There are a lot of different jobs to choose from in The Sims 4, including a pretty robust group of careers included with the base game and plenty more that have been added via DLC over the decade-plus that The Sims 4 has been out. What jobs you have your sims sign up for is totally up to you, but there are a lot of factors that can affect your performance, like whether your sim’s skills are appropriate for the job you want. If you want your sims to be successful, some knowledge and effort are required–just like it is with a real job.
While there are specific things you’ll need to know about each individual career that can help you get ahead, there are also some universal tips that can help your sims climb their corporate ladders.
General tips for any Sims 4 career
Pick an active, self-employment, or rabbit hole job
There are three main types of careers in The Sims 4. Most of them are rabbit hole-type jobs, where your sims just go offscreen and do their thing without any meaningful input from the player. But there are also “active” careers, where you follow your sim to their place of business and you’ll have to make them do various tasks (though you can also play these as rabbit hole jobs if you’d prefer), and self-employment and freelance careers where your sim will complete individual gigs from the comfort of their homes, like writing a book, painting a picture, or building furniture.
Do well in school
Teens who get good grades in high school will automatically earn a career level or two in any job they take–a B GPA starts you at level 2 of every career your sim joins for the rest of their lives, and an A will let them start at the third tier. Likewise, there are specific college degrees that will help both your starting level and your performance–we’ll note those below.
Get career-related reward perks
In your lifetime aspiration rewards, there are some perks you can purchase that will help a lot with any career you take on. Professional Slacker (4000 reward points) will make it so you’ll never lose your job or get demoted for bad performance, and the Connections trait will make it so you start any career three levels higher than you normally would–this stacks with any bonuses you earned in high school or college as well. The Savant perk (4000 points), which increases all skill gains by 25%, will also help, as most jobs have specific skill requirements for promotions.
Actually do the job
For the most part, the job will tell you exactly what it is your sim needs to do to get ahead. Most jobs will require you to complete certain tasks while you’re off the clock (homework, basically) or increase certain skills in order to earn a promotion–whatever those requirements are will be listed in the career tab in the bottom right corner of the screen. Likewise, active careers will have random tasks for your sims while they’re at the office, and if you don’t do at least some of them each day, you’ll end up making very little money.
Work overtime
Some jobs allow your sim to stay two hours past the normal end of their shift, which improves their job performance and earns them overtime pay. Using that option whenever it’s available can advance your career much more quickly.
Beyond that, you’ll also want to level up each career’s relevant skills and make sure your sim is in the best mood for the job whenever possible. To help you with that, below you’ll find a list of each of the normal and active careers in The Sims 4, along with a rundown on the relevant skills, ideal moods, and which college degrees are most relevant. Follow this guide, and no matter which career you put your sim in, they’ll be raking in the cash and vacation days in no time.
All Sims 4 normal careers
Astronaut
- DLC: Base Game
- Relevant skills: Fitness, Logic
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: Space Ranger and Interstellar Smuggler
- Relevant degree(s): Physics (Space Ranger branch), Villainy (Interstellar Smuggler branch)
Athlete
- DLC: Base Game
- Relevant skills: Fitness, Charisma, Mischief
- Ideal mood: Energized
- Branches: Professional Athlete and Bodybuilder
- Relevant degree(s): Biology (Bodybuilder branch), Communications (Professional Athlete branch)
Business
- DLC: Base Game
- Relevant skills: Charisma, Logic
- Ideal mood: Confident
- Branches: Management and Investor
- Relevant degree(s): Economics (Investor branch), Communications (Management branch)
Criminal
- DLC: Base Game
- Relevant skills: Mischief, Logic, Charisma
- Ideal mood: Playful, Angry
- Branches: Boss and Oracle
- Relevant degree(s): Computer Science (Oracle branch), Villainy (Boss branch)
Culinary
- DLC: Base Game
- Relevant skills: Cooking, Gourmet Cooking, Charisma
- Ideal mood: Inspired
- Branches: Chef and Mixologist
- Relevant degree(s): Culinary Arts (Chef branch), Communications (Mixologist branch)
Entertainer
- DLC: Base Game
- Relevant skills: Guitar, Piano, Violin, Comedy
- Ideal mood: Inspired
- Branches: Musician and Comedian
- Relevant degree(s): Fine Art (Musician branch), Drama (Comedian branch)
Painter
- DLC: Base Game
- Relevant skills: Painting
- Ideal mood: Inspired
- Branches: Master of the Real and Art Patron
- Relevant degree(s): Fine Art (Master of the Real branch), Art History (Art Patron branch)
Secret Agent
- DLC: Base Game
- Relevant skills: Logic, Charisma, Fitness, Mischief
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: Diamond Agent and Villain
