Job

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Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn jobs.

Jobs are an extension of their base classes and require a soul crystal to activate. A job is a strict upgrade to its class, which means there is no reason to keep using the class once the job is available. There are currently 19 regular jobs and one limited job in the game, although only the 10 original jobs have a base class. At least two new jobs are released each expansion.

Advancing from a class to a job requires you to finish your level 30 class quests as well as the level 20 Main Scenario Quest Main Scenario QuestSylph-management. The subsequent job quest will reward a soul crystal that can be equipped via the Armory Chest to transform the player's current class to its corresponding job. Jobs added with expansions do not have a base class and receive their soul crystal as soon as they are unlocked. They also start out at higher base levels.

Jobs are not mutually exclusive. Given enough time, one can level all classes and jobs on a single character.

Similar to classes, each job represents one specific role: tank, healer, or DPS. Jobs of the same role are balanced to provide roughly the same level of combat performance at the level cap. While all content in the game can be completed with any job as long as role composition requirements are met, some forms of content may favor specific jobs. In addition, jobs differ from one another in their playing style (e.g. melee vs. ranged damage) and in the balance of damage, utility, and party buffs they provide. The exception is the limited job of Blue Mage, which is for all intents and purposes a separate game of its own.

Job changing

  • To switch to a job from its corresponding class, equip its soul crystal. Returning to a base class works similarly by unequipping the soul crystal.
  • To switch between jobs, equip its corresponding weapon. Jobs that have classes will also need the respective soul crystal equipped. Equipping the weapon of a job without a base class will automatically equip its soul crystal.
  • Similar to classes, job gearsets can be saved and assigned to a hotbar for convenient switching.

Job features

Jobs have some unique features:

  • Jobs possess all of the actions and traits of the base class and have a large number of additional actions and traits on top of it. Classes typically gain at most a couple of actions and traits after level 30 until level 50, while jobs will continue gaining actions and traits specific to them. Both classes and jobs have access to the full set of role actions (e.g., Swiftcast.png  Swiftcast), however.
  • While many actions are acquired through leveling up, some are instead rewarded by Job Quests. It is therefore important to complete these as they become available, or you will be missing critical job actions.
  • Level is shared between job and primary class once that job is unlocked. For example, if you level a Summoner to 40, then swap over to its base class (Arcanist), the latter will also be at level 40. Both the base class and its respective job(s) will always be the same level, regardless of which you play as. A side effect of this is that the two jobs that stem from the Arcanist base class, Summoner and Scholar, also share a level, so increases in level to either one are also reflected in the other.
  • With one exception, there exists no content after level 30 oriented towards classes rather than jobs. There is only one level 30 quest that can only be accessed by the base class, not the job it transforms into: Side QuestUnicorn Power is only available to Conjurers, not to White Mages, despite being a level 30 quest and only becoming accessible after the level 30 Conjurer quest.
  • Hotbar configuration is not shared between classes and the jobs they transform into.
    • Hotbars can, however, be copied between classes and jobs using the /hotbar copy or /chotbar copy commands. See the EDB entry on Hotbar commands for more information.

Job chart

This list includes all jobs with their base classes.

