The Slacker career track is a career first introduced in The Sims: Livin' Large, and made a comeback in The Sims 2. The primary focus for Sims is to have a career in service. Neither The Sims 3 or The Sims 4 or any of their expansions have a slacker career, though part-time jobs in The Sims 3 and The Sims 4 are similar.

The Sims

In the base game, career tracks that had the highest pay at rank 1 had the lowest pay at rank 10, and vice versa. The slacker career path upended that expectation by having the lowest pay in every single rank out of all 15 career paths that existed at that point. In return, the hours were generally shorter, giving the Sim more time to build friendships, clean up around the house, or do whatever they would rather be doing than working. However, reaching rank 10 required more friends (15) than any other career track except politics and paranormal, so all that extra free time typically got wasted on inviting the neighbors over and chatting with them for hours just to get promoted. Later, The Sims: Unleashed expansion would add two career paths (culinary and circus) whose severely bent pay curves dipped below that of the slacker; however, slacker's pay curve was still the lowest and flattest overall. Out of all 20 real careers from The Sims and its expansion packs, slacker also has the absolute worst ratio of pay to friends required to reach rank 10 (§600/15 friends = 40), making it the least rewarding career track to climb. Only politics even comes close (§750/17 friends = 44.1).

• Slacker Career Levels
• Slacker Chance Cards

Slacker Career Levels
1) Golf Caddy
Spending your sunny days carrying someone else's clubs for a round of 18 - what could be easier? Early morning tee times call for early work hours, but it's a terrific opportunity to schmooze with the wealthy at the local country club.	0	0	0
	0	0	0
	05:00 - 10:00		0
			§90/day
2) Convenience Store Clerk
The customers are considerably less wealthy than those in your last job, but there is plenty of free soda pop and candy bars - not a bad trade. Besides, all your friends can hang out at the store late in the evening and read the comics while you pretend to work.	0	0	0
	0	0	0
	22:00 - 03:00		0
			§110/day
3) Life Guard
Back in the sunshine again! Like, remember to be all like hip and stuff and work on your charisma. Be sure to load up on sunscreen too!	0	0	0
	2	0	0
	09:00 - 15:00		1
			§150/day
4) Record Store Clerk
Nothin' but tunes all day long, man... While you'll need to boost your charisma to maintain this cushy job, there's no easier way to get paid to listen to your favorite music all day long.	0	0	2
	2	0	0
	12:00 - 17:00		2
			§180/day
5) Party D.J.
Those contacts you made at the record store certainly paid off - now you're spinning tunes at the best parties in town. Late nights and lots of mechanical skills are needed to keep those turn tables spinnin'.	0	0	4
	2	0	0
	23:00 - 04:00		4
			§220/day
6) Projectionist
Show the finished product to the world, press a button here and there, and presto! - you're not working very hard for that tidy little paycheck, are you? Good thing you're a night owl.	0	3	4
	2	0	0
	10:00 - 19:00		4
			§280/day
7) Video Editor
The best part of your job? Seeing all the blunders those mega-stars make when filming. Making them look good can help to earn you friends, though you'll want to concentrate on making plenty of them yourself - never hurts to know the right people when you're looking to just be comfortable.	0	5	4
	2	0	0
	12:00 - 18:00		7
			§350/day
8) Freelance Photographer
That time in the editing room taught you well - you know how to get a good shot the first time around. Go everywhere, see everything, take gorgeous pics on someone else's dime, and look good doing it. It's a free-and-easy way to live, but requires lots of travel, as well as the connections to finance it.	0	5	7
	3	0	0
	12:00 - 17:00		10
			§400/day
9) Personal Tour Guide
The best part about knowing so many people is that you get to use that knowledge to earn your keep. Point out all the best places to newcomers and keep your friends connected to all the great places you visited when you were a lowly photographer. Those who learn the most from you learn to love you best, and may eventually invite into their inner circle.	0	5	8
	6	0	0
	14:00 - 19:00		12
			§450/day
10) Professional Party Guest
This is it, the ultimate lap of luxury, at no cost to you! Living the good life, partying and living at someone else's house, surrounded by more artificial friends than the best politicians in town. Enjoy it while you can...	0	5	10
	9	0	0
	22:00 - 02:00		15
			§600/day

A Professional Party Guest will eventually change careers and become a Back-up Musician in the Music career track.

