Conclusion
Reading Endless Sky's code, ordinary delivery jobs pay 150 credits × (jumps + 1) × tons, and each passenger counts as 10 tons (passenger jobs add a flat 2,000 on top). Trading, by contrast, makes at most about 139 credits per ton on the best one-way run in human space — and prices drift by up to about 100 either way.
So for a new captain, the data points to jobs first, especially passengers, with trading as a way to fill spare cargo space on the way.
Jobs vs Trading, by the Numbers
| Example | Calculation (from the code) | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo job: 5 tons, 3 jumps | 150 × (3 + 1) × 5 | 3,000 |
| Bulk job: 25 tons, 3 jumps | 150 × (3 + 1) × 25 | 15,000 |
| Passengers: 2 people, 3 jumps | 2,000 + 150 × (3 + 1) × 2 × 10 | 14,000 |
| Best trade run: Food, Ankaa → Markab, 50 tons | 139 × 50 (at base prices) | 6,950 |
The job formula is payment + (jumps + 1) × payload × multiplier, where payload = cargo tons + 10 × passengers and a plain “payment” means a multiplier of 150 (MissionAction.cpp, Mission.cpp). Special and story missions use their own amounts.
How Prices Move
Each system has a base price for each commodity. The code sets the current price to base − 100 × erf(supply ÷ 20,000), and supply drifts randomly every day. In practice the price stays within about 100 credits of the base.
That matters because the best price gaps between neighboring systems are only about 100–150 per ton. Check the live prices before you load up — on a bad day a route's margin can disappear.
Best Trade Routes Between Neighboring Systems (Human Space)
| # | Route | Buy here → sell there | Profit/ton | Return cargo | Profit/ton | Round trip/ton | Governments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankaa ⇄ Markab | Food (Ankaa → Markab) | 139 | Industrial | 123 | 262 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 2 | Al Dhanab ⇄ Scheat | Food (Al Dhanab → Scheat) | 116 | Medical | 145 | 261 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 3 | Ankaa ⇄ Ruchbah | Equipment (Ankaa → Ruchbah) | 109 | Food | 127 | 236 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 4 | Sirius ⇄ Sol | Clothing (Sirius → Sol) | 96 | Luxury Goods | 138 | 234 | Republic / Republic |
| 5 | Cebalrai ⇄ Menkent | Clothing (Cebalrai → Menkent) | 88 | Medical | 139 | 227 | Republic / Republic |
| 6 | Merak ⇄ Phecda | Medical (Merak → Phecda) | 137 | Food | 89 | 226 | Republic / Republic |
| 7 | Alhena ⇄ Wazn | Electronics (Alhena → Wazn) | 92 | Heavy Metals | 130 | 222 | Republic / Republic |
| 8 | Cor Caroli ⇄ Vindemiatrix | Heavy Metals (Cor Caroli → Vindemiatrix) | 109 | Food | 110 | 219 | Republic / Republic |
| 9 | Alphard ⇄ Zosma | Heavy Metals (Alphard → Zosma) | 118 | Medical | 98 | 216 | Republic / Republic |
| 10 | Albireo ⇄ Tarazed | Luxury Goods (Albireo → Tarazed) | 126 | Equipment | 88 | 214 | Republic / Republic |
| 11 | Algorel ⇄ Phecda | Food (Algorel → Phecda) | 113 | Plastic | 101 | 214 | Republic / Republic |
| 12 | Alniyat ⇄ Pherkad | Industrial (Alniyat → Pherkad) | 97 | Metal | 117 | 214 | Republic / Republic |
| 13 | Dabih ⇄ Kaus Australis | Equipment (Dabih → Kaus Australis) | 137 | Electronics | 75 | 212 | Republic / Republic |
| 14 | Cebalrai ⇄ Rasalhague | Luxury Goods (Cebalrai → Rasalhague) | 115 | Heavy Metals | 94 | 209 | Republic / Republic |
| 15 | Ascella ⇄ Peacock | Heavy Metals (Ascella → Peacock) | 78 | Food | 130 | 208 | Republic / Republic |
| 16 | Altair ⇄ Sol | Luxury Goods (Altair → Sol) | 111 | Clothing | 96 | 207 | Republic / Republic |
| 17 | Alpheratz ⇄ Ruchbah | Industrial (Alpheratz → Ruchbah) | 89 | Medical | 116 | 205 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 18 | Menkar ⇄ Zaurak | Plastic (Menkar → Zaurak) | 91 | Heavy Metals | 111 | 202 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 19 | Algorel ⇄ Turais | Metal (Algorel → Turais) | 69 | Luxury Goods | 126 | 195 | Republic / Republic |