Base Class
(Level 1-30)
Job
(Level 30+)
Code Role Starting
Location
Prerequisites Starting
Level
Weapon Armor
Type
Accessory
Type
Free
Trial
?
2.0 - A Realm Reborn
Gladiator frame icon.png Gladiator Paladin frame icon.png Paladin PLD Tank role.png Tank Uldah Flag.png Ul'dah 1 Swords and Shields Fending Fending 1Yes
Marauder frame icon.png Marauder Warrior frame icon.png Warrior WAR Tank role.png Tank Limsa Lominsa Flag.png Limsa Lominsa 1 Greataxes Fending Fending 1Yes
Lancer frame icon.png Lancer Dragoon frame icon.png Dragoon DRG Melee DPS role.png Melee DPS Gridania Flag.png Gridania 1 Polearms Maiming Slaying 1Yes
Pugilist frame icon.png Pugilist Monk frame icon.png Monk MNK Melee DPS role.png Melee DPS Uldah Flag.png Ul'dah 1 Fist Weapons Striking Slaying 1Yes
Archer frame icon.png Archer Bard frame icon.png Bard BRD Physical Ranged DPS role.png Physical Ranged DPS Gridania Flag.png Gridania 1 Bows Aiming Aiming 1Yes
Thaumaturge frame icon.png Thaumaturge Black Mage frame icon.png Black Mage BLM Magic Ranged DPS role.png Magical Ranged DPS Uldah Flag.png Ul'dah 1 Scepters or Staves Casting Casting 1Yes
Arcanist frame icon.png Arcanist [1] Summoner frame icon.png Summoner SMN Magic Ranged DPS role.png Magical Ranged DPS Limsa Lominsa Flag.png Limsa Lominsa 1 Books Casting Casting 1Yes
Arcanist frame icon.png Arcanist [1] Scholar frame icon.png Scholar SCH Healer role.png Barrier Healer Limsa Lominsa Flag.png Limsa Lominsa 1 Books Healing Healing 1Yes
Conjurer frame icon.png Conjurer White Mage frame icon.png White Mage WHM Healer role.png Pure Healer Gridania Flag.png Gridania 1 Wands or Canes Healing Healing 1Yes
Patch 2.4
Rogue frame icon.png Rogue Ninja frame icon.png Ninja NIN Melee DPS role.png Melee DPS Limsa Lominsa Flag.png Limsa Lominsa Level 10 or 15 [2] 1 Twin Daggers Scouting Aiming 1Yes
3.0 - Heavensward
Dark Knight frame icon.png Dark Knight DRK Tank role.png Tank Ishgard Flag.png Ishgard Level 50 [3]
Main story [4]
30 Greatswords Fending Fending 1Yes
Machinist frame icon.png Machinist MCH Physical Ranged DPS role.png Physical Ranged DPS Ishgard Flag.png Ishgard Level 50 [3]
Main story [4]
30 Firearms Aiming Aiming 1Yes
Astrologian frame icon.png Astrologian AST Healer role.png Pure Healer Ishgard Flag.png Ishgard Level 50 [3]
Main story [4]
30 Star Globes Healing Healing 1Yes
4.0 - Stormblood
Samurai frame icon.png Samurai SAM Melee DPS role.png Melee DPS Uldah Flag.png Ul'dah Level 50 [3] 50 Katanas Striking Slaying 1Yes
Red Mage frame icon.png Red Mage RDM Magic Ranged DPS role.png Magical Ranged DPS Uldah Flag.png Ul'dah Level 50 [3] 50 Rapiers Casting Casting 1Yes
Patch 4.5
Blue Mage frame icon.png Blue Mage BLU Limited Job
Magic Ranged DPS role.png Magical Ranged DPS
Limsa Lominsa Flag.png Limsa Lominsa Level 50 [3]
Main story [5]
1 One-Handed Canes Casting Casting 1Yes
5.0 - Shadowbringers
Gunbreaker frame icon1.png Gunbreaker GNB Tank role.png Tank Gridania Flag.png Gridania Level 60 [3] 60 Gunblades Fending Fending 0No
Dancer frame icon1.png Dancer DNC Physical Ranged DPS role.png Physical Ranged DPS Limsa Lominsa Flag.png Limsa Lominsa Level 60 [3] 60 Throwing Weapons Aiming Aiming 0No
6.0 - Endwalker
Reaper frame icon.png Reaper RPR Melee DPS role.png Melee DPS Uldah Flag.png Ul'dah Level 70 [3] 70 War Scythes Maiming Slaying 0No
Sage frame icon.png Sage SGE Healer role.png Barrier Healer Limsa Lominsa Flag.png Limsa Lominsa Level 70 [3] 70 Nouliths Healing Healing 0No
7.0 - Dawntrail (coming Summer 2024)
Viper ??? Melee DPS role.png Melee DPS Uldah Flag.png Ul'dah Level 80 [3] 80 Dual Blades Scouting Aiming 0No
Pictomancer ??? Magic Ranged DPS role.png Magical Ranged DPS Gridania Flag.png Gridania Level 80 [3] 80 Brushes Casting Casting 0No
Patch 7.x
Beastmaster ??? Limited Job
???
??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???
  1. 1.0 1.1 Summoner frame icon.png Summoner and Scholar frame icon.png Scholar are both based on Arcanist frame icon.png Arcanist. That means that Summoner and Scholar share levels with each other.
  2. Although Rogue frame icon.png Rogue/Ninja frame icon.png Ninja has no specific prerequisites, it is not available as a starting class (due to being added in patch 2.4). Players who want to become a Rogue as quickly as possible will need to begin as a different class, unlock class-changing (level 10 class quest), and gain access to Limsa Lominsa (level 15 main story quest, unless you started there).
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 If a job has no base class, then it requires reaching the indicated level in any Disciple of War or Magic (i.e. any combat job). Role does not matter: for example, you can unlock Dark Knight frame icon.png Dark Knight even if you haven't levelled any other tanks. Crafters and Gatherers may not be used.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Heavensward jobs require completion of the Main Scenario Quest Main Scenario QuestBefore the Dawn (the end of patch 2.55) to access the city of Ishgard, and a Disciple of War or Magic at level 50. Note that the starting level of these jobs is different from the level required to unlock them.
  5. Blue Mage frame icon.png Blue Mage requires completion of the Main Scenario Quest Main Scenario QuestThe Ultimate Weapon (the end of patch 2.0) and a Disciple of War or Magic at level 50.

