Key takeaway
Trading with Villagers can help you get rare items much easier. To trade with Villagers, you’ll need lots of Emeralds. Thankfully, you can also get Emeralds from Villagers as well. Use this cycle of commerce to rake in the biggest profits and best goods.
Villager trading is the best way to get certain items. From much-needed natural resources to nearly unobtainable Enchanted Books, you’ll definitely want to head into a Village for some Minecraft commerce. Just be sure to bring lots of Emeralds!
How Villager Trading Works
You can trade with every employed Villager for mostly different items. There are 13 types of employed Villagers. For the most part, Villagers accept Emeralds as payment for goods they carry. However, some Villagers may also buy items from you and give you Emeralds in return.
Every Type of Villager and Their Job Block
To turn an unemployed Villager into one with a profession, you’ll need to make them come into contact with a job block. There are different job blocks for each profession.
- Armorer – Blast Furnace
- Butcher – Smoker
- Cartographer – Cartography Table
- Cleric – Brewing Stand
- Farmer – Composter
- Fisherman – Barrel
- Fletcher – Fletching Table
- Leatherworker – Cauldron
- Librarian – Lectern
- Mason – Stonecutter
- Shepherd – Loom
- Toolsmith – Smithing Table
- Weaponsmith – Grindstone
It is also worth mentioning that there is a type of Villager called a Nitwit (they can be identified by their green clothes). You cannot trade with a Nitwit nor employ them, however, they still can claim a Bed. Put simply, they take up space and don’t benefit you, so you’re better off “disposing” of them to make room for more valuable Villagers.
Villager Career Levels
Every Villager will start out with their career level being Novice. As you trade more and more with individual Villagers, they will gain experience. When reaching specific thresholds of experience, Villagers gain a career level.
Here’s a breakdown of how much experience Villagers need to gain career levels:
- Novice – Beginning career level for all Villagers
- Apprentice – reached when Novice Villagers gain 10 experience points total
- Journeyman – reached when Apprentice Villagers gain 70 experience points total
- Expert – reached when Journeyman Villagers gain 150 experience points total
- Master – reached when Expert Villagers gain 250 experience points total
When Villagers increase in career level, they get more trade options. Since it can take a lot of time and effort to level up a Villager, you’ll want to protect specific individuals. You can do so by enclosing them in a well-lit bunker of some kind.
How Economics Affects Villager Trading Prices
The prices of each trade option are not static. As you trade more with Villagers, prices for items may increase or decrease. There are three main reasons such fluctuations happen:
- Item Demand – When an item gets sold out, it will be more expensive when the Villager restocks their inventory
- The Hero of the Village Effect – After completing a raid and receiving this buff, all Villager trade prices will temporarily decrease
- Individual Reputation – Being nice to a Villager (curing them from being a Zombie Villager, trading with them, and healing them with splash potions) makes their prices better while being unkind to them (hitting them or killing other Villagers) does the opposite
There is a limit to how much trade prices can shift. For each trade, the price can never go higher than a full stack or lower than a single item. For example, a trade that involves exchanging 10 Glass Panes for 1 Emerald will never go above 64 Glass Panes for 1 Emerald or below 1 Glass Pane for 1 Emerald.
How to Breed Villagers
Unlike animal mobs, you cannot directly force Villagers to enter love mode by feeding them. However, their breeding potential is still based on food. When a Villages has a total of 12 foods in their inventory (their personal inventory, not their trading inventory), they will attempt to breed with another Villager who also has 12 foods in their inventory.
If two such Villagers see each other, they will try to find some unclaimed Beds. If there are three Beds available (two for the breeding pair and one for the baby), the two well-fed Villagers will enter love mode and produce a Baby Villager.
What Villagers Eat
There are four kinds of items that count as food for Villagers: Bread, Potatoes, Carrots, and Beetroots. Each piece of Bread will count as four foods while the vegetables count as one food each. For this reason, Bread is the best food item for Villagers.
When a Villager has too much food, they will throw excess food at other Villagers—who will pick up that food if they have the inventory space. Similarly, you can drop Bread and other foods for the Villagers. This is a great way to make sure all Villagers are always ready to breed.
