200+ Medieval Castle Professions

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Every castle was a small city. Beyond the lord and lady, dozens of specialized roles kept the household running: from the steward who managed the estate to the gong farmer who cleaned the privies. Use this list to populate your medieval settings with the people who actually lived and worked there.

Ways to Use This

Staff a castle: Start with Castellan, Steward, Marshal, then add servants and guards
Build a guild hall: Search for craft professions like Smith, Weaver, Cooper
Write a siege: Combine military roles (Archer, Sapper, Engineer) with support (Quartermaster, Cook)
Find an NPC's job: Search by keyword to discover period-accurate occupations

Role	Description
Acolyte	An assistant or follower, typically in a religious context, learning from a priest or cleric.
Agrarian	A farmer or peasant who works the land around the castle, providing food for its inhabitants.
Alchemist	A scholar and experimenter who sought to transform base metals into gold and find the elixir of life.
Ale-Conner	An officer appointed to test the quality of ale and beer.
Alewife	A woman who brewed and sold ale from her home or a small tavern.
Almoner	An official who distributes alms or charity to the poor on behalf of the lord or a religious institution.
Apothecary	A medical professional who prepared and dispensed medicines and drugs; a medieval pharmacist.
Archer	A soldier trained in the use of the bow and arrow, crucial for castle defense.
Aristocrat	A member of the nobility, involved in the governance of the castle and its lands.
Armorer	A craftsman who makes, sells, and repairs armor for knights and soldiers.
Artisan	A skilled craft worker who creates or improves material goods, such as a weaver, potter, or carpenter.
Artist	An artist who creates paintings, sculptures, and other decorations for the castle.
Astrologer	A person who uses celestial bodies to predict future events and advise the nobility.
Astronomer	A scholar who observes and studies celestial bodies for navigation, timekeeping, and scientific purposes.
Bailiff	An official in a manor who oversaw the lands and buildings, collected rents, and served as a local law officer.
Baker	A person responsible for baking bread and other goods for the castle inhabitants.
Barber-Surgeon	A person who performed surgery, bloodletting, and tooth extractions, in addition to cutting hair.
Bard	A poet and storyteller who entertained the court with tales of heroism, history, and romance.
Basket Weaver	A craftsman who wove baskets from reeds, willow, or other materials for storage and transport.
Beekeeper	A person who kept bees for their honey (a primary sweetener) and wax (for candles).
Blacksmith	A smith who forges iron into tools, horseshoes, and architectural elements. Essential to any castle or village.
Boatman	Operated ferries or small boats, transporting people and goods across rivers or moats.
Bodyguard	A guard or soldier tasked with the personal protection of a noble or royal.
Bookbinder	A craftsman who bound pages of vellum or paper into books, often with decorative covers.
Bottler	A servant in charge of the buttery and the castle's supply of wine and ale.
Bower	A servant responsible for preparing rooms and arranging beds in the castle.
Bowyer	A craftsman who made bows for archers.
Brewer	A person who brewed beer and ale, the most common drinks of the period.
Butcher	A person who slaughters animals and prepares meat for the castle's kitchens.
Butler	The chief servant of the household, originally in charge of the wine cellar (buttery).
Candlemaker	A person who made candles from tallow (animal fat) or the more expensive beeswax.
Cantor	The lead singer of religious and liturgical music in a chapel or church.
Captain of the Guard	The officer in command of the castle's garrison of soldiers.
Carpenter	A woodworker who constructed and repaired wooden structures, furniture, and siege engines.
Cartographer	A map-maker, a rare and valuable profession, creating maps for military and administrative purposes.
Cartwright	A craftsman who made and repaired carts and wagons.
Castellan	The governor or warden of a castle, appointed by the lord to manage it in his absence.
Chamberlain	A high-ranking official in charge of managing the lord's household and private chambers.
Chancellor	The head of the lord's secretariat or chancery; a chief secretary and record-keeper.
Chandler	See Candlemaker. They also often sold other provisions like soap and oils.
Chaplain	A priest or cleric responsible for the religious services in the castle's chapel.
Clerk	A literate person, often a cleric, who performed secretarial duties, record-keeping, and accounting.
Clothier	A merchant who deals in cloth and textiles.
Cobbler	A craftsman who made and repaired shoes.
Coiner	A craftsman responsible for minting and producing coins for the realm's economy.
Constable	A high-ranking officer, often the commander of the castle's army and keeper of order.
Cook	The head of the kitchen, responsible for preparing meals for the entire household.
Cooper	A craftsman who made and repaired wooden barrels, casks, and buckets.
