Most weeks in GTA Online, the "broke" phase feels endless. You're window-shopping a new car, then you check your balance and it's basically pocket lint. When Rockstar runs those 4x payouts for Associates and Bodyguards, though, the whole vibe changes. It's one of the few ways to build GTA 5 Money without owning a single fancy business, and you don't have to memorise a sweaty route or sit through a bunch of setups just to see progress.

How the 4x salary actually feels in-game

Normally, being hired under a CEO is kind of a joke. You hang around, maybe help with a sale, and that tiny salary barely covers ammo. On 4x weeks, the pay ticks become the whole point. The baseline jumps up fast, and if you stay employed and don't mess up, it can climb to a chunky $40,000 every 15 minutes. That's the nice part: the game's basically paying you for keeping your head down, staying close enough to the action, and not getting kicked from the organisation.

Stack it with VIP Work, not AFK boredom

If you only stand around, it still adds up, but it's mind-numbing. What works better is riding along while your CEO chains VIP Work. Headhunter is the classic: quick targets, quick payout, and you're still getting that salary tick in the background. Sightseer is the other easy one, especially if someone in the group has a fast helicopter. You'll notice the rhythm after a couple runs—mission cash drops, then the wage drops, then back into another job. It feels way less grindy than repeating the same heist intro over and over.

The one rule: don't die, don't get cute

Here's where people mess it up. That rising salary isn't "yours" forever; it's tied to staying alive and staying in the organisation. Get clipped by a random Oppressor, fall off a roof, drown because you weren't paying attention—boom, the pay ladder resets and you're back to the lower ticks. So play it like you actually want the money. Use snacks, wear armour, ride in the CEO's vehicle if the lobby's spicy, and don't start a pointless war with the guy in a jet just because you're bored.

When you want cash without the heist headache

Sure, the hardcore crowd will say Cayo or whatever is "better per hour," and they're not wrong if you're dialled in and playing like a machine. But some nights you just want easy progress with a crew, a few gunfights, and steady deposits that don't depend on perfect stealth. That's why these 4x Associate weeks hit so well, and if you ever want to top things up faster outside the grind, sites like RSVSR can help players pick up game currency or items without spending their whole evening replaying the same content.