What is the best payout for Paleto Bay heist?

As an avid Grand Theft Auto gamer since the early days, the Paleto Bay heist in GTA V‘s story mode holds a special place for me. Though not the highest paying job, this small town bank score provides an action-packed moment full of gunfire, car chases, and getaway escapes.

But how much cash can you actually walk away with at the end? What factors increase the payout? As a GTA expert, let me break down the best approaches to maximize your earnings on this classic story heist:

The Context: Paleto Bay in GTA V‘s Story

The Paleto Bay heist represents the third major job pulled off by Michael, Franklin, and Trevor in the GTA V storyline. Set in a sleepy, rural bank far from the big city, the location reflects the crew moving up into bigger targets outside their urban comfort zone.

As far as maximum takes go, this mission falls on the lower end at $8 million. But the narrative requirements mean you‘ll automatically lose $20,000 during the escape. So the best possible real payout lands at $7,996,020.

Gunman Selection Impacts Your Score

An optimal gunman brings in more cash and survives the shooting sprees. If you chose Packie McReary for the first jewelry store job, he‘s leveled up by this third heist. Picking Packie as gunman for the Paleto Bay raid nets you $6,000 more than the next best option.

As a veteran GTA player, I always grab Packie for his damage output and survivability. Boosting his skills early pays off in later missions.

Play the Pre-Heist Stock Market

The stock trading meta game returns as a way to amplify your heist payout. This time around, investing in Cluckin‘ Bell nets you a 67% post-heist jump as the company recovers from prior bad PR.

If you maximize the possible stock profits, an extra $130-170k gets added to your bank account after finishing the mission. I lay out my strategy for optimizing these trades in a separate guide – so consider checking that out as well!

Gameplay Rewards Help Your Score

Beyond crew members and stocks, your personal performance during the heist shootout impacts the cash payout:

• Accuracy: 50% precision or higher
• Time: Finish in under 16 minutes
• Damage: Cause over $1 million of destruction

These gameplay bonuses all contribute to pushing your maximum possible take even higher. While a challenging combo to pull off, I‘ve refined tactics for checking each box during an efficient speed run:

• Utilize cover and high ground for careful aimed shots
• Stick to the critical mission path to avoid wasting time
• Blow up cars, barrels, windows to rack up collateral carnage

My best Paleto Bay run stacked all rewards for a final cut over $8.1 million!

Comparing Heist Payout Potential

As a long-time GTA Online player, I‘ve mastered all the available heist jobs. So how does the Paleto Bay score stack up?

Given the numbers, Paleto Bay lands on the lower end of max payouts. But the mission remains a memorable moment for the rural bank setting, frantic escape, and climax of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor‘s rising crime spree.

For big GTA bucks, I point players to mastering the Diamond Casino or deep strategy on Cayo Perico. But earning your first few million by taking the score out to quiet Paleto Bay still delivers an adrenaline rush!

Let me know if you have any other questions about optimizing your Paleto Bay run!