Copyist	A person, usually a monk, who transcribed books and documents by hand.
Cordwainer	A shoemaker who worked with new, fine leather (from Cordoba, Spain).
Coroner	A royal official tasked with investigating any sudden, violent, or suspicious death to determine its cause on behalf of the Crown.
Cottar	A peasant of lower rank who held a cottage with a small piece of land in exchange for labor.
Councilor	An advisor to the lord or king, part of the governing council.
Courier	A messenger, often on horseback, responsible for carrying important letters and packages.
Court Jester	A professional fool or clown employed by the court to entertain the nobility.
Crossbowman	A soldier specializing in the use of the crossbow.
Cupbearer	A high-ranking servant who served drinks to the lord, often tasting them first for poison.
Curer	A specialist responsible for preserving food, especially meat and fish, through salting, smoking, or drying.
Currier	A specialist who treated, colored, and finished tanned leather.
Dairymaid	A woman who milked cows and made butter and cheese.
Diplomat	An envoy or ambassador sent to negotiate with other lords or kingdoms.
Ditcher	A laborer who dug and maintained ditches and moats.
Docker	A laborer who loads and unloads cargo from ships in a port.
Dyer	An artisan who dyed cloth and yarn into various colors using natural pigments.
Embroiderer	A highly skilled artisan, often female, who creates decorative designs on cloth with a needle and thread, distinct from a tailor or weaver.
Engineer	A designer and builder of military fortifications, siege engines, and sometimes aqueducts or bridges.
Engraver	An artist who incised designs onto metal, wood, or stone for printing or decoration.
Ewerer	A servant who brought and heated water for nobles to wash their hands and for bathing.
Executioner	An official who carries out sentences of capital punishment.
Falconer	A person who trained and hunted with falcons and hawks, a popular noble sport.
Ferryman	A person who operated a ferry to transport people and goods across a river.
Fire Starter	A servant in charge of starting and maintaining fires in the castle's hearths and braziers.
Fish Smoker	A person who specializes in smoking fish for preservation.
Fisherman	A person who caught fish from rivers, lakes, or the castle moat to supply the kitchens.
Fishmonger	A merchant who sells fish.
Fletcher	A craftsman who made arrows, attaching the feathers (fletching).
Footman	A uniformed male servant who attended the door, waited on tables, and ran errands.
Forester	An official in charge of the lord's forest, managing timber and game, preventing poaching, and maintaining order.
Fowler	A person who traps or hunts wild birds for food.
Fuller	A textile worker who cleaned and thickened cloth by beating and washing it.
Furrier	A craftsman who prepares, treats, and sells animal furs and fur-lined garments.
Gardener	A person who tended the castle's gardens, growing herbs, vegetables, and flowers.
Gatekeeper	A guard responsible for opening and closing the main castle gate and monitoring traffic.
Glassblower	A highly skilled artisan who created glass vessels and window panes.
Gleaner	A peasant, typically among the poorest, who was permitted to gather the leftover grains from a field after the harvest was complete.
Gong Farmer	A person who dug out and removed human waste from privies and cesspits. A smelly but essential job.
Groom	A servant who cared for the horses in the castle stables.
Guardsman	A soldier serving in the castle garrison, responsible for defense and keeping the peace.
Harpist	A musician who played the harp to entertain the court.
Hayward	An officer in charge of fences and enclosures, especially to protect crops from cattle.
Herald	An officer of arms, responsible for making proclamations, carrying messages, and identifying knights by their coats of arms.
Herbalist	A person knowledgeable in the medicinal properties of plants, often acting as a healer.
Herder	A person who looked after a herd of livestock like sheep, goats, or cattle.
Hunter	A person who hunted game (like deer and boar) in the lord's forests to provide meat for the castle.
Illuminator	A manuscript artist who decorated pages with gold, silver, and brilliant colors.
Innkeeper	The proprietor of an inn, providing lodging and food for travelers.
Jailer	The guard or warden in charge of the castle dungeon and its prisoners.
Jeweler	A craftsman who made and repaired jewelry for the nobility.
Keeper of the Wardrobe	A servant who managed the clothing, tapestries, and textiles of the noble household.
Kennelman	The person in charge of the care, training, and management of the lord's hounds and hunting dogs.
Kitchen Hand	A servant who performed basic tasks in the kitchen, such as washing and chopping.
Knight	A mounted warrior of noble birth, bound by a code of chivalry, who served a lord in exchange for land.
Lady-in-Waiting	A female personal attendant of a queen, princess, or high-ranking noblewoman.
