There are three types of hirelings: common, experts, and soldiers. Common hirelings form the vast majority of any population, particularly in an agricultural community.
Common hirelings are farmers, millers, innkeepers, porters, and the like. While some of these professions require special knowledge, they don't, as a rule, require highly specialized training. These are the men and women whose work forms the base upon which civilized life is built.
Expert hirelings are those whose training is specialized. This group includes craftsmen, sages, spies, assassins, alchemists, animal trainers, and the like. Since not everyone is trained in these skills, few experts are available for hire, and these few earn more than the common hireling. Indeed, truly exotic experts (such as spies) are very rare and extremely expensive.
The skills and abilities of expert hirelings can be determined by using the optional proficiency system given in the Player's Handbook. These define the limits of an expert's ability and, in general, the time needed to exercise many crafts.
Medieval Occupations[]
Common and expert hirelings are listed on Table 60. This table, organized alphabetically, lists and describes common medieval occupations. Explanations are provided for the more obscure or unusual professions below. This list provides colorful titles and unusual occupations to make your ordinary hirelings more interesting.
| Apothecary | A chemist, druggist, or pharmacist |
| Architect | |
| Armorer | |
| Arrowsmith | A maker of arrowheads |
| Assassin | A killer for hire |
| Astrologer | A reader of stars and fates |
| Baker | |
| Barber | A surgeon, bloodletter, dentist, and haircutter |
| Barrister | A lawyer or one who pleads the case of another before a noble's court |
| Beggar | |
| Bellfounder | A caster of bells |
| Blacksmith | |
| Bloomer | A man who work an iron smelting forge |
| Bladesmith | A smith who specializes in sword blades |
| bookbinder | A maker of books |
| Bowyer | A maker of bows |
| Brazier | A smith who works in brass, sometimes a traveling workman |
| Brewer | A maker of ales, bitters, stouts, and beer |
| Bricklayer | A laborer who builds walls and buildings |
| Butcher | |
| Carpenter | |
| Carrier | One who hauls messages or small goods |
| Carter | A teamster, a hauler of goods |
| Cartwright | A builder of wagons and carts |
| Carver | A sculptor in wood |
| Chandler | A maker of candles |
| Chapman | A traveling peddler who normally frequents small villages |
| Churl | A freedom farmer of some wealth |
| Clerk | A scribe who generally handles business accounts |
| Clockmaker | |
| Cobbler | A mender of old shoes |
| Collier | A burner of charcoal for smelting |
| Coppersmith | A copper worker |
| Cook | |
| Cooper | A barrelmaker |
| Cordwainer | A shoemaker |
| Cutler | A maker of knives and silverware |
| Dragoman | An official interpreter or guide |
| Draper | A cloth merchant |
| Dyer | One who dyes clothing |
| Embroiderer | A needleworker who decorates fabric with intricate designs of thread |
| Enameler | A jeweler specializing in enamel work. |
| Engraver | A jeweler specializing in decorative engraving |
| Farrier | A maker of horseshoes |
| Fisherman | |
| Fishmonger | A fish dealer |
| Fletcher | An arrowmaker |
| Forester | An official responsible for the lord's woodlands |
| Fuller | A felt-maker |
| Furrier | A tailor of fur garments |
| Gardener | |
| Gem-cutter | A jeweler specializing in gemstones |
| Gilder | A craftsman of gilt gold and silver |
| Girdler | A maker of belts and girdles |
| Glassblower | A maker of items made of glass |
| Glazier | One who cuts and sets glass |
| Glover | A maker of gloves |
| Goldbeater | A maker of gold foil |
| Goldsmith | A jeweler who works with gold |
| Grocer | A wholesaler, particularly of everyday items |
| Groom | A man who tends horses |
| Haberdasher | A merchant of small notions, thread, and needles |
| Harpmaker | |
| Hatter | One who makes hats |
| Herald | A courtier skilled in etiquette and heraldry |
| Herbalist | A practitioner of herbal cures |
| Hewer | One who digs coal or other minerals |
| Horner | A worker of horn |
| Hosier | A maker of hose and garters |
| Hosteler | An innkeeper |
| Interpreter | A translator |
| Ironmonger | A dealer, not maker, of ironwork |
| Joiner | A cabinet or furniture-maker |
| Knife-grinder | A sharpener of knives |
| Laundress | |
| Laborer | |
| Latoner | A brass-worker |
| Leech | A nonclerical doctor |
| Limeburner | A maker of lime for mortar |
| Limner | A painter |
| Linkboy | A lantern- or torch-bearer |
| Locksmith | |
| Lutemaker | |
| Marbler | A cutter and carver of marble |
| Mason | A worker in building stone, brick, and plaster |
| Mercer | A cloth dealer |
| Messenger | |
| Miller | One who operates a grain mill |
| Miner | |
| Minstrel | |
| Minter | A maker of coins |
| Nailsmith | A smith specializing in nails |
| Navigator | One skilled in the arts of direction-finding and navigation |
| Organmaker | |
| Painter | |
| Parchment-maker | |
| Paviour | A mason specialized in paving streets |
| Pewterer | One who works pewter |
| Plasterer | A specialist in plastering |
| Ploughman | A worker of the field |
| Porter | A hauler of goods |
| Potter | A maker of metal or, alternatively, clay pots |
| Poulterer | A dealer of chickens or other forms of poultry |
| Pursemaker | |
| Quarrier | One who digs and cuts stone |
| Saddler | A maker of saddles |
| Sage | A scholar |
| Sailor | |
| Saucemaker | A cook who specializes in preparing sauces |
| Scribe | A secretary or one who can write |
| Scrivener | A copyist |
| Seamstress | One whose occupation is sewing |
| Shearman | A man who trims the loose wool from the cloth to finish it |
| Sheather | A maker of scabbards and knife sheaths |
| Shepherd | |
| Shipwright | A builder of ships and boats |
| Skinner | A butcher who prepares hides for tanning |
| Soapmaker | |
| Spurrier | A maker of spurs |
| Spy | |
| Swineherd | A keeper of pigs |
| Tailor | |
| Tanner | A leather-maker |
| Teamster | A hauler of goods by wagon or cart |
| Tilemaker | |
| Tinker | A traveling craftsman who repairs tin pots and similar items |
| Tinner | A tin miner |
| Trapper | |
| Vintner | A maker of wines |
| Waller | A mason who sets stones and brick for walls |
| Waterleader | A water hauler |
| Weaver | One who makes fabric |
| Wheelwright | One who makes and repairs wheels |
| Wiredrawer | A maker of wire |
| Woodturner | A lathe-worker |
The list above is by no means complete. Medieval occupations were highly specialized. A man might spend all his life working as a miner of iron and be considered to have a very different occupation from a miner of tin. Research in a local library will probably yield more such distinctions and even more occupations.