Jobs

In-game Jobs Screen

Tank role.png Tanks

Paladin frame icon.png Paladin

Paladins are front-line specialists, sporting a veritable arsenal of defensive and supportive tools to protect both themselves and their allies. Paladins also utilize MP to heal their comrades and to deal burst damage. Paladins possess a unique ranged spellcasting period in their rotation allowing them to attack targets without being in melee range, and a strong cooldown that makes them completely immune to all damage for a period. Paladins also possess two unique party mitigation actions to other tanks' one unique action, along with a unique action that allows the paladin to cover an ally from attacks. At higher levels, paladins possess good self-healing abilities, arguably second compared to warrior.

Warrior frame icon.png Warrior

Warriors are mighty front-liners wielding two-handed axes which are used to perform huge burst damage using their Beast Gauge. They have a very simple damage rotation focusing on hard-hitting weaponskills. Warriors have exceptionally potent self-healing abilities that make them particularly strong in dungeons. They also have a strong cooldown that, rather than preventing damage, simply prevents them from dying for the duration. This "invulnerability" also has the shortest recast timer among all tank invulnerabilities. Warrior's simplicity but high survivability makes it a good tank for beginners.

Dark Knight frame icon.png Dark Knight

Dark knights provide the player with a balanced offering of mitigation and damage-dealing tools, complemented by their skill with two-handed greatswords. They use MP as a secondary resource for executing strong magical attacks and very powerful burst damage relying more on strong abilities (off-global cooldown actions) than weaponskills. Dark knights arguably have the strongest burst damage among all tanks and are the most effective at stockpiling resources as necessary for when more damage is needed. Dark knights possess powerful self-shielding abilities and have a cooldown that lets them continue attacking even after having been "killed", potentially returning to life without interruption if healed sufficiently during the short period after their ostensible death. At higher levels, dark knights also have the most flexible targeted mitigation among all the tanks, allowing them to easily shield and mitigate multiple allies at once.

