The Witcher series continues to be one of the most popular IPs to this day, with the success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt along with the existence of the Netflix series leading to many passionate fans talking at length about this series and how characters like Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, and Ciri are great examples of how to write strong and interesting personalities.
A huge part of why players love The Witcher is because of how fleshed-out and lived-in the world feels. Many characters in the games have their jobs, deal with many problems, and enlist the services of experts whenever the need arises. However, this is a world populated with monsters and death, and some jobs are so precarious (even the simpler ones) that some people are better off staying at home and living on scraps than trying to go through an honest day's work.
8 Traveling Merchant
The world of The Witcher is a brutal one, with death awaiting many people at every corner. As a result, it's safer for people to stay within the confines of their own domicile, and this is especially helpful for people who live in the Continent's bigger cities.
However, the worst thing a person can do is roam the lands and expose themselves to danger every step of the way. Alas, such is the life of a traveling merchant, and the dangers on the road may make it clear why Geralt only encounters a handful of unique merchants who roam these roads in the game.
7 Vintner
The Witcher 3's DLC, Blood & Wine is one of the greatest expansion packs in video game history, allowing The Witcher 3 players to embark on a different and unique adventure as they travel to the land of Toussaint and uncover a major conspiracy that involves betrayal and vampires. The story is brilliant as always, and the new landscape that players explore is a welcome change that has a fresh color palette to boot.
While exploring Toussaint, Geralt will come across many Vintners who get screwed over and need to enlist the services of this Witcher time and time again to take out the monsters that inhabit the caves they wish to operate in. Even regular cellars sometimes attract monsters, making the simple act of making wine a life-threatening affair for people in this profession.
6 Adult Workers
The Witcher is a world filled with temptation, desire, and violence. As such, it's no secret that the dangerous men that lurk in taverns and the villages would seek the companionship of a woman, albeit for a few coins.
This is a dangerous job, considering the people in The Witcher can be pretty sadistic can be, and these poor sex workers end up being the target of many people who want to carry out some truly disgusting acts against their will. Simply tracking down Whoreson Jr. reveals the depths of a human being's depravity, and players can't help but feel sorry for these desperate girls who are just making a living.
5 Bounty Hunter
Technically, many people consider Witchers to be bounty hunters in their own way, even if the majority of their work deals with slaying monsters. However, as most people are already aware, humans can be the real monsters on the Continent, and many bounty hunters are willing to hunt them down for the right price.
Suffice it to say, the longevity of a person's life in this profession isn't all that high. After all, most bounty hunters are upstarts who think swinging a sword is all it takes to kill someone, giving them a rather rude awakening when their targets end up displaying skills that are simply too much to deal with.
4 Havekar
Havekar is a fancy name for a hawker, but this profession is more complicated than what meets the eye. These unscrupulous individuals smuggle arms for rebellious groups like the Scoia'tael at inflated prices, deepening the divide between elves and humans.
As a result, both races look down on these people quite a bit, making them solid targets for angry people to vent their frustration on. If someone plans to be a Havekar, then having protection is downright mandatory.
3 Soldier
It's no secret that conflicts between empires run rampant in The Witcher. After all, the third game itself takes place during a conflict between Redania and Nilfgaard, plunging the world into a savage war.
As a result, many young, brave, and stupid soldiers are sent to the front lines, dying for a cause they don't even understand. Being a soldier is a hard life, and defecting is punishable by death.
2 Mage Advisor
Most people would assume that mages live a life of opulence and luxury. This is especially true in the case of mages who serve as advisors in court, getting access to powerful tools and boundless wealth to do whatsoever they please.
However, mages are also distrusted by many people and end up making many powerful enemies if they serve in court. If things go south, then these people are the first to be targeted and killed for numerous reasons, mainly stemming from hatred and jealousy.
1 Witcher
Being a Witcher sounds like a great time, with people loving the idea of showing off their mutated strength, chugging down potions to attain more power, and whipping out powerful Signs to take out enemies at a moment's notice. However, the reality of this situation is completely different, especially when one considers the mutations and cruelty needed whilst as a child to begin this journey of prejudice.
A common saying in this series is that no Witcher has ever died in his bed, and that is a pretty haunting statement to be taken so lightly by people who put their bodies on the line fighting monsters for a bit of gold. It's a tough way to make a living, and it doesn't help that people look down on Witchers and have no problems with killing these so-called mutants in cold blood.