Slacker Chance Cards
1) Golf Caddy
No chance cards for this level.
2) Convenience Store Clerk
Caught filching snack food from your employer! How embarrassing - the stuff doesn't even taste that good. Lose a charisma point, and be prepared for your friends to tease you mercilessly for your carelessness.	Negative
	-1
3) Life Guard
No chance cards for this level.
4) Record Store Clerk
No chance cards for this level.
5) Party D.J
Tsk, tsk. Hitting on the event planner and your poorly hidden attempt to sneak away to conduct your clandestine affairs when you were supposed to be working earns you scorn from the partygoers, and an angry spouse to contend with. Lose two charisma points and spend an extra §2,000 on home security to avoid an ugly confrontation.	Negative
	-§2,000 -1
6) Projectionist
No chance cards for this level.
7) Video Editor
No chance cards for this level.
8) Freelance Photographer
Your film from your last vacation/ work excursion got distributed by accident - and to your benefit! An internationally acclaimed naturalists' magazine has used one of your panoramic shots on its cover. Gain one charisma point for your new popularity and receive §5,000 from the magazine.	Positive
	+§5,000 +1
9) Personal Tour Guide
No chance cards for this level.
10) Professional Party Guest
Your long-time presence in an easy-going job has led you to believe you can handle anything - even a successful career in the music industry. Just hope that some of your party friends work for record companies, to help pave your way in your new career, so you can avoid paying some of your dues.	Positive
	Change to the Music career track as a Back-up Musician.

The Sims Bustin' Out

The Slacker Career returns in The Sims: Bustin' Out as a Free Play exclusive Career.

Slacker Career Levels
1) Janitor
Hey, being a janitor ain't so bad. You can work alone, at night, and nobody bothers you. No thinking is required or needed, and you get to practice sweeping, mopping, vacuuming and unclogging toilets....what could be better? Bonus: None	0	0	0
	0	0	0
	17:00 - 22:00		0
			§100/day
2) Convenience Store Clerk
You couldn't take the isolation of janitorial work, so you took a clerk job to meets lots of people...lots of 3 AM kind of people. Better learn some new SKILLS, that is... if you have ANY ambition at all. Bonus: §240	0	2	0
	0	0	0
	21:00 - 04:00		0
			§120/day
3) Gas Station Attendant
Well you wanted to work on cars, but all they'll let you do is pump gas, and even that's automated. You're just stuck behind a counter...AGAIN. Try making some new FRIENDS, and maybe you'll line up a new line of work. Bonus: §380	0	2	0
	3	0	0
	09:00 - 15:00		2
			§190/day
4) Taxi Driver
What’s better than the smell of gasoline? The smell of a CAB… Now you get to deal with REAL people: creeps, low-lifes, degenerates, the scum, the filth, the dogs… you know… RICH people! Bonus: §500	0	3	0
	3	0	2
			2
			§250/day
5) Truck Driver
Now this is the life. You get a CB radio, a huge truck and your own name tag… now that’s stylin’! Plus, you can get back at all those rich Sims by hauling their illegally parked cars to the impound lot. Sweet! Bonus: §650	0	3	3
	3	0	3
	07:00 - 14:00		4
			§325/day
6) Car Mechanic
You got so good at helping fix cars on the road, they made you a full-time mechanic! It’s still anti-social work, and you’re dirtier than EVER, but at least the pay is good. Plus, you get to drag-race all the newest cars when the owners aren’t around! Bonus: §800	0	5	4
	4	0	4
	11:00 - 20:00		5
			§400/day
7) Repo Sim
Your sunny personality, love of cars, and love of people uniquely qualifies you for the intense life of the repo sim. Work closely with insurance companies, the court system, and lawyers… to make the world a happier place. Bonus: §1100	0	5	4
	5	2	5
	12:00 - 21:00		8
			§550/day
8) Private Investigator
It’s kind of like being a repo sim, but without the stress and with a lot more money. Problem is, sometimes you gotta deal with some pretty rough characters. Beef up your BODY… just in case. Bonus: §1400	0	5	6
	8	3	7
	11:00 - 18:00		8
			§700/day
9) Cargo Pilot
You scored a pontoon airplane along with a glass eye on your last case. You’ve decided to live the easy life of a island hopping cargo pilot. Tourists, mailbags, bananas… it’s all good! Bonus: §2200	0	5	8
	8	4	10
	17:00 - 02:00		8
			§1100/day
10) Smuggler
The less you know, the better it is for them. The less THEY know, the better it is for YOU. Everyone's happy. Everyone gets rich. Just don't EVER be late... Bonus: §2800	0	5	8
	8	4	10
	10:00 - 15:00		8
			§1400/day

