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There is not a moment that goes by in Skyrim without some thought to money. That powerful new spell tome? That needs gold. A pile of ingots for your new helmet? That needs gold. Your brat child? They can and will ask for pocket money. That needs gold.
On the surface, getting gold is simple enough. Give up your time and labor to help people for monetary compensation. Getting more money is an art. This guide will show you how to make money with tricks that would make Wall Street blush and outline some simpler ones that you might initially overlook.
Updated December 18, 2022 by Nicolas Ng: As Skyrim's walkthrough expands, so too does our coverage of the game's quests and mechanics. We have included new tips and links to other walkthroughs to help you build a hoard worthy of the Dragonborn.
The Best Way To Earn Money In Skyrim
If you are looking to make a lot of money as fast as possible, you will have to use some trickery to achieve it. Some of Skyrim's mechanics can be bent and abused in exploits that generate mountains of money.
These tips are exploits and can be seen as a form of cheating. Skyrim's intended sources of income are found below. Scroll down if you were not intending to use exploits.
Mass Alchemy
Most players agree that Alchemy is where the big money is. Creating potions using whatever ingredients are available and then selling them can add up very quickly while simultaneously improving your Alchemy skill.
Consider drinking a potion of Fortify Barter before selling the rest of your potions to get more gold for each one.
Early in the game, Whiterun has plenty of flowers and other ingredients in the wild that can be converted into Potions for quick gold. Using that money to purchase ingredients from Arcadia's Cauldron and making potions with said ingredients will net you even more gold.
Fortify/Restoration Loop
A very interesting exploit that works on most versions of Skyrim (including the Nintendo Switch version) is dubbed the "Restoration Loop", which can not only help you make tons of gold, but will also increase your skills a massive amount if used enough times. You can see the full explanation of the exploit here, but a basic run-down is as follows:
- Put on any Fortify Alchemy apparel you own.
- Craft a Fortify Restoration potion.
- Unequip the Fortify Alchemy apparel.
- Repeat steps 1-3 multiple times.
- To ensure permanent enhancement, make a Fortify Enchantment potion while powered up and use the power from this potion to put a super-strong Fortify Alchemy enchantment on some apparel. Simply wear this powered-up apparel any time you make potions to have them be extremely strong and valuable.
How To Make Honest Money
Broadly speaking, Skyrim offers three ways for adventurers to stay warm, happy, and with a belly full of mead.
Selling The Fruits Of Your Labor
Skyrim has several opportunities for you to make money like everyone else through back-breaking physical labor. You can spend time at farms, mines, and chopping blocks to gather up cheap materials to exchange for money.
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Chopping Firewood |
You can find wood chopping blocks throughout the province. Here, you use a Woodcutter's Axe to chop up firewood to sell to a nearby buyer. |
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Selling Ores |
Skyrim has no shortage of mines. Here, you can use a Pickaxe to extract ores. A nearby manager will buy those ores from you. |
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Selling Crops |
Farms across Skyrim grow crops. You can harvest the crops and sell them to the farmer. |
All of these methods will earn you money, but only at a glacial pace. There are much better ways to earn a living.
Selling Your Blood-Soaked Loot
In all likelihood, you will be going on grand adventures and, most importantly, killing foes and looting their homes. In doing so, you will gather items that can be sold for money.
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Enemy Equipment |
Your foes will die carrying valuable equipment. If they do not have anything you want, keep their things and bring them to a merchant to sell. |
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Dungeon Spoils |
You are guaranteed treasure for clearing dungeons. It may not be much, but you will be rewarded. You can find valuable equipment, gemstones, and other items that are worth selling to merchants. |
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Dragon Parts |
Dragons drop particularly valuable loot. Their bones and scales can be sold for more gold than most items. While heavy, their parts are worth carrying. |
You will often find yourself with more treasure than you can carry. In these situations, you should ask a follower to carry your loot.
Gainful Employment
The most common reward for helping others is gold, which is a good way of building your fortune. Simply asking people if they need help will get you money-giving quests. You can split these quests into two categories: side quests and radiant quests.
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Side Quests |
These are quests that have a specially-tailored storyline that involves a narrative. While you are likely to be paid, these quests frequently give unique items or benefits as a reward instead of gold. The quest The Blessings of Nature is a good example. |
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Radiant Quests |
These quests are named after Skyrim's Radiant System. These are often fetch quests or dungeon-clearing quests that take you to a random location for a random objective. Such quests almost always give gold and many can be repeated. Skyrim's factions offer repeatable quests that can be used to earn gold. You can also approach innkeepers to get Jarl's bounties, dungeon-clearing quests against simple bandits. |
Getting Help From Your Spouse
You could also get married, as your spouse will give you 100 gold per day from their earnings. This money will accumulate over time, with no upper limit. It is always good to know that there is a fresh pile of coins waiting after weeks away.
