What persists?
Steam describes an account economy beginning with $10,000, equipment purchases for each life, and cash carried between matches. Reviving teammates, moving friendlies, and objective participation are named earning examples. These are broad rules, not a guarantee that every action pays the same amount.
Keep two questions separate: whether your balance survives an ordinary match transition, and whether progress survives a test reset. The older developer FAQ explicitly excludes early Pre-Alpha cash from full-game carryover. That does not settle every later beta transition; look for a build-specific announcement before assuming one.
Review profit without chasing a farm
Use a simple personal record: balance before purchases, spending, and balance after the session. Compare similar roles over several lives. This is an editorial way to understand your costs, not a fixed income formula.
If expensive equipment repeatedly disappears before helping the team, reduce the purchase until you understand the approach. If a support task is useful and affordable, repeat it while learning the map. Avoid treating a single unusually profitable moment as a sustainable hourly rate.
Read unlocks separately from affordability
Being able to buy an item is not evidence that buying it now is sensible. Preserve a functional fallback and choose a larger investment when the situation gives it a job. The economy is meant to make decisions matter; it does not require maximizing every reward at the expense of the match.