You do have to be careful about occupations.
One of my ancestors has been described both as a "farmer" and then as a "tinker of no fixed abode". He turns up in a later census as a milkman.
I have a feeling that the "farmer" description was a slight exaggeration! He was probably doing some agricultural labouring work
However, looking at people's occupations over time can give you a very good idea of their rise or decline in status. The above ancestor (John Walker) had an illegitimate son (my great-great-grandfather, John Walker Bott), who started as a bricklayer, then later became a builder, and later on a builder employing several workers. The change in residences also shows his increasing success, and there is a group of buildings nearby in Birmingham called "Bott's Buildings".
Occupations are always fascinating and can give you a lot of information.
Ros