The short version
30-second read- The max cape costs 2,376,000 coins from Mac. Max now means 2,376 total level and at least 312,826,344 XP since Sailing became the 24th skill.
- Get Slayer going early. On Wise Old Man's rates it supplies all of your Attack and Strength XP and about half of your Defence.
- Start time-gated skills on day one. Daily tree runs for Farming and birdhouse runs for Hunter add up while you train everything else.
- 21 hours a week maxes in about a year. That is at efficient pace; at half that pace it takes 101 weeks, about 1.9 years.
How Long It Takes to Max in OSRS
Maxing a fresh main account takes roughly 1,050 to 1,075 efficient hours. That figure comes from Wise Old Man's EHP rates for main accounts, which assume the fastest method at every level, unlimited GP and no breaks, and it already includes Sailing. Most players use slower or cheaper methods for at least some skills, so their own total is higher.
At 14 hours a week, 1,060 hours is about 76 weeks, close to a year and a half. Play at half the efficient pace on the same schedule and it is nearer three years.
What Counts as Maxed Now
Max means level 99 in all 24 skills: 2,376 total level and at least 312,826,344 XP. Sailing became the 24th skill on 19 November 2025 and raised the requirement from 2,277. Mac sells the max cape on his island west of the Warriors' Guild for 2,376,000 coins, which is 99,000 per skill.
Where the Hours Go
Hours per skill from a fresh account, worked out from Wise Old Man's main-account EHP rates. Skills that get bonus XP from other training show only the hours left after that bonus.
| Skill | Efficient hours to 99 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Slayer | about 166 | Also covers Attack and Strength to 99 and about half of Defence |
| Agility | about 158 | Hallowed Sepulchre from level 52 |
| Runecraft | about 148 | Guardians of the Rift, then solo mud runes from 75 |
| Mining | about 118 | 3-tick granite from 63 |
| Fishing | about 100 | Drift net fishing, then 2-tick swordfish and tuna |
| Sailing | about 69 | Barracuda Trials |
| Woodcutting | about 63 | 1.5-tick teaks |
| Hunter | about 49 | Birdhouses, drift net fishing, then black chinchompas |
| Thieving | about 42 | Blackjacking, then artefacts |
| Crafting | about 30 | Gems, then dragonhide bodies |
| Smithing | about 28 | Gold bars at the Blast Furnace |
| Herblore | about 23 | Potion making; costs GP |
| Firemaking | about 17 | Logs, then a combined Thieving method from 50 |
| Defence | about 16 | After Slayer bonus XP |
| Cooking | about 15 | 1-tick karambwans |
| Construction | about 13 | Mahogany tables and benches; costs GP |
| Farming | about 8 | Active time only; tree runs take months |
| Ranged | about 7 | After Slayer and Defence bonus XP |
| Prayer | about 5 | After Slayer and Defence bonus XP; costs GP |
| Attack, Strength | 0 | Covered by Slayer bonus XP |
| Hitpoints, Magic, Fletching | 0 | No hours in Wise Old Man's main rates. Hitpoints comes with combat, and the wiki calls darts arguably the most feasible zero-time Fletching method. Trained on their own these add time; broad arrows from 52 to 99 are about 29 hours. |
Slayer, Agility, Runecraft, Mining and Fishing make up about 690 of those hours, nearly two thirds of the total. That is why two accounts on the same total level can be hundreds of hours apart: one with Agility and Runecraft already at 99 has about 300 fewer hours left than one without.
Why Your Own Time Will Be Longer
The wiki describes efficient hours as assuming the fastest methods regardless of cost. Most people use calmer or cheaper methods somewhere, and the difference is large. Here is the gap for the last seven levels (92 to 99, 6,517,178 XP) at the wiki's XP rates:
- Mining: about 55 hours of 3-tick granite at 119,000 XP an hour, or about 105 hours at Motherlode Mine's 62,000.
- Woodcutting: about 28 hours of 1.5-tick teaks at 235,000, or about 100 hours of redwoods at 65,000.
- Fishing: about 60 hours of 3-tick barbarian fishing at 108,000, or about 114 hours AFK at 57,000.
- Cooking: about 7 hours of 1-tick karambwans at 950,000, or about 24 hours AFK at 273,000.
Construction and Prayer are fast only if you pay. The wiki puts mahogany tables from 52 to 99 at 92,220 mahogany planks, about 179M coins in planks at current prices plus servant fees. Dragon bones give 252 XP each on a gilded altar, so a 99 takes about 51,700 of them.
Some skills add calendar days rather than hours. Farming counts as about 8 active hours, but the wiki estimates 3 to 4 months of fairly consistent tree runs for 99, since you can only do one or two runs a day.
Calendar Time by Weekly Play
| Play per week | Efficient pace (about 1,060 hours) | Half efficient pace (about 2,120 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 hours | 151 weeks (about 2.9 years) | 303 weeks (about 5.8 years) |
| 14 hours | 76 weeks (about 1.5 years) | 151 weeks (about 2.9 years) |
| 21 hours | 50 weeks (about 1 year) | 101 weeks (about 1.9 years) |
| 35 hours | 30 weeks (about 7 months) | 61 weeks (about 1.2 years) |
For an account that is already part trained, Wise Old Man calculates a time-to-max (TTM) figure for any account it tracks. Divide that by your weekly hours the same way.
Ironman Accounts
Ironmen take longer, because planks, bones, herbs and potion secondaries have to be gathered instead of bought, and that gathering time comes on top of the skill itself. Wise Old Man keeps a separate set of ironman rates for that reason, so use those rather than the main-account figures above.
A Sensible Order for Maxing
- Get Slayer going early. On Wise Old Man's rates it supplies all of your Attack and Strength XP and about half of your Defence.
- Start the time-gated skills on day one. Daily tree runs for Farming and birdhouse runs for Hunter add up while you train other things.
- Do Runecraft and Agility in short, focused sessions and keep the AFK skills for days when you are half watching something else.
- Track weekly XP instead of levels. Because 92 is half of 99, total level makes an account look closer to max than it is.
Where Paid Help Fits
If one or two skills are all that stands between you and the cape, our skill training service can take just those. Every order is played by hand.
FAQ
How many hours does it take to max in OSRS?
About 1,050 to 1,075 efficient hours from a fresh main account, Sailing included, on Wise Old Man's rates. Most players take longer because they do not use the fastest method for every skill.
What total level is max in OSRS?
2,376, which is level 99 in all 24 skills. It was 2,277 before Sailing was released on 19 November 2025.
Can you max an OSRS account in a month?
No. 1,060 hours in 30 days is over 35 hours a day. Even at 12 hours a day the efficient total takes about three months.
Should I max before doing PvM?
There is no need. Slayer, the longest skill on the list, is combat, and boss drops are what pay for fast Construction and Prayer.
Still stuck on a mechanic? Ask the team on our Discord, it is free.
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