Run a fully upgraded T8 laborer island on T7 journals. Each laborer processes one full journal every 22 hours. Gathering laborers return raw resources plus an empty journal; crafting laborers return refined materials; mercenary laborers return silver.
Default prospector island at saved Thetford prices: 311.1k/22h cycle net per full 22h cycle (Standard tax). That amortizes to about 14.1k/hr while jobs run, not active farming income. Compare feeding journals vs selling full journals on the market before you commit silver. Full setup (houses, furniture, island L6, T8 contracts) often pays back over many weeks.
Average uses the median price across all six royal cities. This route was logged in . Pick that city in the header for route-specific live prices.
Profit outcomes / 22h cycle (after tax)
| Metric | Take-home/22h cycle | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 155.6k | Bad luck, low spec, slower route, worse market |
| Median | 311.1k | Typical session for a normal player |
| Expected value | 311.1k | Includes rare drops mathematically |
| High-roll | 498.7k | Lucky drop or strong session |
Est. take-home / 22h cycle (after tax)
311.1k
Before tax: 751.3k/22h cycle
Amortized 14.1k/hr across the wait: 30 laborers each finish one journal every 22h. Not active play income.
All calculator extremes (all specialties and house counts, after tax): -1.6m - 8.5m/22h cycle
Setup payback (furniture, houses, island L6, T8 contracts): ~118 cycles (15 weeks) on 36.7m upfront.
Gross output
190.6k
Your skill level
24-36 laborers (3 per house), T7 journals (~30 jobs per 22h at 150% yield)
Laborer specialty
All houses run the same journal type. Pick what you fill while playing.
Loadout for Prospector, 8-12 houses
Every T8 laborer is a prospector on T7 journals at 150% yield. 10 T8 houses (30 laborers, 3 per house).
T8 House Build Cost
10 houses, materials per house × 10
×19,200
×1,920
×1,800
×1,800
×1,800
×1,800
×1,800
×1,800
×1,800House build: 14.3m silver (1.4m per house)
Furniture & Journals
×30
×8
×30
×30
×30Calculated for one full 22h island cycle at Prospector, 8-12 houses yield. Standard sell-order market fees: 2.5% setup fee + 8% transaction tax. Site snapshot averages. Updated Jul 23, 2026, 3:24 PM.
22h Cycle Output (sell value)
| Item | Qty/hr | Unit | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1,740 | est.1.8k | 3.1m |
 | 30 | est.36k | 1.1m |
Gross output: 4.2m silver
22h Cycle Input Costs
| Item | Qty/hr | Unit | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 30 | est.115k | 3.5m |
Input cost: 3.5m silver
Take-home = output sell value - input buys - consumables - Standard sell-order market fees: 2.5% setup fee + 8% transaction tax on gross output. Each laborer finishes one journal every 22 hours. Returns depend on journal tier, happiness, and market prices. Compare feeding journals vs selling full journals before you commit. Premium affects fame while filling journals, not the laborer payout itself. Deaths, repairs, and station fees are not included unless listed as inputs.
Upgrade island houses to T8 and hire T8 laborers of the matching specialty (prospector, lumberjack, cropper, etc.). Each house holds three laborers. Guild halls only sell T2 laborers; buy higher tiers on the market or level them with jobs.
Furnish each T8 house: one T8 bed per laborer and one T8 table per four laborers across the island. Matching-tier furniture already returns 150% yield on T7 journals. Happiness rises over time once furniture is placed.
Wait 30 minutes after hiring a new laborer before they can accept their first journal job (you can still buy empty journals from them immediately).
Carry empty journals while you gather, craft, or kill mobs. Only base fame counts (premium fame bonus does not fill journals).
Hand a full T7 journal to a T8 laborer of the same type. Each job takes 22 hours. A T8 laborer cannot take a journal above its own tier.
Collect resources and the empty journal when the job finishes. Uncollected returns are deleted after 7 days.
Repeat. Match laborer specialty to whatever activity you already do so journal filling costs nothing extra.
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