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GTA Online Security Contracts Money Guide: How to Grind $400K+/Hour Without Losing Your Sanity (2026)

  • Writer: Niels Gys
    Niels Gys
  • 1 hour ago
  • 6 min read

TL;DR – Security Contracts for People Who Hate Wasting Time

  • Security Contracts pay $31k–70k depending on tier; always aim for $60k–70k jobs

  • There is a forced 5-minute cooldown after every contract, so speed matters more than “difficulty”

  • Best contracts for money per minute: Gang Termination, Vehicle Recovery, Liquidize Assets

  • Worst contract: Asset Protection (long, slow, joyless, terrible for profit)

  • Session-hop to reroll contracts until a fast top-tier one appears

  • Efficient players earn ~$350k–430k per hour solo; slow picks drop you to ~$260k/hour

  • Every completed contract boosts Agency safe income by $100 per in-game day, up to $20k/day after 201 contracts

  • In-game day = 48 real minutes, so maxed safe pays ~$25k/hour passively

  • Agency safe caps at $250k, empty it or money literally stops existing

  • Solo play is best for profit; in groups, rotate host so everyone gets paid

  • During cooldowns, do quick side activities, not long missions

  • When Security Contracts are on double money, grind them hard, they punch way above their weight


Security Contracts are not glamorous. They are not exciting. They will not make YouTube thumbnails scream.


But if you:

  • Pick the right contracts

  • Skip the slow nonsense

  • Abuse session hopping

  • Respect the math


They become one of the most consistent, predictable income streams in GTA Online.


You won’t feel like a hero. You won’t feel like a cop. You’ll feel like a professional criminal who understands that time is money and waiting is for amateurs.


Which, frankly, is exactly the point.


You’re about to spend hours doing fake police work in Los Santos, so you might as well look the part. Buy a tactical fingerless gloves set on Amazon, because nothing says “professional criminal consultant” like exposed knuckles and poor life choices. Your keyboard will thank you. Your dignity already left.


GTA Online character aiming a submachine gun during a Security Contract as explosions erupt behind him and a damaged armored SUV burns in the street, cinematic action scene.

How to Make Serious Money While Cosplaying as a Private Cop (And Hating Yourself Slightly)

Security Contracts in GTA Online are what happen when Rockstar asks:“What if criminals did police work, but only the boring parts, and for money that’s almost insulting?”


And yet. Against all logic. They work.


If you do them correctly, they become a beautifully predictable money printer. If you do them wrong, you’ll earn less per hour than a vending machine in Paleto Bay.


Let’s fix that.



What These Things Actually Are (Stripped of Marketing Nonsense)

Security Contracts are repeatable freemode jobs launched from your Agency computer. Every time you sit down, the game throws three random contracts at you and says: “Pick your poison.”


Payout depends on difficulty:

  • Low tier pays roughly $31k–42k

  • Mid tier pays $44k–56k

  • Top tier pays $60k–70k


There’s a mandatory 5-minute cooldown after each contract, which is Rockstar’s way of saying:“Don’t get ideas. This isn’t a real job.”


Complete contracts, get paid, repeat until your soul becomes a spreadsheet.



The Hidden Long Game (Why You’re Really Here)

Every completed Security Contract increases your Agency’s daily safe income by $100 per in-game day, up to a maximum of $20,000 per in-game day.


An in-game day lasts 48 real-world minutes.


That means:

  • Maxed Agency = $25,000 per real hour, passively

  • Safe capacity = $250,000

  • Required contracts to max it = 201


Two hundred and one.


Yes. Rockstar made you do over two hundred fake cop jobs to unlock passive income that barely buys a sports car tire. This is character building. Or punishment. Possibly both.



The One Correct Way to Run Security Contracts

There is no debate here. There is no “playstyle.” There is only efficiency.


The Golden Rule

Only run top-tier contracts unless you are speed-grinding toward 201 completions.

Anything else is charity work.


The Loop That Actually Makes Money
  1. Sit at the Agency computer

  2. Look at the three contracts

  3. If none are fast, change session immediately

  4. Repeat until a good one appears

  5. Finish it quickly

  6. During the 5-minute cooldown, do something small and profitable or reorganize your criminal empire

  7. Repeat until rich or emotionally numb


This is not roleplay. This is logistics.



The Math (Because Feelings Don’t Pay Bills)

Let’s be brutally honest about hourly earnings.

Assume a good top-tier contract pays $65,000.


Now factor in:

  • Your completion time

  • The unavoidable 5-minute cooldown


Best Case (You’re Efficient and Ruthless)
  • Contract time: 4 minutes

  • Total cycle: 9 minutes

  • Contracts per hour: ~6.6

  • Hourly income: ~$430,000


Realistic Case (You’re Competent)
  • Contract time: 6 minutes

  • Total cycle: 11 minutes

  • Contracts per hour: ~5.4

  • Hourly income: ~$350,000


Worst Case (You Pick the Wrong Contracts and Regret Everything)

  • Contract time: 10 minutes

  • Total cycle: 15 minutes

  • Contracts per hour: 4

  • Hourly income: $260,000


That last number is what happens when you let the game bully you into babysitting objectives instead of deleting enemies and leaving.


If you’re grinding Security Contracts without a plan, you’re basically free labor with explosions.

Read our GTA Online Weekly Grind and stop guessing which activities are worth your time this week.