Gunbreaker frame icon1.png Gunbreaker

Gunbreakers blend solid damage, mitigation, and utility into a straightforward playstyle. They possess combos that generate Cartridges, which can be used on multiple strong attacks. Gunbreakers possess strong DPS but have a rigid damage rotation and busy burst windows. They possess a cooldown that, while it reduces them to only 1 HP, makes them immune to nearly all attacks and abilities for a duration thereafter. Gunbreakers also have a strong healing-over-time action that can be used on themselves or a target ally. At higher levels, gunbreakers gain access to a particularly strong mitigation action with a short cooldown that automatically heals the target if their health drops below a certain amount.

Healer role.png Healer

Healers are divided into two types: pure and barrier. Unlike with the DPS sub-roles, pure healers and barrier healers share the same role actions.

"Pure" healers have access to higher healing output in response to damage and stronger healing-over-time abilities.

White Mage frame icon.png White Mage

White Mage is a straightforward healing class that forgoes utility to provide immense healing output and regeneration effects to their allies. Their simple but powerful healing kit does not require much advanced planning compared to other healers. They also have good personal damage, blasting their enemies with devastating elemental attacks, including a powerful AoE stun. At higher levels, they gain access to Lilies, which can be used on instant healing spells without needing MP, and later on will gain access to an exceptionally powerful attack that is fueled by Lilies.

Astrologian frame icon.png Astrologian

Astrologians are masters of fate that provide healing and regeneration to their allies. They have a unique Card system that allows them to provide damage buffs to fellow party members, an ability that buffs the entire party's damage for a short period, and a large number of cooldowns to provide all manner of utility or damage as the fight demands. In exchange for their utility, their personal damage is lower than that of other healers. Several of their healing abilities have a strong but delayed healing effect, meaning proactive usage and knowledge of specific encounters are key to effective healing. In many situations, astrologians are also generally more effective at reducing incoming damage than White Mages.


"Barrier" healers have access to more abilities which provide shields to party members, increasing their effective max HP, and abilities that reduce damage taken, allowing them to better prepare the party for strong incoming enemy attacks.

Scholar frame icon.png Scholar

Scholars, accompanied by their faithful healing fairies, provide allies with powerful barriers whilst debilitating enemies with an ability that increases critical hits taken. Their fairies will automatically heal injured players. At great need, they can call a more powerful version of their fairy to the battlefield to augment their allies' defenses. By using a certain combination of actions that can also be augmented from other party members' healing up actions, scholars can provide the strongest party shields of any job. They are the only job in the game that can increase the movement speed of the party in combat with a special ability.

Sage frame icon.png Sage

The Sage is a job that provides a solid balance of healing, mitigation, and damage. They can choose one ally to receive Kardia, which will automatically heal them every time the Sage uses an attack spell. Using their Nouliths, they can enhance their spells to make them instant cast and provide their party with potent barriers or damage-over-time on enemies. Compared to scholars, sages have higher personal damage in exchange for not providing party damage buffs. Sages also feature skills which provide shields that automatically regenerate once they have been depleted, making them especially potent on multi-hit attacks. Sages have good mobility with an ability that allows them to dash to another player or enemy. Sage's basic mitigation action does not require allies to stand inside a ground effect, making it superior to Scholar's in most cases.

Melee DPS role.png Melee DPS

Melee DPS jobs typically deal the most damage among the DPS roles but require being in melee range to enemies and have positional-based attacks, which will do more damage if the player attacks from the rear or flank of an enemy, depending on the attack. Some melee DPS jobs also have cast times for their strongest attacks, requiring them to briefly stand still.

Monk frame icon.png Monk

Monks are very agile combatants that deal impressive sustained and burst damage, darting across the battlefield to annihilate foes with lightning speed using their fist-based weapons and martial techniques. Their basic weaponskills are more free-form than other Melee DPS jobs and do not follow a strict combo system, instead employing a "form" system that allows usage of specific weaponskills depending on the monk's form, which changes after using a weaponskill. They also have a Chakra system that allows them to build to powerful attacks as combat progresses, and Masterful Blitz, allowing them to unleash powerful attacks based on specific sequences of their basic weaponskills. They also possess an action that temporarily increases healing received to all allies in range.

