Best Ways To Make Money In The Story Mode

Key Takeaways

• There are alternative ways to make money in
  Grand Theft Auto 5
  , such as robbing stores and armored trucks, completing bounties, and encountering random events.
• The story mode heists in the game offer the opportunity to earn a significant amount of money, with the biggest payout happening in “The Big Score” heist.
• Players can also take on assassination missions from Lester, which not only provide monetary rewards but also allow for stock market manipulation for even greater profits.

Despite the Grand Theft Auto 5 story mode featuring a story of bank robbers set on the biggest score of their lives, there are other methods to obtaining the money that don’t require players to plan methodically to rob a bank. In Grand Theft Auto 5’s story mode, players have found several ways that will help them get rich quickly, without the need to crack a few skulls and a vault in the process.

Some of the best ways to make money in Grand Theft Auto 5 don’t involve violence, but considering the nature of the game, there are going to be options to bring weapons of warfare into Los Santos to create mountains of money, and truly get rich quick in Grand Theft Auto 5.

Updated October 5, 2024, by Jake Fillery: Earn money in GTA 5 fast with these easy tricks, allowing players to commit the fictional crimes of Los Santos and Blaine County as Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, with more stacks of cash in their pockets than they can count. There are plenty of unique ways to earn money in Grand Theft Auto 5, and whilst they may not be as intricate and plentiful as the ever-growing popularity of GTA Online, they are still resourceful enough to keep players rich. After all, players are going to want enough money as they can get their hands on so that they can complete the bucket list of GTA 5 before the inevitable 2025 release of Grand Theft Auto 6, which will surely require players to earn even more cash in the new Vice City.

13 Complete Story Missions

Progress Missions For More Money Rewards

Story Missions in GTA 5 are vital for the solo players out there who want a unique narrative experience as well as an infinite source of money. By completing story missions, players will unlock further avenues for cash, with more missions that reward money, and more side missions that will give different perks to playing them.

Story content is essential to the experience, and players are not going to be able to earn infinite money without doing it. While most story missions offer scraps of cash, or no money at all, reaching those heists and venturing through missions that reward stock market manipulation is something to look into.

12 Venture Across Strangers and Freaks

Meet New People to Earn Unique Rewards and Experienced

There is an abundance of Strangers and Freaks that can be met across GTA 5‘s world as Trevor, Michael, and Franklin. The trio have their own set of Strangers and Freaks, and each of them certainly deserves their namesake for what mischief they get the protagonists involved in. From stealing celebrities to hunting animals, Strangers and Freaks are plentiful in Los Santos.

Yet, it’s not just there for enjoyment, as Strangers and Freaks can offer some rewards depending on their completion that will greatly benefit players with some tips, cash, and collectibles. Upon discovering one of these missions, it’s always a great idea to see what can be obtained from them.

11 Avoid Total Carnage

Avoid Paying Hospital Bills By Staying Out Of Trouble

Sometimes, an open world as expansive as GTA 5 with a plethora of weapons is cause for trouble, and players with infinite freedom might want to just let loose on a virtual world by causing maximum destruction and death. However, getting away from a 5-star wanted level isn’t the easiest, and death might be assured to players who seek to give it to others.

In dying, players are going to lose their money to health insurance and hospital bills, so while it might not earn them money, it’s a useful tip to avoid spending it and wasting delightful cash on extremely avoidable situations.

10 Win Street Races

Earn Almost $20,000

Franklin has special missions from Hao where he can compete in some illegal yet exhilarating street races found across Los Santos. The competition is fierce, and the law may run hot, but street races are a lot of fun for those who love to drive around Los Santos with a disregard for the safety of themselves and others. Players can earn bronze, silver, and gold medals in Hao’s street races across Los Santos to earn themselves a cash reward.

Whilst the cash for each race may not be in the millions, it’s still a great way to earn some quick and easy cash, especially as Franklin, whose special ability (L3+R3) allows him to use Driving Focus, which slows time whilst driving a land vehicle, allowing him to gain great speed whilst other cars slow, and permits him to take sharp corners quickly. It’s a great skill that can make these races far easier to complete, no matter which car the player chooses.

9 Steal Cars Instead Of Buying Them

Save Thousands of Dollars

There are plenty of incredibly unique vehicles in GTA 5 that players can find or search for on their in-game internet browser. These vehicles can be pretty pricey, and players will have to spend even more money if they want to upgrade them, so it’s better to take to the streets of Los Santos and search for a car that looks worthy of going fast and effective. Players can find plenty of exciting vehicles in GTA 5 and save their money in the process.

Whilst they cannot sell these expensive vehicles, finding them for ownership will save them money in the long run from spending their criminal cash. After all, the best way to earn money in GTA 5 is simply not to spend money, so it’s best to search for unique and fast vehicles and splash the cash once players have earned the luxury of spending it on entertainment rather than essentials.

8 Play The Stock Market

Earn Potential Billions of Dollars

The Stock Market is a fickle thing in Grand Theft Auto 5, and players can try their luck at manipulating it in order to earn an array of cash for themselves through selling. Players will want to look for low stocks to invest into, and then to sleep or wait around for a few days for it to go up and surge high, just to sell it at the peak of its potential so they can maximize the reward through buying low and selling high.

The stock market can be a tad annoying to get right in GTA 5, as it can be somewhat unpredictable. It’s always good to have a save file ready before and after purchasing stocks so players can continue to skip time and try their luck again at investing big to become millionaires.

