To make money quickly in Starfield, focus on completing missions for factions, selling valuable resources obtained through surveying planets, and engaging in efficient cargo runs.
Struggling to afford that sweet new ship in Starfield? Everyone wants to upgrade, but credits don’t grow on space trees! The early game can feel like a grind. This guide addresses exactly that, it provides tips on Starfield how to make money quickly. Forget endless resource gathering for minimal gains.
We will tell you the key strategies that will help you rapidly increase your funds. We focus on actions that yield high rewards for the effort put in. Prepare to become a wealthy starfarer quickly.
Starfield How to Make Money Quickly
Okay, space explorers! So you’ve jumped into the vast universe of Starfield, and you’re probably staring at your credits wondering how to get more. Credits, the game’s currency, help you buy that sweet new spaceship, the best gear, and even build amazing outposts. Don’t worry, getting rich in Starfield isn’t rocket science, it’s more like, well, space mining! Let’s dive into the best ways to quickly get those credits flowing into your pocket so you can buy all the cool stuff you want.
Understanding Starfield’s Economy
Before we blast off into specific money-making methods, let’s understand a little bit about how the economy in Starfield works. There are several key things to keep in mind.
The Value of Items
Not all items are created equal. Some things, like rare minerals or fancy weapons, will get you much more money than basic resources or common guns. When you pick things up, check their value in your inventory before you sell them. Generally speaking, the rarer it is, the more it’s worth.
Where to Sell Your Goods
You can sell items at various vendors scattered across the galaxy. Each vendor may specialize in different item types, so the prices they offer might vary. The big cities like New Atlantis, Akila City, and Neon are usually good places to find a variety of traders. There are also smaller shops and kiosks at outposts and spaceports.
Supply and Demand
It is important to know the supply and demand in Starfield. If you try to sell hundreds of the same item, some vendors might run out of money. Keep an eye on their credit inventory when you’re trading. If a vendor is low on cash, you can wait and come back later, or find a different merchant to sell to.
The Most Efficient Ways to Make Money in Starfield
Now we’re getting to the juicy part! Here are some of the most effective ways to earn credits fast in Starfield. These techniques range from simple exploration to more involved strategies, so there’s something for every playstyle.
1. Looting and Selling Everything
This is the most basic, but consistently beneficial way to gather credits. As you explore the galaxy, you’ll come across many enemies and lootable places, make sure you pick everything up. We mean EVERYTHING! Weapons, armor, resources, even those strange alien artifacts you don’t recognize. Just grab it and figure out what to do with it later. You never know what might turn out to be valuable.
Here’s what you should do to get the most out of looting:
- Be Thorough: Check every container, every corpse, and every corner. Don’t leave anything behind.
- Use Your Scanner: The scanner will highlight items you can interact with, so you don’t miss anything.
- Manage Your Inventory: If your ship is full, sell items regularly at a vendor to free up space.
- Upgrade your Inventory: Invest in skills that increase your carrying capacity so you can loot more and avoid frequent trips.
Some items to watch out for are: weapons, armor, and rare minerals.
2. Completing Missions
Starfield is full of missions, and many of them pay good money. These missions come in many shapes and sizes, from simple delivery quests to challenging combat encounters. Some missions also provide unique rewards like rare items or skill points, making them even more valuable.
Different types of missions pay differently:
- Faction Missions: Missions for factions like the United Colonies, Freestar Collective, or Ryujin Industries usually offer the best rewards. These also have the added benefit of giving you more things to do in game.
- Side Quests: Many NPCs scattered around the galaxy will give you side quests. Some of these are short and simple, but they will quickly add up.
- Radiant Missions: These are repeatable missions that you can take over and over again. While they might not pay the best, their reliability is very good for quick credits.
When picking missions, keep these in mind:
- Check the Payout: Look at the reward before accepting a mission. Choose those with good payouts for the time investment.
- Consider your Skills: If you’re good at combat, pick combat-focused missions. If you’re a skilled talker, pick missions that focus on dialogue.
- Look for Bonus Rewards: Some missions have bonus objectives that give you extra rewards on completion.
3. Mining Resources
Mining is an excellent way to earn credits, especially if you set up your outposts correctly. You can find rich deposits of different materials on many planets. Use your cutter to extract these resources, then sell them to vendors.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to profitable mining:
- Find the Right Planet: Look for planets that have valuable minerals like gold, silver, or beryllium. You can use your scanner to check what resources are available.
- Use Your Cutter: Use your cutter to extract these resources. Make sure to upgrade the skills that improve your cutter.
- Set up Outposts: You can set up outposts to extract resources automatically. This is essential for getting large amounts of resources over time.
- Sell Your Resources: Sell your mined resources to vendors. You’ll get better prices at vendor in high-tech cities.
Tips to be an effective miner:
- Upgrade Skills: Invest in skills that improve your cutter, mining yields, and the efficiency of your outposts.
- Focus on Rare Materials: Prioritize mining rare materials as they fetch higher prices at vendors.
- Use Storage: Build storage containers at your outposts to keep resources until you’re ready to sell them.
4. Crafting and Selling High-Value Items
Crafting is a great way to turn basic resources into high-value items that you can sell for big profits. While it does take some time and skill investment, crafting is one of the most profitable ventures in Starfield.
How to start crafting to make money:
- Gather Resources: Collect resources through mining, exploration, or trading.
- Learn Recipes: Find recipes for crafting valuable items. Some recipes can be found through exploration, while others will have to be purchased.
- Craft Items: Use your resources and recipes to craft items at workbenches.
- Sell Your Items: Sell your crafted items to vendors for a profit.
What to craft and sell:
- Weapons and Armor Mods: These are always in demand and sell for good prices.