Larderer	A kitchen officer in charge of the larder, responsible for storing and preparing meats and other animal products.
Launderer	A person who washed the clothing and linens for the castle household.
Leatherworker	An artisan who crafted goods from leather, such as saddles, belts, and pouches.
Librarian	A keeper of books, usually a monk or cleric in charge of the castle or monastery library.
Locksmith	A craftsman who made and repaired locks and keys.
Longbowman	An archer specializing in the use of the powerful English longbow.
Lord	The master of the castle and its lands, holding authority over all its inhabitants.
Magistrate	A civil officer and judge who administers law within a town or city, often presiding over minor legal cases and disputes.
Man-at-Arms	A well-equipped soldier, not necessarily a knight, who served in the lord's army.
Marshal	A high-ranking officer responsible for the castle's horses and stables, and for maintaining order and security within the grounds.
Mason	A skilled stoneworker who built and repaired the castle walls, towers, and buildings.
Master of the Hunt	A noble in charge of organizing and leading hunting parties for the lord.
Master of the Revels	An official who organized and managed court entertainment, festivities, and celebrations.
Meat Smoker	A person who specializes in smoking meat for preservation.
Mercenary	A professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army.
Merchant	A trader who bought and sold goods, often traveling long distances.
Messenger	A person tasked with delivering messages, often on foot.
Midwife	A woman who assisted with childbirth.
Miller	A person who operated a mill to grind grain into flour.
Miner	A laborer who extracted stone from a quarry or ore from a mine.
Minstrel	A traveling musician or singer who performed for nobles and commoners alike.
Moneylender	A person who lends money at interest, a role often filled by individuals outside Christian prohibitions on usury.
Monk	A member of a religious community of men living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Musician	A performer who played a musical instrument for entertainment at court.
Naperer	A servant in charge of the household's table linens, responsible for setting and clearing tables.
Navigator	A person skilled in directing the course of a ship, crucial for trade and exploration.
Nun	A member of a religious community of women, living in a convent.
Nurse	A woman who cared for the young children of the noble family.
Page	A young boy (aged 7-14) serving as an attendant to a noble, the first step to becoming a knight.
Painter	An artist who created portraits, murals, or decorated shields and banners.
Parchment Maker	A craftsman who prepared animal skins (vellum and parchment) for writing.
Pastry-cook	A cook specializing in making pies, pastries, confections, and other baked desserts.
Physician	A university-educated doctor who advised on health based on the theory of the four humors.
Pigeoner	A person who raised and cared for the castle's pigeons, used for sending messages and as a source of food.
Pikeman	A soldier trained in the use of the pike, a long thrusting spear, typically serving in the infantry.
Pilgrim	A person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons.
Piper	A musician who played the bagpipes or other pipe instruments.
Plasterer	A tradesman who applied plaster to walls and ceilings.
Pondkeeper	A person in charge of maintaining the castle's fishing ponds and managing its fish stock.
Porter	A doorkeeper or gatekeeper, but also a person who carried goods.
Potter	An artisan who made pottery, such as jugs, bowls, and plates, from clay.
Poulter	A servant or merchant in charge of poultry and game birds for the kitchen.
Priest	An ordained minister of the Catholic Church, responsible for the spiritual life of the community.
Pursemaker	A craftsman specializing in making purses, pouches, and bags.
Quarryman	A worker who extracted stone from a quarry for building.
Quartermaster	An officer responsible for procuring, storing, and distributing supplies for a garrison or army, including rations, weapons, and fodder.
Rat-catcher	A person employed to control rat populations within the castle.
Reeve	A manor official, usually a peasant elected by his peers, who supervised work on the lord's land.
Rhetorician	A teacher or master of rhetoric—the art of using language effectively and persuasively. A key figure in higher education.
Roofer	A craftsman who laid roofs, using materials like thatch, slate, or tile.
Ropemaker	A craftsman who twisted fibers into rope, essential for construction, shipping, and daily life.
Royal Advisor	A trusted counselor to the king or queen.
Sacristan	A church official responsible for the care of the sacristy, sacred vessels, and vestments.
Saddler	A craftsman who made and repaired saddles and other horse tack.
Sailor	A person who worked as a crew member on a ship.
Sapper	A military specialist who digs tunnels ('saps') to undermine castle walls, towers, or other fortifications during a siege.
Saucerer	A cook who specializes in preparing sauces and condiments for the kitchen.
Scabbard Maker	A specialist craftsman who made sheaths for swords and daggers.
Scholar	A learned person, often a cleric, dedicated to study and teaching.
