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Runescape: Best Money Making Skills in OSRS

Runescape: Best Money Making Skills in OSRS

Complete list of the best money making skills in Old School Runescape - with in-depth guides included

OSRS Skilling Moneymaking Guide

An overview of the Best Skills for Gold Making

 

Introduction

Almost every activity performed in the Old School Runescape is associated with a Skill. There are a total of 23 Skills in the OSRS. Every one of them starts at 1 and can be leveled all the way up to 99 (with a notable exception of Hitpoints, which starts at 10). The general power level of our character closely corresponds with the level of his skills, the same goes for our character's gold-making, grinding, and hunting possibilities (overall, high skills open up a lot of the game's Content). In other words, Skills are the name of the game in the OSRS and cannot be overlooked, especially if you want to make a decent Gold profit.

Leveling some of these Skills up fast can be Gold consuming (and leveling them up without money input takes a lot of time and effort), but many of them can be profitable from the start. Some of the Skills open great RS Gold Farming possibilities when leveled up enough, and can be used to make a lot of money very efficiently. This Guide will go over the best skilling moneymakers in the OSRS. It will be structured as an overview, and much more detailed Guides on every one of the featured Skills will follow closely after (they will be linked in the corresponding sections as soon as they are ready).

The Best OSRS Skilling Money Makers


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Mining
Mining

Mining Skill allows you to obtain metal Ores and Gems from rocks. Ores can be turned into bars using the Smithing Skill or sold for profit. Mining is one of the most popular Skills in the Game, and for a good reason. When leveled high enough it can be used for making a lot of Gold.

The most profitable, but also very Skill-demanding Ore to mine is the Runite Ore. Mining Runite requires at least 85 Skill in Mining and a Dragon Pickaxe, for maximizing the yield. This Ore is in very high demand and sells for a very good price on the Grand Exchange (prices are over 11000 Gold a lot of the time). The high price attracts a lot of Players, so the competition for Runite Farming is fierce. This results in quick depletion of the Runite Rocks, so World Switching is necessary for efficient farming. Runite Rocks can be mined in one of the following locations:

  • Lava Maze Rune Mine (Free-to-Play, 2 Runite Rocks available)
  • Frozen Waste Plateau (Members only, 3 Runite Rocks available)
  • Heroes' Guild Mine (Members only, 2 Runite Rocks available)
  • South Mor Ul Rek Mine (Members only, 3 Runite Rocks available)
  • Myths' Guild, Mining Guild, Fossil Island (Members only, 2 Runite Rocks available)

Profitability

Mining Runite Ore can net you about 700k-1kk/hour. Your profits will depend on the Grand Exchange prices, your ability to find the fresh Runite Ores quickly (teleports/stamina potions, etc. are recommended), and the current competition (farming outside of Server's prime time is generally the most profitable, simply because there are much fewer players Farming in the middle of the night or very early in the morning).

Detailed Skilling Guide: OSRS Mining Guide 1-99

Runecrafting
Runecrafting

Runecrafting Skill allows you to create your own Runes that are needed for Magic Spells. Leveling up this skill takes a lot of time and effort because experience rewards from crafting are rather low and a lot of clicking/banking/running is involved. Despite this difficulty, Runecrafting is certainly worth leveling up. This is because of the very high profits that come from crafting high-level Runes.

Leveling the Runecrafting Skill high enough will enable you to Craft two High-Level runes with one Essence, which will double your profits. Crafting High-Level runes is not that simple, however, and will require some preparation (mainly, you will need Access to the Abyss, quite High Mining Skill, Pickaxe, high Hitpoints pool, and some Food).  The most profitable Runes to craft are:

  • Nature Runes (Requirements: 44 Runecrafting, 91 Runecrafting for doubles). 
  • Law Runes (Requirements: 54 Runecrafting, 95 Runecrafting for doubles). 
  • Death Runes (Requirements: 65 Runecrafting, 99 Runecrafting for doubles). These are the most profitable, but also the hardest to craft, as they basically require you to max out the Runecrafting skill.

Profitability

Your profits will largely depend on your Runecrafting skill,  your ability to relocate quickly, and the current Grand Exchange prices. Making Deathrunes at the 99 Runecrafting Skill can net you about 1,25kk/hour, making Nature Runes at the 91 Runecrafting Skill can net you up to 1,1kk/Hour, and creating the Law Runes at the 95 Runecrafting Skill should give you about 1kk/Hour. Crafting these runes at Skill levels lower than those mentioned will yield you about half of the above-mentioned Gold per Hour (which is still quite a good profit if you meet all other requirements).

