The short version
30-second read- Elves need 85 Thieving and Song of the Elves. The 4.2M figure assumes 99 Thieving, the hard Ardougne Diary and rogue equipment, and drops to about 3.1M at 85.
- Blood runes open at 77 Runecraft. They need Sins of the Father, and the wiki rate assumes a colossal pouch, Raiments of the Eye and blood essence.
- Guardians of the Rift opens at 27 Runecraft. It reaches about 1.16M an hour at 85 Runecraft on the wiki's October 2026 figures.
- Subtract the 2% GE tax and inputs. Time a clean hour, count outputs rather than XP, and chase down the cause of any big gap from the wiki figure.
Overview
The best skilling money makers in OSRS right now are Thieving and Runecrafting. Pickpocketing elves (85 Thieving) lists about 4.2M gp an hour on the wiki at 99 Thieving, and crafting blood runes at the Sins of the Father altar (77 Runecraft) about 3.35M. With higher levels, Wilderness Agility (52 Agility, PK risk, about 2M at a 61+ lap streak), Guardians of the Rift (about 1.16M at 85 Runecraft) and aerial fishing (about 1M at 99 Fishing and Hunter) all pay 1M or more.
The table below has the full list with requirements, using wiki prices from 12 October 2026. Prices move, so treat the numbers as a ranking, then check the live figure before you commit a week to one method.
Deep dives: Runecrafting, Thieving, Mining, Hunter rumours, and the passive pages for birdhouses, Miscellania and herb runs. For low-effort options, see best AFK activities.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Account stage | Any members account with at least one profitable skill unlocked |
| Hard reqs summary | Skill level plus quest or diary gates for the chosen method |
| Recommended | Weight reduction, teleports and tool upgrades that save trips |
| Starting capital | Low for gathering; higher for processing methods that buy inputs |
| Risk | Usually low outside Wilderness methods |
| Attention | From near-AFK to tick-perfect depending on method |
| Solo/team | Almost always solo |
| Difficulty | Easy to start; harder to pick the right skill for current prices |
Best Skilling Money Makers by GP per Hour
| Method | Requirements | GP per hour | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickpocketing elves | 85 Thieving, Song of the Elves | ~4.2M at 99 | Hard Ardougne Diary and rogue equipment assumed; ~3.1M at 85 |
| Crafting blood runes | 77 Runecraft, Sins of the Father | ~3.35M | Colossal pouch, Raiments of the Eye, blood essence |
| Crafting wrath runes | 95 Runecraft, Dragon Slayer II | ~3.2M realistic | Mythical cape route to the Wrath Altar |
| Pickpocketing vyres | 82 Thieving, Sins of the Father | ~2.9M at 99 | ~2.0M at 82 |
| Death runes through the Abyss | 65 Runecraft, Mourning's End Part II | ~2.2M at 99 | Route crosses the Wilderness |
| Wilderness Agility Course | 52 Agility, 150k fee | ~2.0M | At a 61+ lap streak; PK risk. See our Wilderness Agility guide |
| Guardians of the Rift | 27 Runecraft, Temple of the Eye | ~1.16M | Assumes 85 Runecraft |
| Pickpocketing master farmers | 38 Thieving (94 recommended) | ~1.15M at 94 | Ranarr and snapdragon seeds |
| Aerial fishing | 43 Fishing, 35 Hunter | ~1.0M at 99/99 | Molch pearls bought as shark lures |
| Casting Superglass Make | 77 Magic, Lunar Diplomacy | ~967k | Processing: buys sand, seaweed and astrals |
| Hunting sunlight antelopes | 72 Hunter, Children of the Sun | ~948k | Meat, fur and antler bolts |
| Method | Requirements | Profit per run | Run time / repeat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farming ranarr weed | 32 Farming (65 for the Farming Guild patch) | ~201k | About 6 minutes, every 90 minutes |
| Bird house trapping | Bone Voyage, high Hunter | ~61k | About 1.4 minutes, every 50 minutes |
If you want a processing method (buy inputs, make something, sell it), Superglass Make is the strongest one in the table and needs no gathering at all. If you want pure gathering with no inputs, aerial fishing and sunlight antelopes are the easiest picks under 75 in their skills.