The Sims 2

Slacker is one of the ten basic careers in The Sims 2. Similar to the Slacker career from Livin' Large, it's one of the lowest paying careers. Also, it requires the fewest skills of all careers for promotion, though it does require a high number of friends at the upper levels. If The Sims 2: Apartment Life is installed, Gearheads are likely to work in this career. College majors associated with this career are Philosophy, Literature and Art. The career is usually a want of a Sim with the Romance or the Pleasure aspiration, but can be chosen by any Sim at the age of teen, adult or elder. The career reward object is an AquaGreen Hydroponic Garden. It is awarded at the Party DJ level (level 5) and builds the creativity skill, along with nature enthusiasm.

Oddly enough, the work uniform for teens and elders at the top of their career, working as "Convenience Store Clerks" wear the red fast food worker uniform for the culinary career, instead of the yellow and green shop assistant uniform adult sims wear at this level (which is also worn by NPC teen cashiers). This was presumably an error by the game developers. However, there is a mod to fix this mistake.

• Adult Promotion Levels
• Teen/Elder Promotion Levels
• Adult Chance Cards

Slacker Career Levels
1) Golf Caddy
Spending your sunny days carrying someone else's clubs for a round of 18—what could be easier? Early morning tee times call for early work hours, but it's a terrific opportunity to schmooze with the wealthy at the local country club.	0	0	0	0
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §126/day
	05:00 - 10:00		Pension: §45/day
			Bonus: None
2) Gas Station Attendant
The hours are doable. The pay is pretty lousy. On occasion you find yourself with odd headaches which result from the fumes. But hey, you've got all the delights of the snack cake and magazine racks right at your fingertips! Enjoy!	0	0	0	0
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §154/day
	22:00 - 03:00		Pension: §55/day
			Bonus: §208
3) Convenience Store Clerk
The customers are considerably less wealthy than those in your last job, but there is plenty of free soda pop and candy bars—not a bad trade. Besides, all your friends can hang out at the store late in the evening and read the comics while you pretend to work.	1	0	0	0
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §210/day
	09:00 - 15:00		Pension: §75/day
			Bonus: §420
4) Record Store Clerk
Nothin' but tunes all day long, man... While you'll need to boost your charisma to maintain this cushy job, there's no easier way to get paid to listen to your favorite music all day long.	1	1	0	0
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §252/day
	10:00 - 15:00		Pension: §90/day
			Bonus: §504
5) Party DJ
Those contacts you made at the record store certainly paid off—now you're spinning tunes at the best parties in town. Late nights and lots of mechanical skills are needed to keep those turn tables spinnin'.	1	2	1	2
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §385/day
	23:00 - 04:00		Pension: §110/day
			Bonus: §770
6) Projectionist
Show the finished product to the world, press a button here and there, and presto!—you're not working very hard for that tidy little paycheck, are you? Good thing you're a night owl.	3	2	1	4
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §392/day
	18:00 - 01:00		Pension: §112/day
			Bonus: §784
7) Home Video Editor
The best part of your job? Seeing all the blunders those mega-stars make when filming. Making them look good can help to earn you friends, though you'll want to concentrate on making plenty of them yourself—never hurts to know the right people when you're looking to just be comfortable.	4	2	2	5
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §613/day
	11:00 - 17:00		Pension: §175/day
			Bonus: §1,226
8) Freelance Photographer
That time in the editing room taught you well—you know how to get a good shot the first time around. Go everywhere, see everything, take gorgeous pics on someone else's dime, and look good doing it. It's a free-and-easy way to live, but requires lots of travel, as well as the connections to finance it.	4	3	3	7
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §788/day
	14:00 - 19:00		Pension: §225/day
			Bonus: §1,576
9) Freelance Web Designer
The move from Freelance Photographer to Freelance Web Designer isn't a big step in responsibility, but to the Internet illiterate, who don't know that your word processor does all the HTML layout for you, it's still pretty impressive. Play it cool, convince as many friends as you can that you're on the cutting edge of everything hip, and you might find yourself invited into SimCity's elite inner circle.	4	4	4	10
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §933/day
	10:00 - 15:00		Pension: §199/day
			Bonus: §1,866
10) Professional Party Guest
This is it, the ultimate lap of luxury, at no cost to you! Living the good life, partying and living at someone else's house, surrounded by more artificial friends than the best politicians in town. Enjoy it while you can...	4	5	5	13
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §1,400/day
	22:00 - 02:00		Pension: §300/day
			Bonus: §2,800

