90+ Jobs You Could’ve Had in Medieval Times

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History teacher Brian Thai shares some common—and bizarre—Medieval occupations

Co-authored by Brian Thai and Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD

Last Updated: February 18, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Government Jobs
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• Religious Jobs
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• Service Jobs
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• Arts & Entertainment
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• Trade & Craft Jobs
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• How did working people live?

|Show more |Show less

Hear ye, hear ye! The Middle Ages were a formative time in European history, spanning about 1000 years from 476 A.D. to 1450. If you’re a history buff intrigued by what the medieval job market must have been like during that time, look no further, traveler! We talked to history teacher Brian Thai to help us compile a comprehensive list of all the medieval job positions— most of which you won’t be able to find on LinkedIn. Keep reading to figure out if you would have been best suited for the life of a blacksmith, a farmer, or perhaps even a court jester.

Common & Important Medieval Jobs

According to history teacher Brian Thai, some of the most common jobs in medieval towns included farming and blacksmithing. Occupations like these kept the masses fed and villages operating normally. Other important jobs from this time included weavers and tailors, bakers, butchers, carpenters, copyists, and jailers.

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Section 1 of 6:

Government Jobs in the Medieval Ages

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1. 
   People who held roles in government were responsible for peacekeeping. From emperor to jailer, there was a wide range of government jobs available during medieval times. If you were lucky enough to be divinely chosen, you got to rule over a whole kingdom. However, most people weren’t royal descendants, but they still strived to keep the peasant population fed and in line. Here are some other medieval government jobs:

   • Bailiff: Made arrests and executions.
   • Catchpole: Charged with finding and bringing in debtors.
   • Chancellor: A secretary to someone in the upperclass.
   • Constable: The warden of a village, town, or castle.
   • Diplomat: Someone who negotiates with foreign nations.
   • Emperor: Ruler of an empire with supreme authority.
   • Hayward: Officer of fences and hedges.
   • Jailer: Keeper of a jail.
   • Herald: An expert in the field of heraldry.
   • Judge: Decides what cases are brought to court and verdicts.
   • Master of the Revels: In charge of court entertainment, including theater and dancing.
   • Pursuivant: Officer of arms, below heraldry.
   • Sheriff: Enforcer of the law.
   • Summoner: One who serves subpoenas.
   • Woodward: Keeper of a forest.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Brian Thai is a history teacher and author. He’s also an edutainment content creator, sharing entertaining educational content about various periods of history under the handle The Suit Historian.
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Section 2 of 6:

Religious Jobs in the Medieval Ages

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1. 
   Religious roles were usually held by nobles. Elected officials of high rank in the church, like popes, bishops, and cardinals, were typically nobles. They were often in competition with royalty and other nobles who wanted more power. However, several religious jobs of lower rank served important purposes. Here are a few examples:

   • Abbess: The highest rank at a convent.
   • Abbot: The highest rank at a monastery.
   • Almoner: One who is in charge of giving money and food to the lower class.
   • Archbishop: Governor of an entire diocese.
   • Bishop: Advisor to priests.
   • Cantor: Lead singer of a choir.
   • Cardinal: Advisor to the Pope.
   • Curate: Head priest of a church.
   • Friar: A monk who goes from town to town.
   • Ostiary: The church’s doorkeeper.
   • Palmer: A pilgrim who had visited the Holy Land
   • Pardoner: Sold papal pardons to rid others of sin.
   • Pope: The head of the Roman Catholic Church.
   • Sacristan: Keeper and organizer of a church’s religious items.
   • Sexton: Church official who rings bells.

Section 3 of 6:

Service Jobs in the Medieval Ages

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1. 
   Service and labor jobs were quite popular in medieval Europe. During medieval times, service and labor jobs didn’t sell goods— they sold themselves and their unique skills. There was a lot of need for certain services to be rendered by skilled workers and experts in their field, almost as much as there is today! Here is a list of such jobs:

   • Accountant: In charge of financial bookkeeping.
   • Barber: Someone who cuts hair and also acts as a surgeon and dentist.
   • Barrister: Medieval lawyer.
   • Bather: A person who owns a bath and provides bathing services.
   • Carman: Driver of a vehicle for transporting goods.
   • Cellarer: Person in charge of the wine cellar.
   • Chamberlain: An attendant who waits on their patron in their bedchamber.
   • Chimney sweep: A person who cleans chimneys and smokestacks.
   • Copyist: Someone who copied books and documents by hand.
   • Doctor: Healer.
   • Executioner: In charge of carrying out a death sentence.
   • Famulus: An attendant to a scholar or magician.
   • Farmer: Farmers held an essential role in medieval Europe, as they were responsible for growing and harvesting crops and livestock.
   • Horseleech: A veterinarian.
   • Laundress: Charged with doing laundry for families in a wide range of social classes.
   • Marshal: Responsible for tending to horses.
   • Miller: In charge of grinding grain into flour.
   • Porter: A “floater” job, responsible for carrying heavy loads, waiting at doors, and similar tasks.
   • Potboy: A person who serves drinks in a tavern.
   • Restaurateur: One who owns and/or runs a restaurant.
   • Tapster: In charge of procuring ale at an inn; may also be the innkeeper.
   • Trader/merchant: Someone responsible for procuring and selling wares.
   • Usurer: Someone who loans money; usually a Jewish person.
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Section 4 of 6:

