The best professions for making gold in World of Warcraft: Forever are the gathering ones: Skinning, Herbalism and Mining pay from level 1 and cost almost nothing to level. Our pick for leveling is Skinning with Mining or Herbalism; at max level, Herbalism with Alchemy, or Enchanting with Tailoring, turns into steady gold as raiders stock up.
That is our ranking, built on what each profession sells, who needs it and what Blizzard changed for Forever. Below is the full list, the best pairs for each stage, the secondary professions worth adding, and the rules that make some old Classic gold plans weaker. For which professions suit your class instead, see our best professions for each class. Checked November 7, three days after launch.
Every Profession Ranked for Gold
| Rank | Profession | Type | Why it makes gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skinning | Gathering | Every beast you kill pays twice, and leather feeds Leatherworkers, Waylaid Crates and armor kits |
| 2 | Herbalism | Gathering | Alchemists need herbs from level 1 to 60, and raid consumables keep demand high |
| 3 | Mining | Gathering | Ore and stone feed Blacksmiths and Engineers at every level |
| 4 | Enchanting | Crafting | Disenchanting turns unwanted gear into materials, and enchants sell to every level 60 |
| 5 | Alchemy | Crafting | Potions and elixirs sell steadily, and raids open on December 9 |
| 6 | Tailoring | Crafting | Bags never stop selling, and cloth is free from humanoid kills |
| 7 | Leatherworking | Crafting | Armor kits and leather gear, but most gear sells slowly |
| 8 | Blacksmithing | Crafting | Sharpening stones and weapons; strong for your own character |
| 9 | Engineering | Crafting | Great for PvP and fun gadgets, poor for gold |
Gathering ranks first because it has no setup cost: you train the skill by gathering, and everything you pick up has a buyer. Crafting takes materials, recipes and time before it pays back, but the best crafters out-earn gatherers at max level.
Best Pairs While Leveling
- Skinning and Mining: our top pick. Skinning on every beast you kill, ore on your route. Our skinning knife guide gets you started.
- Herbalism and Mining: the pair to choose if your class kills few beasts. Both gather from nodes, and node tracking makes your route a loop.
- Skinning and Herbalism: a strong pair for any class leveling through forests and plains, where beasts and herbs share the same ground.
Blizzard’s November 2 notes say respawn rates are faster in the low-level zones during the launch surge, and that they will slow those zones down once it settles. Low-level materials are easiest to gather now, while demand from new crafters is at its peak.
Best Professions at Max Level
- Herbalism and Alchemy: raiders need flasks, elixirs and potions from December 9, when Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia’s Lair open. You gather your own herbs, so every potion is profit.
- Enchanting and Tailoring: Tailoring makes cloth gear and bags from free cloth, and Enchanting disenchants anything you do not sell. Our guide to how to disenchant covers the process.
- Keep one crafting profession. Only the six crafting professions pay Legacy Points (at 150, 225 and 300 skill), as our guide to getting Legacy Points explains. Two gathering professions earn gold but no points, so many players swap one at 60. Our guide to how professions work covers unlearning one.
The Secondary Professions Worth Adding
You can learn all three secondary professions on top of your two primaries, and two of them earn money:
- Fishing: fish sell to Cooks, and Fishing feeds the Fish Bowl camp feature. Our guides to how to fish and where to get a fishing pole get you started.
- Cooking: Blizzard’s deep dive recap says upgraded crafted food “can grant a small experience bonus and stat boosts,” which gives food a buyer while people level. Our guide to how to cook covers it.
- First Aid: worth leveling for bandages and the First Aid Kit camp feature, but not for gold.
Forever Changes That Matter for Gold
- Crafted items sell for less to vendors. Blizzard’s mid-October development notes say “many items created by professions have had their vendor sell price reduced.” Crafting only pays if another player buys it.
- More recipes, more demand. Blizzard added more than 600 new recipes across the professions, so materials have more buyers than in the original game.
- Waylaid Crates eat materials. Crates ask for profession materials and pay Merchant’s Favor, so gatherers have a second set of buyers. Our Merchant’s Favor guide explains them.
- Each ruleset has its own Auction House. Prices on a PvP ruleset will not match a Normal one, so check your own market before you commit.
Legacy Perks That Add Gold
From Blizzard’s Legacy system overview, all in the Professions tree:
- Bountiful Harvest: “helps you find additional Scarce resources when mining, herbing, or skinning.” Best for gatherers.
- Working Overtime: a better chance at skill-ups in every tradeskill, so you reach the profitable recipes sooner.
- Master Chef and Luremaster: extra cooking results and extra fish.
- Bartering: cheaper vendor purchases, including the vendor-bought reagents crafters use.
For every other way to fill your bags, see our guide to how to make gold, and every guide we have is on our World of Warcraft hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best profession for gold in WoW Forever? Skinning, for its zero setup cost and steady leather demand. Herbalism and Mining are close behind.
What are the best two professions for making gold? Skinning and Mining while leveling. At max level, Herbalism and Alchemy, or Enchanting and Tailoring.
Should I take two gathering professions? While leveling, yes. Switch one to crafting at 60 if you want the Legacy Points crafting pays.
Is fishing good gold in WoW Forever? It is a solid extra, since fish sell to Cooks and Forever’s crafted food has new uses. It does not take a primary profession slot.
Do crafted items sell well to vendors? No. Blizzard cut the vendor sell price of many crafted items, so sell to players instead.