Detailed Skilling Guide: OSRS Runecrafting Guide 1-99

Thieving
Thieving

Thieving is a Members-only Skill that will enable you to steal Items and Coins from Chests, Market Stalls, and from NPC's by pickpocketing them. It will also allow you to disarm traps and pick locks on locked doors. This Skill gets especially profitable at high levels because your thieving success rate steadily rises with your Thieving Skill.

Pickpocketing Master Farmers is the main source of Gold from Thieving Skill. It will require you to have at least 38 Thieving (this will not be worth the effort at such a low level, however), but Thieving skill of at least 50 + full Rogue Equipment is recommended for decent profits. The moneymaking potential of pickpocketing Master Farmers caps out at 94 Thieving because at this level you will no longer fail your pickpocket attempts. Master Farmers can be found in the following locations:

  • Varrock: South of the Stone Circle
  • Farming Guild
  • Hosidius: House south-east of the Town Square (Zeah)

Profitability

The amount of Gold that can be made out of pickpocketing Master Farmers greatly depends on player's Thieving Skill and his Equipment (full Rogue Equipment is recommended). You should consider this Skilling Moneymaking Method only if you have at least 50 Thieving, at that level, it will net you about 300k Gold/Hour. With a fully optimized character, and at 94+ Thieving level it is possible to make over 1kk Gold/Hour with this method.

Detailed Skilling Guide: OSRS Thieving Guide 1-99

Smithing
Smithing

Smithing is a Skill that will allow you to process raw Ore into Bars and the Bars into a wide variety of metal Items. Bars can be smelted at special Furnaces, and the Items can be Crafted at special Anvils.

The best profit that can be achieved with Smithing comes from Smelting high-level Ores, like the Runite Ore, at the Blast Furnace. The Blast Furnace itself is a type of the minigame located in Kaldagrim, available only to Members. The Blast Furnace requires just half the amount of Coal that is usually required when Smelting, which means that it offers a great Smelting efficiency. Blast Furnaces can be found on Worlds 387, 352, 386, and 358 (official Blast Furnace Worlds). It is located in Kaldagrim (Quest: The Giant Dwarf must be started to gain access).

Smelting Runite Ore into Bars requires 85 Smithing. High Agility Skill is also recommended. Items like Weight-Reducing Clothes, Energy and Stamina Potions, Ice Gloves, and a Coal Bag are essential for this Skilling Moneymaking Method. Some initial Gold investment will be needed if you don't plan or are not able to farm Runite Ore by yourself, and want to purchase it on the Grand Exchange instead.

Other profitable Bars that can be Smelted are Steel Bars (Requirements: 30 Smithing), Mithril Bars (Requirements: 50 Smithing), and Adamantite Bars (Requirements: 70 Smithing).

Profitability

The amount of Gold that can be made at the Blast Furnace largely depends on the current Grand Exchange Margins (the higher the price difference between Ore and Bars, the better, of course). Smelting Mithril should net you about 400k Gold/Hour, and Smelting Runite can potentially provide profits reaching up to 1kk Gold/Hour. Smithing Adamantite Bars at the Blast Furnace yields around 630k Gold/Hour and Smithing Steel Bars surprisingly yields profits very similar to Smithing the Adamantite (about 600k Gold/Hour).

Detailed Skilling Guide: OSRS Smithing Guide 1-99

Hunter
Hunter

Hunter is a Skill that allows you to catch various Creatures and Animals that inhabit the world of the Old School Runescape. It has a Member-only restriction and being added in 2006, it is the newest Skill in the Game. The higher your Hunter Skill, the more Traps you can lay, and the more experience you get from catching your prey.

Thanks to special Hunting Equipment that can be bought from Hunter Stores, you can hunt specific creatures and obtain various expensive, rare, and in-demand Items. One of the most profitable Creatures for Hinting is the Black Chinchompa (Black Chin for short). Hunting them requires 80+ Hunter (for ~100% chance of catching; with a 73% Hunter the chance equals to only 78%), Box Traps, Ranged Weapon and gear, some protective equipment, and the Eagles' Peak Quest. These creatures can be found in the Wilderness (which means that you can lay 1 extra Trap), south-east of the Lava Maze. Laying down traps around Chin's respawn spots can help you increase Hunting efficiency (to do this, you should kill one, wait for the respawn, and set your trap s around the discovered Spawn Point).