Slacker Career Levels
1) Golf Caddy
Spending your sunny days carrying someone else's clubs for a round of 18—what could be easier? Early morning tee times call for early work hours, but it's a terrific opportunity to schmooze with the wealthy at the local country club.	0	0	0	0
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §45/day
	15:00 - 18:00
			Bonus: None
2) Gas Station Attendant
The hours are doable. The pay is pretty lousy. On occasion you find yourself with odd headaches which result from the fumes. But hey, you've got all the delights of the snack cake and magazine racks right at your fingertips! Enjoy!	1	0	0	2
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §71/day
	15:00 - 18:00
			Bonus: §142
3) Convenience Store Clerk
The customers are considerably less wealthy than those in your last job, but there is plenty of free soda pop and candy bars—not a bad trade. Besides, all your friends can hang out at the store late in the evening and read the comics while you pretend to work.	1	1	1	4
	S M T W T F S		Wage: §96/day
	17:00 - 21:00
			Bonus: §192

Slacker Chance Cards
1) Golf Caddy
<Sim name> is caddying for Malcolm Landgrabb, head of Landgrabb Enterprises, who has just hit his second shot into the rough about 65 yards from the green. The business tycoon leans over and asks <Sim name> whether he should use a nine iron or a wedge. <Sim name> debates how to respond.	I dunno
	Success: +§50	85% chance
	Failure: Get Fired	14% chance
	Whatever
	Success: +§20	14% chance
	Failure: No Penalty	85% chance
2) Gas Station Attendant
<Sim name> is sitting in <his/her> tiny sales kiosk listening to the sound of the rain beating against the bullet-proof glass. <He/She> has just begun to debate whether <he/she> should eat a YumCo Tiny-Cake or try one of the new flavors of Mystery Cheese Food, when a racy new sports car pulls up to the full-service pump and honks for service. Should <Sim name> go on break, or just pretend not to notice?	On Break
	Success: +§500	85% chance
	Failure: -§50	14% chance
	Pretend
	Success: +§100	14% chance
	Failure: -§154 (a day's pay)	85% chance
3) Convenience Store Clerk
The store is empty, except of course for Crazy Bill (who just hangs out in the canned goods section talking about how he used to work for some big company that invested apricots), so <Sim name> decides to walk around with a broom and pretend <he/she>'s sweeping. <He/She> spots a coin beneath the FriggleFreeze machine and jams the broom back behind the compressor to try to get it out. The machine goes haywire and starts spewing frozen Friggly liquid everywhere. Should <Sim name> try to fix it with duct tape or with chewing gum?	Duct Tape
	Success: +1	50% chance
	Failure: -§210 (a day's pay)	49% chance
	Gum
	Success: +1	49% chance
	Failure: -1	50% chance
4) Record Store Clerk
<Sim name>'s boss puts <him/her> in charge of choosing a house band for the store. The first two bands to audition are the Naughty Llamas and the Reticulated Splines. Both bands are good enough, so <Sim name> decides to pick from the two and take the rest of the afternoon to alphabetize the store's vinyl collection by drummers' last name.	Naughty Llamas
	Success: +2	50% chance
	Failure: -§849	49% chance
	Reticulated Splines
	Success: +2	49% chance
	Failure: -1	50% chance
5) Party DJ
<Sim name> gets a call to spin at, what a party promoter only describes as, a "big gig going down tonight," but in <his/her> excitement, <Sim name> forgot to ask what type of music to bring, and has failed to get a contact number. <He/She> can't possibly bring all <his/her> vinyl, so <he/she> needs to make a decision and bring either the latest hits or the golden oldies.	Hits
	Success: +§200 +1	85% chance
	Failure: -§578	14% chance