7 Rob Stores

$300 – $1,200 Per Store

There are 19 small stores that players can rob in Grand Theft Auto 5, and they are easy to pick. There’s usually just the shopkeeper to worry about, and only sometimes will this member of staff act in self-defense and use a gun to try and take out the robber. In that case, simply shoot them. After all, this is a game all about committing crime.

Players can rob these shops as often as they would like, although that doesn’t mean they can rob them every 5 minutes. Whilst the shopkeep might not be happy to see players again, they will certainly hold their breath and hope they don’t get robbed. With plenty of opportunities to rob, and a few thousand dollars to claim each time, it’s always worth robbing these places, although maybe buy a snack or two first.

6 Rob Armored Trucks

$3,000 – $5000

One of the more illegal ways to obtain money in Grand Theft Auto 5 is through the discovery of armored trucks. In finding these armored trucks around the Grand Theft Auto 5 map, players will have a quick and easy chance of acquiring a few thousand dollars. The best way to get into these trucks is to use a pistol to shoot the middle of the two doors at the back of the truck to allow them to open and a briefcase full of cash ready to fly out.

Robbing armored trucks in Grand Theft Auto 5 is a quick and easy way to get some cash fast, and it can easily be done simply by driving around until one appears. However, it’s worth noting that these security vans have bulletproof tires and two guards protecting the money.

5 Bail Bonds Bounties

$10,000 Per Bounty Brought In Alive / $5,000 If Killed

Four Bail Bond Targets:

• Ralph Ostrowksi
• Larry Tupper
• Glenn Scoville
• Curtis Weaver

One of the more quirky and grey justice ways to obtain money in Grand Theft Auto 5 is through the illustrious Maude. This character has a strange friendship with Trevor, in which she will locate the area of someone in need of capture. Trevor can maximize the money in his bank account if he finds these targets and brings them back alive and breathing for Maude.

The Bail Bonds Missions require some element of talent and discovery, as Trevor will take on the role of a detective as he locates his targets. These Bail Bonds are a great way to have fun in Grand Theft Auto 5, with the added reward of getting paid for the work.

4 Complete Random Encounters

$80 – $10,000

Best Random Encounters For Money:

• Countryside Robbery
• Deal Gone Wrong
• Drug Shootout

Across the three protagonists of Trevor, Michael, and Franklin, each of these characters can find a Random Encounter that is unique to them. With almost 60 Random Encounters in Grand Theft Auto 5, players will almost always find something new to discover that will grant them a unique and quick mission, along with some healthy cash to stuff into their wallets.

Many different versions of these Random Encounters could see the player net a fancy reward. Whether it’s a returning character from Grand Theft Auto 4 or the delightfully despicable decision of Trevor selling his passengers to the Altruist cult to make these victims dinner. These are just a few ways to make money fast in Grand Theft Auto 5.

3 Story Mode Heists

Potential $126,134,000

Highest Story Mode Heist Payouts

• Heist 1: The Jewel Store Job – $1,200,000 for Michael, $300,000 for Franklin
• Heist 2: The Merryweather Heist – $0
• Heist 3: The Paleto Store – $464,000 each for Franklin, Michael & Trevor
• Heist 4: The Bureau Raid – $240,000 for Franklin
• Heist 5: The Big Score – $41,000,000 for Michael, Trevor & Franklin

Perhaps the most adventurous, thrilling, and story-progressive way to obtain money in Grand Theft Auto 5 is through the Story Mode itself. With so many main missions to be completed, players will always bring home some cash for each mission. However, the true prize of Grand Theft Auto 5 comes in the form of its Story Mode Heists, which will easily see the player get money faster than other activities like robbing ATMs or convenience stores.

There are a few heists that players can commit during the Grand Theft Auto 5 Story Mode, and most of these will see the income of players increase by a few million. By far the best heist in Grand Theft Auto 5 is The Big One, which will see all three main characters enjoy a ridiculous amount of cash, leaving them with a vast amount of wealth to spend.

2 Assassination Missions

Earn Up To £2,147,483,467

Lester’s Assassination Missions:

• The Hotel Assassination
• The Multi Target Assassination
• The Vice Assassination
• The Bus Assassination
• The Construction Assassination

Lester has a job for Franklin, and it doesn’t involve doing his dry cleaning or designing a new logo for his criminal enterprise. Instead, Lester wants Franklin to do what he does best: kill. Lester will send Franklin on a few assassination missions to kill some stockholders and CEOs of big-time companies that will allow Lester to manipulate the growing or tanking stock market.

The Assassination Missions in Grand Theft Auto 5 will see Lester get rick off of Franklin’s dirty work, where he will pay him a few thousand dollars for his services. However, players can also get extremely rich if they invest wisely in the Grand Theft Auto 5 stock market before and after each assassination to maximize their profits across all three characters.

1 Collect Nuclear Waste

$690,000

• Amount of Nuclear Waste: 30
• Reward Per Nuclear Waste: $23,000
• Final Reward: $250,000

After completing The Merryweather Heist and purchasing the Sonar Collections Dock, players can enter a Submersible and explore the underwater depths of Los Santos, where in a variety of deep locations, they will discover Nuclear Waste Barrels. Simply running into each of these barrels will collect them for players, and they will immediately receive vast rewards.

It may not be the fastest method of collecting a profit, but it certainly is efficient. It’s important for players looking to 100% the game and to those that enjoy a collect-o-thon style of open-world, with many things awaiting players that dive deep, including some weird easter eggs.