Our Final Fantasy 14 Leveling Guide will tell you how to level up fast from level 1 to 90, which EXP buffs are available, how to optimize your leveling routine, and not get stuck on the MSQ stage. Additionally, we share pro tips for alternative FF14 job leveling. After the leveling, you will need some good gear, so don’t forget to read our FFXIV BiS Gear guide.
4.9How to Level Up Fast in Final Fantasy 14
Leveling a job in FFXIV 7.2 is a huge part of the early game gameplay, and a very essential one. Though leveling your character is an obligatory thing, it can be long and boring, especially if you just follow the main questline and ignore all the opportunities to ease this experience. However, if you don’t like the very idea of leveling, we can complete the Main Job Leveling for you, and you will enjoy your favorite activities much sooner.
Some players, especially newbies, do not know that there are a few best ways to level jobs in Final Fantasy 14 Seekers of Eternity, which include:
- Starting with completing MSQ with the First Job you chose when creating the character;
- Using Experience Buffs to speed up the process of leveling;
- Spending Roulette Allowance to get an XP reward;
- Following optimized Level Range Activities.
Level Range Activities include, for instance, Low-Level Fates in beginner areas, Palace of the Dead, or leveling roulette, relic grinding, and more. Every 10-15 levels open new opportunities for faster leveling, and we are going to observe them all later in this leveling guide Final Fantasy XIV.
Final Fantasy 14 Experience Buffs
Before we start explaining which activities are best on each leveling phase, let’s talk about FFXIV Experience Buffs that can significantly speed up your leveling. Some buffs that we describe in this Final Fantasy 14 Job Leveling Guide can be obtained from various in-game items, while others require completing some in-game activities, consuming food, or doing a specific action.
Final Fantasy 14 Secondary Job Leveling Buffs
Leveling secondary jobs in Final Fantasy XIV becomes much easier when you stack the right EXP buffs. Each buff can significantly speed up the grind, be it a bonus from food and free company actions to rested EXP and armoury bonuses.
You can skip the process of Alt Job Leveling completely if you ask our pro team for assistance — we will do the task for you.
Here’s a quick overview of every major FF14 buff and how to get them:
| Buff Name | EXP Bonus | How to Get It | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Buff | +3% EXP | Eat food before combat. Cheap option: Antelope Steak | Buy from Alehouse Wench (Gridania, X:17.9, Y:19.7) or Grege (Gold Saucer, X5.0, Y:6.5) |
| The Heat of Battle II | +10% EXP | Activate via Free Company actions | Costs 7,000 Company Credits |
| The Heat of Battle III | +15% EXP | Special Free Company action | Crafted and limited-use item |
| Rested EXP | +50% EXP (until depleted) | Log out or idle in Sanctuary (locations with an Aetheryte) | Stacks up to 1.5 levels of EXP |
| Armoury Bonus (Lv. 1–79) | +100% EXP | Leveling a secondary job (main job must be higher level) | Applies automatically |
| Armoury Bonus (Lv. 80+) | +50% EXP | Same as above | Highest job must be level 90 |
Final Fantasy 14 Items with Leveling Buffs
There are three currently available FFXIV buffs from the items that you can use all the way up to level 30:
- Helm of Light — +20 percent when level 10 and below, you can get this buff through the A Realm Reborn Collector’s Edition;
- Friendship Circlet — +20 percent when level 25 and below, this buff is obtained via the Recruit a Friend campaign;
- Brand-new Ring — +30 percent when level 30 and below, you can get this buff after completing all Adventure Guild Trials for a single role at the Hall of Novice;
No longer available buffs:
- Moogle Cap — +20 percent when level 10 and below, obtainable by pre-ordering A Realm Reborn (no longer available);
- Ala Mhigan Earrings — +30 percent when level 50 and below, obtainable by pre-ordering Stormblood (no longer available);
- Aetheryte Earring — +30 percent when level 70 and below, obtainable by pre-ordering Shadowbringers;
- Menphina Earring — +30 percent when level 80 and below, obtainable by pre-ordering Endwalker.
Final Fantasy 14 Roulette Allowance Spending
FFXIV Duty Roulettes are one of the best daily EXP sources in Final Fantasy 14, especially when you’re leveling alternate jobs. These roulettes randomly match you into suitable duties based on your level, and in return, you often get a bonus of experience, Gil, and sometimes Tomestones, which are useful not only for leveling, but also for FFXIV BiS Gearing. You can access them from the Duty Finder menu that you unlock by progressing through various content.
However, if you’re planning an all-day grind session, it’s not always best to use your roulettes right away. Instead, you can time them strategically to get the most value. Here’s how to optimize your FF14 Roulette Allowance Spending:
- New dungeons unlock at odd levels (e.g., 71, 73, 75, 77, 79);
- Grind the highest available odd-level dungeon repeatedly;
- Save your roulettes until you hit the next even level, then pop all roulettes to quickly push into the next odd-level dungeon.