Making Fast Money Through Less-Than-Legal Means
Crime pays (in Skyrim) and it often pays better than honorable work. Of course, not many people will help you commit crimes. If you don't mind breaking a few rules to get money, these methods can work for you.
Thieving and Pickpocketing
It ain't honest work, but it sure pays well (as long as you don't get caught!). Pickpocketing and thieving are undeniably fun, as it's something you usually can't do in real life and has the thrill of danger and possibly being caught. Getting good at this skill is essential if you want to nab more expensive or useful items such as gemstones or keys to rooms that hold even more treasure.
Easy ways to get good at this skill are simply quicksaving before attempting a pickpocket in case you are caught, or pickpocketing from bandits who will attack you regardless of whether you are caught.
Pickpocketing Mercer Frey from the Thieves Guild before you are the Guildmaster is a great tactic, since he has lots of different loot and will always forgive you (unless he is following you on a quest.)
Fencing to The Thieves Guild
The Thieves Guild is not only a fun storyline full of engaging characters and quests, but the benefits of joining are plentiful: joining the Thieves Guild gives armor that makes criminal activity such as pickpocketing easier. For example, the Thieves Guild Boots (makes Pickpocketing 15% easier) and the Thieves Guild Gloves (makes Lockpicking 15% easier.)
Players also get access to Tonilia, a fence who will buy any stolen goods from the player. Obtaining the coveted Speech perk Fence (requires 90 Speech) allows the player to sell stolen goods to any merchant, cutting out an additional trip to Riften.
Finally, The Thieves' Guild also allows access to repeatable jobs that pay decently, such as Fishing, Heist, and Burglary Jobs. Being a thief is truly a steady career option and only gets better when you restore the Thieves Guild.
Killing For The Dark Brotherhood
If morality is not an issue, one of the best-paying groups in Skyrim is the Dark Brotherhood. Assassinations don't come cheap, and you will get to benefit directly from that.
The Dark Brotherhood's main story comes with a hefty 20,000 gold payout at its conclusion.
As a member, you will be sent out on contracts that have you kill for money. These quests pay well and become repeatable Radiant quests when you complete the initial set.
Magic Money
Once you've made all that shiny gold, you won't want to part with it easily. It's good to apply methods that will save you money while buying the items you need, sort of like Skyrim coupons.
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Speech Perks |
A silver tongue will get you many things in life, and Skyrim is no exception. The Haggler perk, which makes buying and selling prices better, can be upgraded up to five times for a maximum improvement of 30 percent. The Merchant perk is also useful, as it allows you to sell any kind of item to any merchant. |
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Shrine of Zenithar and Mephala |
Getting the Blessing of Zenithar and the Blessing of Mephala will grant the player ten percent better prices for 8 real-life hours of gameplay. |
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Fortify Barter |
Along with Blessings, Fortify Barter can be achieved through potions made using Alchemy, specifically ingredients such as Butterfly Wing and Dragon's Tongue. You can also use armor and apparel that improve prices, some of which are listed below. |
Fortify Barter Clothes
These armor and apparel items are relatively easy to obtain and will not only make goods less expensive to purchase, but merchants will pay more for your items as well.
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Standard Enchanted Amulet |
These usually grant a 12–25 percent price improvement. You can find these or craft them yourself, depending on your enchantment skill. |
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Clavicus Vile's Masque |
Gives ten more points to Speech, improves prices by 20 percent, and increases Magicka Regeneration by 5 percent. This is a reward for completing the quest A Daedra's Best Friend. |
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Volsung |
Wearing this makes prices 20 percent better, gives you 20 more points of carry weight, and allows you to breathe underwater. It's obtained by defeating dragon priest Volsung in the Nordic Ruin of Volskygge. |
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Amulet of Zenithar |
A sacred amulet that represent one of the Eight Divines, Zenithar. It improves prices by ten percent and can be found as random loot, at the Shrine of Zenithar (north of the Riften Stables), or purchasable from Radiant Raiment in Solitude. |
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Thieves Guild Hood |
This hood improves prices by ten percent and is obtained by joining the Thieves Guild. |