Ready to amass a fortune in Starfield faster than a warp jump? Whether you’re piloting on PC or Xbox, this guide reveals the top legit strategies-from mastering Commerce skills and raiding ships to building profitable outposts and selling survey data to the highest bidder-that will have your credits skyrocketing in no time. Get ready to buy the best gear, upgrade your ship, and dominate the galaxy with ease!
It won’t take long before you need extra credits in Starfield. Med packs don’t grow on space trees, you’ll likely need to restock ammo, and if you have a mortage or the Kid Stuff trait, you need even more cash to meet your needs – to say nothing of how expensive ships and ship upgrades are. Starfield has plenty of ways to get quite a few credits quickly, though, if you know where to look. Here’s how to get money fast in Starfield.
Scavenge Dead Bodies
In Starfield, scavenging dead bodies after battles is a lucrative way to quickly gather valuable loot such as weapons, armor, and contraband that can be sold for a substantial amount of credits. When you defeat enemies, especially pirates, spacers, or mercenaries, be sure to loot their bodies thoroughly, as many drops can be worth thousands of credits. Boarding and disabling enemy ships rather than destroying them outright allows you to access additional loot from captain’s lockers and cargo holds, increasing your haul. This method, combined with selling high-value items like guns and contraband, can rapidly boost your funds. Additionally, upgrading or replacing parts of your ship can clear out any dead bodies left onboard, keeping your ship tidy for further scavenging runs.
Almost everyone in Starfield has credits on them. That means Crimson Fleet pirates, Zealots, Eclipse mercenaries, and any innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire – especially innocent people caught in the crossfire. It’s not a pleasant thing to do, but if you check their bodies, you’ll almost always find a few hundred credits. That sounds like a paltry sum in a world where ship parts and outpost resources cost so much, but it adds up surprisingly quickly.
Sell Your Loot
To quickly turn your loot into credits in Starfield, find any vendor or store owner and press LB (Xbox) or Q (PC) to switch from the buying menu to the selling menu. You can even sell items directly from your ship’s cargo inventory, saving you the trip across town. Major cities like New Atlantis and Neon have numerous vendors and Trade Authority kiosks at spaceports where you can offload everything from weapons to contraband. For the best prices, invest in the Commerce skill, which increases your sale profits and reduces purchase costs. Remember, specialized vendors only buy certain item types, so general merchants like Jemison Mercantile are ideal for selling mixed loot quickly and efficiently.
Grab anything off of defeated enemies, especially weapons, suits, helmets, and packs. These sell for several hundred credits at stores, so load yourself and your companions up with any equipment you find. Modified weapons and gear tend to go for higher prices than standard-issue items. And if you see any rare (blue) or epic (purple) items, definitely grab those for a tidy profit.
Just make sure not to stray too far from your ship when you’re looting. You can’t fast travel back to it if you exceed your carry load. Our guide to increasing your carry capacity can help you load up on even more stuff.
Complete Faction Quests
Faction quests in Starfield are a highly effective way to earn large sums of money quickly while also gaining unique rewards such as special weapons, armor, and skill ranks. Among the factions, the Crimson Fleet offers the highest payout, with each mission granting around 7,800 credits and a massive 250,000 credits upon completing their campaign, making it one of the fastest ways to amass wealth. Other factions like Constellation and United Colonies provide numerous quests with steady rewards, allowing players to accumulate credits over time. Completing these faction storylines not only boosts your finances but also immerses you in some of the best narratives Starfield has to offer.
Faction quests reward you with a few thousand credits once you finish them. Tackling the first few quests affiliated with the United Colonies Vanguard is one of the fastest ways to pad out your wallet in the early hours. You can join the Vanguard as soon as you arrive in New Atlantis by speaking with the commander at MAST headquarters, the guy to the left of the entrance. The second quest (or third, depending on which order you complete quests in) on Mars that pits you against the Crimson Fleet again is particularly lucrative, though you can earn a fair few credits just from doing security grunt work back on New Atlantis as well.
Ask For Money
To quickly amass a large amount of money in Starfield, one of the most effective strategies is to actively take on bounty and kill missions on planets, where you can loot valuable weapons, armor, and contraband from enemies and sell them for high profits. Disabling and boarding enemy ships in space to loot captain’s lockers and cargo holds can yield even greater rewards, including the opportunity to sell the captured ship itself. Investing skill points in Commerce enhances your buying and selling margins, making every transaction more profitable. Additionally, waiting for vendors to refresh their credits by resting for 24 in-game hours allows you to repeatedly sell high-value items without running into cash limits. Combining these tactics with exploration and faction quests will have you drowning in credits in no time.
Some non-faction quests give you the option to demand money in return for help, and while you don’t always get what you ask for, you can pick up some extra credits as a reward for your hard work. You won’t face any large-scale repercussions if you take this route, since Starfield doesn’t have a morality system. That said, Sarah Morgan and some other companions value generosity, so you might want to briefly part ways with them before demanding cash.
Similarly, if you stumble upon a firefight in space, siding with the faction over the pirates can give you bonus cash. The Freestar Collective and United Colonies ship will offer you a reward if you join the fray on their side – and survive, of course. Selecting payment as that reward will give you 1,000 credits each time (in addition to anything you loot off the ships you destroy).
