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Minecraft: How to Change Villager Jobs

Villagers might not have to keep the same job in Minecraft. Here's how to change them.

The NPCs you come across in Minecraft have a lot of mechanics behind them, especially when it comes to what profession they associate with. In this guide, I’ll be going over everything you need to know about how to change villager jobs in Minecraft.

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How to Change Villager Jobs in Minecraft

The Complete List of Villager Jobs

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There are 15 types of villager jobs. In the table below, I’ve listed each one in addition to their job site block (if they have one) and what visual aspect helps them stand out.

Job/ProfessionJob Site BlockUnique Visual
NitwitN/AGreen Robes
UnemployedN/APlain and Basic Clothing
ArmorerBlast FurnaceWelding Mask and Iron Pauldrons
ButcherSmokerRed Headband and White Apron
CartographerCartography TableGold Monocle
ClericBrewing StandPurple Cloak
FarmerComposterStraw Hat
FishermanBarrelShort Brown Hat and Brown Apron with a Fish Hanging on It
FletcherFletching TableBrown Hat with White Feather
LeatherworkerCauldronBrown Apron and Gloves
LibrarianLecternRed Book Hat and Eyeglasses
Mason/Stone MasonStonecutterBlack Apron and Gloves
ShepherdLoomSmall Brown Cap and White Apron
ToolsmithSmithing TableDark Brown Apron
WeaponsmithGrindstoneDark Brown Apron, Black Gloves, and an Eyepatch

Related: All Minecraft Villager Jobs Explained and Detailed

How to Change a Villager’s Job Type

The trick to changing villager jobs is to give them a new job site block. Every villager is limited to having one job at a time and aside from the Nitwit and Unemployed professions, each also comes with an associated job site block. Destroying the block will turn them into an Unemployed villager.

They might get angry with you for doing this, but after a while, they’ll seek out a new block if there’s any nearby. If there’s one that hasn’t been claimed yet, they’ll head over and interact with it to take on a new job.

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One caveat to keep in mind is whether they’ve been traded before. If I destroy a Librarian’s Lectern and have never bought or sold items with him, he’ll be annoyed with me but will eventually go searching for any free job site block. If I had traded with him previously though, he’d only search for a Lectern to become a Librarian again. The first purchase or sale they make will essentially lock them into that job role.

How to Change a Nitwit’s Job

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The only method that works to change a villager’s Nitwit job is if you cure them as a zombie in the Bedrock Edition. This can be from curing a random zombie villager that already happens to have the Nitwit role, or from introducing one of your green-robed friends to a zombie and then curing them after they’ve turned. Once they’re back to normal, they’ll have an unemployed profession and can be led to a job site block.

It’s worth highlighting that this does not work in the Java Edition. Any Nitwit zombie villagers will remain in that role once they’ve been cured. This is because their job is essentially being the village idiot, hence the name. They’re not meant to take on a different job and it’s only through a very specific process in the Bedrock Edition that it can be accomplished.

How to Change a Wandering Trader’s Job

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When it comes to Wandering Trader NPCs, there’s no way to change their job. This is because they’re not attached to a village, use a slightly different trading system than villagers, and more importantly don’t have a job site block. Although there are similarities and among the other villagers I’d say they’re only a bit overdressed, they are considered separate mobs.

You now know all there is about how to change villager jobs in Minecraft. Whether it’s for the base game or for the many popular mods out there, you can find more tips and tricks at our Minecraft guides hub.


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Author
Image of Samuel Moreno
Samuel Moreno
Samuel is a freelance writer who has had work published with Hard Drive, GameSkinny, Otaquest, and PhenixxGaming. He's a big fan of the Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil series, but truth be told he'd sell his soul simply for a new Ape Escape game.