The alchemy career in The Sims 3 is a self-employed skill career from the Supernatural expansion: give your Sim at least one level of the Alchemy skill, then use a phone, a computer or City Hall to Register as Self Employed and choose Alchemist. Promotions come from the money your Sim earns selling elixirs, not from a shift or a boss. Below we cover the skill, registration, where to sell, the ten career levels and how to climb them quickly.
What You Need First
Alchemy arrived with Supernatural in September 2012, and it does not exist without that pack. Supernatural is sold on the EA app and Steam for PC and Mac and needs the base game with all updates. The Sims 3 is no longer patched, so the rules below are final.
The Register as Self Employed system itself was introduced by the Ambitions expansion, with later packs adding their own skill careers (Late Night’s band, Pets’ horse riding, and Supernatural’s alchemist among them). If the registration option never appears for your Sim, check both that Supernatural is enabled and that your Sim has at least one Alchemy skill level.
Alchemy is open to Sims aged teen and older, human and supernatural alike. You do not need to be a witch. Our witch guide covers that path separately if you want both.
Step 1: Learn the Alchemy Skill
- Buy an alchemy station. In Buy Mode, open the Hobbies and Skills category and buy Aleister’s Alchemy Station. It is a 3 by 2 object, so leave room around it.
- Research Alchemy. Click the station and choose Research Alchemy. Researching raises the skill and discovers new elixir recipes as you go. The first one most Sims learn is the Vial of Bliss.
- Read and study. Alchemy skill books are sold at the bookstore and the Elixir Consignment Store, and a paid alchemy skill class is also available in town.
Recipes are not granted automatically as the skill rises. Each one has to be discovered through research or read from a recipe book. Seven elixirs, including the Fountain of Youth Elixir, can only be learned from recipe books bought at the bookstore or the Elixir Consignment Store.
Step 2: Register as Self Employed
Once your Sim has Alchemy level 1, click a phone or computer, or visit City Hall, and choose Register as Self Employed. Pick Alchemist from the list. If you use the phone or computer, a message explains that your Sim is heading to City Hall to do the paperwork, and after a short trip they return employed. Teens can register too.
Your Sim starts at level 1, Phial Washer. There is no schedule, no uniform requirement and no weekly stipend. The Sims 3 self-employed careers pay only through sales, with a bonus at many promotions.
Step 3: Mix and Sell Elixirs
To make an elixir, click the station and choose Mix Elixir. A window lists every recipe your Sim knows and the ingredients each needs, which must be in your Sim’s inventory. A failed mix refunds the ingredients but can leave your Sim with a negative moodlet such as Nauseous or Toadified.
Successful elixirs can be drunk, thrown at another Sim, displayed in an elixir display case, or sold. Every Simoleon from selling elixirs counts toward promotion. The main outlet is the Elixir Consignment Store, and community documentation for skill careers notes that sales from your Sim’s inventory also count after a later update.
The Ten Alchemist Levels
- Phial Washer
- Assistant Scavenger
- Recipe Tester
- Junior Mixer
- Mixing Manager
- Master Mixer
- Recipe Inventor
- Elixir Specialist
- Senior Alchemist
- Alchemy Artisan
Each level needs more total sales than the last, and the higher promotions pay a cash bonus.
Tips for Climbing Faster
- Hit Alchemy level 6. From level 6, each mix has a chance to produce two or three bottles instead of one, which multiplies your stock for the same ingredients.
- Solve the ingredient problem. Many recipes need gems, insects, mushrooms, fish or produce. High Gardening and Fishing skills help, the Gatherer trait improves your odds of finding rare items, and some ingredients can be bought at the Elixir Consignment Store.
- Befriend a werewolf. Friendly werewolves can be asked to hunt for collectibles. Our werewolf guide explains the life state.
- Chase the skill challenges. Mixing 150 elixirs completes Excellent Elixirs, which makes every mix produce three bottles. Learning every recipe completes Master Alchemist, which can save ingredients and gives store discounts.
- Know the big recipes. Midas Touch unlocks at Alchemy level 10 and turns objects gold, and the Fountain of Youth Elixir comes from a level 9 recipe book.
For more Supernatural and career guides, see our Sims hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which expansion pack do I need for the Alchemy career? Supernatural. It adds the Alchemy skill, the alchemy station, the Elixir Consignment Store and the Alchemist option under Register as Self Employed.
Why can’t I find the Alchemist job in the job listings? It is not a regular career. It only appears under Register as Self Employed, and only once your Sim has Alchemy level 1.
Does the Alchemy career pay a salary? No. Self-employed alchemists earn from elixir sales and promotion bonuses only.
Can teens be alchemists? Yes. Teens can learn Alchemy and register as self-employed.
Do I have to be a witch to use alchemy? No. Any Sim aged teen or older can learn the skill and mix elixirs.