Profession

Profession basics

What are the different classifications of trade-skills?

Type: Primary and Secondary. You may choose up to two (2) Primary Professions. You can take all of the Secondary Professions.

Category: Gathering, Production, and Service. Gathering Professions collect resources or materials that can be made into to items by Producing Professions. Service Professions provide services such as enhancing an item or healing a player.

What are the Primary Professions?

Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Enchanting, Engineering, Herbalist, Leatherworking, Mining, Skinning, & Tailoring.

What are the Secondary Professions?

Cooking, First Aid, & Fishing.

What are the Gathering Professions?

Fishing, Herbalist, Mining, & Skinning.

What are the Producing Professions?

Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Cooking, Engineering, Leatherworking, & Tailoring.

What are the Service Professions?

Enchanting & First Aid.

Getting started

How do I learn a Profession?

Train in as an Apprentice in that profession from one of the beginning trainers for 10 copper (Secondary professions are 1 silver). You will find a few scattered about, but most can be found in the major cities near the starting areas.

Where are the professional trainers?

Ask a guard! Guards will tell you where to find trainers and other services in most areas. (Right click on Guard. Select Professions. Select Desire profession. Click Goodbye.) Look for the arrow and flag on your radar.

How do I actually use my profession to create an item?

Open your skill list ("P") and click on the profession icon to bring up the profession's particular creation menu. The menu tells you what you can make, how many you can make given your current inventory (bank not included!), and the required ingredients for your recipe/pattern.

How do I create several items at once?

In the bottom left corner of the trade interface, there is an area where you can select how many of a specific item you want to create. There is also a "Create All" button that will create as many copies of the item as you can.

What are recipes used for?

Recipes are instructions on how to make a specific item? They allow you to make the item once you have the required materials and the necessary tools. You must have a recipe for a particular item in order to create the item.

Where can I get recipes?

You will start with a few recipes when you first train in a profession. Many recipes are available from the same in-game trainers who teach a specific trade skill. Other recipes are found through various vendors around the world or on the corpses of slain monsters.

Can I fail when crafting

No. When you craft an items, you always make that item, so there are no wasted materials.

Do you need a new recipe every time you attempt to create an item?

No. Once you have learned a recipe, you will remember it unless you unlearn the skill.

How do I know what the stats are on an item before I make one?

Hovering your cursor above the item icon and you will see that stats for that item.

What items are used in crafting?

The list is to long to post. A general rule is to look at the color if the items name. Grey items are vendor trash, sell these to a vendor. All other items are to be used or can be used in a profession.

Other stuff

Which trade-skills should I take to earn money?

This is a much discussed issue, I'll give you my general thoughts on this. First I recommend that you take the ones that interest you the most or compliments your profession. With that said, the clearly most profitable professions are the gathering professions. All other professions need material and they will often buy them from others. So if all you want to focus on is money, then take skinning, and either herbal-ism or mining.

What good is crafting, if most drops or quest rewards are better than most crafted items?

Crafted items aren't meant to totally replace all your items. Rather, it is meant to be worn in a few spots, with the majority of your equipment coming from quests and hunting.

Which professions are a good complement to my class?

Druid - Skinning/Leatherwork
Hunter - Skinning/Leatherwork or Mining/Engineering
Mage - Tailoring/Enchanting or Skinning/Tailoring
Paladin - Mining/Blacksmithing
Priest - Tailoring/Enchanting or Skinning/Tailoring
Rogue - Herbalist/Alchemy or Skinning/Leatherwork
Shaman - Skinning/Leatherwork
Warlock - Tailoring/Enchanting or Skinning/Tailoring
Warrior - Mining/Blacksmithing
PVP - Mining/Engineering (provides extra range, damage, and snare capability)
Money Making - Mining/Skinning or Herbalist/Skinning

Note: these are up to debate. I recommend that everyone takes all the secondary skills. If you solo a lot you might want to do Herbal-ism/Alchemy.

Training information

What are the different levels/ranks in the professions?

Note: Gathering, Cooking & First Aid Professions do not have level requirements.

Rank (Min - Max Skills), Min Level, Cost.

Apprentice (1-75) Lvl 5, 5 copper
Journeyman (50-150) Lvl 10, 5 silver
Expert (125-225) Lvl 20, 50 silver
Artisan (200-300) Lvl 35, 5 gold

Note: Secondary Professions do not train for Expert & Artisan. See below.

