait, meaning that the character will not reach a state of panic or distress. This can be crucial in a longer playthrough.

The downside here is that picking Veteran means you'll start with -8 points, so prepare to pick out some negative Traits in order to balance this powerhouse Occupation out.

Nurse

The Nurse Occupation is a handy pick for Apocalypse runs. It's a decently self-sufficient Occupation that gives you 2 extra points to spare when building the character.

On top of the standard Fitness and Strength stats, this Occupation also provides you with a buff to the First Aid and Lighthearted skills - meaning you can heal up and escape notice more easily. It's not the most exciting Occupation out there but for survival-oriented players, it's worth trying out.

Lumberjack

If you're interested in crafting and building structures, it's worth considering the Lumberjack Occupation. It provides a strong buff to the Axe skill, along with the standard Fitness and Strength stats.

This Occupation also gives access to the Axe Man Trait, which increases the swing speed of an axe and makes it easier to chop trees. In general, being a Lumberjack makes it easier to traverse wooded areas.

Interestingly, this is a complete Occupation - meaning you start at neutral points and can, in theory, just start a game with no customization necessary.

Fitness Instructor

The Fitness Instructor is a great pick for those hoping to play with the Apocalypse Game Mode. It's geared towards survival and efficiency, providing the Nutritionist Trait alongside some helpful stats.

The Nutritionist Trait allows you to see the nutritional worth of food items in the game, which can be essential if you're attempting to mitigate negative Traits like being underweight or overweight. In the game, Traits like this can affect character performance and make the experience trickier, so it's a worthwhile thing to consider.

On top of this, the Fitness Instructor has a very high Fitness stat, the standard Strength stat, and a boost to Sprinting, too.

This Occupation does start off with -4 points, so it'll take a little customization and tweaking if you want to run with this build.

Burger Flipper

The Burger Flipper is one of the most underappreciated Occupations in the game. Not only does it start you off with positive points to spend, it also provides access to a useful Trait.

More specifically, this Occupation starts you off with the Cook Trait, allowing your character to safely and efficiently cook food.

Alongside this, your character will have decent Short Blade and Maintenance skills, alongside solid Cooking stats. The Fitness and Strength stats remain unchanged here, too, and you'll have an extra 2 points to burn on another Trait.

Electrician

The Electrician Occupation is often overlooked, but it can be a very useful pick if you're running with a survival-oriented style of play in mind.

Alongside the regular Fitness and Strength stats, the Electrician has access to a huge Electrical skill buff. Additionally, the Occupation description notes that Electricians can operate generators within the game.

As with most Occupations, this pick will start you off with -4 points, so you'll need to mix and match some Traits when building your character.

Engineer

As the name suggests, the Engineer Occupation gives a solid boost to the Electrics skill alongside the standard Fitness and Strength stats. It also provides a boost to the Carpentry skill, too.

The description for this Occupation notes that it's the ideal pick for making traps and explosives, which could make it a fun Occupation to play with in a high-intensity game.

You'll start off with -4 points when picking Engineer in the character creation screen, so you'll need to pick a negative Trait or two to balance it out.

Metalworker

The Metalworker Occupation is a surprisingly powerful pick that's worth considering if you enjoy playing defensively and exploring the crafting system in Project Zomboid.

Alongside the standard Fitness and Strength stats, this Occupation provides a strong boost to the Metalworking skill, allowing for effective item crafting and the construction of protective barricades.

It's important to note that this Occupation requires you to recover from -6 points, though, meaning you'll need several negative Traits in order to start your run.

Mechanic

Finally, the Mechanic Occupation provides decent stats and the Amateur Mechanic Trait, which reads "familiar with maintenance and repair of all vehicle models on the roads of Kentucky". It's a middling Occupation that provides some challenge while still remaining relatively accessible.

With standard Fitness and Strength, a huge boost to Mechanics, and Short Blunt weapon capability, Mechanics are fairly self-reliant.

This Occupation does start you off in the negative with point allocation, though, requiring you to pick up some negative Traits in the process. Make sure to read up on the best negative Traits to help make your experience as smooth as possible - it sounds counter-intuitive, but some are miles better than others.