Oldest Professions in the World (Top 10)

Before we begin, here’s a necessary disclaimer! Typically, the term “Oldest Profession in the World” refers to “Prostitution” which some consider an actual profession, but in this article, the statement should be taken literally.

There are various professions in the world that existed as far back as 2400 BC and are still being practiced to date. These professions are indispensable, hence the need for their continuous existence. In this article, RNN will highlight the top 10 oldest professions in the world. Here they are:

10. Mining

Although there are now better equipment to facilitate the process of mining, the profession dates as far back as 3000BC. There has always been something to dig up for use in the earth, so men started mining many years ago. The profession simply requires the unearthing of coal, Gold or other valuable resources from a mine which could either be underground, open surface (pit), placer, or in-situ mining.

In the United States of America, the average salary for a Underground Miner is $24.70 per hour.

9. Fishing

Fishing dates as far back as over 40,000 years ago. Although the profession seems like a simple task, it requires some techniques like hand-gathering, spearfishing, netting, angling and trapping. Although many people know how to fish, not many of them take it as a profession.

There are people (fishermen) who spend days and sometimes, weeks on water, trying to catch fishes to sell and make a living. Fishes come at distinct prices; this is because some of them cannot be found just anywhere, therefore, it would take the fishermen extra work to get them. Today, the profession is a honorable one, despite not being a white-collar job. How would pescatarians exist is fishing didn’t.

8. Building 

Before professional builders emerged, inhabitants of a particular place were required to build their houses themselves. Thousands of years ago, it was rare to see permanents settlements around but as people became more enlightened, they saw the need to build houses and pass it down to their descendants.

Professional builders became more popular when other people began to find other means to make a living and could no longer find the time to build their own houses. Slowly, people no longer saw the need to learn to build their own houses since there were experts designed for the purpose.

7. Herding

This human venture is equally one of the oldest professions in the world. History has it that Herding began about 10,000 years ago. Today, there are over 300 million herders in the world.

Herding is the process of gathering animals in a group, maintaining them and moving them from place to place for a purpose. Herders typically move flocks in groups in order to guard them; they are equally responsible for feeding them. This profession did not begin in the 19th or 18th century- it’s way older.

6. Tailoring

The upgrade and development that civilization has brought into the tailoring industry will make it hard to believe that the profession started as far back as the early middle ages.

The fact remains that most of the oldest professions in the world look hard to believe because of how easy civilization has made their process. However, tailoring, among all other profession is one that even children were taught to do. Women made their dressed themselves with just needle and threads for many years and their clothes were the best they had at the time.

5. Tool Making

Professional craftsmen/tool makers started making basic tools needed in different industries many years ago. These tools may be those needed for fishing, hunting or other ventures. People in other professions needed tools to work with and they could not bore themselves with the task of making their own tools and still launching out to put them into use.

Tool makers therefore emerged to solve this problem and equally make a living for themselves. To date, this profession is still highly needed in our society and the presence of these professionals ease the task of workers in many fields of endeavor.

4. Farming

If farming didn’t make this list, I wonder what would. Farming existed way before modern equipment like tractors ever came to be. There are people who have dedicated their lives to tilling the ground, planting and harvesting crops so that the world can have something to eat and not end for lack of living humans in it.

Farming used to be a profession associated with peasants until when people began to do in on a very large scale with the use of modern technologies.

3. Hunting

Anthropologists released evidence in 2012 that hunting began nearly 2 million years ago. Before now however, early findings claimed that hunting only dated as far back as 400,000 years ago.

Hunting is not really considered a profession in many parts of the world anymore, however, it was a lucrative work for the bravest men many years ago. A profession that goes hand-in-hand with hunting is butchering. As of 2022, the average pay for butchers is $15 per hour.

2. Musician

Musicians compose and sing songs to make a living. Most of these songs are dirges, eulogies, and war songs. Although it was not much of a lucrative profession in the past, musicians have gained more recognition now. The average salary of a musician in the US ranges between $34375 and $52943.

Musicians nowadays sing in different places; they sing at weddings, birthday ceremonies and the most popular mode of making a living for modern musicians is to record and release songs for digital streaming.

1. Artistry

Paintings are one of the oldest forms of art in the world. The oldest art in the world is a cave painting of a red hand stencil from Spain. The painting is believed to be over 67,000 years old and it was made by a Neanderthal.

Art, at some point, became so refined and some of the most valuable items around the world are paintings and sculptures. Artists who have a stable employment earn between $24,000 – $104,000.

Top 10 Oldest Professions in the World (Summary)

Here’s a list of the top 10 oldest professions in the world as highlighted in this article:

1. Artistry
2. Musician
3. Hunting
4. Farming
5. Tool Making
6. Tailoring
7. Herding
8. Building
9. Fishing
10. Mining