- Pharmaceuticals: Some crafted pharmaceuticals can be sold for high prices.
- High-Tech Components: Components needed for ship and outpost building, also are very valuable.
5. Exploiting the Surveying and Selling Data
Exploring planets is a great experience, but it’s also a fantastic money-making opportunity. Every planet has resources and data that can be scanned and sold for a profit. The more completely you scan a planet, the more data you collect, and the more credits you earn.
Here is how surveying translates to credits:
- Scan Everything: Scan every plant, animal, and resource on a planet. Complete surveys provide more value.
- Sell Your Data: Go to a research vendor. These vendors specialize in buying survey data.
Tips to get the most money from surveying:
- Complete Surveys: Surveying every part of a planet will maximize your profits.
- Look for Unique Data: Rare resources or unique animal scans can be sold for a premium.
- Use Your Scanner Effectively: Use your scanner to find resources and points of interest quickly.
6. Boarding and Selling Ships
Piloting is also a money-making method in Starfield. If you are skilled in the ship combat, you can board enemy ships and take them for yourself. These ships are not for keeping, but they are very valuable when sold.
How to get ships for selling:
- Engage in Ship Combat: Find enemy ships in space and engage them in combat.
- Disable Engines: Disable an enemy ship’s engines, so you can board it.
- Board and Take Control: Board the ship and eliminate the crew to gain control of it.
- Register and Sell: Fly the ship to a port and sell it to a technician.
Things to remember when boarding and selling ships:
- Upgrade Your Piloting Skills: Improve your ship combat skills to win fights and board ships easier.
- Look for High-Value Ships: Target large and powerful ships, as these fetch higher prices.
- Register Ships: Make sure to register stolen ships before you sell them.
7. Trading and Bargaining
Trading is also a viable way of getting credits in Starfield. You can buy items at one place for a low price, then fly to another place and sell them at a higher price. This requires a good understanding of the markets, but can be very profitable.
Steps to successful trading:
- Find Good Prices: Check the prices of goods at different locations.
- Buy Low: Buy items that are priced lower than normal.
- Sell High: Sell the items at locations where they’re in higher demand for better prices.
Tips to be a more effective trader:
- Upgrade Your Persuasion Skill: This allows you to haggle for better prices.
- Use Your Ship’s Cargo Space: Use your ship’s cargo space to maximize your trading profits.
- Keep Track of Markets: Remember which vendors offer the best prices for specific goods.
8. Utilizing Outposts
Setting up outposts and using them effectively is a major way to generate a large amount of credits passively in Starfield. Outposts allow you to extract resources, craft items, and produce materials while you’re doing other things. This helps you become very rich without much work.
How to make money with outposts:
- Choose the Right Planet: Choose a planet with valuable resources.
- Build Extractors: Build extractors to collect resources automatically.
- Build Storage: Build storage containers to store the collected resources.
- Crafting Stations: Set up crafting stations to process raw materials into higher-value items.
- Set Up Shipping: Set up cargo links to transport resources to other outposts or trading hubs.
Tips for optimal outpost performance:
- Upgrade Outpost Skills: Upgrade the skills that increase the output of your extractors and your outpost’s efficiency.
- Automate Resource Management: Use cargo links and other automation tools to streamline resource flow.
- Plan Your Layout: A well planned outpost layout can drastically increase efficiency.
9. Becoming a Space Pirate
For a more adventurous way to earn credits, becoming a space pirate might be for you. This is the most morally questionable way of making money, but can also be the fastest way to get rich. You can attack other ships for their loot, sell their goods on the black market, or take their ship.
How to become a space pirate:
- Attack Civilian Ships: Attack civilian ships for loot.
- Board and Loot: Board enemy ships and loot their cargo and supplies.
- Sell at the Black Market: Sell stolen goods on the black market.
- Take Their Ships: Take enemy ships and sell them for profit.
Things to keep in mind if you are a space pirate:
- Increase Your Combat Skills: You need to be a very good fighter to win fights.
- Be Prepared for Fights: Always be ready for ship combat and make sure to have a decent weapon equipped.
- Be Wary of Authorities: The authorities will be hunting you, so be prepared to hide or evade them.
10. Using Companion Skills
Your companions in Starfield are not just there for moral support. Many of them have skills that can help you to be a better merchant and get more credits, so always make sure to bring them with you on your adventures. Some companions offer a bonus to your trade and combat skills, which will increase your credits over time.
How to make money with companion skills:
- Choose the Right Companion: Choose companions with skills that boost your credit-making abilities.
- Use Their Skills: Take advantage of their skills during trade and combat.
- Level Them Up: Level up their skills to maximize their effectiveness.
Some key companions and their benefits:
- Sarah Morgan: Excellent for exploring and surveying, which leads to better data profits.
- Sam Coe: Good at combat, which helps in boarding and defeating ships, which helps with selling ships.
- Andreja: Very good at stealth and combat, also helpful in a pirate play through.
- Barrett: Good for trade and crafting, good for lowering the costs of trades and making profits from crafting.
These are some of the best ways to get rich fast in Starfield. Each method has it’s own benefits and can be combined to earn credits even faster. Remember, consistency is very important. The more you play and use these techniques, the faster the credits will come to you.
Now that you know how to make money fast, go explore and enjoy the vast world of Starfield. Good luck and have fun!
How To Make Money Fast – Starfield Guide
Final Thoughts
In short, quickly selling gathered resources, completing faction missions, and finding valuable contraband are great methods. These approaches allow you to rapidly accumulate credits. You can also craft and sell items. These actions will boost your wealth.
Remember to utilize outposts for resource production too. This is very useful for consistent income. Using these combined methods is vital for success. For “Starfield how to make money quickly,” these tips prove efficient.



