How to make money in The Sims 4

Pick one skill that pays, and repeat it. The three guides that we opened name the same short list: freelance work, painting, writing books, fishing, gardening, and a few packs with their own money jobs.

The biggest numbers in the guides come from a money tree, and from a wishing well that needs a pack. Both carry a cost or a risk, and we explain each one below.

We opened the three pages on October 13, 2026. Most of them give few Simoleon numbers. We give a number only when a page gives it, and we say which page.

Full-time careers pay better, but your Sim must climb the ranks. Gfinity says this. It names no pay numbers.

Part-time freelance work is a lighter choice. Gfinity says that writing and programming need only a computer. Your Sim can work as many hours as you like. Snooty Sims lists freelance work with art, writing, and programming. A Sim takes one client at a time.

Snooty Sims lists three more paid jobs that need a pack.

• Odd Jobs, in Island Living. These are one-time gigs. A Sim can have one active at a time.
• Dream Home Decorator clients, in the Dream Home Decorator pack. Your Sim travels to the lot of the client.
• Paranormal Investigator freelance work, in Paranormal Stuff. The Sim must build skills before the first job.

For the price of the packs, read how many Sims 4 expansion packs there are.

The guides name no pack for the methods in this part, except knitting. Each craft pays more as the skill rises.

Paintings

Gfinity says that an easel painting pays off slowly. A higher painting skill raises the value. A painting that the Sim makes while the Sim feels a strong emotion sells for more. KeenGamer says that each painting costs about 50 to 100 Simoleons to start, and that it pays thousands. It says that masterpieces pay at least 1,000.

Books

A Sim writes books on a computer. Gfinity says that the value depends on the writing skill. It says that you earn royalties over many sales, so a cheap book can still earn well. KeenGamer says that the royalties come each day, and that the lowest level writes children’s books. More genres open with the skill.

Fishing

Fishing needs almost no money to start. A higher skill lets the Sim catch fish with a high price. Gfinity says that books speed up the skill. KeenGamer says that rare fish and gold bars are possible. It gives no price.

Crops and fossils

Gfinity says that gardening skill raises the quality of the crops. Rare crops sell well. It also says that a Sim can break odd rocks from the neighborhood to find ore and fossils, which sell for a good price.

Knitting and other crafts

Gfinity says that knitting and cross stitch are profitable once the Sim has skill, but the materials cost money. It names the Nifty Knitting pack. Snooty Sims says that a Sim can sell crafted items on Plopsy, and that a listing lasts 3 days.

KeenGamer gives the only large number in the three guides. It says that a money tree pays 8,000 to 22,225 Simoleons for each harvest, and that the quality of the tree sets the amount. You buy the tree in the Rewards Store for 4,000 satisfaction points. The fruit appears a few days after you plant the tree.

The page names no pack. We could not check the numbers in the game, so use them as the claim of one guide.

The price of the tree is in satisfaction points, not in Simoleons. The page does not say how fast a Sim earns 4,000 points.

KeenGamer lists a wishing well in the Romantic Garden Stuff Pack. It says that a Sim can wish for money and receive hundreds of thousands of Simoleons. It also warns about two costs. The well can ask for a bribe. A bad mood can cost the Sim the funds or the life.

We read this on one page and did not test it. A Sim who dies in the pursuit of money is a poor trade. Save the game before you try.

The guides name these pack options. Each item below is as the guide states it.

• Cottage Living: Gfinity says that a Sim can sell eggs, milk, and honey if the Sim befriends the animals. The pack also has contests with prizes.
• Seasons: Gfinity lists the lottery.
• City Living: Gfinity lists festival contests with cash prizes. Snooty Sims says that the Flea Market sells items from the inventory of a Sim.
• Get to Work: Snooty Sims says that the active careers need this pack.
• High School Years: Snooty Sims says that a Sim can thrift and sell outfits. The Sim sets the price for each look.
• Island Living: Odd Jobs, as above.

The guides name no pack for jobs, painting, books, fishing, and gardening. If you own few packs, start with those.

Loans

Gfinity says that a Sim with Charisma level 7 can ask other Sims for a loan. Level 9 unlocks a larger loan. The guide advises you never to repay it. Decide for yourself if that fits your story.

Marriage and inheritance

Gfinity and KeenGamer both describe the same plan. Your Sim marries a rich Sim and merges the households. Gfinity says that the spouse’s assets pass to your Sim after the spouse is removed from the game. It admits that this plan takes time and “a little bit of cruelty”. KeenGamer says that it pays tens or hundreds of thousands.

Music in public

Gfinity says that a Sim with a high Music skill can play in the street or in a park, and earn tips from Sims who like it.

Stealing

KeenGamer lists theft. The Sim needs the Kleptomaniac trait and a leveled Mischief skill. A big item, such as a piano, needs the top level. The guide names no number.

KeenGamer lists “motherlode” for 50,000 Simoleons and “kaching” for 1,000. It says that you open the cheat bar with Ctrl + Shift + C. The list of Snooty Sims names “rosebud” twice, with 1,000 in one entry and 50,000 in an other.

Because the lists conflict, we do not repeat the amounts. Read Sims 4 cheats for the codes that EA lists. Skills also raise your income, so read the Sims 4 skills guide.

• The Simoleon income of most methods. The guides give few numbers.
• The date of the Gfinity page. It shows no date in the text that we read.
• The money tree and wishing well numbers. We read them on one page only.
• Which method pays the most for each hour. No guide compares the methods that way.

To find your best method, time each one for one in-game week. Write the income for each day. The number from your own game is the number that counts.

In The Sims 4, money is a tool for a house and for items. It also sets the pace of a legacy or a challenge. If you want less grind, a cheat is a valid choice.

LifeSim has a different aim. You live one life on a real map of Earth. You meet people who talk in their own words, and they remember what you did. It is not a game about a house build or a money plan. Read how LifeSim works to see if that suits you. For games that are close to The Sims, read games like The Sims.

What is the easiest way to get Simoleons with no cheat?

Freelance writing or programming. Your Sim needs only a computer, and works as many hours as you like.

Does painting make money in The Sims 4?

Yes, but slowly. A higher skill raises the value. Pair it with a part-time job, as Gfinity advises.

How do you get a money tree?

Buy it in the Rewards Store for 4,000 satisfaction points, according to KeenGamer.

Can a Sim take a loan?

Yes. At Charisma level 7, a Sim can ask other Sims for a loan, according to Gfinity.

Do I need an expansion pack to earn money?

Not for the first methods. The guides name no pack for jobs, painting, books, fishing, and gardening. Other methods need a pack, as listed above.

• Gfinity Esports: how to make money in The Sims 4 without cheats
• Snooty Sims: 10 ways to make money in The Sims 4
• KeenGamer: how to make easy money in The Sims 4