The definitive approach to maximizing your take on every major score in Los Santos.
Grand Theft Auto V transforms the standard open-world crime formula into a structured, narrative-driven series of high-stakes robberies. While the game gives you the freedom to choose your crew and your strategy, not all approaches are created equal. Choosing the wrong setup or hiring the wrong associates can cost you millions of dollars in lost cuts, dropped loot, and high crew fees.
To secure the maximum payout for Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, you must understand how the choice of approach directly impacts your final cut. This guide breaks down the most efficient strategies for every major heist in the main campaign, ensuring you walk away with the absolute maximum amount of cash possible.
The Jewel Store Job: Smart Approach
The Loud approach triggers a heavier police response and shortens your window inside the store. The Smart approach gives you more time to clean out the display cases without alerting the authorities until you step outside.
Your choice of crew here sets the foundation for your bank accounts. You need a competent hacker to maximize your time inside the vault. Select Rickie Lukens; despite his low stats, his lower fee saves you cash, and he gives you more than enough time if you move quickly. For the gunman, choose Packie McReary if you unlocked him via the random character event, or choose Gustavo Mota. Hiring a cheap gunman here will cause them to crash during the getaway, making you leave a quarter of the score behind on the highway. For the driver, select Karim Denz. While he chooses bad bikes, a skilled player can easily navigate the tunnels regardless, allowing you to pocket his lower fee.
The Merryweather Heist: Offshore Approach
This heist yields zero profit for the protagonists due to narrative constraints, but your approach dictates the difficulty and pacing of the mission. The Offshore approach takes longer but provides a much safer environment for practice with the submersible and the Cargobob helicopter.
Since there is no financial payout at the end of this mission, your crew selection does not impact your wallet. Use this heist to familiarize yourself with the flight mechanics of the Cargobob and the switching mechanics between Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. Focus on maintaining a steady altitude during the extraction phase to prevent the submarine from swinging wildly and colliding with the terrain.
The Paleto Score: Strategic Damage Control
The Paleto Score introduces a unique financial mechanic where your total payout decreases every single time you are shot in the back by law enforcement. The Heavy combat suits protect your health, but they do not protect the money bags strapped to your shoulders.
To minimize your financial losses, you must actively manage who takes point during the street battle. Use Trevor’s special ability to absorb heavy gunfire while clearing paths through the alleys. When transitioning between cover points, ensure Michael covers the rear so Franklin and Trevor can move safely. For your crew, choose a low-tier gunman like Chef or Packie McReary. Avoid the absolute cheapest options here, as a low-skill gunman will get pinned down by a military vehicle, forcing you to rescue them or abandon a massive portion of the loot.
The Bureau Raid: Fire Crew Approach
The Fire Crew approach requires fewer setup missions and relies heavily on land-based movement rather than complex helicopter piloting. It also allows you to control the environment inside the building more effectively than the Roof Entry option.
For this strategy, your choice of hacker is paramount. Choose Rickie Lukens again; he manages the hacking mini-game perfectly fine without demanding a massive cut of the final payout. For your gunmen, you can afford to hire cheaper associates because the combat scenarios inside the burning building are tightly bottlenecked, allowing Michael and Franklin to do the heavy lifting. For your driver, select Taliana Martinez if you rescued her from her highway accident event. She takes a remarkably low cut but performs at an elite level during the escape phase.
The Big Score: Obvious Approach
The Obvious approach is the definitive choice for maximizing your end-game wealth. While the Subtle approach seems sophisticated, the Obvious approach bypasses several high-fee crew requirements and relies entirely on pure combat efficiency and flight skills.
To secure the maximum possible payout of roughly 44 million dollars per protagonist, you must assign your crew with extreme precision. You need two drivers. Assign Taliana Martinez as Driver 1 to pilot the helicopter; she will fly flawlessly for a low fee. Assign Karim Denz as Driver 2 to manage the train. Since the train sequence is on rails, his low skill level will not trigger a failure script. For your gunmen, select the cheapest available options. Because Michael and Trevor handle the gold transferring and the courtyard shootout, your gunmen serve as background support and will not compromise the gold. Maintain a steady hand during the helicopter flight to prevent the gold crates from clipping into the skyscrapers during the escape.
