Career track
This is the list of career tracks in The Sims series. A career track is a field of work that normally consists of 10 levels. Meanwhile, part-time jobs only reach up to level 3, while daycare profession in The Sims 3: Generations reach up to level 5.
Some career tracks are recurring throughout the series, such as business, although sometimes they may be featured within a content pack. It is common that a career track is named differently between the series even though they share a similar theme such as pro athlete in The Sims, athletic in The Sims 2, professional sports in The Sims 3, and athlete in The Sims 4. It's also noted that at some point in The Sims 3, career track naming theme has shifted into using the occupation's title (e.g. fortune teller) as opposed to using the subject of the field (e.g. fortune telling). This is more apparent in The Sims 4, with career tracks being named athlete, entertainer, and scientist when compared to the previous series.
The Sims Edit
| Career | Notes | EP |
|---|---|---|
| Animal care | 
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| Business | 
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| Circus |
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| Culinary arts |
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| Education |
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| Entertainment |
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| Fame | Active career | 
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| Fashion |
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| Hacker | 
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| Journalism |
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| Law enforcement |
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| Life of crime |
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| Medicine |
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| Military |
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| Musician |
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| Paranormal |
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| Politics |
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| Pro athlete |
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| Science |
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| Slacker |
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| Xtreme |
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The Sims Bustin' Out Edit
The Sims Bustin' Out for console careers Edit
The Sims Bustin' Out for console free play careers Edit
The Sims Bustin' Out for handheld careers Edit
The Sims 2 Edit
| Icon | Career | Notes | EP |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Adventurer |  | |
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Architecture |  | |
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Artist | Requires college degree |  |
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Athletic |  | |
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Business | | |
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Criminal | | |
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Culinary | | |
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Dance | | |
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Education | | |
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Entertainment | | |
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Gamer | | |
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Intelligence | | |
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Journalism | | |
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Law | | |
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Law enforcement | | |
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Medicine | | |
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Athletic | | |
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Music | | |
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Natural scientist | Requires college degree | |
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Oceanography | | |
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Paranormal | Requires college degree | |
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Politics | | |
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Science | | |
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Show business | Requires college degree | |
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Slacker | |
Pet careers Edit
In addition to regular careers, The Sims 2: Pets featured pet career for pets. Pets are required to learn tricks in order to get promoted, and each promotion will unlock extra fur color or collar in Create-a-Pet.
| Icon | Career | EP |
|---|---|---|
|
Security |  |
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Service | |
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Show biz | |
The Sims Stories Edit
The Sims Life Stories Edit
| Icon | Career | EP |
|---|---|---|
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Entertainment | 
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Game development |
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The Sims Castaway Stories Edit
| Icon | Career | EP |
|---|---|---|
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Crafter | 
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Gatherer |
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Hunter |
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The Sims 2 console Edit
The Sims 2 for console careers Edit
The Sims 2: Pets for console careers Edit
The Sims 3 Edit
| Icon | Career | Branch | Notes | EP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Acrobat | Active career |  | |
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Architectural designer | Active career |  | |
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Art appraiser |
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Requires level 10 jock social group |  |
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Astronomer |
|
 | |
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Bot arena |
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Business |  | ||
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Criminal |
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Culinary | | ||
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Daycare | Active career |  | |
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Education | | ||
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Film |
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 | |
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Firefighter | Active career | | |
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Fortune teller |
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 | |
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Ghost hunter | Active career | | |
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Investigator | Active career | | |
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Journalism | | ||
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Law enforcement |
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Lifeguard | Active career |  | |
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Magician | Active career | | |
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Medical | | ||
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Military | | ||
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Music |
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Political | | ||
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Professional sports | | ||
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Science | | ||
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Singer | Active career | | |
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Sports agent | Requires level 10 rebel social group | | |
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Stylist | Active career | | |
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Video game developer |
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Requires level 10 nerd social group | |
Part-time jobs Edit
Part-time jobs have short working hour. They allow Sims to have more free time, but Sims can only reach up to level 3 in addition to having low pay.
| Icon | Career | Notes | EP |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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Alien test subject | For aliens only |  |
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Bookstore clerk | | |
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Film | | |
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Grocery store clerk | | |
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Mausoleum clerk | | |
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Receptionist | | |
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Spa specialist | |
Self-employed careers Edit
Sims who are skilled in certain skills may register themselves as self-employed. Self-employed Sims are not tied to work hour, and their job level is progressed by earning money related to their skill, e.g. selling fish as an angler.
| Icon | Career | EP |
|---|---|---|
|
Angler | |
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Band | |
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Bot builder | |
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Gardener | |
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Horseman |  |
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Inventor | |
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Nectar maker |  |
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Painter | |
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Photographer | |
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Scuba diver | |
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Sculptor | |
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Writer | |
The Sims 4 Edit
In The Sims 4, every off-world career has two branches, while every active career only has one. Sims also have the option to register as self-employed with the Ministry of Labor, which is completely open-ended with no career levels or branches. Patch 79 added the freelancer career, which allows Sims to work on their own time from home.
| Icon | Career | Branch | Notes | EP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Actor | Active career |  | |
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Astronaut |
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Athlete |
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Business |
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Civil designer |
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Conservationist |
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Criminal |
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Critic |
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Culinary |
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Detective | Active career |  | |
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Doctor | Active career | | |
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Education |
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 | |
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Engineer |
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Entertainer |
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Freelancer | | ||
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Gardener |
|
 | |
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Interior decorator | Active career |  | |
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Law |
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Military |
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 | |
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Painter |
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Politician |
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Salaryperson |
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 | |
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Scientist | Active career | | |
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Secret agent |
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Self-employed | | ||
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Social media |
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Style influencer |
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Tech guru |
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Writer |
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Part-time jobs and afterschool activities Edit
Teens can take a part-time job in addition to attending high-school, while older Sims can work up to two part-time jobs. Children and teens can enroll in an afterschool activity in addition to attending school. They function similarly to adult careers, except they are unpaid and only take place on the weekends. Discover University adds two afterschool activities that are only available to university students.
| Icon | Career | Notes | EP |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Babysitter | Part-time job | |
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Barista | Part-time job | |
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Cheer team member | Afterschool activity for teens |  |
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Chess team member | Afterschool activity for teens | |
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Computer team member | Afterschool activity for teens | |
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Diver | Part-time job | |
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Drama club | Afterschool activity for children and teens | |
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E-sports competitor | Afterschool activity for university students | |
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Fast food employee | Part-time job | |
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Fisherman | Part-time job | |
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Football team member | Afterschool activity for teens | |
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Lifeguard | Part-time job | |
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Manual laborer | Part-time job | |
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Retail employee | Part-time job | |
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Scout | Afterschool activity for children and teens | |
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Simfluencer | Part-time job | |
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Soccer team player | Afterschool activity for university students | |
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Video game streamer | Part-time job | |
Odd jobs and errands Edit
Odd jobs and errands are introduced in The Sims 4: Island Living and The Sims 4: Cottage Living, respectively. They consist of small, once-off tasks Sims can complete for a few extra Simoleons.
The Sims Online Edit
- Restaurant
In this job, Sims go to work at a restaurant (different restaurant at higher levels in their career) and would take NPC's orders, place them in the ticket machine, and bring them their food when it was finished.
- Robot factory
In this job, Sims would have to operate and maintain machines in a factory to produce robots. Players were paid for every robot made.
- Night club
In this job, Sims would go to the club into the workers door and either work DJ or Dancer. They would be in competition with three other DJ/Dancer teams to get the most NPC guests in their area.