Starminer asteroid mining with mining lasers extracting valuable resources

Starminer How to Make Money Fast: Best Resources to Sell, Trade Routes & Debt Clearing 2026

How to earn credits fast in Starminer Early Access. Which resources sell for the most, best early-game trade routes, mission efficiency tips, automated income strategies, debt clearing priority, and passive credit setups for beginners and experienced miners.

BLUF

Cobalt and Thorium. That's where the money is. Cobalt sells for 72 a unit and piles up in debris fields. Thorium goes for 360 a chunk ?two of them clear your starting debt. Iron and Silicone are 12 each, barely worth hauling to a station. Sell those only if you're desperate. Build a T2 Metal Storage and let it auto-sell while you focus on expansion. Prices sourced from TheGameSlayer's guide ?test and adjust.

Quick Answer

Starminer Money Making Guide

Cobalt and Thorium are your cash crops. Build a T2 Metal Storage and let it auto-sell. Clear debt early ?interest stacks up. Missions add income and XP on the side.

What you probably searched for

Starminer how to make money

Resources

Sell Cobalt (72/unit) and Thorium (360/unit). Use T2 Metal Storage for auto-selling. Complete missions for bonus credits.

Starminer best resource to sell

Prices

Thorium: 360 credits/unit (C-class asteroids). Cobalt: 72 credits/unit (debris fields). Iron: 12 credits/unit (too cheap, use for building).

Starminer credits farm

Farm

Build 2 mining ships targeting C-class asteroids. Auto-sell surplus via T2 Metal Storage at nearby trade station.

Starminer debt clearing

Debt

Clear starting debt within 2 hours. Interest compounds and eats into expansion budget.

Best Resources to Sell

Starminer mining resources for credit income — Fast money starts with knowing what is safe to sell and what must stay reserved for construction, power, research, and repairs.

Step	Do this	Why it matters
Sell Cobalt	Cobalt sells for 72 credits/unit. Found in debris fields and C-class asteroids. Best consistent early income.	Source: TheGameSlayer. 72 credits/unit is 6x iron's value. One cobalt-rich asteroid funds early expansion.
Sell Thorium	Thorium Chunks sell for 360 credits/unit. Found in C-class asteroids. Save some for reactor fuel.	Source: TheGameSlayer. Highest-value early resource. One chunk clears starting debt.
Complete Missions	Accept missions from the Operations Interface. Mining and delivery missions give the best credit + XP rewards.	Source: Dev Diary #10 confirms mission system. Missions provide structured income and faster leveling.
Auto-Sell with T2 Storage	Build a T2 Metal Storage module and set it to auto-sell surplus at nearby trade stations.	Source: beforeiplay.com confirms trade within 1000m. Automation triggers have infinite range.
Process Before Selling	Refine raw ore into ingots before selling. Ingots are 3-5x more value-dense per cargo space.	Source: Dev Diary #10 describes smelting/refining. Exact multipliers need gameplay verification.
Clear Debt Early	Prioritize paying off the starting debt in the first 2 hours to avoid compounding interest.	Source: TheGameSlayer and player reports. Debt-free expansion is more efficient.

First-Hour Money Making Route

Minutes 0-15 — Build your first mining ship. Attach 1 mining laser, 1 small thruster, 1 reactor, 1 cargo module, and crew quarters to a small frame. Launch from the starter station and target the nearest debris field or C-class asteroid cluster.
Minutes 15-25 — Mine Cobalt and Thorium. Focus fire on glowing mineral nodes. Cobalt appears in most debris fields. Thorium chunks (worth 360 credits each) are rarer but clearly marked with orange glow. A single Thorium chunk covers your starting debt.
Minutes 25-35 — First sell run. Dock at the nearest trade station (within 1000m of your mining zone). Sell all Cobalt and Thorium. Keep Iron and Silicone. This first trip should yield 500-1500 credits.
Minutes 35-45 — Clear the starting debt. Return to the Governance ship or trade lane terminal. Pay off the starting debt with 2 Thorium chunks or ~10 Cobalt units. Interest compounds — clearing it in the first hour saves credits for ships and upgrades.
Minutes 45-60 — Set up automation. Build a Basic Smelter next to your mining dock and a T2 Metal Storage with auto-sell trigger at 80%. Now your mining loop generates passive income while you expand.

Resource Price Comparison

Resource	Price (cr/unit)	Best Source	Sell or Keep?
Thorium Chunk	360	C-class asteroids	Sell (save 2-3 for reactor fuel)
Cobalt	72	Debris fields, C-class asteroids	Sell ?best consistent income
Gold	48	Rare asteroid nodes	Sell ?no early-game crafting use
Copper	20	Sector 2 asteroids	Keep for wiring and solar panels
Carbon	18	Sector 1 common	Keep for life support and plastic
Iron	12	Sector 1 abundant	Keep ?essential for hull and frame
Silicone	12	Sector 1 common	Keep ?needed for most electronics
Ice	6	Sector 1 ubiquitous	Keep for coolant and reaction mass

Automated Income Setup

Starminer automated trade and logistics route — Automation is useful only after storage, refining, and trade distance are understood. Bad automation sells the materials your station still needs.