PvP roulettes are another great option. In the past, queue times were a problem, but with Crystalline Conflict, matchmaking is now quick, and matches are short — usually under 5 minutes — so this is an efficient, low-stress EXP farm. If you like PvP buffs and rewards, but you don’t like to participate in this kind of activity, we can deal with Crystalline Conflict for you.
Final Fantasy 14 Main Roulettes
| Roulette Type | EXP Bonus | Unlock Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leveling Roulette | High | Unlock low-level dungeons | Great daily EXP boost; best used at even levels |
| Alliance Raids | Moderate | Complete at least one Alliance Raid | Longer content, but big EXP; good for variety |
| Trials Roulette | Moderate | Unlock Trial duties | Fast fights, decent EXP; great for quick runs |
| Normal Raids | Moderate | Unlock Normal Raid tiers | Short and usually fast-paced; solid EXP |
| 50/60/70/80 Dungeons | Low | Unlock respective expansion dungeons | Skip unless you need Tomestones or filler content |
| PvP (Crystalline Conflict) | High | Reach level 30 and unlock PvP | Fast queues and fast matches; excellent for casual leveling |
What To Do At Each Level Range in Final Fantasy 14
Now that you know about EXP bonuses and Roulettes, it’s time to discuss the activities for each level range in our FF14 job leveling guide. The further you progress through the game, the larger the chunk of available activities becomes.
However, completing MSQ is one of the most important things during leveling and forms a framework for the whole gameplay. If you want to skip this part, ask our team for assistance, and all Dawntrail Main Scenario Quests will be completed in the blink of an eye.
Here’s a table outlining all the major FFXIV activities and levels at which they become available and/or have the biggest impact on the process of Final Fantasy 14 leveling:
| Level Range | Recommended Activities |
|---|---|
| 1-15 | Focus on Low-Level Fates in beginner areas outside Gridania, Limsa Lominsa, or U’ldah. |
| 16-30 | Dive into Palace of the Dead, focusing on floors 51-60, for quick leveling. |
| 31-60 | Continue Palace of the Dead or switch to dungeons and leveling roulette, especially for Tanks or Healers. |
| 61-70 | Transition to Heaven on High, maintaining the same strategy as Palace of the Dead. |
| 71-80 | Participate in dungeons and roulettes, exploring Shadowbringers areas and engaging in Fates. |
| 81-90 | Utilize Fates and consider relic grinding, along with the new Eureka Orthos and Beast Tribe quests. |
Levels 1-15 — Low-Level Fates
For early levels (1-15) in Final Fantasy 14, the fastest way to level is by grinding Fates in starter leveling zones FFXIV like Central Shroud, Central Thanalan, and Middle La Noscea. They’re quick, low-effort, and scale well with your level.
What to Do:
- Stack EXP buffs: food (+3%), Free Company actions, and Rested EXP.
- Focus on Fate chains if you see one (they have sequels and bigger rewards).
- Use Hunting Log if available for your class — just don’t go out of your way.
- Pick up the Challenge Log in Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks (X:11.4, Y:11.0) and complete Fate-related challenges for bonus EXP.
🩵 Pro Tip: Avoid Palace of the Dead here — open world is way faster at these levels.
Levels 16-30 — Palace Of The Dead
Once you hit level 17+, FFXIV Palace of the Dead (PotD) becomes your go-to. It’s a fast, FF14 solo leveling dungeon, and the queues are near-instant. You don’t have to find a party beforehand, just queue. Alternatively, our team can complete Palace of the Dead as many times as you want, and it will save you a huge amount of free time.
Unlocking Palace of the Dead:
- Pick up the Quest “The House That Death Built” and talk to Nojiro Marujiro in New Gridania (X:12.0, Y:13.1).
- Then speak to the Wood Wailer Expeditionary Captain in Quarrymill (South Shroud, X:25.2, Y:20.6).
What to Do:
- Queue for Floors 51–60 only — they offer the best EXP/time ratio.
- After each run, reset and requeue.
- No need for a premade group — matchmaking fills your party.
🩵 Pro Tip: You don’t have to complete all 200 floors in PotD, 51-60 will be just fine.
Levels 31-60 — Palace of the Dead, Dungeons, And Leveling Roulette
From level 31, your strategy depends on your role. At this stage, you will switch from Palace of the Dead to Dungeons to Leveling Roulette, and repeat this loop till you reach level 60. But the routine for DPS, Tank, and Healer jobs will differ.
If you’re a DPS: The best way is to keep running PotD floors 51–60 — the best method until 61. Queue times are short now and you can complete some quests or grind during runs.
