Verdict

The Rancher profession increases the value of all animal products you collect or process by 20%. A nice markup that applies to both Eggs and their cousin Mayonnaise. This seems like the best choice if you want to focus on animal care in your playthrough.

The Tiller profession increases the value of just raw fruits, flowers, and vegetables; and only by 10%. This seems like it should patently be a worse choice than Rancher, but the right choice nonetheless if you plan on just not having any animals.

When thinking about which farming profession to take at level five, we really need to be thinking about level ten. The level ten options upon picking up Rancher are just patently worse than the level ten professions that Tillers unlock. In fact, a Tiller-to-Artisan professional line is just Rancher but better! Artisans will get a 40% price increase for Artisan Goods, which is 20% higher than what Ranchers get for selling the same items. Moreover, Artisans will get higher value out of all Artisan Goods – including syrups, preserves, and other resources.

In short, our recommendation is to always pick Tiller – whether you want to focus on crops or on animals!

What are Professions?

When it comes to farming, you can choose to become a Rancher or a Tiller at level five. This decision impacts how much money you earn from farming, and what sort of farming activities you’ll be focusing on with your character. As a Rancher, you’ll be focusing on animals, and as a Tiller, on crops.

Skill	Level Five Profession #1	Level Ten Profession Options	Level Five Profession #2	Level Ten Profession Options
Farming	Rancher	Coopmaster / Shepherd	Tiller	Artisan / Agriculturist
Mining	Miner	Blacksmith / Prospector	Geologist	Excavator / Gemologist
Foraging	Forester	Lumberjack / Tapper	Gatherer	Botanist / Tracker
Fishing	Fisher	Angler / Pirate	Trapper	Mariner / Luremaster
Combat	Fighter	Brute / Defender	Scout	Acrobat / Desperado

How To Level Up In Farming?

There are two main ways to gain experience in the farming skill in Stardew Valley:

You gain a small amount of experience each time you harvest a crop. There is a predetermined value assigned to each crop, with more valuable crops granting more experience. Harvesting a Coffee Bean, for example, nets you four experience points – the least of any crop – but harvesting more lucrative crops like Cauliflower and Starfruit grants you 23 and 43 experience points respectively – per harvest.

On the other hand, when it comes to taking care of animals, there is little experience to be had. You’ll gain five experience points for petting, shearing, and milking an animal. Furthermore, you’ll gain five experience for harvesting Eggs and other animal products like Wool (from Rabbits) and Duck Feathers, with the exception of Truffles found by Pigs, which grant foraging experience instead.

To put things in perspective, for clearing a field of 25 Starfruit, you’ll gain 1075 experience points. For taking care of your Deluxe Coop with 12 Chickens, you’ll gain 120 experience; 60 for petting 12 animals. and 60 for harvesting 12 Eggs.

Now, this equalizes a bit when you consider time and effort. Starfruit requires 13 days to grow. In 13 days, you’ll have gained 1560 farming experience for taking care of your Chickens. However, a larger field of crops would put farming crops on the more lucrative side in terms of experience.

Rancher Breakdown

If you choose the Rancher profession, you’ll be able to sell your Animal Products worth 20% more gold. This includes both raw products like Eggs and Milk and processed Artisan Goods like Mayonnaise and Cheese.

Is Rancher Worth It?

On the other hand, the level ten professions available to a Rancher are far less useful. A Coopmaster befriends coop animals quicker lowers the incubation time of new chickens being hatched. A Shepherd befriends barn animals quicker and, if they have them, their Sheep produce Wool faster. While friendship does impact animal product quality, you’ll be able to reach maximum friendship with your animals regardless of whether or not you pick up these professions.