Probably Stolen Starting Professions: All 9 Backgrounds Explained
All nine Probably Stolen 1.0 starting professions — Apprentice, Water Merchant, Fence, Rock Bottom, Hydroponic Farmer, Gunsmith, Chemist, Rat Wrangler and Aquafarmer — with the official starting equipment, playstyle and risk for each. Starting money is not published.
Launch price
US $17.99$19.99
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All nine professions
The starting setups and playstyles below come from the official 1.0 announcement:
Probably Stolen 1.0 starting professions
| Profession | Official starting setup | Playstyle and risk |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | Starts from nothing and learns the core loop while upgrading the shop | Generalist; the most beginner-friendly entry point |
| Water Merchant | Starts with water testing and purification equipment | Detection, purification and relabelling; fast early cash, or skip purification and slap on a fake label at your own risk |
| Fence | Specialises in stolen goods | Needs fast turnover and discretion; high throughput and frequent search pressure |
| Rock Bottom | Starts with nothing at all | The officially defined highest-difficulty survival challenge |
| Hydroponic Farmer | Starts with hydroponic machines and basic farm supplies | Grows crops in limited space and can later cultivate high-value GMO contraband; cyclical output and strong late-game profit |
| Gunsmith | Starts with a Class 1 weapon permit, guns and ammunition stock | Weapons and attachments sell for high profit but invite frequent security inspections |
| Chemist | Starts with chemistry lab equipment | Uses secret recipes to make high-margin chemicals and build repeat customers; depends on recipe research and material purification |
| Rat Wrangler | Breeds and raises mutant rats | Official challenge: raise a healthy 2×3 giant rat; high maintenance, with droppings and feeding to manage |
| Aquafarmer | Starts with a recirculating aquaculture system, Tilapia fry and fish feed | Slower and lower-maintenance than rat farming; a beginner-friendly production route that can later raise eels and sturgeon |
Starting money is not published; it varies with the four difficulty levels.
Starting money and difficulty
1.0 has four difficulty levels.OfficialThe official announcement does not list starting money per profession, and there is no official table of how much each background receives at each difficulty.
Ignore specific numbers
Any claim like "Apprentice starts with 500 coins" is not official unless it cites a source. Starting money varies with difficulty; this table will be filled in after 1.0 testing.
How to choose
The developer gives positioning, not a power ranking:
- First run: Apprentice is the generalist start that teaches the loop while you upgrade.
- Slower production: Aquafarmer is lower maintenance than Rat Wrangler.
- High profit, inspections included: Gunsmith earns well but faces frequent security checks.
- High turnover, search pressure: Fence moves stolen goods fast and draws the most scrutiny.
- Challenge run: Rock Bottom starts from nothing and is the official highest-difficulty option.
Three more professions after launch
The roadmap confirms Organ Trader, Junker and Street Food Vendor.OfficialThey are not part of the nine launch professions, and the developer has not announced their release dates or starting equipment.
Read next
- Put a background to work: Production Chains & Machine Upgrades
- How a run ends: Endings, Endgame Stats & Security Arrests
- New to the loop: Beginner Guide: Daily Loop, Rent & Opening Tips
FAQ
How many starting professions does Probably Stolen have?
Nine at launch in 1.0. The post-launch roadmap also confirms Organ Trader, Junker and Street Food Vendor.
Which starting profession is best for a beginner?
The developer describes Apprentice as the generalist start and Aquafarmer as slower with lower maintenance. No official power ranking exists, and this guide does not invent one.
How much starting money does each profession get?
The developer has not published starting money. It varies with the four difficulty levels and needs 1.0 testing to pin down.
What is Rock Bottom?
An officially defined highest-difficulty challenge where you start with nothing and build from zero.
Can I combine equipment from several professions?
No. The background sets your starting equipment and position. The developer has not described any cross-profession equipment carry-over.
Launch price
US $17.99$19.99
Related guides
Probably Stolen Beginner Guide: Daily Loop, Rent & Opening Tips
The daily loop, rent, inspection and appraisal, customer types, Aug tells and faction reputation — the core mechanics Probably Stolen has published so far, explained without guesswork.
Probably Stolen Factions & Reputation Guide: Perks, Permits & Attracting Rich Buyers
How faction reputation works in Probably Stolen 1.0: six factions and their thresholds (perks at 100, Diplomatic at 200), the Lower Levels 15% permanent discount, the 20/50/80 firearms permits, Upper Levels markups, and the 350-credit display-case rule.
Probably Stolen: All 21 Achievements and How to Unlock Them
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