Starfield Money Guide: Best Ways to Earn Credits Fast

Getting broke in Starfield happens faster than you'd expect. You land in New Atlantis, spot a ship upgrade you need, and realize your wallet is basically empty. The good news is that credits flow freely once you know where to look and what to prioritize.

What are the fastest ways to make money in Starfield?

Starfield gives you several reliable credit-earning paths, and the best players stack multiple methods simultaneously rather than focusing on just one. Here's a breakdown of what actually works, based on the game's core mechanics documented across the IGN Beginner's Guide and community-tested strategies.

Trade Authority kiosk sales

Loot everything in the early game

The moment you get access to Vasco and the Frontier, start picking up every item you can carry in the tutorial areas. Your companion can carry some of the load, and anything else transfers directly to the ship's cargo hold. According to the IGN Beginner's Guide, you can make a solid amount of credits the moment you touch down in New Atlantis by selling that initial haul to the Trade Authority Kiosk at the spaceport.

The key is knowing what to grab and what to leave behind. Heavy weapons from dead pirates rarely justify the carry weight. Instead, look for:

• Antiques and desktop ornaments (high value, low weight)
• Old books (some sell well and weigh almost nothing)
• Junk items from the Misc category (sell these immediately, they can't be broken down like in Fallout 4)

Sell Survey Data to Vladimir, not traders

This is the tip most players miss completely. When you scan all resources, flora, and fauna on a planet to 100% completion and log enough anomaly traits, you complete a full planetary survey. That survey data lands in your Notes inventory section and can be sold.

Here's the catch: generic traders will lowball you on Survey Data. According to the IGN Beginner's Guide, Vladimir on The Eye pays a premium rate far above what any standard vendor offers. Hold onto your Survey Data until you meet him through the main story. Selling early means leaving serious credits on the table.

Planet survey data ready to sell

How does crime pay in Starfield?

The short answer: very well, if you're careful about it. NPCs carry meaningful amounts of credits, and ATMs can be hacked for additional funds. The problem is that stolen goods and contraband require special handling.

Every major city has an in-person Trade Authority shop (separate from the kiosks) that accepts stolen goods and contraband without flagging you. Contraband is trickier because faction-controlled planets will scan your ship before you can land. Your options are to jettison it before landing, pay the fine, or install shielded cargo to try bypassing their scanners.

For players who want to go the crime route seriously, investing in the Pickpocket skill early makes a real difference since you need at least one point in it before you can loot NPCs while in stealth at all.

Mission Boards and side quests

Mission Boards appear in every corner of the Settled Systems and generate short quests randomly. These range from bounty hunting contracts to surveying unexplored planets, and the payouts are consistent even if not spectacular. They're ideal for filling downtime between main story missions and keeping your credit balance healthy passively.

Faction questlines also pay out well and often give you access to better gear you can sell or keep. According to the IGN Beginner's Guide, you can join multiple factions without being locked out of any of them, so there's no reason not to pick up every questline available.

For a deeper look at how the basic game mechanics in Starfield interact with your earning potential, the Fextralife wiki breaks down the systems in detail.

How to manage your inventory to maximize profits

Running out of carry capacity is the single biggest obstacle to efficient looting. Starfield has two main inventories: your personal carry weight and your ship's cargo hold. The cargo hold interfaces directly with crafting benches and Trade Authority kiosks at spaceports, so keeping heavy resources stored there rather than on your person makes the whole system much smoother.

Ammo has zero weight in Starfield, so stock up freely without worrying about capacity. Resources, on the other hand, can vary wildly. The same material might weigh .05 when harvested from a plant or .50 when found in a container in a science lab. Sell the heavier variants and keep only what you need for crafting.

Companion management matters here too. Any active companion can carry items to lighten your load, and assigning crew to your ship can expand its capabilities. A bigger ship allows more crew slots, which in turn can unlock skills that benefit your whole operation.

Credit-earning method comparison

Building long-term credit income

The methods above work from the first hour of the game, but some of the highest earners require a bit of setup. Contraband smuggling pays the most per run but demands shielded cargo modules and some knowledge of which systems scan aggressively. Crime builds that lean on Pickpocket and Stealth skills need early investment to pay off.

For players who want more detailed tips on building a credit-generating playstyle, this breakdown of Starfield money strategies covers equipment purchases and credit management in more depth.

The most reliable long-term approach is combining passive methods (Mission Boards, selling loot after every mission) with the Survey Data premium sale to Vladimir once you reach that story beat. Neither method requires specific skills, and together they keep your balance in a healthy range without demanding a crime-focused build.

For more Starfield strategies and guides covering every playstyle, browse the full guides library at GAMES.GG.