- Relevant degree(s): Psychology (Diamond Agent branch), Villainy (Villain branch)
Tech Guru
- DLC: Base Game
- Relevant skills: Programming, Gaming, Logic
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: eSport Gamer and Start-up Entrepreneur
- Relevant degree(s): Computer Science (both branches)
Writer
- DLC: Base Game
- Relevant skills: Writing, Charisma
- Ideal mood: Inspired
- Branches: Author and Journalist
- Relevant degree(s): Language and Literature (Author branch), Communications (Journalist branch)
Critic
- DLC: City Living
- Relevant skills: Writing, Charisma, Gourmet Cooking
- Ideal mood: Inspired
- Branches: Art Critic and Food Critic
- Relevant degree(s): Art History (Art Critic branch), Culinary Arts (Food Critic branch)
Politician
- DLC: City Living
- Relevant skills: Charisma, Logic
- Ideal mood: Confident
- Branches: Politician and Charity Organizer
- Relevant degree(s): History (Politician branch), Communications (Charity Organizer branch)
Social Media
- DLC: City Living
- Relevant skills: Charisma, Gaming, Comedy
- Ideal mood: Confident
- Branches: Internet Personality and Public Relations
- Relevant degree(s): Drama (Internet Personality branch), Communications (Public Relations branch)
Conservationist
- DLC: Island Living
- Relevant skills: Logic, Fitness, Charisma
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: Environmental Manager and Marine Biologist
- Relevant degree(s): Economics (Environmental Manager branch), Biology (Marine Biologist branch)
Gardener
- DLC: Seasons
- Relevant skills: Gardening, Logic, Painting
- Ideal mood: Inspired
- Branches: Botanist and Floral Designer
- Relevant degree(s): Biology (Botanist branch), Fine Art (Floral Designer branch)
Freelancer
- DLC: Base Game
- Relevant skills: Whichever you choose
- Ideal mood: Inspired for creatives, and Focused for programming
- Branches: Freelance Writer, Freelance Artist, Freelance Programmer, Freelance Photographer, Paranormal Investigator
- Relevant degree(s): Language and Literature (Writer), Fine Art (Artist/Photographer), Computer Science (Programmer)
Military
- DLC: Strangerville
- Relevant skills: Fitness, Logic, Charisma (Officer), Mischief (Covert Operator)
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: Officer and Covert Operator
- Relevant degree(s): History (Officer branch), Psychology (Covert Operator branch)
Education
- DLC: Discover University
- Relevant skills: Logic, Charisma
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: Administrator and Professor
- Relevant degree(s): Economics (Administrator branch), Psychology (Professor branch)
Engineer
- DLC: Discover University
- Relevant skills: Logic, Robotics, Handiness, Programming
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: Mechanical Engineer and Computer Engineer
- Relevant degree(s): Physics (Mechanical Engineer branch), Computer Science (Computer Engineer branch)
Law
- DLC: Discover University
- Relevant skills: Logic, Charisma, Research & Debate
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: Private Attorney and Judge
- Relevant degree(s): Language and Literature (Private Attorney branch), History (Judge branch)
Style Influencer
- DLC: Get Famous
- Relevant skills: Charisma, Photography, Painting
- Ideal mood: Inspired
- Branches: Stylist and Trend Setter
- Relevant degree(s): Fine Art (Stylist branch), Art History (Trend Setter branch)
Salaryperson
- DLC: Snowy Escape
- Relevant skills: Logic, Writing, Programming, Charisma
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: Expert and Superviser
- Relevant degree(s): None
Civil Designer
- DLC: Eco Lifestyle
- Relevant skills: Logic, Handiness, Fabrication
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: Green Technician and Urban Planner
- Relevant degree(s): Mechanical Engineering (Green Technician), or Computer Engineering and Economics (Urban Planner)
Romance Consultant
- DLC: Lovestruck
- Relevant skills: Charisma, Romance, Logic
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: Matchmaker and Relationship Counselor
- Relevant degrees: none
Undertaker
- DLC: Life & Death
- Relevant skills: Fitness, Charisma, Gardening, Thanatology, Painting
- Ideal mood: none
- Branches: Funeral Director and Mortician
- Relevant degree(s): None
All Sims 4 active careers
Doctor
- DLC: Get to Work
- Relevant skills: Logic, Charisma, Handiness
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: None (Active Career)
- Relevant degree(s): Biology
Detective
- DLC: Get to Work
- Relevant skills: Logic, Charisma, Fitness, Mischief
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: None (Active Career)
- Relevant degree(s): Psychology
Scientist
- DLC: Get to Work
- Relevant skills: Logic, Handiness, Rocket Science
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: None (Active Career)
- Relevant degree(s): Physics
Retail
- DLC: Get to Work (Self-employed, owned business)
- Relevant skills: Charisma, Handiness (if building/stocking), Logic (for pricing)
- Ideal mood: Confident
- Branches: None
- Relevant degree(s): Economics, Business
Interior Decorator
- DLC: Dream Home Decorator
- Relevant skills: Charisma
- Ideal mood: None
- Branches: None
- Relevant degree(s): none
Reaper
- DLC: Life & Death
- Relevant skills: Thanatology, fitness, charisma
- Ideal mood: Focused
- Branches: None
- Relevant degree(s): none
