Old School RuneScape Beginner's Money Making Guide

Aug-02-2025 PST

In the vast and ever-evolving world of Old School RuneScape (OSRS), making money is crucial for progressing your character, purchasing high-level gear, and enhancing your overall gameplay experience. Whether you're a brand-new player or you've just started exploring the expansive world of Gielinor, learning how to make money effectively is an essential skill.

 

Unlike many modern MMOs where you can simply buy in-game currency, OSRS is all about player-driven economy, meaning the wealth you accumulate comes from your own efforts. In this guide, we'll walk you through a variety of beginner-friendly money-making methods that will help you get started on the road to riches.

 

Why Making Money in OSRS is Important


Before diving into the methods, let's first understand why money-making is so critical in OSRS:

 

Gear and Supplies: The gear required to tackle high-level bosses, dungeons, or even just tough monsters often costs a significant amount of OSRS gold.

 

Skill Training: Many high-level skills require expensive resources or items, and making money allows you to buy these without breaking your in-game progression.

 

Cosmetics and Fun: If you're into cosmetics, pets, or skilling outfits, many of these can be purchased using in-game currency.

 

Upgrading and Scaling: At higher levels, you'll need money to buy upgrades to your combat, magic, and ranged equipment.

 

With that in mind, let's break down the best beginner-friendly ways to make money in Old School RuneScape.

 

1. Killing Chickens and Cows (Low-Level Combat)


Location: Lumbridge, Varrock

Items Needed: Basic combat gear (weapon, armor), food

Profit Potential: Low but steady

 

If you're completely new to OSRS, killing chickens and cows is a great way to get started. They're low-level enemies that provide valuable drops without much risk.

 

Chickens drop raw chicken and feathers, both of which can be sold on the Grand Exchange.

 

Cows drop cowhides, which can be tanned into leather and sold for a decent amount. You can also sell raw beef for a small profit.

 

While the gold per hour is relatively low, these creatures provide a simple introduction to combat and the loot-dropping mechanics of the game.

 

2. Fishing Shrimp and anchovies (Fishing for Profit)


Location: Draynor Village, Lumbridge, and more

Items Needed: Fishing rod, net, or a small amount of start-up money for better gear

Profit Potential: Low to Medium

 

Fishing is an excellent skill to train early on in the game because it can generate a steady stream of income. The shrimp and anchovies you catch can be sold on the Grand Exchange, and they can also be used for cooking training later.

 

To get started, head over to Draynor Village and start fishing for shrimp using a small net. As you progress, you can upgrade your equipment to catch better fish, increasing your profitability.

 

Fishing Tips:

 

Cook your fish: Raw fish are cheaper on the Grand Exchange, so consider cooking them to increase their value. Higher-level fish like salmon and tuna can be even more profitable once you level up your cooking skill.

 

AFK Training: Fishing can be a relaxing AFK activity, where you can train while doing other tasks in real life, making it a great way to passively earn money.

 

3. Woodcutting (Chopping Trees for Profit)


Location: Varrock South, Lumbridge Swamp

Items Needed: Hatchet, basic equipment

Profit Potential: Medium

 

Woodcutting is one of the most accessible skills for beginners, and it allows you to make money early on with minimal investment. You can chop down normal trees at the Lumbridge Swamp or Varrock for logs, which sell for a small profit. As you level up, you can cut higher-level trees like oak, willow, and eventually yew, which provide even more profitable logs.

 

Woodcutting Tips:

 

Sell logs: Selling logs at the Grand Exchange can be quite profitable, especially once you start chopping willow and yew logs, which are highly sought after for training Firemaking and Fletching.

 

AFK-friendly: Like fishing, woodcutting is another skill you can train passively. Just bring some food and a hatchet, and you can chop logs while doing other activities.

 

4. Mining (Gathering Ore for Profit)


Location: Varrock South, Mining Guild

Items Needed: Pickaxe, basic supplies

Profit Potential: Medium to High

 

Mining can be a lucrative money-making method for players who want to engage in a bit of physical labor. Early on, you'll mine copper and tin ores, which are easy to mine and can be smelted into bars or sold directly for a small profit.

 

As you gain levels, you'll gain access to iron and coal, which can be mined for better profits. The Mining Guild, which requires level 60 Mining, is the ideal place to mine iron ore, as it offers better rates of mining and increased profits.

 

Mining Tips:

 

Sell ores and bars: After you collect ores, you can smelt them into bars and either use them to train your smithing or sell them for profit. Coal and iron ore have consistent demand.

 

Use theMining Guild: Once you hit level 60 Mining, head to the Mining Guild for faster ore gathering.

 

5. Killing Hill Giants (Combat and Looting)


Location: Edgeville Dungeon

Items Needed: Combat gear, food, prayer potions

Profit Potential: Medium to High

 

Hill Giants are a great early-to-mid-game combat training method that also offers profitable loot. They drop big bones, which can be sold for a decent profit, and limbs and other rare items that may be used in crafting or questing.

 

Killing Hill Giants Tips:

 

Big Bones: The main money-maker from Hill Giants is the big bones, which are highly valued for training Prayer.

 

Looting: While killing Hill Giants, you may also get other valuable items like giant keys and runes, which can be used or sold.

 

6. Crafting and Selling Jewellery (Crafting for Profit)


Location: Varrock, Al Kharid, or crafting guild

Items Needed: Gems, silver or gold bars, and a crafting tool

Profit Potential: Medium

 

Crafting is a rewarding skill, and while you won't earn massive sums early on, crafting gold rings or necklaces using gems and bars can provide a steady income. The key is to gather gems and bars and then use them to craft valuable pieces of jewellery.

 

As you level up, you can craft higher-level items like amulettes of power or glory, both of which can be sold at the Grand Exchange for considerable profits.

 

Crafting Tips:

 

Gem cutting: Use your crafted gems to make jewellery. Sapphire and emerald amulets are popular, and you can also craft rings of dueling, which are used for teleportation and have high demand.

 

Selling Finished Jewellery: Sell crafted items directly at the Grand Exchange for consistent returns.

 

7. Completing Beginner Slayer Tasks


Location: Any Slayer Master (e.g., Turael in Burthorpe)

Items Needed: Combat gear, food

Profit Potential: Low to Medium

 

Slayer is a fun and rewarding skill that you can start early on in the game. As a beginner, you'll be assigned easy tasks like killing rats, cows, and bats. While the rewards per task are low, you'll gain valuable experience in combat and earn loot that can be sold.

 

Slayer Tips:

 

Items Drop from Monsters: Some monsters drop runes, bones, and herbs, all of which can be sold at the Grand Exchange for money.

 

Upgrade as You Level: As you level up Slayer, you'll unlock more profitable tasks and stronger monsters that drop better loot.

 

Conclusion


In Old School RuneScape, making money as a beginner can be both enjoyable and rewarding, as it opens up a world of possibilities for your account's progression. Whether you choose to focus on low-level combat, gathering resources, or crafting items, each money-making method offers its own unique benefits. If you want to get gold coins more quickly and conveniently, you can buy RS gold on rsorder.

 

By starting with simpler activities like killing chickens, mining ore, or fishing, you'll gain the experience necessary to move on to more profitable ventures as you progress. Don't be afraid to experiment with different activities and see what works best for your playstyle.

 

Ultimately, the key to making money in OSRS is consistency. The more you engage in these activities, the more wealth you'll accumulate, helping you unlock powerful gear, level up skills, and complete endgame content.

 

Happy money-making, and good luck on your journey through Gielinor!