Dragoon frame icon.png Dragoon

Dragoons are famous for launching themselves across battlefields and decimating their foes using lance-based weapons, bombarding enemies with vicious leaping attacks and lengthy combos while empowering allies with buffs. They draw upon the Blood of the Dragon to augment their abilities, occasionally being even further empowered for short periods by Life of the Dragon. Dragoons have very strong AoE damage, with several attacks that cleave in a line. Compared to other melee DPS, dragoon does not have particularly hard-hitting weaponskills, but instead uses a combination of weaponskills and a variety of off-global cooldown abilities to deal strong sustained and burst damage.

Ninja frame icon.png Ninja

Ninja are agile and elusive fighters that utilize ninjutsu and dual-daggers, slicing unsuspecting foes from the shadows in the blink of an eye. By using the right combination of mudras, they can also blast enemies with a variety of elemental ranged attacks. Ninja's exceptional burst damage that is mostly based on cooldowns instead of gauge resources makes them especially strong for encounters in which the boss is untargetable for long periods of time. Their ace-in-the-hole, Mug, also increases the damage a target takes from all sources. Ninja have higher movement speed than other jobs and an ability that allows them to move quickly to a specified location. The ninja is the only melee DPS job that uses Dexterity as its primary offensive stat instead of Strength.

Samurai frame icon.png Samurai

The Samurai uses a two-handed katana to deal out tremendous damage at the expense of providing party buffs. Samurai use their combos to generate three kinds of Sen, symbols of their mastery of the blade, which they can then leverage to unleash one of several powerful Iaijutsu finishers. At higher levels, Samurai's combos will build Kenki gauge and their Iaijutsu will build Meditation stacks, which are additional resources that can be used on other strong attacks.

Reaper frame icon.png Reaper

Reapers fight using both the scythe they wield and the void avatar they command. They must first harvest their victims to build up the Soul gauge, which is used to feed their avatar to deliver powerful attacks. The avatar builds up the Shroud gauge, which can be use to combine with the avatar for an even more powerful, temporary boost in power. Reaper's exceptional ability to store damage resources makes them especially strong for multi-phase encounters such as ultimate raids, in which more damage may be needed at certain points.

Physical Ranged DPS role.png Physical Ranged DPS

Physical Ranged DPS jobs typically deal the least damage among the DPS roles but do not need to be in melee range or have mobility-limiting cast times. With the exception of Machinist, Physical Ranged DPS jobs provide the strongest party buffs and other utility among the DPS jobs.

Bard frame icon.png Bard

Bards are bow-wielding ranged damage dealers sporting mobility, utility, and a proc-based combat style that debilitates enemies through damage-over-time effects wrought by their skillful bow shots. Through the power of song, they can also provide party-wide buffs and inspire their allies to greater feats of damage, the strongest party buffs in the game. Their own attacks cycle through 3 different distinct periods based on the song they are currently playing. They are the only non-healer job that can remove a detrimental status effect from a party member, using a unique ability. They also possess an action that temporarily increases healing received to all allies in range.

Machinist frame icon.png Machinist

Machinists are gun-toting tinkerers that specialize in blasting foes in rapid succession, building up their Heat gauge, which is used to fuel their abilities further. They have access to multiple powerful Tool attacks to further damage foes. They can also deploy an automaton to assist the player in combat temporarily. Their relatively high personal damage is at the expense of providing party buffs. Similar to reaper, machinists can flexibly store and use their resources at points in an encounter in which more damage may be needed. Machinists have a unique utility action that reduces damage dealt from an enemy (in addition to their normal physical ranged DPS party mitigation action), making them the best physical ranged DPS at reducing incoming damage.