Scout	A soldier or individual sent ahead of an army to gather information about the enemy or terrain.
Scribe	A person who could read and write, employed to copy documents and keep records.
Scullery Maid	The lowest-ranking kitchen servant, responsible for washing dishes and cleaning the scullery.
Sculptor	An artist who carved figures or decorations from stone or wood.
Seamstress	A woman who sewed and mended clothing and linens.
Servant	A general term for a person employed in a household to perform domestic duties.
Sewer	A high-ranking servant who oversaw the serving of meals and seated guests.
Sexton	A person who looks after a church or chapel, responsible for maintenance, ringing bells, and sometimes grave digging.
Shepherd	A person who tended, herded, and guarded flocks of sheep.
Sheriff	A royal official responsible for keeping the peace and collecting taxes in a shire or county.
Ship's Chandler	A merchant who specifically deals in supplies, equipment, and provisions for ships.
Shipwright	A craftsman who designed and built ships and boats.
Shoemaker	See Cobbler or Cordwainer.
Siege Engineer	See Engineer. Specialized in the design and operation of siege weapons like catapults and trebuchets.
Silversmith	A craftsman who worked with silver to create tableware, jewelry, and other fine objects.
Slave	An unfree person owned by another, more common in the early medieval period.
Smith	A worker in metal. See Blacksmith, Silversmith, Tinsmith.
Soldier	A person who served in an army, from a simple foot soldier to a mounted knight.
Spice Merchant	A wealthy merchant who imported and sold rare and expensive spices from the East.
Spicer	A kitchen officer in charge of procuring, storing, and preparing spices.
Spinner	A person, usually a woman, who spun fibers like wool or flax into thread.
Spy	A person secretly employed to collect information on enemies or rivals.
Squire	A young man (aged 14-21) in the second stage of training for knighthood, serving as an attendant to a knight.
Stablehand	A worker who cared for the horses and cleaned the stables.
Steward	The chief official who managed the lord's estate, finances, and domestic administration.
Stonemason	See Mason.
Storyteller	A person who recounted tales and legends for entertainment.
Summoner	An officer who summoned people to appear in an ecclesiastical court.
Surgeon	See Barber-Surgeon. A more skilled surgeon might have some formal training.
Swineherd	A person who tends to a herd of pigs.
Swordsmith	A master blacksmith specializing in the forging of high-quality swords and blades.
Tailor	A person who made, altered, and repaired clothing, especially for the nobility.
Tanner	A craftsman who processed animal hides into leather.
Tapestry Weaver	A highly skilled artisan who wove large, decorative pictures into cloth to hang on castle walls.
Taskmaster	An overseer who assigned and supervised the work of laborers or servants.
Taster	A servant who tasted the lord's food and drink to check for poison.
Tavern Keeper	The owner and operator of a tavern.
Tax Collector	An official, often disliked, responsible for collecting taxes and revenues for the lord or king.
Thatcher	A craftsman who covered roofs with straw or reeds.
Theologian	An academic scholar of religious faith, practice, and experience; one who studies and writes about the nature of God and religious truth.
Tiler	A craftsman who laid tile floors or roofs.
Tinker	A traveling mender of pots, pans, and other metal household utensils.
Torturer	An individual employed to inflict pain to extract confessions or information.
Town Crier	An officer of the court who made public announcements in the streets.
Trapper	A person who trapped wild animals for their fur or to control pests.
Treasurer	The official in charge of the finances and revenues of the household or kingdom.
Turnkey	A jailer; the person in charge of the keys of a prison.
Tutor	A private teacher for the children of the noble family.
Vassal	A person who held land from a feudal lord and in return owed him allegiance and service.
Vintner	A person who made or sold wine.
Wainwright	A maker of wagons (wains).
Watchman	A guard who kept watch over the castle or town, especially at night.
Water Carrier	A laborer who carried water from a well, river, or cistern to the castle kitchens and chambers.
Weaver	An artisan who wove thread into cloth on a loom.
Wet Nurse	A woman who breastfed and cared for another woman's child.
Wheelwright	A craftsman who made and repaired wooden wheels.
Whipper	An individual tasked with carrying out corporal punishment on servants or serfs.
Woodcarver	An artist who carved objects and decorations from wood.
Woodcutter	A laborer who cuts down trees and prepares wood for fuel, construction, or other purposes.
Woodsman	A person who worked in the forest, cutting or gathering wood.
Wool Merchant	A wealthy merchant dealing in wool, a major commodity in the medieval economy.
Yeoman	A free man who owned his own land; also a rank of royal attendant or a class of archer.

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