Once you have stable mining, automate your income to focus on expansion:

Build a T2 Metal Storage module next to your refinery.
Set automation trigger: when storage reaches 80% capacity, auto-sell surplus at the nearest trade station (must be within 1000m for direct trade).
For stations beyond 1000m, set up automated transport triggers (infinite range) to move processed goods to a hub station near a trade depot.
Process raw ore into ingots before selling ?a Basic Smelter converts ore to ingots at 3-5x value density per cargo space.
Build dedicated hauler ships to run trade routes between your mining ops and trade stations.

Debt Clearing Priority

Starminer early expansion and debt clearing route — Debt clearing is not glamorous, but it keeps early expansion from bleeding credits into interest instead of ships, labs, and defenses.

Clear your starting debt in the first 2 hours. Interest compounds over time and eats into your expansion budget. Two Thorium Chunks or ~10 Cobalt units will cover it. Sell to the Governance ship at a trading lane for the best price. Debt-free, every credit goes toward growth instead of interest payments.

Mission Income

Missions from the Operations Interface provide structured income plus bonus XP. Prioritize these types:

Mining Delivery

Credits + XP + reputation

Accept missions for resources you're already mining. Don't chase rare materials for a single mission.

Defense Contracts

High credits + combat XP

Only accept after you have a patrol boat or defense platform. Don't fight with mining ships.

Exploration

XP + map data + anomaly scans

Good for breaking up the mining loop. Reveals new asteroid fields and trade stations.

Trade Missions

Credits + trade reputation

Combine with your automated trade routes for passive mission completion.

New Player vs Optimizer Money Plan

Money advice changes by save state. Beginners need debt control and safe income. Builders need to avoid selling construction inputs. Traders need storage thresholds. Optimizers need to diagnose the slow link in the chain before adding more miners.

Player type	Money plan	Why
New player	Clear debt with safe cobalt and mission income before building expensive ships.	Debt interest quietly slows every later decision, so early stability beats flashy expansion.
Builder	Keep iron, silicone, copper, and power-chain materials before selling surplus.	A builder who sells construction inputs has to buy progress back later.
Trader	Use storage thresholds and haulers to move only true surplus into trade.	Automation should sell excess, not drain the materials needed for research and repairs.
Optimizer	Measure whether mining, refining, hauling, or trade distance is limiting credits.	The best money route is the one that fixes the slowest link, not always more miners.

Money Problem Diagnosis

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Credits are low but storage is full	Surplus is not reaching a buyer.	Add trade routing, haulers, or auto-sell thresholds near a station.
Debt will not go down	Income is being reinvested before interest is controlled.	Set a debt payment target before buying new modules.
Research is blocked	Too much cobalt or silicone-chain material was sold.	Keep research reserves before selling high-value surplus.
Ships keep delaying profit	Repairs, fuel, or power costs are eating the route.	Shrink the route or add defense before scaling income.

Starminer related guide navigation image — Use the related guides to move from launch facts to first-hour planning, ship building, mining logistics, defense, feature status, and buying advice.

Next Guides

Starminer Guide Hub

Start here for release facts, mode selection, beginner priorities, systems, specs, and buying advice.

Release Date & Early Access

Steam date, SteamDB unlock timing, Early Access status, Epic listing, language, platform, and live store checks.

Beginner Guide

First-hour planning for Campaign, Sandbox, starter stations, power, heat, mass, mining, storage, and defenses.

System Requirements

Official minimum PC specs, missing recommended specs, low-end setup cautions, DirectX 11, storage, and Steam Deck unknowns.

Game Modes

Campaign, Sandbox, and Survival explained with first-run recommendations, replay value, and Early Access caveats.

Ship Building

Modular construction, mass, thrust, power, tonnage, station size, mining ships, warships, and blueprint planning.

Starminer FAQ and guide hub image — Starminer rewards connected planning: ships, stations, resources, research, heat, and defenses all affect the next decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I make money fast in Starminer?

Focus on Cobalt (72 credits/unit) and Thorium (360 credits/unit). Cobalt is found in debris fields and C-class asteroids. Thorium is rarer but clears your starting debt with one chunk. Sell at trade stations within 1000m range.

Q: What resource sells for the most in Starminer?

Thorium Chunks sell for 360 credits each — the highest-value early resource. Cobalt at 72/unit is the best consistent income. Iron (12/unit) and Silicone (12/unit) are too cheap to sell — use them for construction instead.

Q: How do I clear my starting debt?

Sell 2-3 Thorium Chunks or ~10 Cobalt units at a trade station. Accept mining delivery missions from the Operations Interface for bonus credits. Clear debt in the first 2 hours to avoid compounding interest.

Q: Should I sell Iron and Silicone for quick cash?

No. Iron (12/unit) and Silicone (12/unit) pay too little for the cargo space. Keep them for hull frames and electronics. Sell only Cobalt, Thorium, and Gold for credit income.

Q: How do I automate credit income?

Build a T2 Metal Storage module and set an auto-sell trigger at 80% capacity. The automation trigger has infinite range — it will sell surplus at the nearest trade station without manual hauling.