If you’re a Tank or Healer: You should switch to dungeons starting at level 50, where queues are almost instant. We advise focusing on running odd-level dungeons (51, 53, etc.) repeatedly for maximum EXP. Additionally, it’s better to save your Leveling Roulettes for even-numbered levels (52, 54, etc.).
With our Weekly Activities Bundle you will have all the required weekly activities complete, and your leveling will be much faster and easier.
FFXIV Levels 31-60 Daily Routine:
| Task | Instructions | Description |
|---|---|---|
| PotD floors 51–60 | Anytime (esp. DPS) | Fast, repeatable runs |
| Dungeons | Tanks/Healers on odd levels | More EXP, instant queues |
| Leveling Roulette | Even levels only | Big EXP boost |
Levels 61-70 — Heaven On High, Dungeons, And Leveling Roulette
Once you hit level 61, Heaven-on-High (HoH) will replace PotD and will become your new leveling hotspot. The routine remains the same, though. You will still have to run HoH like you did with PotD.
Unlocking Heaven-on-High:
- Complete up to floor 50 in Palace of the Dead.
- Accept the quest “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” from Hamazake in The Ruby Sea (X:6.2, Y:11.7).
- Speak to Kyusei in The Ruby Sea (X:21.4, Y:9.2) to enter HoH.
What to Do:
- Grind floors 21–30 for fast EXP (same strategy as PotD).
- Tanks/Healers: Consider Stormblood dungeons at odd levels for more variety.
- Use roulettes on even levels as EXP top-ups.
All in all, Heaven-on-High dungeon is a relatively dangerous place, and we can help you to deal with it, and even get you a “Lone Hero” title.
Levels 71-80 — Dungeons And Roulettes
Level 71 becomes a turning point in Final Fantasy 14 leveling. At this point, we skip deep dungeons. They’re no longer efficient, and the queues become too long. However, you can enter Shadowbringers areas and participate in Fates while queuing if you still want to run dungeons.
While dungeons can become boring if you queue back to back, they are never boring to our team. We can complete 3 Deep Dungeons for you much faster and easier than it would take you to do the same.
Best Strategy:
- Queue for the highest available odd-level dungeon.
- While waiting in queues, grind Fates in Shadowbringers zones.
- Use Leveling, Trial, and Alliance Roulettes on even-numbered levels for big EXP spikes.
🩵 Pro Tip: Return to the “Roulette Allowance Spending” section in our FFXIV level up guide to revise the best spending tips.
Levels 71-80 — Fates And Relic Grinding
Grinding is one of the quickest ways to level FFXIV. Shadowbringers Fate Rewards — Bicolor Gemstones — are used to buy minions, mounts, and gear. Thus, we kill two birds with one stone: we level up and farm at the same time. It’s essential to know that Bicolor Gemstones have a 1,000 cap, so don’t let them overcap, spend, and trade them at special NPCs marked with a pink/blue gem icon during your leveling.
🩵 Pro Tip: Complete 60 Fates per zone to unlock Rank 3 and max rewards.
To check your progress, Open Travel > Shared Fate and you’ll see how many Fates you’ve cleared in each zone.
At this point, it’s also worth completing The Bozja Incident quest in The Bozjan Southern Front for even more EXP.
What to Do:
- Speak to Cid in Rhalgr’s Reach (X:11.8, Y:11.8).
- Complete Fire in the Forge (Gerolt, Gangos).
- Enter Bozjan Southern Front via Sjeros in Gangos (X:5.5, Y:5.4).
- Grinding Bozja lets you level fast and work on relics at the same time. Ideal for multitaskers.
Levels 81-90 — Fates, Relic Grinding, Eureka Orthos And Tribal Quests
Final Fantasy 14 Leveling routine on levels 81-90 can be split into 3 major routes. Here’s the first part of the activities you can stick to:
- Main Story Quests (MSQ): Allow you to easily level your first job to 90.
- Fate Grinding: Grant high EXP and great rewards (mounts, gear, etc.).
- Trust System: Running dungeons with NPCs is slower but lets you learn mechanics.
The second option is completing Eureka Orthos (Advanced Deep Dungeon). The dungeon, however, is truly an endgame activity — challenging and not beginner-friendly. You cannot go past floor 30 without a premade group, and we advise using it only if you’re looking for tough content and solid EXP. By the way, our pro players are trained professionals who can complete the Eureka Orthos for you.
Final Fantasy 14 Tribal Quests are the third path you can choose to level from 81 to 90:
| Tribe | Purpose | EXP Value |
|---|---|---|
| Arkasodara | Combat leveling | High |
| Omicron | Gathering | Moderate |
| Loporrit | Crafting | Moderate |
🩵 Pro Tip: Use Sightseeing Logs while exploring Endwalker zones to earn passive EXP on your alt jobs. It scales with your level and fills in the grind nicely.