The other profitable Creature to Hunt is the Impling. Hunting these requires a good Hunter Skill (~83 is strongly recommended), and a decent Thieving (60+ will suffice). Moreover, you will need Butterfly Net (unless you outskill these by at least 10), Dramen or Lunar Staff, and some Impling Jars. Things like Weight-reducing Clothes, Stamina Potions, and some Runes are recommended for increasing Hunting efficiency. Implings can be found in Puro-Puro.

Profitability

Your Gold gain from Hunting Implings will depend on your luck, at least to some extent. On a good day, you can earn about 800h Gold/Hour, if you are not too lucky, this number will be closer to 600k Gold/Hour. Hunting Black Chins should net you more or less 700k Gold/Hour after you set everything up properly (laying Traps in correct spots will take some time, so profit from the first Hunting hour will most likely be a little lower).

Note: These numbers can also be influenced by PKers roaming these Hunting Spots. Be prepared for such encounters, or try to Hunt outside of Server's prime hours to increase your Gold/Hour gains.

Detailed Skilling Guide: OSRS Hunter Guide 1-99

 

Honorable Mentions

This skills didn't make our Top list, but they are still worth checking out, especially if you are looking for some alternative and fun ways of making Gold in the OSRS.

Fishing
Fishing

This Skill allows you to catch Fish from various spots all around the World. Higher Fishing Skill opens up the ability to catch more varied types of Fish and increases the Fishing success rate. Many Fish are used as ingredients in Cooking recipes which makes them quite expensive and looked for by players who want to level up their Cooking Skill.

Catching certain Fish requires you to have special Equipment that can be purchased in the specialized Fishing Shops. Specialized Fishing Equipment includes Fishing Rods (used at mid Fishing Levels), Baits (Needed to attract Fish), Nets (Usable in Seas only), Harpoons (Usable in Seas only), and Lobster Cages (Usable in Seas to catch Lobsters).

Fishing provides mid-tier Gold income but is still a good alternative if you want something relaxing to do when you just can't be asked to do anything more engaging and/or difficult. Two of the most profitable Fish to catch are:

  • Minnows (Members-only) - They require 82 Fishing, the Fishing Contest Quest, an Angler's Outfit, and the Small Fishing Net. Minnows can be caught at the Kylie Minnow's fishing platform located in the Fishing Guild (you have to have a full Angler's Outfit to access the platform). Be aware that there are some AFK prevention mechanisms implemented to stop Players from catching them while AFKing (Minnows move around at a fixed rate, forcing you to follow them, and a Flying Fish, which eats Minnows from your inventory if you don't move away, will appear from time to time).
  • Anglerfish - These require 82+ Fishing, a Fishing Rod, some Sandworms (can be purchased from Tynan's Fishing Supplies store), and a 100% Piscarilius Favour (grinding this takes several hours, which discourages many Players). Anglerfish can be found in the Port Piscarilius (main docks and beaches). It is a good idea to Equip the Rada's Blessing, as it will give you an 8% chance to catch 2 Fish at once, effectively increasing your profits by 8%.

Profitability

Your profits from Fishing will depend on the Current Grand Exchange prices, but you can generally expect ~150k Gold/Hour from Catching Anglerfish, and around 225k Gold/Hour from Catching Minnows. As you can see, these methods do not provide great profits, but they have the advantage of not being attention-intensive which enables AFK and semi-AFK methods.

Cooking
Cooking

Cooking Skill allows you to process raw ingredients into edible Food which restores Hitpoints when eaten. Depending on your Cooking Skill, you will sometimes Burn your Food, which is unambiguous with wasting some of the raw ingredients. Food can be Cooked on Fires and Ranges. Ranges are generally better, as they have a lower chance of Burning your Food, furthermore, Ranges located in the Hosidius Kitchen and in the Lumbridge Castle Burn Food less often than regular Ranges.

Note: Cooking can be combined with Fishing to increase Gold yield from both Skills.

One of the most profitable Foods for Cooking is Raw Karambwan. Cooking it requires 30 Cooking (90+ is Recommended for ~100% Success Chance), a Cooking Cape or Gauntlets, Access to the Cook's Guild (recommended, you will need Varrock Armour 3 or 99 Cooking to gain entry - this will give you access to a Range which is located in close proximity of a Bank Booth), and the Tai Bwo Wannai Trio Quest. This Food is especially popular among PKs and other PVPers, who use it to combo eat, so the market for it is always there.

Profitability

Depending on the Current Grand Exchange margin between the Raw and the Cooked Karambwans, you should be able to make around 200k Gol/Hour.