Dancer frame icon1.png Dancer

The Dancer is a highly mobile job providing damage, utility, and support capabilities to those around them while slicing their enemies with throws of their bladed chakrams. Dancers can also choose a party member as their Dance Partner, further empowering that party member by echoing the effects of several of the Dancer's abilities on that player. Their combat style relies heavily on random procs, with several layers of procs feeding into further (potential) procs. Dancers feature "Steps" in their rotation, which are abilities that require executing either two or four random Dance Steps to unleash powerful AoE attacks that also boost allies' damage, with the strength increasing depending on how many Dance Steps were correctly executed. They possess a unique ability to rapidly dash around the battlefield and support abilities that heal nearby party members or provide shields.

Magic Ranged DPS role.png Magical Ranged DPS

Magical Ranged DPS jobs provide strong damage (albeit usually less than melee DPS) but several of their attacks require them to stand still and cast, limiting their mobility at times. With the exception of Black Mage, Magical Ranged DPS jobs usually provide good party utility and can even resurrect fallen allies during battle.

Black Mage frame icon.png Black Mage

Black Mages resemble the classical elemental mage, trading party buffs, utility, and mobility for unmatched spells damage, comparable to melee DPS jobs. Their unique mechanics revolve around balancing Astral Fire and Umbral Ice, consuming their MP with powerful but costly spells during Astral Fire, and then rapidly regenerating it during Umbral Ice, all while utilizing deadly lightning magicks that inflict damage over time. At higher levels, Black Mages will gain access to more instant cast spells and other mobility options, which must be skillfully used to maximize their performance. Therefore, Black Mage has one of the highest skill ceilings of any job in the game.

Summoner frame icon.png Summoner

Summoners conjure one of several familiars to deliver a variety of attacks based on what they have summoned, cycling between fire, earth, and wind aspects throughout the fight. As a result, Summoners are surprisingly versatile and mobile for a Magic job. At higher levels, Summoners are able to manifest powerful echoes of the primals Bahamut and Phoenix to devastate their foes with high burst damage and provide regenerative healing. With only a few actions in their rotation that have cast times, summoners are arguably the most mobile magical ranged DPS and have the most straightforward damage rotation, despite having the highest number of unique actions for a non-limited job. Summoner, like Red Mage, is also one of the few DPS jobs that can resurrect fallen allies in combat. These factors make summoner a very beginner-friendly job for endgame content.

Red Mage frame icon.png Red Mage

The Red Mage is a versatile job capable of using both magic and melee weapon skills effectively. The job focuses on building and balancing white and black mana by casting offensive elemental magic, then expending them on their melee rapier skills, followed by strong instant cast spells to deal finishing blows. In addition to dealing damage, Red Mages can draw upon healing magic and even raise fallen party members, as well as augmenting the damage of their allies for a short period of time, and temporarily decreasing magic damage nearby allies take. The combat style of Red Mages revolves around a unique pattern of casting a quick spell followed by a powerful spell made instant-cast due to their Dualcast trait, which can also be used on their resurrection spell to revive multiple allies in quick succession. Similar to reapers and machinists, red mages can flexibly store and use their resources at points in an encounter in which more damage may be needed. However, because of their high utility, their damage tends to be lower than for the other magical ranged DPS jobs.

Blue Mage frame icon.png Blue Mage (Limited)

Blue Mages learn skills by copying the abilities of their defeated enemies. They have access to a wide variety of spells, which make them more versatile and powerful as they learn more spells, to the point where they can emulate any of the three major roles (tank, healer, DPS). However, their status as a Limited Job restricts their access to content, and they have a lower max level than non-limited jobs. Unlike other jobs, Blue Mages retain access to all of their learned spells even when level synced, providing unique advantages in content they can participate in.

History

Originally, a secondary class was required to unlock each job. With the release of Stormblood, this is no longer required. Each class can advance to its corresponding job at level 30 regardless of the levels of your other classes.