How to Change Villager Jobs in Minecraft

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by Kara Phillips

Finding a village in Minecraft can be a great way to gather resources and have a safe place to rest your head for the first few nights without building your base. Still, beyond a safe place are several uses for a village, and utilizing villager jobs can make your whole adventure a lot easier. Having a network of hard-working villagers around your base is worth considering to lighten the load slightly, especially when it comes to farming, which can take up valuable time you’d rather spend exploring the vast landscapes Minecraft has to offer. But if you’re stuck with Minecraft villagers with jobs that aren’t quite what you want, read on to find out how you can change their careers.

Is it Possible To Change Villager Occupations in Minecraft?

There are thirteen blocks villagers will interact with to assign their occupation, which is the key to changing any profession. To shift the position of a villager, you’ll need to destroy the job block they are using and quickly replace it with the occupation block you want them to specialize in. A villager’s clothing will also symbolize their occupation, but once the block is destroyed and a new one is assigned, the villager’s appearance will also change. The following list states every villager’s occupation and which block triggers this job.

  • Armorer – Blast Furnace
  • Butcher – Smoker
  • Cartographer – Cartography Table
  • Cleric – Brewing Stand
  • Farmer – Composter
  • Fisherman – Barrel
  • Fletcher – Fletching Table
  • Leatherworker – Cauldron
  • Librarian – Lectern
  • Shepherd – Loom
  • Stone Mason – Stonecutter
  • Toolsmith – Smithing Table
  • Weaponsmith – Grindstone

Depending on the size of the village you find, a lot of the blocks needed above can be found in the various buildings and homes around rather than you having to craft them, so it’s worth making the most of what’s currently there before going out of your way. But once you’ve got the occupations assigned to the villagers you want, you’ll be able to have an army at your command.

Minecraft is available now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mobile Devices, and PC.

- This article was updated on February 9th, 2023

About The Author

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Kara has spent two years as a freelance video game journalist, and many more exploring the weird and wonderful world of tech. Outside of Attack of the Fanboy, she's chewed the ear off Nintendo Life, TechRadarGaming, and Patch Magazine, and basically anyone who will listen to her endless rambles.