Final Fantasy 14 Leveling Alternative Jobs
Leveling alternative jobs in Final Fantasy 14 is much faster when you use EXP bonuses that we’ve described earlier in this FFXIV leveling guide. These bonuses include anything from the Armory Bonus, which gives up to +100% EXP to jobs below your top-level job, to Rested Experience, which you receive by logging out in sanctuary areas like inn rooms or cities.
You can also use Food Buffs for a flat +3% bonus, Free Company buffs like The Heat of Battle III for +15%, and optional Mog Station EXP boosts or event items. A number of equipable items also grant significant EXP bonuses based on your level, like the Brand-new Ring (+30% to level 30) or Menphina Earring (+30% to level 80). The icing on the cake? These bonuses stack — job switching and alt-leveling are becoming more convenient with every patch.
Final Fantasy 14 Fast EXP Bonuses Leveling Tips
- Logout at Sanctuaries (inns, cities) to receive Rested EXP (+50% for mob kills).
- Eat any Food before battle — even the low-quality food from vendors gives +3% EXP.
- Allow for Free Company buffs like Heat of Battle II/III (+10–15% EXP).
- Save and gear level-dependent EXP Gear:
- Moogle Cap / Helm of Light – +20% (under level 10);
- Circlet of Friendship – +20% (under level 25);
- New Ring – +30% (below level 30);
- Ala Mhigan Earrings – +30% (under level 50);
- Aetheryte Earring – +30% (under level 70).
- Menphina Earring – +30% (below level 80).
🩵 Pro Tip: Watch for seasonal events or Mog Station purchases that give temporary EXP boosts.
Final Fantasy 14 Job Leveling F.A.Q.
FFXIV Leveling is a complex task that includes many obligatory activities, so it can be rather hard to understand everything all at once. Therefore, we’ve compiled a section with quick answers for the most popular questions about Final Fantasy 14 Job Leveling.
If you still think that leveling is not your cup of tea, delegate some of the routine tasks to our Hourly Drive players. They can teach you how to use certain in-game mechanics to gain EXP, assist with Savage Raids or Criterion Dungeons, and more. Take your chance!
What Is Max Level in Final Fantasy 14?
For combat classes and jobs, the maximum Final Fantasy 14 level is 80, while gatherers and crafters can level 90.
What Is the Fastest Way to Level in Final Fantasy 14?
IThe speed and process of leveling up in FFXIV depend on your level range:
- If you are on level 1-15, you should focus on completing Low-Level Fates in beginner areas, as it’s an optimal and fast way to gain EXP;
- When reaching level 16, and all the way up to level 30, you will focus on the Palace of the Dead, floors 51-60;
- Finally, when on higher levels (31-90), switch to Heaven on High, dungeons, and roulettes.
How Do You Level Up Fast in Final Fantasy 14?
If you want to level up quickly in Final Fantasy XIV, start by following the Main Story Quests — they offer great EXP and unlock key content. Additionally, try Duty Roulettes and dungeons too, especially if you’re playing a Tank or Healer. And don’t forget Fates — they’re a solid option, especially during chain bonuses or in busy zones.
What Is the Best Way to Level in Final Fantasy 14?
The fastest way to level in Final Fantasy XIV depends on your level and role. At low levels, stick to Fates and the Main Story Quest. Mid-level players should focus on Palace of the Dead or dungeons, and Tanks and Healers get fast queues. You can read more details about this stage in our FFXIV leveling guide 1-50 levels. At higher levels, mix in Heaven-on-High, dungeons, roulettes, and Fates.
How to Level from 90 to 100 Fast in Final Fantasy 14?
Complete Duty Roulettes daily to gain 2-3 levels per day, and queue for the Frontline daily.
How Long Does it Take to Level from 1 to 90 in Final Fantasy 14?
The average Final Fantasy 14 leveling time for casual players takes around 4 weeks if you aim to play daily. It might take longer if you steadily complete tasks and take time off from the game. However, for more experienced and determined players, it should be much faster.
What Are the Best Activities for Leveling in Final Fantasy 14?
Final Fantasy 14 best ways to level up include:
- Completing Main Story Quests (MSQ) for large experience boosts and essential unlocks.
- Running Duty Roulettes, dungeons, and trials for steady daily EXP.
- Joining Fates, especially during chain bonuses or in Final Fantasy XIV leveling zones, for extra EXP and rewards.
4.9As you can see, Final Fantasy 14 Leveling is a piece of cake with the right strategy. Do not forget to pick up EXP bonuses from all the possible sources, learn how to deal with Duty Roulettes, and follow our leveling activities tips to avoid getting lost in the variety of approaches.