Take On Trade Commission Requests
To take on Trade Commission requests in Starfield, head to The Well in New Atlantis where you can pick up these straightforward missions. Similar to Mission Board tasks, Trade Commission requests often involve objectives like destroying hostile ships and reward you with Credits and XP upon completion. This is an efficient way to earn money and experience while exploring the Settled Systems.
Head down to The Well in New Atlantis, and speak with Zoe at the Trade Commission to unlock Commission Requests. These are pretty standard and range from tasks such as hauling cargo or tracking down Crimson Fleet targets. They’re quick and usually straightforward, so you can get a few thousand credits – and some extra XP – just from taking a few minutes to run an errand.
Sell Anything That Isn’t Nailed Down
To quickly amass money in Starfield, a highly effective strategy is to sell anything that isn’t nailed down. This means looting enemy camps, structures, and outposts for weapons, armor, cargo, and other valuable items, then selling them to vendors in cities like Jemison. Prioritize killing hostile NPCs such as pirates to gather their gear and loot locked safes or chests for rare items. Since vendors have limited credits, sell to multiple merchants and wait for their funds to replenish if needed. Investing in skills like Commerce can increase your selling prices, while Scavenging and Theft skills help maximize loot and profits. This method not only generates a steady income but also provides good experience points, making it one of the best legitimate ways to make money fast in the game.
You can also just pick up anything that isn’t someone else’s property and sell it. Books, notepads, digital frames, pharmaceutical equipment, sample tubes, literally anything is up for grabs – as long as it’s not private property. You can and will be arrested even for picking up a stray spoon if it has that red “don’t steal this” icon next to it. While you can’t sell stolen goods at all vendors, the Trade Authority at least will look the other way and buy it off you.
The credits you get from selling loose junk won’t earn you enough to get a house on New Atlantis, admittedly. However, if you just want some basic supplies or an ammo refill before heading out to space again, this is a quick and easy way to get the funds you need.
Sell Organic Matter To Noel At Constellation
To quickly earn a significant amount of money in Starfield, a highly effective method is to sell organic matter to Noel at Constellation. Organic resources, which can be gathered by hunting alien fauna or harvesting alien flora, include valuable items like stimulants, spices, and other exotic materials. These items are often in demand and can be sold to Noel for a good profit, helping you accumulate credits fast. This approach not only helps clear inventory space but also provides a steady income stream as you explore and gather resources across the galaxy.
What secret methods can help me get rich fast in Starfield
Several secret methods can help you get rich fast in Starfield by combining legitimate gameplay with smuggling and looting tactics:
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Smuggling Contraband: Target illegal operations like Crimson Fleet ships and bases to loot contraband items such as harvested organs, AI tech, and mech components. These can be sold for thousands of credits each at black market vendors like the Trade Authority, found on major planets or in unscanned systems such as The Den in the Wolf system, where you can sell without being scanned.
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Raiding and Boarding Enemy Ships: Instead of just destroying enemy ships, disable and board them to loot high-value weapons, contraband, and rare items from captains and storage. You can then sell these goods for substantial profit and even capture and sell the ship itself for additional credits.
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Completing High-Level Missions and Hunting Quests: Engage in United Colonies (UC) quests, especially those involving hunting or cave clearing on high-level planets. Invest in skills like Zoology and Commerce to maximize profits from selling everything you find.
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Planetary Survey Data: Scan gas giants and asteroids for quick planetary survey data that can be sold to Vladimir of the Constellation faction for easy money, as these scans count as completed surveys without the need to scan every fauna or landmark.
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Commerce Skill and Vendor Management: Invest in the Commerce skill to buy low and sell high, and manage vendor inventories by waiting 24 in-game hours to refresh their cash and stock, enabling repeated profitable sales.
These methods combine risk and reward, allowing you to amass wealth quickly by exploiting smuggling routes, high-value loot, and efficient mission completion while avoiding detection in certain systems.
What are the most profitable illegal activities in Starfield
The most profitable illegal activities in Starfield revolve primarily around smuggling and piracy:
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Smuggling Contraband: This is the top illegal moneymaker. Contraband items include harvested organs, AI tech, mech components, banned drugs, and heretical scriptures. These items fetch high prices, especially when sold at black market locations like The Den in the Wolf System, which does not scan ships and thus allows safe, lucrative sales without risk of confiscation or fines.
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Piracy: Engaging in piracy missions, particularly with the Crimson Fleet faction, can earn you up to about a million credits. Piracy involves attacking and looting ships and bases tied to illegal operations, yielding valuable contraband and stolen goods.
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Stealing from Illegal Operations: Raiding bases and starships of factions like the Ecliptic Mercenaries yields large hauls of contraband and illicit goods, which can be sold for tens of thousands of credits per run. These operations often lack scanners, making the risk manageable.
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Selling Contraband at Trade Authority: While major faction-controlled systems scan for contraband, Trade Authority traders in places like The Den or certain major settlements will buy contraband directly, making them essential for turning illegal loot into big profits.
These activities carry significant risk, including ship scans, fines, and combat encounters, but the rewards in credits are among the highest in the game’s economy.
