WoW Confidential

Update – Jan 26, 2010 Note: This post is out of date and I’ll be updating it shortly. In the meantime I have written numerous articles for patch 3.3 on Making Gold With Jewelcrafting and Making Gold With Inscription (Which I’ve made 68,000g with so far) which are the 2 best gold making professions currently. Go check them out.

This is purely from the perspective of which professions make the most gold/profit. It does not take into account which professions are best for your class, that article will come in the future.

I really recommend that as you level up you focus on gathering professions, this will give your character income to buy new equipment/enchants and save up for your epic mount. Gathering professions can also be done in unison with leveling whereas crafting will really slow down your journey to level 70.

You have a lot of options in World of Warcraft, you can choose 2 professions out of the following:

- Blacksmithing

- Enchanting

- Engineering

- Leatherworking

- Jewelcrafting

- Tailoring

- Mining

- Herbalism

- Skinning

Along with these 2 professions you can also have all of the secondary professions:

- Cooking

- First Aid

- Fishing

A very common question asked given all of these choices “Which profession makes the most gold?” here’s the simple answer:

“Pick two gathering professions; Mining, Herbalism or Skinning. Sell the raw materials on the auction house and you will make more than any crafting profession.”

Why are these the most profitable professions? It has to do with the economy in World of Warcraft where raw materials sell for more than the finished products that are created from them.

That sounds strange though, why would someone buy raw materials if they couldn’t profit from the end product? The answer my friends is that the majority of crafters buying those materials are trying to power level their professions and will pay absurd prices on materials just so that they can get to skill 375 and make their epic crafting items.

But you still want to craft?

However, crafting is a whole different side of the game that can be fun, I’m not saying a profit cannot be had and if you are the type of person who would rather sell potions, enchant items, and craft gems than fly around looking for flowers to pick then read further.

Here is my top 7 list of professions that earn the most gold:

7. Blacksmithing

- All of the great things created by this class are bind on pick up. Definitely a profession you should only chose if your class can benefit from the higher end weapons that this profession provides, ex. Deep Thunder.

6. Leatherworking

- Also a profession that only provides valuable bop items, no profit to be had from anything crafted here.

5. Engineering

- As is the case with most of these crafting professions the cost of the raw materials are just more valuable than the actual end products that are created. Engineering is expensive to level. From a make money standpoint it is much better to sell any ore mined on the auction house than to craft for a profit.

Ways to make gold: Things people buy from engineers

• • • Scopes: Sniper and Deadly Scope
  • • Deadly Blunderbuss is needed for a quest
  • • Pets: novelty and for fun, this is a game right?
  • • Mithril casing
  • • Fused wiring
  • • Bullets
      

4. Tailoring

- Fantastic profession for casters who are looking for higher end gear before SSC and Black Temple, horrible from a make money stand point. If you specialize in spellcloth or mooncloth make sure to use up your timers as soon as it’s up to make a little bit of a profit back. Bags have so much competition that it’ll usually cost more to buy the materials.

3. Enchanting

- Although very useful for its ring enchants, disenchanting unwanted drops in raids and being the guild enchanter (who gets all the sweet recipes), this money sink is not a get rich quick profession given the rarity of the recipes that people are actually looking for. You’ll end up spending a ton in recipes and get pennies in return via tips.

Ways to make gold: Disenchanting and selling mats on auction house, tips for enchanting other peoples gear.

Class Advantage: Rogues/Druids can go through lower level instances and disenchant the green drops.

2. Jewelcrafting

- If you combine jewelcrafting with mining you’ll have yourself a hell of a good money maker, use the rare gems you find on rich adamantite to create socketed gems, prospect adamantite ore when the prices on the auction house are low and sell the adamantite when the prices are high. Buy up the adamantite and prospect those and sell any rare gems that come from it. Get tips for crafting special gems for others. There are many ways to make money in jewelcrafting and people are constantly switching out gems and getting new equipment that there will always be a demand for jewelcrafters.

1. Alchemy

- Buying herbs off the auction house or gathering them yourself you can make potions to sell which will be your main source of income as all the raiders will need those elixirs and potions to take on the harder content. Has the potential to become the best gold earner if you find the right niche of potions to sell which aren’t overproduced on your server. Try to make friends with some herb gatherers who you can buy all your herbs off for a discounted price, both parties save the auction house cut. Offer to make their potions free of charge if they provide the mats.

Ways to make gold: Selling potions/elixirs, transmutes (primal mights), tips from making potions to people who supply mats.

I will be making guides for each crafting profession individually which will explain how to get the most profit and power level the cheapest.