How do I do I become an Expert or Artisan in Secondary Professions?

Expert: By reading that Professions Expert Tome. They cost 1 gold.
Artisan: By completing a quest. Must be level 40.
Details can be found below.

How do I know which resources or recipes will boost my skill?

Resources and recipes are colored-coded according to the likelihood that harvesting/creating the item will increase your skill.

Red items are items that you may not yet make or harvest.
Orange items will always increase your skill when created or harvested.
Yellow items will sometimes increase your skill when created or harvested.
Green items will rarely increase your skill when created or harvested.
Gray items will never increase your skill when created or harvested.

Why am I not getting any more skill-ups?

You have reached the highest skill points for your Rank. Go train to the next rank.
You need to move to a harder recipe or material. Each item has a range where it is to easy to make/gather to continue to earn skill-ups. Go find the next recipe/resource.

How do I "unlearn" a profession?

Go to your skills panel (hit "K") and highlight the skill you want to forget. It'll show up in the lower panel and next to it you'll have one of those circle with a slash "No" symbols. Click on that symbol to forget the skill. A dialogue box will confirm your choice.
Any items that you had equipped that required required the unlearned skill will be unequipped next time you login and will be in your backpack.
If you ever want to learn this profession again you will just start out as a novice (0 skill) with only the starting recipes.

How do I do I become a "Master"?

Master is an NPC only title for those that can train Artisan. The highest a player can train is Artisan.

Trainer locations

Where can I find the Journeyman & Expert Trainers?

Ask a guard! Guards will tell you where to find trainers and other services in most areas. (Right click on Guard. Select Professions. Select Desire profession. Click Goodbye.) Look for the arrow and flag on your radar.

Where can I find the Gathering Profession Trainers?

Gathering Trainers (Herbalist, Mining, & Skinning) can train all levels of that profession. So go visit the closest trainer.

Where can I find the Artisan Trainers (For training in Expert)?

Alchemy - Ainethil in Darnassus (A) or Doctor Herbert Halsey in The Undercity (H)
Blacksmithing - Bengus Deepforge in Iron Forge (A) or Saru Steelfury in Orgrimmar (H)
Enchanting - Kitta Firewind in Elwynn Forest (Tower of Azora) (A) or Hgarth in Stonetalon Mountains (H)
Engineering - Springspindle Fizzlegear in Iron Forge (A) or Roxxik in Orgrimmar (H)
Leatherworking - Telonis in Darnassus (A) or Una? in Thunder Bluff?
Tailoring - Georgio Bolero in Stormwind City (A) or Josef Gregorian in The Undercity (H)

Where can I find the Master Trainers (For training in Artisan)?

Alchemy - Kylanna Windwhisper in Feralas Feathermoon Stronghold) (A) or Rogvar in Swamp of Sorrows (Stonard) (H).
Blacksmithing - Brikk Keencraft in Stranglethorn Vale (Booty Bay) (A/H).
Enchanting - Annora in Uldaman (within instance, near bats) (A/H) to get to her you go right from the "Raiders of the lost ark room". After you go right there are 3 passages you go right past a pit full of non-elites then there is a fork and go right once more. There you will fine another pit full of non-elite scorpids you have to kill them all before the trainer will come out.
Engineering - Buzzek Bracketswing in Tanaris (Gadgetzan) (A/H)
Leatherworking - Wark Nightsky in Hinterlands (Aerie Peak) (A) or Hahrana Ironhide in Feralas (Camp Mojache) (H)
Tailoring - Timothy Worthington in Dustwallow Marsh (Theramore Island) (A) or Daryl Stack in Hillsbrad Foothills (Tarren Mill) (H)

Where can I find the Special Trainers?