Just keep in mind that Villagers use up food when breeding, so you’ll have to give them more food afterward to get them to breed again. With that said, there do not seem to be any time-related cooldowns.
How Long It Takes for Baby Villager to Grow Up
It takes 20 minutes for a Baby Villager to grow into an adult. When they do, they will be unemployed. Until then, Baby Villagers will run around their home Village. To keep them safe, you may want to build walls around a Village to keep hostile mobs out.
20 minutes is the time of one full day cycle (one day and one night). It should be mentioned that sleeping does not speed up time—it only allows you to skip time.
Getting Closer to Villagers
There are two main ways in which you can increase your trading efficiency based on the locations of a Village and your base. You can either spend lots of time in a nearby Village, or you can bring Villagers back to your base.
Like most other mobs, Villagers can be pulled around on a Lead. The mechanics work the same as when using a Lead on animal mobs and hostile mobs. In this way, you can use a Lead to pull Villagers into their new homes somewhere on your property.
All Villager Trading Offers
Every Villager will start off with Novice-level trade offers. Furthermore, as they increase in career level, they will gain two new trade offers per level. Which new trade offers they gain will be random.
The following tables contain information about all potential trade offers. However, keep in mind that which trade offers your Villager possesses will depend on your playthrough. Furthermore, the exact prices will change depending on the specific economics of your playthrough as well.
Armorer
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | Coal x 15 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 5 | Iron Helmet x 1 | 1 |
| Novice | Emerald x 9 | Iron Chestplate x 1 | 1 |
| Novice | Emerald x 7 | Iron Leggings x 1 | 1 |
| Novice | Emerald x 4 | Iron Boots x 1 | 1 |
| Apprentice | Iron Ingot x 4 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 36 | Bell x 1 | 5 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 3 | Chainmail Leggings x 1 | 5 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 1 | Chainmail Boots x 1 | 5 |
| Journeyman | Lava Bucket x 1 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Diamond x 1 | Emerald x 1 | 20 in the Java Edition (30 in the Bedrock Edition) |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 1 | Chainmail Helmet x 1 | 10 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 4 | Chainmail Chestplate x 1 | 10 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 5 | Shield x 1 | 10 |
| Expert | Emerald x 19-33 | Enchanted Diamond Leggings x 1 | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 13-27 | Enchanted Diamond Boots x 1 | 15 |
| Master | Emerald x 13-27 | Enchanted Diamond Helmet | 30 |
| Master | Emerald x 21-35 | Enchanted Diamond Chestplate | 30 |
Butcher
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | Raw Chicken x 14 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Raw Porkchop x 7 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Raw Rabbit x 4 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 1 | Rabbit Stew x 1 | 1 |
| Apprentice | Coal x 15 | Emerald x 1 | 2 in the Java Edition (10 in the Bedrock Edition) |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 1 | Cooked Porkchop x 5 | 5 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 1 | Cooked Chicken x 8 | 5 |
| Journeyman | Raw Mutton x 7 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Raw Beef x 10 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Expert | Dried Kelp Block x 10 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Master | Sweet Berries x 10 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
Cartographer
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | Paper x 24 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 7 | Empty Map x 1 | 1 |
| Apprentice | Glass Pane x 11 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 13 | Ocean Explorer Map x 1 | 5 |
| Apprentice | Compass x 1 | Ocean Explorer Map x 1 | 5 |
| Journeyman | Compass x 1 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 14 | Woodland Explorer Map x 1 | 10 |
| Journeyman | Compass x 1 | Woodland Explorer Map x 1 | 10 |
| Expert | Emerald x 7 | Item Frame x 1 | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 3 | Banner x 1 (any color) | 15 |
| Master | Emerald x 8 | Globe Banner Pattern x 1 | 30 |
Cleric
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | Rotten Flesh x 32 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 1 | Redstone Dust x 2 | 1 |
