Headhunter Payout in GTA Online and How to Complete It
Headhunter is a VIP Work mission you launch from the SecuroServ menu as a registered VIP or CEO. It pays GTA$ 20,000 base and scales up to around GTA$ 30,000, tasks you with assassinating four marked targets across the map before time runs out, and is fully solo-friendly and works in public, Invite Only, Crew, and Friend sessions.
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Headhunter at a glance
Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
Payout | GTA$ 20,000 base, up to around GTA$ 30,000 |
Objective | Assassinate 4 marked targets before time runs out |
Unlock | Rank 1 plus a VIP registration (GTA$ 50,000 bank check) or CEO status |
Time limit | Strict on-screen timer |
Solo-friendly | Yes; works in public, Invite Only, Crew, and Friend sessions |
Cooldown | 10 minutes to repeat Headhunter, 5 minutes between different VIP Works |
Best vehicle | An armed helicopter |
How the Headhunter payout works
The Headhunter payout in GTA Online starts at GTA$ 20,000 for completing the mission. The payout varies with how many targets you kill and the time you spend on the clock, and community testing puts the ceiling around GTA$ 30,000.
The base GTA$ 20,000 arrives fast, and the cooldown structure (covered below) lets you slot other money-makers in between runs. Headhunter earns its regular spot in our solo money making guide for exactly that reason.
How to start Headhunter
Headhunter is about as accessible as GTA Online money missions get. You need Rank 1 and a registration as a VIP or CEO. Registering as a VIP takes GTA$ 50,000 in the bank (the game checks the balance, it never deducts it); becoming a CEO means owning an executive office. Open the Interaction Menu, register through SecuroServ, then start Headhunter from the VIP/CEO Work menu.
If you have never registered as a VIP before, our guide on how to start VIP missions walks through the whole setup.
You can run Headhunter in public, Invite Only, Crew, and Friend sessions, and it works completely solo. That makes it one of the safest earners in the game: no public lobby required.
How to complete all four targets
Once the mission starts, four targets appear across the map and a strict timer begins. A few habits make the run consistent:
Activate in Los Santos city. Start Headhunter while you are inside the city and the targets spawn closer together. Trigger it out in the countryside and they spread much wider across the map, which burns your timer on travel.
Know the two target types. Some targets are on foot with bodyguards around them; others are being driven around in armored cars.
Kill the right person. For on-foot targets, ignore the bodyguards and put your damage into the marked target. For mobile targets, the driver of the armored car is the target: kill the driver, not the passengers.
Watch for rival players. Other players in your session are alerted when you start and can earn cash and RP by defending your targets. In a busy public lobby, expect occasional interference; in an Invite Only session it is a non-issue.
Best vehicle for Headhunter
An armed helicopter is the vehicle for this mission. It lets you hop between all four targets quickly, and you can engage both target types from the air, though the bodyguards shoot back hard even at aircraft, so keep moving.
As a registered VIP or CEO you can call a Buzzard from the VIP vehicle menu: free if you already own one through Pegasus, otherwise GTA$ 25,000, which is more than the base payout, so owning one first is what makes the loop profitable. If you do not have air support yet, an armored car and patience work too; you will just spend more of the timer driving.
Cooldowns and chaining VIP Work
Headhunter has a 10-minute cooldown before you can repeat it, but only 5 minutes separate different VIP Works. The efficient loop is to rotate missions instead of waiting: run Headhunter, start another VIP Work 5 minutes later, and come back to Headhunter when its own cooldown expires.
The classic partner is the Sightseer VIP mission, a package-collection job that fills the gap with zero combat. Alternating the two keeps money flowing with almost no downtime.
Headhunter FAQ
How much does Headhunter pay in GTA Online?
GTA$ 20,000 base, scaling up to around GTA$ 30,000 depending on targets killed and time spent.
What is the best vehicle for Headhunter?
An armed helicopter. As a VIP or CEO you can call a Buzzard from the VIP vehicle menu, which makes reaching and eliminating all four targets far faster than driving.
Headhunter or Sightseer: which should I run?
Both. Headhunter is the combat mission, Sightseer is the no-combat collection run, and their cooldowns interlock: 5 minutes between different VIP Works versus 10 minutes to repeat the same one, so alternating them beats spamming either.
How long does Headhunter take?
The mission runs on a strict on-screen timer. Most solo runs with an armed helicopter finish with time to spare.
Can you do Headhunter solo?
Yes, completely. Headhunter works in public, Invite Only, Crew, and Friend sessions, so you can run it in a private lobby without other players ever interfering.