Requirements
Every skilling money method is a small production line. If you cannot reach the input or the processing station quickly, the wiki rate does not apply to you.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Skill level | The method's level gate. |
| Access quests and diaries | Examples: Temple of the Eye for GotR, Bone Voyage for birdhouses on Fossil Island, Song of the Elves for Prifddinas. |
| Membership | Nearly all meaningful skilling GP is members-only. |
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Outfits and tools | Only when they change trip length or yield, like the colossal pouch or rogue equipment. |
| Price awareness | Check prices before you gather into a crashed market. |
| Passive runs | Birdhouses and herb runs add to whatever active skill you choose. |
Setup
Setup means a bank preset and a price check.
- 1
Shortlist two methods from the table that you meet the requirements for.
- 2
Open each wiki money making page and note the input and output items.
- 3
Price a realistic hour of inputs for processing methods.
- 4
Strip your inventory to the tools that save time.
- 5
Re-check prices after any game update that touches that skill.
Route and Process
The loop is gather or buy, process if needed, sell or use, and repeat until prices or boredom break it.
- 1
Play timed sessions so you can calculate real rates.
- 2
Keep banking routes identical every trip.
- 3
Sell in batches instead of living in the GE interface.
- 4
Do birdhouse and herb runs between sessions.
- 5
Switch methods when your timed profit drops, not when someone else's screenshot looks better.
Costs to Subtract
Processing methods lose money when people forget inputs; gathering methods lose money when people forget teleports and tool costs.
- Raw materials bought, or the time value of gathered inputs
- The 2% GE tax
- Stamina potions, food or other consumables
- Charges on special equipment, like pouch repairs or necklace charges
- Failed crafts, burns and misclicks
How to Calculate Realistic Profit
Skilling GP per hour is (outputs sold minus inputs minus fees) divided by hours.
- 1
Time a clean hour at your real attention level.
- 2
Count outputs produced, not XP gained.
- 3
Use conservative GE sell prices and include tax.
- 4
Subtract inputs at the price you paid.
- 5
Compare with the wiki figure and find the cause of any big gap.
Ironman Relevance
Skilling money on an iron means stockpiles. Prefer methods that feed Herblore, Construction, Runecraft and combat, like master farmer seeds or rune crafting.
See ironman money making.
Common Mistakes
Pick from the table by your levels and what you enjoy, then re-check prices monthly.
- Buying inputs at instant-buy prices for a thin processing margin
- Skipping the quest unlocks that make the top methods possible
- Doing Wilderness skilling without reading the risk notes
- Ignoring passive runs because they are not a full-screen grind
- Confusing XP methods with money methods
When to Move On
Switch when one of these is true:
- A boss you can kill consistently beats your timed skilling rate after supplies.
- You need a skill-specific deep dive, so open that skill's money guide.
- Prices crashed. Re-test or park the method.
FAQ
What is the best skilling money maker in OSRS?
On the wiki's October 2026 numbers, pickpocketing elves at about 4.2M gp an hour (85 Thieving, Song of the Elves), followed by blood and wrath runes at about 3.2M to 3.35M.
What is the best skilling money maker for mid-level accounts?
Guardians of the Rift from 27 Runecraft, aerial fishing from 43 Fishing and 35 Hunter, and master farmers from 38 Thieving all reach about 1M an hour with higher levels. Wilderness Agility at 52 pays more if you accept PK risk.
Is AFK skilling good money?
Lower intensity usually means lower GP. Measure your own AFK hour. See AFK activities.
Should I drop skilling when I can boss?
Not automatically. Skilling still wins when you are tired, waiting on a team, or a price spikes. If the level requirements are what stop you, our skill training services can get the account there.
Still stuck on a mechanic? Ask the team on our Discord, it is free.
Bottom Line
Skilling GP is a live margin plus a routine you can keep up. Use the table to pick a method you meet the requirements for, then open the skill-specific money guide.
Always subtract inputs and tax from a timed session before you call a method good.
Sources
Numbers and mechanics on this page come from these 2 OSRS Wiki pages:
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