Farming
Farming

Farming Skill allows you to grow various Plants from their Seeds and then harvest the Plants or Items that they Grow (like Fruits, for example). Growable Plants range from Fruit Trees, Vegetables, Hops, and Herbs to more exotic Mushrooms and Wood-Bearing Trees.

The main advantage of Farming over the other Gold making Skills is the fact that Plants will continue to Grow even if you Log Out of the game. This means that you can make some additional Gold with a minimal daily time input. Leveling up Farming is also rather effortless because of this, as a lot of experience can be gained with a little time investment.

One of the most profitable Plants to Farm is the Snapdragon. Farming it requires 62 Farming, 61 Magic (For Teleport to Trollheim), Farming Equipment, and initial Gold investment for 9 Snapdragon Seeds and  9 Ultracompost (Transportation items and Spells are recommended to reduce travel time between the patches). Each of the Farming Runs takes just a few minutes. Exemplary Patch locations and ways of getting to them quickly are as follows:

  • Patch north-east of Ardougne (Use Ardougne Teleport/Ardougne Cloak Teleport)
  • Port Phasmatys, west of the Undead Farm (Emptying the Ectophial will teleport you to the Port)
  • Patch south of Falador (Use Explorer's Ring's Cabbage port option)
  • Patch north of Catherby (Use Catherby Teleport)
  • Hosidius Patch (Use the Tithe Farm minigame teleport)

Profitability

Your profits from Farming Snapdragons will largely depend on your Teleportation options and Grand Exchange margins. If you have quick access to all available Patches, you should be able to make around 160k Gold/Farming Run which should take you ~10 minutes (Run can be repeated after 90 minutes).

Herblore
Herblore

Herblore is a Skill that allows you to create various Potions from Herbs, which is available to members only. You will need to complete the Druidic Ritual quest to use the Herblore Skill.

There are many ways of profiting on the Herblore, and every single one of them requires regular Grand Exchange margin checks because of the rapidly shifting prices. Checking margins on every Herb and every Potion may take some time, and there is no guarantee that you will find a worthwhile margin, so this method is recommended only as a secondary Gold making activity. It will especially suit Players who like to flip the Grand Exchange, as they are very familiar with GE prices, margins, and the overall in-game economy.

Note: At the moment of writing this Guide, Weapon Poison (++) and the Anti-Venom+ are the most profitable Potions to make, but this situation may change, depending on the demand-supply relation between Potions and raw Ingredients.

Profitability

Please take this one as a general profitability example, and be sure to check the Grand Exchange margins before investing any money in the below-mentioned Potions.

  • Creating Anti-Venom+ from Clean Herbs (Requires 94 Herblore) will earn you about 2700 Gold/Potion.
  • Creating Weapon Poison (++) from Clean Herbs (Requires 82 Herblore) will earn you about 3900 Gold/Potion.

Woodcutting
Woodcutting

Woodcutting is a Gathering Skill that allows you to chop Trees in order to obtain Logs. These Logs are then used for Construction, Firemaking, and Fletching Skills, which means that there is a constant demand for them. This Skill is advised especially to new Players because it requires close to 0 initial investment and provides some nice early game profits (all you need is an Axe and some free in-game time, really). It can be performed while AFK, so it is also quite convenient.

The most profitable Trees to chop are Magic Trees, which are located at the Woodcutting Guild (membership is required to gain access). Woodcutting Skill of at least 75 (over 90 is recommended for better efficiency), a Dragon Axe, and at least 75% Hosidius Favour is required for them. Trees in the Woodcutting Guild are in very close proximity to the Bank, which minimizes travel time when farming.

Profitability

Your profits from Chopping Magic Trees will depend on the current Grand Exchange prices, but you can generally expect to make around 120k Gold/Hour. This number looks very low compared to some other shown on this list, but remember that Woodcutting is very AFK-friendly and can be done with very small player input.


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END NOTE

Making gold with the help of your OSRS Skills can be a great alternative to other, more time-consuming and engaging methods, as many Skilling Moneymakers can be performed while Semi-AFKing which is incredibly convenient. Methods featured in this Guide are just a small portion of all known ways of making Gold in the Old School Runescape, be sure to check our other Guides on this subject if you want to discover much more of them!

Here, you will find our comprehensive guide to OSRS Grand Exchange and Flipping.

Here, you will find our list of the best Gold making OSRS activities for both low and high-level Players.

Please do note that this is an early version of our guide, and we will be happy to receive constructive criticism, that will help us improve it, so leave your suggestions in the comment section below. We will appreciate your feedback very much.

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