| Apprentice | Gold Ingot x 1 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 1 | Lapis Lazuli x 1 | 5 |
| Journeyman | Rabbit's Foot x 2 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 4 | Glowstone x 1 | 10 |
| Expert | Scute x 4 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Glass Bottle x 9 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Emerald x 5 | Ender Pearl x 1 | 15 |
| Master | Nether Wart x 22 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Master | Emerald x 3 | Bottle o' Enchanting x 1 | 30 |
Farmer
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | Wheat x 20 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Potato x 26 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Carrot x 22 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Beetroot x 15 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 1 | Bread x 6 | 1 |
| Apprentice | Pumpkin x 6 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 1 | Pumpkin Pie x 4 | 5 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 1 | Apple x 4 | 5 |
| Journeyman | Melon x 4 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 3 | Cookie x 18 | 10 |
| Expert | Emerald x 1 | Suspicious Stew x 1 (Night Vision) | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 1 | Suspicious Stew x 1 (Jump Boost) | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 1 | Suspicious Stew x 1 (Weakness) | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 1 | Suspicious Stew x 1 (Blindness) | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 1 | Suspicious Stew x 1 (Poison) | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 1 | Suspicious Stew x 1 (Saturation) | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 1 | Cake x 1 | 15 |
| Master | Emerald x 3 | Golden Carrot x 3 | 30 |
| Master | Emerald x 4 | Glistening Melon Slice x 3 | 30 |
Fisherman
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | String x 20 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Coal x 10 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 1 | Cooked Cod x 6 | 1 |
| Novice | Cod x 6 | Cooked Cod x 6 | 1 |
| Novice | Emerald x 3 | Bucket of Cod x 1 | 1 |
| Apprentice | Raw Cod x 15 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 1 | Cooked Salmon x 6 | 5 |
| Apprentice | Raw Salmon x 6 | Cooked Salmon x 6 | 5 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 2 | Campfire x 1 | 5 |
| Journeyman | Raw Salmon x 13 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 8-22 | Enchanted Fishing Rod x 1 | 10 |
| Expert | Tropical Fish x 6 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Master | Pufferfish x 4 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Master | Boat x 1 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
Fletcher
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | Stick x 32 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 1 | Arrow x 16 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 1 | Flint x 10 | 1 |
| Novice | Gravel x 10 | Flint x 10 | 1 |
| Apprentice | Flint x 26 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 2 | Bow x 1 | 5 |
| Journeyman | String x 14 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 3 | Crossbow x 1 | 10 |
| Expert | Feather x 24 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Emerald x 7-21 | Enchanted Bow x 1 | 15 |
| Master | Tripwire Hook x 8 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Master | Emerald x 8-22 | Enchanted Crossbow x 1 | 15 |
| Master | Emerald x 2 | Tipped Arrow x 1 (any kind) | 30 |
| Master | Arrow x 5 | Tipped Arrow x 1 (any kind) | 30 |
Leatherworker
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | Leather x 6 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 3 | Leather Pants x 1 | 1 |
| Novice | Emerald x 7 | Leather Tunic x 1 | 1 |
| Apprentice | Flint x 26 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 5 | Leather Cap x 1 | 5 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 4 | Leather Boots x 1 | 5 |
| Journeyman | Rabbit Hide x 9 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 7 | Dyed Leather Tunic x 1 (random color) | 10 |
| Expert | Scute x 4 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Emerald x 6 | Dyed Leather Horse Armor x 1 (random color) | 15 |
| Master | Emerald x 6 | Saddle x 1 | 30 |
| Master | Emerald x 5 | Dyed Leather Cap x 1 (random color) | 30 |
Librarian
Note that the Enchanted Books that Librarians sell will have enchantments based on the price. The higher the cost: the higher level the enchantment will be.
