There are a variety of occupations available in Project Zomboid, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. The most common ones are the carpenter, police officer, and unemployed. The carpenter is a great choice for those who want to focus on building and fortifying structures, while the police officer is perfect for those who want to utilize firearms. The unemployed is a great all-arounder, for people who want to create their own fully customizable characters.
List of Occupations
| Img | Occupation | Start points | Free traits | Xpboosts | Recipes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | unemployed | 8 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 | 8 free trait points. | ||
 | fireofficer | 0 | Fitness 6 Sprinting +75% Strength 6 Axe +75% | Fire officers can carry more and run faster for longer periods of time. | ||
 | policeofficer | -4 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Aiming +125% Reloading +100% Nimble +75% | Police officers are very effective with firearms, which makes this profession great if you want to face the hordes of the undead. Guns blazing! | ||
 | parkranger | -4 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Trapping +100% Axe +75% PlantScavenging +100% Woodwork +75% | Make Stick Trap Make Snare Trap Make Wooden Cage Trap Make Trap Box Make Cage Trap | Allows much faster movement through forests and woodland. Knows all trap recipes. | |
 | constructionworker | -2 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 SmallBlunt +125% Woodwork +75% | While Construction Worker is no longer the best choice for those who want to build their own base, this profession definitely is the one to go with if you like fighting zombies with blunt weapons. | ||
 | securityguard | -2 | NightOwl | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Sprinting +100% Lightfoot +75% | Security guard is a good choice for those who enjoy moving around and clearing the area quickly. Characters with this profession need less sleep and stay more alert. They can also evacuate faster if things go south. | |
 | carpenter | 2 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Woodwork +125% SmallBlunt +75% | This occupation is great for those who are looking to build their own business. And nothing else. | ||
 | burglar | -6 | Burglar | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Nimble +100% Sneak +100% Lightfoot +100% | Can hotwire vehicles, less chance of breaking the lock of a window. | |
 | chef | -4 | Cook2 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Cooking +125% Maintenance +75% SmallBlade +75% | Make Cake Batter Make Pie Dough Make Bread Dough | Knows how to make Cake Batter, Pie Dough and Bread Dough. |
 | repairman | -4 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Woodwork +75% Maintenance +100% SmallBlunt +75% | Repairer is a profession for those who want to use their tools for a longer period of time without them breaking and even then be able to repair them easily if they have the right kind of glue or some duct tape. | ||
 | farmer | 2 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Farming +125% | Make Mildew Cure Make Flies Cure | Knows how to make Mildew Spray and Flies Spray to cure plant diseases. | |
 | fisherman | -2 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Fishing +125% PlantScavenging +75% | Make Fishing Rod Fix Fishing Rod Get Wire Back Make Fishing Net | Knows how to make and fix a fishing rod, how to get the wire back, and how to make a fishing net. | |
 | doctor | 2 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Doctor +125% SmallBlade +75% | Doctors are much better at treating injuries than other people, but they are not too useful in a world where a single scratch from a zombie can mean death. | ||
 | veteran | -8 | Desensitized | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Aiming +100% Reloading +100% | Veterans never panic, no matter how bad the situation is. They can stand their ground and deal headshots to any zombies that made the mistake of trying to scare them. | |
 | nurse | 2 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Doctor +100% Lightfoot +75% | Nurses treat wounds better than others, with the exception of Doctors. They also have a slight bonus to Lightfooted, allowing them to move a bit quieter. | ||
 | lumberjack | 0 | Axeman | Fitness 5 Axe +100% Strength 6 | Allows slightly faster movement through forests and woodland. | |
 | fitnessInstructor | -6 | Nutritionist2 | Strength 5 Fitness 8 Sprinting +100% Fitness instructors are very effective at running and have a high starting regularity for all exercises, which means zombies and exercise fatigue usually aren’t going to be a big problem for them. | ||
 | burgerflipper | 2 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 | This is good for those who want to eat well and play with sharp objects. | ||
 | electrician | -4 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Electricity +125% | Make Remote Controller V1 Make Remote Controller V2 Make Remote Controller V3 Make Remote Trigger Make Timer Craft Makeshift Radio Craft Makeshift HAM Radio Craft Makeshift Walkie Talkie | Can operate generators. Knows how to make remote controllers, remote triggers and timers. Knows how to make makeshift radios, HAM Radios and Walkie Talkies. | |
 | engineer | -4 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Electricity +75% Woodwork +75% | Make Aerosol bomb Make Flame bomb Make Pipe bomb Make Noise generator Make Smoke Bomb | Can make trap and explosives. Knows how to make Aerosol bombs, Flame bombs, Pipe bombs, Smoke bombs, and noise generators. | |
 | metalworker | -6 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 MetalWelding +125% | Make Metal Walls Make Metal Fences Make Metal Containers Make Metal Sheet Make Small Metal Sheet Make Metal Roof | Can weld foraged metals to create items and barricades. Knows all metalworking recipes. | |
 | mechanics | -4 | Mechanics2 | Fitness 5 Strength 5 Mechanics +125% SmallBlunt +75% | Basic Mechanics Intermediate Mechanics Advanced Mechanics | Mechanics can fix all sorts of cars, if they have the right tools. They are also good with short blunt weapons. |