	Oldies
	Success: +§200 +1	14% chance
	Failure: -§385 (a day's pay) -1	85% chance
6) Projectionist
On the opening night of Hugh Martin's latest film "The Colour of Simoleons", <Sim name> discovers that the reels arrived damaged. Most of the film is fine, but a few sections won't run clearly through the projector unless they're reattached. Should <Sim name> splice the film back together, or take the chance and substitute the art film <he/she> made in high school?	Splice
	Success: Promoted to Home Video Editor	85% chance
	Failure: Get Fired	14% chance
	Substitute
	Success: +§2,200 +1	14% chance
	Failure: Get Fired -1	85% chance
7) Home Video Editor
A local Studio Town music video director has asked <Sim name> to cut together some stock 8mm footage he needs to round out the transitions for a video. <Sim name> only has a few hours, so <he/she> doesn't have any time to shoot any new footage, but <his/her> stock of 8mm reels isn't very extensive. The director has asked for a single theme that will fit with the "frantic, but youthful" nature of the video. <Sim name> searches through <his/her> archive and settles on two options, a reel <he/she> has of Sonny, SimCity's own tragic clown, or some old footage of bunny rabbits sneaking carrots out of a small residential garden.	Tragic Clown
	Success: +§7,000 +3	15% chance
	Failure: -§613 (a day's pay) -1	84% chance
	Bunny Rabbits
	Success: +§75,000	84% chance
	Failure: -§613 (a day's pay) -1	15% chance
8) Freelance Photographer
In exchange for taking some digital pictures for their corporate web presence, ALlamaInEveryHome.com offers <Sim name> 1000 shares of their stock in lieu of <his/her> usual fee. Word on the street is that tech stocks are good investments again, but <Sim name> doesn't want to get burned like <he/she> did in the last dot com bubble burst with those four different online pet food delivery sites <he/she> bought into.	Take Stock
	Success: +§4,000 +1	15% chance
	Failure: -§3,152 (a day's pay)	84% chance
	Demand Cash
	Success: Promoted to Freelance Web Designer	84% chance
	Failure: -2	15% chance
9) Freelance Web Designer
A marketing rep <Sim name> met while working for ALlamaInEveryHome.com is starting up a new website dedicated to SimCity's social scene. Knowing that <Sim name> is pretty well connected, she's asked <him/her> to design the website, but she also wants <him/her> to update the site with all the "coolest parties, and trendiest places." <Sim name>'s willing to take the job and design the website, but <he/she> isn't sure about publishing the inner circle's social itinerary. <He/She> could go ahead and reveal all <he/she> knows, or protect the fragile private lives of SimCity's elite and fill the site with erroneous information.	Reveal All
	Success: +§20,000	85% chance
	Failure: -2	14% chance
	Erroneous Info
	Success: +2 +2	14% chance
	Failure: Get Fired	85% chance
10) Professional Party Guest
<Sim name>'s at a party for some famous Sim <he/she>'s never met, but the party's pretty uneventful, and there aren't any photographers from the society column, so <he/she>'s debating ducking out. But before <he/she> can make up <his/her> mind, the party promoter makes his way over to <him/her> and asks <him/her> if there's anything <he/she> can do to liven up the place. Not wanting to be taken off the A-list, <Sim name> figures <he/she> better do something to spice up the party. <Sim name> could start one of <his/her> patented sing-alongs, or grab another drink and streak the living room.	Sing
	Success: +§40,000	50% chance
	Failure: Get Fired	49% chance
	Streak
	Success: +§20,000	49% chance
	Failure: Demoted to Freelance Photographer -2	50% chance

For more information on Chance Cards in The Sims 2, see Chance card.