KoFi Banner to support Crimenet

The Contract Tier List (Money First, Pride Second)


God Tier (Always Take These)

Fast, direct, minimal nonsense.

  • Gang Termination

  • Vehicle Recovery

  • Liquidize Assets


These respect your time. They are violence with a purpose.


Acceptable Tier
  • Rescue Operation


Fine if nearby. Slightly more chaos. Still tolerable.


Bin It Immediately
  • Asset Protection


This is not a mission. This is a countdown timer with delusions of importance.

You stand around. Enemies trickle in. Time refuses to move. Your money per minute evaporates.

Skip it unless you enjoy watching clocks and questioning life choices.



Session-Hopping: The Dirty Little Secret

The game only shows three contracts at a time. But here’s the thing: They reshuffle every time you change sessions.


So if the list is bad?

Leave. Come back. Check again.

Repeat until you get something fast and high-paying.


This single trick turns Security Contracts from “random side activity” into a controlled revenue stream. Anyone not doing this is donating time to Rockstar.



Solo vs Multiplayer (Let’s Be Honest)

Security Contracts technically support multiple players. Financially, they behave like a badly run startup.


If you want maximum personal profit:

  • Run them solo

  • Bring friends only if they make missions faster, not fairer


If you want group profit:

  • Rotate host every contract

  • Everyone gets full leader payout on their turn

  • Nobody feels like unpaid security staff


Anything else results in resentment and passive-aggressive driving.



The 201-Contract Grind (How to Stay Sane)

Don’t do all 201 at once unless you hate joy.


The Smart Approach
  • Early on: run whatever is fast while learning routes

  • Mid-game: aggressively filter to fast contracts only

  • Late game: pure efficiency mode, no distractions


Treat slow contracts as “content,” not income.


Empty your Agency safe regularly. Hitting the $250k cap is like watching money bounce off the floor because you forgot to pick it up.



When Security Contracts Become Dangerous (In a Good Way)

When Rockstar activates double money weeks, everything changes.


Your $350k/hour becomes $700k/hour. Suddenly these glorified errands punch well above their weight.


CRIMENET rule:

  • Boost week? Grind hard.

  • No boost? Do them only if you’re pushing toward 201 or want reliable, low-stress money.


After 50 contracts, your spine will fuse permanently to your chair. Prepare accordingly.

Grab a lumbar support seat cushion for gaming chairs on Amazon and sit like a villain who plans to live long enough to spend the money. Comfort isn’t weakness. It’s strategy.



FAQ

Do Security Contracts actually make good money in GTA Online? Yes, if you treat them like a business and not like a theme park ride. Run top-tier contracts fast and you’re looking at roughly $350,000 to $430,000 per hour solo. Pick slow missions or stare at timers and that number collapses faster than a police budget justification.
What are the best Security Contracts to grind for money? Gang Termination, Vehicle Recovery, and Liquidize Assets. They’re direct, violent, and respectful of your time. Anything that forces you to stand around defending something while the clock crawls forward is the financial equivalent of watching paint dry in handcuffs.
Should I ever do Asset Protection contracts? Only if you enjoy earning less money on purpose. Asset Protection is slow, time-gated, and allergic to efficiency. It’s fine for variety or content, but if your goal is cash, skip it without remorse.
Is it better to do Security Contracts solo or with friends? Solo is best for pure profit because you control speed and payouts. In multiplayer, the smartest move is rotating host so everyone gets full leader payouts on their turn. Anything else turns friends into unpaid interns with guns.
How important is the Agency safe income from doing contracts? It’s not exciting, but it’s permanent. Every contract boosts daily income until you hit $20,000 per in-game day, which translates to about $25,000 per real hour just for existing. It’s not the main income, it’s the quiet background hum of money that never stops unless you forget to empty the safe.
When is the best time to grind Security Contracts? During double-money weeks, without hesitation. That’s when these jobs go from “solid and consistent” to “suspiciously profitable.” Outside of bonuses, they’re best used as a steady grind or a long-term investment toward maxing your Agency income.

 
 
 

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About Me
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-19 at 04.27.47.jpeg

I’m Niels Gys. Writer, gamer, and professional defender of fictional criminals. On screen only. Relax. I front JETBLACK SMILE, a rock ’n’ roll band from Belgium that sounds like bad decisions set to loud guitars. Turns out the mindset for writing about crime, chaos, and villain energy translates surprisingly well to music.

Here I run CRIMENET GAZETTE, a site dedicated to crime, heist, and villain-protagonist games, movies, and series. Not the wholesome kind. Not the heroic kind. The kind where you rob banks, make bad decisions, and enjoy every second of it.

CRIMENET exists because too much coverage is polite, bloodless, and terrified of having an opinion. Here, villains matter. Criminal fantasies are taken seriously. And mediocrity gets mocked without mercy.

I don’t do safe scores or corporate enthusiasm. I do sharp analysis, savage humor, and verdicts that feel like charge sheets. If something nails the fantasy of being dangerous, clever, or morally questionable, I’ll praise it. If it wastes your time, I’ll bury it.

CRIMENET isn’t neutral. It sides with chaos, competence, and fun.
Think less “trusted reviewer,” more “your inside man in the digital underworld.”

I’m not here to save the world.


I’m here to tell you which crimes are worth committing. 🤘

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