In order to put the prices of weapons, armor and adventuring gear into proper perspective, it helps to know what the common wages would be for various professions. Below are listed the daily wages of a variety of professions, from the most humble to the most wealthy.
10 copper pieces = 1 silver piece.
A typical beggar usually manages to scrounge a copper or two each day - enough to not starve.
A common unskilled laborer typically earns 1 silver piece per day.
An apprentic craftsman earns 1 1/2 silver pieces per day.
A common foot soldier or milita man earns 2 silver per day.
A skilled sailer earns 2 siver pieces per day.
An archer or crossbowman earns 3 and a half silver per day.
A skilled laborer (such as a groom, farrier or brick layer) earns 4 silver pieces per day.
A journeyman craftsman earns 5 silver per day.
A man at arms or a squire earns 6 to 7 silver per day.
A ship's officer (boatswain, navigator, quartermaster, etc) earns between 4 and 8 silver per day.
A scribe typically earns 5-10 silver per day.
A sergeant earns 8 to 10 silver per day.
A master craftsmen earns 12 to 20 silver per day.
A knight earns 24 silver per day.
A town mayor or minor city official earns between 20 and 30 silver per day.
A knight banneret or knight commander earns 48 silver per day.
A sage or master scholar earns about 50 silver pieces per day for consultation and research in his field of expertise.
A city administrator or major official (such as a magistrate) earns between 40 and 70 silver per day.
A wizard, depending on skill and employer, might earn anywhere from 25 to 100 silver per day.
An imperial senator earns 100 silver per day.
Nobles don’t earn daily wages in the typical way, but generate money from their lands through harvesting natural resources, taxation, tribute and so forth. The average daily amounts generated from their lands are listed below:
The ranks above are examples only. Different worlds, realms and cultures may have different ranks and terms. The earnings for the different ranks of nobility have a wide range because fiefdoms varied greatly in geographic size, population and resources. Furthermore, whether or not a noble is wealthy or poor compared to his peers depends greatly on what he does with his earnings. For instance, a baron’s personal wealth and the overall economic health and prosperity of his barony will depend on how much he squanders on personal extravagances, how much he puts back into his barony and how much he uses to fill his coffers (i.e. saves). Raising armies, fighting wars, hosting faires, going on crusades, erecting great castles and building ships are all expensive things that will quickly empty the coffers.
Throughout the website, I'm using the currency of the Drakkellian Alliance as the standard. In Drakkel, a gold piece is equal to 100 silver pieces... vastly more than a silver coin. This has some historical precedent. In the 13th century England, a pound was worth 20 shillings and a shilling was worth 12 silver pence. So a single pound was worth a whopping 240 silver pennies.
The point is that a single gold coin is a sizeable chunk of wealth. In many D&D adventures, adventurers routinely find treasure hoards of thousands or tens of thousands of gold pieces which is ridiculously overgenerous. By contrast, in Khoras, a mere 10 gold pieces is viewed as a fortune because a "mere" 10 gold pieces represents more than a year's worth of wagers for many common folk.
This website was last updated March 31, 2026. Copyright 1990-2026 David M. Roomes.