Artist & Entertainment Jobs in the Medieval Ages

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1. 
   Artists and entertainers often performed for medieval folks. As distant as the medieval ages might seem, people back then were just like us. They enjoyed their fair share of whimsy, storytelling, and singing and dancing, often paired with a good helping of ale. At the end of a hard work week, plowing the fields or chimney sweeping, if members of the middle or even lower class wanted to enjoy a little laughter and downtime, here’s who they would call:

   • Bard: A minstrel who sang and told stories, going from town to town.
   • Barker: Person in charge of shouting at the entrance of a show or play.
   • Bear-ward: A person who owns a bear used in performances.
   • Fiddler: Someone who plays stringed instruments.
   • Fool/jester: A comedic actor who told jokes, sang, and did acrobatics; typically reserved for court and the upper class.
   • Jouster: A knight who participated in a joust, consisting of two knights on horseback with lances, aiming for one another.
   • Limner: Someone responsible for illuminating books in darker places.
   • Lutenist: A lute player.
   • Mummer: A silent actor, related to mimes.
   • Nakerer: Someone who’s skilled at playing a small kettle drum called a naker.
   • Painter: An artist who paints portraits and landscapes.
   • Piper: A pipe player who used his music to lure people into following him or dancing. Pipers were originally used to catch rats.
   • Player: An actor.
   • Playwright: A writer of plays. William Shakespeare may be the most famous example.
   • Troubadour: A minstrel who dances, sings, and performs variety acts.

Section 5 of 6:

Trade & Craft Jobs in the Medieval Ages

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1. 
   Many medieval trade jobs are still in high demand today. Although technology has certainly done away with lots of medieval jobs, like laundresses and copyists, other medieval positions still exist today, even if they have different names. Trades have historically been in demand, since these highly skilled experts provide the oil that keeps the machine of our modern lives running smoothly. Here are some examples of medieval trade jobs:

   • Baker: A maker of bread and other baked goods.
   • Blacksmith: A skilled metal worker who produced everything from weapons and armor to furniture and locks.
   • Buckle maker: One who makes belt buckles.
   • Carpenter: Skilled in making and building things out of wood.
   • Chandler: Candle-maker.
   • Cooper: A maker of and repairman for barrels and tubs.
   • Cutler: A maker of and repairman for cutlery.
   • Furrier: A maker of fur-based clothing.
   • Glover: A maker of gloves.
   • Goldsmith: A skilled gold worker who made elaborate items for the nobility and the church.
   • Hatmaker: A maker of hats.
   • Jeweler: A maker of jewelry.
   • Locksmith: Someone who makes and repairs locks.
   • Mason: A skilled bricklayer.
   • Meat butcher: A butcher of all sorts of meats, especially beef.
   • Pastrycook: A baker who specializes in making pastries.
   • Purse maker: A maker of purses.
   • Roofer: Someone who makes and repairs roofs.
   • Ropemaker: A skilled maker of rope.
   • Rugmaker: Someone who makes rugs.
   • Saddler: A maker of saddles.
   • Shoemaker: Someone who makes and repairs shoes.
   • Tailor: Someone who makes and repairs clothing.
   • Tanner: Someone in charge of harvesting and preparing leather.
   • Weaver: Someone who weaves clothing or materials out of cloth.
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Section 6 of 6:

How did the working class live during Medieval times?

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1. 
   While the work was hard, peasants likely enjoyed a slower and more leisurely life. Although the idea of peasants toiling from dusk to dawn is pretty common, it’s not entirely true. In fact, historians suggest that peasants only worked about 150 days out of the year, which is surprisingly little compared to the 260 days Americans work annually. In medieval Europe, the workday was about 8 hours, but there were several breaks throughout for refreshments, meals, and naps.

   • Moreover, people who did farming and agriculture had lots of downtime during the winter, allowing them to rest, enjoy the fruits of their harvest, and spend time with family.
   • The Church also enforced several holidays, including long Christmas, Easter, and midsummer vacations.
   • It’s important to note that while medieval peasants technically worked fewer hours on paper, the housework and related labor were considerably higher than it is for us today.

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