How to use the GTA Online Career Builder to set your criminal path

GTA Online Career Builder
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

The GTA Online Career Builder gives new players a way to get an immediate foothold in Los Santos, while returning players can relaunch their criminal empires if things have become a little stale or start a new GTA Online character to try out a fresh business. With the option of becoming a Biker, Executive, Gunrunner, or Nightclub Owner, you'll receive a handy GTA$4m purse to get yourself set up with property and equipment, so you can get started without a grind to earn that cash. If you want to use this system, we've got the lowdown on the best GTA Online Career Builder choice and details on each business stream.

How does the GTA Online Career Builder work

GTA Online Career Builder

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

The GTA Online Career Builder lets new or existing players generate a new character from a fresh perspective, allowing you to acquire the necessary infrastructure to get a new enterprise off the ground. Firstly, you need to choose one of the following four career paths:

  • Biker
  • Executive
  • Gunrunner
  • Nightclub Owner

The GTA Online Career Builder will then provide you with GTA$4,000,000 to get your chosen path established, offering a selection of relevant properties, vehicles, and weapons from that career to add to your portfolio. It's entirely up to you how you distribute your spending, so you'll need to decide whether it's more important to get a fully upgraded business premises, the latest high-tec weapons, or a selection of head-turning vehicles. Invest as much or as little as you like, but bear in mind that you can only carry over GTA$1,000,000 in cash, so spend the rest wisely or it'll go to waste.

Which is the best GTA Online Career

GTA Online Career Builder

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

When choosing the best GTA Online Career, you want to pick the one that opens up the best money making opportunities so you can quickly expand your criminal empire, with your ultimate aim being to purchase the Kosatka submarine base as soon as possible to unlock the lucrative GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist. For this reason we recommend GTA Online Gunrunning as the best choice, as once you have your bunker set up you can easily start earning, but make sure you carry over as close to GTA$1,000,000 from your initial set up funds as possible so you already have money in the bank.

As you've set up a new character, you'll also receive messages in due course leading you to track down the Double-Action Revolver in GTA Online, the Stone Hatchet in GTA Online, and the GTA Online serial killer to unlock the Navy Revolver. Make sure you follow up on these leads to find those weapons and complete their associated challenges, as there are big cash rewards for finishing each of them. Once you've amassed at least GTA$2,200,000 you'll be in a position to buy the Kosatka submarine, but first you must go to the Martin Madrazo map marker in Los Santos, then visit Miguel Madrazo at the Music Locker in the Casino to unlock it for purchase. Once your sub is set up, you can visit Cayo Perico and start making some real money for your business.

If you'd like to know more about each individual GTA Online Career Builder option, we've got some further details below.

GTA Online Career Builder - Biker

GTA Online Career Builder - Biker

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

As a Biker your main business is producing drugs, forged documents, and counterfeit cash, which provides a decent revenue stream from a lower investment than Gunrunning but also isn't as lucrative. It's easier to purchase supplies for these businesses than stealing them, and if you're playing solo then it's best to sell your product after each batch of supplies has been processed, otherwise you'll find yourself having to transport two or more vehicles to make the deliveries which can be tricky within the time limit.

GTA Online Career Builder - Executive

GTA Online Career Builder - Executive

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

As an Executive you have access to both cargo deliveries and VIP work, providing several sources of income. Don't spend lots of money on your office as the cheaper locations function in exactly the same way, though you should invest in a Medium Special Cargo Warehouse over a Small one as you can make more profit by selling bigger shipments.

GTA Online Career Builder - Gunrunner

GTA Online Career Builder - Gunrunner

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

As we said earlier, being a Gunrunner offers the most profitable business from the options available, and the Chumash bunker is a great starting point for this as it's both relatively cheap and close to Los Santos for making deliveries of weapons. As with the Biker career, you should opt to purchase supplies rather than stealing them for ease, and sell each batch of supplies once processed to avoid having to deliver more than one vehicle in the allotted time.

GTA Online Career Builder - Nightclub Owner

GTA Online Career Builder - Nightclub Owner

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

It's hard to make money solely as a Nightclub Owner, as you'll just be earning a passive income from your club takings and will need to keep carrying out promotion missions to maintain the popularity of your venue. However, if you then invest in one of the other three career strands available here, then you can also run that business out of the basement of your nightclub, giving you a wider selection of options but requiring additional time and investment to get things up and running to turn a decent profit.

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Iain Wilson
Guides Editor

Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has over 500 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.