Careers have always been a cornerstone of The Sims franchise, shaping not just the daily routines of Sims but also the long-term stories players create for them. Whether chasing financial success, pursuing creative passions, or simply trying to keep the bills paid, jobs in The Sims are more than just a way to earn Simoleons. They’re a fundamental part of the game’s identity. And in The Sims 4, they remain just as important.
Throughout expansions and updates, The Sims 4 has expanded its career system into something more flexible than ever before. From traditional rabbit hole jobs to active careers that let players follow their Sims through every part of the workday, the career roster now caters to a variety of playstyles. However, with so many options, some careers are naturally more attractive to players, offering not only financial stability but also ease of play and unique storytelling opportunities.
Among all these options, one path stands out as nearly unbeatable. It checks all the boxes: lucrative, simple, and genuinely fun to play. This job achieves all these while still feeling fresh in a game that’s been around for nearly a decade.
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The Unbeatable The Sims 4 Career Path: Profitable, Easy, and Fun
Some high-paying jobs in The Sims 4 might seem like no-brainer career choices. However, for a job to be unbeatable in a game so chock-full of options, it must meet certain criteria.
- Profitable: The unbeatable job should have a Sim earning a lot of Simoleons by the time they reach a level 5 promotion. Ideally, sooner, but usually at level 5, the game prompts many to choose a specialization for specific careers. This would disqualify The Sims 4’s part-time jobs like Barista and careers with poor early-level payouts, such as Criminal.
- Easy: Some jobs in The Sims 4 can be done remotely. Others may have shorter hours. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean their promotion tasks are easy to complete. All jobs require a high level of a relevant skill (some even up to level 10), and the tasks related to those skills often require a Sim to go out of their way, even outside of work hours. A career like Politician, where a Sim needs to persuade others to vote for them at higher levels, is particularly demanding for this reason.
- Fun: One of The Sims 4’s most popular additions to the franchise was active careers. Rejecting the rabbit hole-only approach to jobs, active careers let players go with their Sims to work. While formulaic gameplay loops that focus on chasing promotions foster deeper roleplay, some jobs can become too boring, causing players to lose interest in their Sims. An ideal job would be an active one, but it would also allow players to send their Sims off without supervision so they can handle other household tasks while their Sims are at work. High-paying jobs, like the Astronaut career, are excluded because they do not provide these options.
At first glance, this criterion might seem like a big ask. But one job meets all the requirements. It offers players flexibility, engaging gameplay, and plenty of Simoleons, making it perfect for anyone looking to explore the dark side. Plus, since this job was added to the game via DLC less than a year ago, it’s still fresh to most players.
The Reaper Career Fits the Bill
When most people think of an unbeatable career in The Sims 4, their minds tend to go toward the traditional. Doctor, Lawyer, or Athlete may come to mind. However, it’s in the avant-garde experiences The Sims 4 offers that the best job choice becomes clear. The Reaper career, introduced in The Sims 4’s Life & Death Expansion Pack, is a rare profession that remains unmatched in the larger scheme of things.
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The Reaper Career In The Sims 4 Stands Out For All The Right Reasons
For many old-school Simmers, the Reaper career comes as a surprise, but it's one of the most compelling newcomers around. It's incredibly lucrative from the start, consistently pays well throughout its mid- and late-game stages, and features quirky, darkly humorous mechanics that keep gameplay engaging. By level 5, a Sim can earn thousands of Simoleons per week while working reasonable hours, leaving time to pursue other skills, relationships, or just cause some chaos.
Unlike careers that drag out endless grinding before allowing progress, the Reaper track offers steady promotions in The Sims 4 without unreasonable demands. Oftentimes, toward the latter half of the Reaper’s workday, a player may even find some extra time to take care of a Sim’s needs.
But profitability and ease are just the tip of the iceberg. The Reaper career really stands out for its fun factor. As an active career, players can join their Sims at work and get involved in macabre tasks that normalize such dark subject matter. Whether it’s collecting wandering spirits, escorting townies to the afterlife, or cracking jokes with the Grim Reaper himself, the career adds a supernatural twist that's a refreshing change from the game's usual focus on domestic life. It’s entertaining without feeling tedious, balancing repeatable objectives with enough variety to keep things fresh.
Comparisons to Other Careers
When compared to long-standing career paths like Doctor, Detective, or Scientist, the Reaper job stands out. The Doctor and Detective tracks offer active gameplay but can quickly feel repetitive, especially after dozens of shifts in the hospital or police station. The Scientist career fares better thanks to its gadgets and inventions, but its heavy reliance on grinding the Logic skill can stall progress. By contrast, the Reaper career manages to stay fun without becoming overwhelming, and offers chances to level up relevant skills quickly during work, giving it more staying power than its predecessors.
An Added Challenge Most Careers Won’t Offer
The Reaper career might be an oddball choice to most Simmers who are used to playing in more traditional settings. However, by harnessing the magic found in The Sims’ weirdest Expansion Packs, it presents an opportunity to embrace the objective benefits while also forcing the player to think about storytelling.
The Reaper career opens the door to rich storytelling opportunities, something Sims fans tend to value as much as gameplay itself. A Reaper Sim can become the mysterious figure in town, straddling the line between life and death, or they can lean into the role as a benevolent guide to the departed. The job offers a moral grayness that most Sims careers avoid, allowing for narratives that feel darker, funnier, or more complex than the usual rise-and-grind trajectory. This makes it appealing for players who prefer immersive, roleplay-driven challenges in The Sims 4. And in a series built on narrative freedom, that kind of career isn’t just profitable — it’s unforgettable.
The Sims 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 70 /100 Critics Rec: 26%
- Released
- September 2, 2014
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Maxis
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