| 20 | Avior ⇄ Naos | Heavy Metals (Avior → Naos) | 92 | Luxury Goods | 103 | 195 | Republic / Republic |
| 21 | Matar ⇄ Scheat | Luxury Goods (Matar → Scheat) | 99 | Plastic | 95 | 194 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 22 | Sol ⇄ Vega | Clothing (Sol → Vega) | 93 | Luxury Goods | 101 | 194 | Republic / Republic |
| 23 | Albaldah ⇄ Girtab | Metal (Albaldah → Girtab) | 100 | Industrial | 93 | 193 | Republic / Republic |
| 24 | Aldhibain ⇄ Alniyat | Industrial (Aldhibain → Alniyat) | 76 | Heavy Metals | 116 | 192 | Republic / Republic |
| 25 | Delta Capricorni ⇄ Scheat | Heavy Metals (Delta Capricorni → Scheat) | 91 | Food | 100 | 191 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 26 | Markab ⇄ Scheat | Heavy Metals (Markab → Scheat) | 124 | Food | 64 | 188 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 27 | Sheratan ⇄ Zaurak | Heavy Metals (Sheratan → Zaurak) | 105 | Luxury Goods | 83 | 188 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 28 | Aldebaran ⇄ Capella | Heavy Metals (Aldebaran → Capella) | 112 | Equipment | 72 | 184 | Republic / Republic |
| 29 | Al Dhanab ⇄ Alpheratz | Industrial (Al Dhanab → Alpheratz) | 104 | Food | 78 | 182 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 30 | Alphard ⇄ Talita | Industrial (Alphard → Talita) | 101 | Heavy Metals | 81 | 182 | Republic / Republic |
| 31 | Ankaa ⇄ Diphda | Heavy Metals (Ankaa → Diphda) | 113 | Industrial | 69 | 182 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 32 | Aldhibain ⇄ Dschubba | Clothing (Aldhibain → Dschubba) | 66 | Heavy Metals | 115 | 181 | Republic / Republic |
| 33 | Cebalrai ⇄ Kaus Borealis | Heavy Metals (Cebalrai → Kaus Borealis) | 65 | Equipment | 115 | 180 | Republic / Republic |
| 34 | Kursa ⇄ Wazn | Electronics (Kursa → Wazn) | 138 | Luxury Goods | 42 | 180 | Republic / Republic |
| 35 | Caph ⇄ Sol | Food (Caph → Sol) | 83 | Luxury Goods | 94 | 177 | Syndicate / Republic |
| 36 | Naos ⇄ Regor | Heavy Metals (Naos → Regor) | 87 | Clothing | 90 | 177 | Republic / Republic |
| 37 | Menkent ⇄ Vega | Clothing (Menkent → Vega) | 79 | Plastic | 97 | 176 | Republic / Republic |
| 38 | Acrux ⇄ Izar | Metal (Acrux → Izar) | 86 | Plastic | 89 | 175 | Republic / Republic |
| 39 | Mirach ⇄ Scheat | Food (Mirach → Scheat) | 61 | Medical | 113 | 174 | Syndicate / Syndicate |
| 40 | Alheka ⇄ Canopus | Electronics (Alheka → Canopus) | 75 | Heavy Metals | 98 | 173 | Republic / Republic |
Round trip = best cargo one way plus best cargo back, per ton, at base prices. Only linked systems with a spaceport, in Republic, Syndicate, Pirate and other human governments at the start of the game. Numbers come from the game's data files at the commit of 2026-10-03, for the galaxy as it is at the start of a new game (story events can change shops and governments).
Practical Takeaways
- Bunks are money. One passenger pays like 10 tons of cargo. A ship with spare bunks can out-earn a freighter early on.
- Longer jobs pay more per job, not per jump. (jumps + 1) means a 1-jump job pays twice the jump rate; a 9-jump job pays 1.11×.
- Stack jobs going the same way. Several small jobs to the same area use one trip.
- Trade to fill the gaps. Use leftover cargo space on a route from the table above.
FAQ
Is trading worth it at all?
Yes, as a top-up. With a big hold it adds up, but per ton it's below what delivery and passenger jobs pay.
Why don't my profits match the table?
Prices drift up to about 100 credits from the base, and the table uses base prices.
Do I need a special license for jobs?
Ordinary jobs don't; some ships and outfits require licenses.