Master Dragonscale Leatherworker - Peter Galen in Azshara (Near base of road to The Forlorn Ridge) (A) or Thorkaf Dragoneye in Badlands (H)
Master Elemental Leatherworker - Sarah Tanner in Searing Gorge (A) or Brumn Winterhoof in Arathi Highlands (North of Stromgarde Keep, west of cross roads) (H)
Master Gnome Engineer - Tinkmaster Overspark in Ironfprge (Tinker Town) (A) or Oglethorpe Obnoticus in Stranglethorn (Booty Bay) (H)
Master Goblin Engineer - Nixx Sprocketspring in Tanaris (Gadgetzan) (A) or Vazario Linkgrease in The Barrens (Ratchet) (H)
Master Shadoweave Tailor - Jalane Ayrole in Stormwind City (Westside of Mage Quarters) (A) or Josephine Lister in The Undercity (The Magic Quaters) (H)
Master Tribal Leatherworker Caryssia Moonhunter in Feralas/Thousand Needles (A) or Se'Jib in Stranglethorn Valley (Mouth of River to Lake Nazferiti) (H)

Secondary profession

Where can I find the Expert Tomes?

Expert Cookbook: Shandrina in Ashenvale (Silverwind Refuge) (A) or Wulan in Desolace (Shadowspray Village) (H)
Expert First Aid - Under Wraps: Deneb Walker in Arathi Highlands (Stromgarde Keep) (A) or Balai Lok'Wein in Dustwallow Marsh (Brackenwall Village) (H)
Expert Fishing - The Bass and You: Bought from Old Man Heming in Stranglethorn Vale (Booty Bay).
Each book cost 1 gold.
See individual Profession FAQ for more information on finding these vendors.

Secondary profession artisan quests

what are the requirements for the Secondary Artisan Quests?

Level = 40
Skill = 225

you need to be at least level 40 and have maxed your skill at 225.

Where can I find the Cooking Artisan Quest:

Alliance Start: Starts with Daryl Riknussun in Ironforge near the grif platform at the forge. http://www.thottbot.com/?q=3002
Horde Start: Start with Zamja in Orgrimmar in the third house on the right on the near the Valley of Strength in the Drag. http://www.thottbot.com/?q=3131
You can skip the starter and go directly to Dirge Quikcleave.
Both send you to speak with Dirge Quikcleave in Tanaris
Dirge is the slayer of sorrows for anyone not high enough to hunt the rocs in the area. You need to provide the quest giver with 12 giant eggs, 10 Zesty clam meat, and 20 alterac swiss.
You can cook with the huge bon-fire in Gadget. It's around the corner behind the inn.
Giant eggs Are a commin drop off Level 40+ Rocs in Tanaris (plenty near Gadgetzan) or Owlbeasts in The Hinterlands.
Zesty Clam meat can be looted out of Big-mouth Clam (container) that drop off of the Muckshells and Threshers in Dushwallow Marsh, Naga Explorers in Stranglethorn Vale, or Hatecrests in Feralas.
Alterac Swiss sells for 40 silver per stack of 5 from Ben Trias in Stormwind City (Cheese shop just inside gates) (A) or Inkeeper Sikewa in Desolace (Shadowsprey Village) (H).

Where can I find the First Aid Artisan Quest?

Alliance Start: Starts with Nissa Firestone in Ironforge near the Military Ward at the forge. http://www.thottbot.com/?q=2225
You are sent to speak with Doctor Gustaf VanHowzen in Dustwallow Marsh (Theramore).
Horde: Start with Arnok in Orgrimmar in the Valley of Spirits. http://www.thottbot.com/?q=2735
You are sent to speak with Doctor Gregory Victor in Arathi Highlands (Hammerfall).
Triage: He will have you triage 15 patients in a certain order before 6 die. You will be in a room with 6 cots (make sure you can see all 6 cots). You will have special triage bandages (add them to your action bar) which should be applied to Critically injured, then Badly injured, and then injured.

Where can I find the Fishing Artisan Quest?

Alliance Start: Starts with Grimnur Stonebrand? in Ironforge? http://www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?q=834
Horde Start: Start with Lumak in Orgrimmar (Valley of Honor).
Both send you to speak with Nat Pagle in in Dustwallow Marsh (Theramore Island). http://www.thottbot.com/?q=1281
Nat Pagle wants you to four different fish; Feralas Ahi, Savage Coast Blue Sailfin, Sar'theris Striker, & Misty Reed Mahi Mahi.
Feralas Ahi is a rare drop in Feralas (Verdantis River).
Savage Coast Blue Sailfin is a rare drop in Stranglethorn Vale (The Savage Coast)
Sar'theris Striker is a rare drop in Desolace (Sar'theris Strand)
Misty Reed Mahi Mahi is a rare drop in Swamp of Sorrows (Misty Reed Strand)