Work Speed Explained

How Work Speed actually works in Palworld—what it affects, what it doesn’t, and how to optimize base productivity.

Last updated: 2026-01-27

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Work Speed is the stat that controls how quickly a Pal completes work tasks at your base (crafting, farming, mining, transporting, etc.).

If your base feels “slow” even with good Pals, the problem is usually assignment + pathing + task switching, not just the raw Work Speed number.

Foundation reading:

What Work Speed affects

  • Time to complete tasks at workstations (crafting, cooking, production)
  • Speed of certain base jobs tied to work suitability (watering, planting, power generation)
  • Overall throughput (items per hour) while the Pal is actually working

Work Speed only matters when a Pal is actively performing a task.

What Work Speed does NOT affect

  • Capture chance
  • Combat damage (unless a passive explicitly says otherwise)
  • Player crafting speed (separate mechanic)
  • Travel time between jobs (pathing does)

This is why Work Speed often disappoints players who haven’t fixed layout and roles first.

The real bottlenecks most players miss

1) Task switching kills productivity

Multi-skill Pals often bounce between tasks.

A “perfect” worker that keeps leaving the station can be worse than a slightly weaker Pal that stays put.

This is why role clarity matters:

2) Pathing and storage placement matter

If a Pal spends half its time walking to storage or getting stuck, Work Speed won’t save you.

Fix these before chasing stats:

3) Suitability level still matters

Work Speed helps, but a Pal with better suitability for the job often wins in practice, especially for specialized tasks.

Practical optimization checklist

  • Use dedicated workers for critical production
  • Place storage close to stations that consume or produce items
  • Reduce congestion (too many stations in one tight area)
  • Use a small number of transport-only Pals so crafters don’t leave stations
  • Test changes by timing one craft batch before and after

Small layout or role changes often outperform large stat upgrades.

Common mistakes

  • Stacking workers without fixing pathing
  • Letting important crafters also do transport or harvesting
  • Building huge bases with long walking distances
  • Assuming higher Work Speed always beats better suitability

Try the estimator

Try the tool: Use the Work Speed Estimator to compare uptime, task switching, and raw Work Speed bonuses.

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