There are three gathering professions: Herbalism, Mining and Skinning. Each of these provides raw materials to one or more of the crafting professions. One common approach is to take a crafting profession, and the gathering profession that provides the raw materials for it. Another is to take two gathering professions, and sell the materials on the Auction House for other players to buy for their crafting professions. This can be very lucrative, providing you all the money you need to purchase the items you can't make for yourself.

Each of these professions also has a unique bonus which is learned automatically when your skill level hits 75, and then improved automatically each 75 points afterward.