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | Paper x 24 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 5-64 | Enchanted Book x 1 | 1 |
| Novice | Book x 1 | Enchanted Book x 1 | 1 |
| Novice | Emerald x 9 | Bookshelf x 1 | 1 |
| Apprentice | Book x 4 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 5-64 | Enchanted Book x 1 | 5 |
| Apprentice | Book x 1 | Enchanted Book x 1 | 5 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 1 | Lantern x 1 | 5 |
| Journeyman | Ink Sac x 5 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 5-64 | Enchanted Book x 1 | 10 |
| Journeyman | Book x 1 | Enchanted Book x 1 | 10 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 1 | Glass x 4 | 10 |
| Expert | Book and Quill x 1 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Emerald x 5-64 | Enchanted Book x 1 | 15 |
| Expert | Book x 1 | Enchanted Book x 1 | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 5 | Clock x 1 | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 4 | Compass x 1 | 15 |
| Master | Emerald x 20 | Name Tag x 1 | 30 |
Mason
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | Clay Ball x 10 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 1 | Brick x 10 | 1 |
| Apprentice | Stone x 20 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 1 | Chiseled Stone Bricks x 4 | 5 |
| Journeyman | Granite x 16 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Andesite x 16 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Diorite x 16 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 1 | Polished Granite x 4 | 10 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 1 | Polished Andesite x 4 | 10 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 1 | Polished Diorite x 4 | 10 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 1 | Dripstone Block x 4 | 10 |
| Expert | Nether Quartz x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Emerald x 1 | Colored Terracotta x 1 (any color) | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 1 | Glazed Terracotta x 1 (any color) | 15 |
| Master | Emerald x 1 | Quartz Pillar x 1 | 30 |
| Master | Emerald x 1 | Block of Quartz x 1 | 30 |
Shepherd
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | White Wool x 18 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Gray Wool x 18 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Black Wool x 18 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Brown Wool x 18 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 2 | Shears x 1 | 1 |
| Apprentice | White Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Gray Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Black Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Light Blue Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Lime Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 1 | Wool x 1 (any color) | 5 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 1 | Carpet x 4 (any color) | 5 |
| Journeyman | Light Gray Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Yellow Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Orange Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Red Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Pink Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 3 | Bed x 1 (any color) | 10 |
| Expert | Green Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Cyan Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Blue Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Magenta Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Purple Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Brown Dye x 12 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Emerald x 3 | Blank Banner x 1 (any color) | 15 |
| Master | Emerald x 2 | Painting x 3 | 30 |
Toolsmith
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | Coal x 15 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 1 | Stone Pickaxe x 1 | 1 |
| Novice | Emerald x 1 | Stone Axe x 1 | 1 |
| Novice | Emerald x 1 | Stone Shovel x 1 | 1 |
| Novice | Emerald x 1 | Stone Hoe x 1 | 1 |
| Apprentice | Iron Ingot x 4 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 36 | Bell x 1 | 5 |
| Journeyman | Flint x 30 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 6-20 | Enchanted Iron Pickaxe x 1 | 10 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 7-21 | Enchanted Iron Axe x 1 | 10 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 8-22 | Enchanted Iron Shovel x 1 | 10 |
| Journeyman | Emerald x 4 | Diamond Hoe x 1 | 10 |
| Expert | Diamond x 1 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Emerald x 17-31 | Enchanted Diamond Axe x 1 | 15 |
| Expert | Emerald x 10-24 | Enchanted Diamond Shovel x 1 | 15 |
| Master | Emerald x 18-32 | Enchanted Diamond Pickaxe x 1 | 30 |
Weaponsmith
| Career Level | Item Desired | Item Sold | Experience Gained From Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | Coal x 15 | Emerald x 1 | 2 |
| Novice | Emerald x 3 | Iron Axe x 1 | 1 |
| Novice | Emerald x 7-21 | Enchanted Iron Sword x 1 | 1 in the Java Edition (5 in the Bedrock Edition) |
| Apprentice | Iron Ingot x 4 | Emerald x 1 | 10 |
| Apprentice | Emerald x 36 | Bell x 1 | 5 in the Java Edition (10 in the Bedrock Edition) |
| Journeyman | Flint x 24 | Emerald x 1 | 20 |
| Expert | Diamond x 1 | Emerald x 1 | 30 |
| Expert | Emerald x 17-31 | Enchanted Diamond Axe x 1 | 15 |
| Master | Emerald x 13-27 | Enchanted Diamond Sword x 1 | 30 |