Build 42 Occupations — The Six New Jobs and Every Starting Bonus

Build 42.16 ran a full occupation balance pass — the biggest rework of character creation jobs since the skill system existed — and it added six new occupations built around the new crafting skills. The old "pick Fire Officer for the axe" meta still works, but the interesting decisions are now about which production chain you want running by week two. This guide covers every new job's verified starting skills and point costs from PZwiki's Occupation page, plus the classic jobs they compete with, on stable 42.20. Checked 2026-08-04. Pair with our traits guide for the full character sheet.

The six new Build 42 occupations

Positive points are free trait points back; negative points are the price of the package.

Blacksmith — the late-game investment

At -6 it's one of the most expensive jobs in the game, and that's fair: +4 Blacksmithing plus the Blacksmith Knowledge trait (+2 more) puts you at an effective level 6 start in the deepest new skill. You skip weeks of magazine hunting before you can build a stone furnace and forge tool heads. The catch is that blacksmithing stays slow even with the head start — plan your first levels around small iron bands at a primitive forge (progression guide).

Welder — base defense, day one

Welding 4 means metal barricades and containers immediately, and welding is also how you dismantle car wrecks for XP and material. Cheaper than Blacksmith, and its output (walls, containers, vehicle repairs) pays off in week one rather than month two. Mechanic still grants +1 Welding alongside Mechanics 4 if vehicles are your real focus.

Tailor — the free-money pick

Tailoring 4 and +2 points. B42 tailoring is a genuine production skill — clothing repair, leather work, and fabric items feed several chains — so this job effectively gets paid to exist. Excellent first B42 character for learning the new crafting UI without pressure.

Rancher — animals done right

Animal Care 4 + Butchering 3 + Fitness 1 at 0 points. If your run centers on livestock (milk, wool, eggs, leather, meat), nothing else comes close: you can inspect animal genetics, harvest without losses, and butcher with a hook from the start. See our animals guide for the husbandry loop. Crop Farmer is the sibling pick (+4 Agriculture, +1 Animal Care) if crops outrank herds for you.

Burger Flipper — the budget food chain

+2 Cooking with the Keen Cook trait at +2 points. Chef remains the stronger food job (+4 Cooking, +2 Butchering), but Burger Flipper funds a trait-heavy build while still covering the kitchen.

Construction Worker — the fortress builder

Masonry 2 plus Carpentry 1 and three combat-adjacent skills at only -2. Stone walls and furnaces need masonry (crushing large stones is its only 0→1 recipe otherwise), so this job removes the most tedious early grind. Carpenter (+4 Carpentry, +1 Carving/Maintenance/Masonry) is the wood-focused alternative.

Classic occupations worth re-checking in B42

Note the generator angle: Electrician, Engineer, or the How to Use Generators magazine is required to connect generators — occupation choice quietly decides your shutoff plan (prep guide).

What the 42.16 pass changed

Per the veterans' transition coverage (community-reported), 42.16 rebalanced fifteen occupations — Police Officer, Park Ranger, Construction Worker, Security Guard, Carpenter, Chef, Rancher, Farmer, Electrician, Fishing Guide, Doctor, Nurse, Welder, Blacksmith, and Mechanic — with follow-up tweaks in 42.18 and 42.19. Salesman is listed as a removed occupation. If an old guide quotes occupation numbers, assume they're pre-42.16 until proven otherwise.

Verified on 42.20 · Last checked 2026-08-04

Starting skills, traits, and point costs come from PZwiki's Occupation page as current on 42.20. The 42.16 balance-pass scope is community-reported via the B41 veterans' guide; exact pre/post number deltas were never officially published, so only the current table above should be trusted.