Can You Really Make Money as a TikTok Influencer? Trends, Stats and How to Earn

TikTok is currently one of the most successful social media platforms among young users, giving top dogs Facebook and Instagram a tough time. With millions of content creators, influencers and followers all over the world, TikTok’s short videos are constantly generating clicks, visits… and a lot of money. Moving millions of dollars per year, this social media app is the home of influencers and aspiring content creators wanting to become the next TikTok millionaire. But… How much money do TikTok influencers really make?

In today’s article we’ll explore how much revenue a TikTok influencer makes, from the typical user to the most popular figures in the platform. So if you’re looking for success on this platform, you’ve come to the right place.

Subscribe to the Softonic newsletter and get the latest in tech, gaming, entertainment and deals right in your inbox.

Subscribe (it's FREE) ►

What is a TikTok Influencer?

TikTok influencers are users who have gathered a significant amount of followers thanks to their viral video content. This surge of popularity leads to brands and companies to notice their accounts, offering them a partnership to promote their products in their TikTok channels. Influencers normally specialize into a single type of content, from entertainment and gaming videos to health, fashion or wellness videos. It is through their short and fresh daily video content that brands are looking to connect with young and dynamic audiences.

How Many People are using TikTok

According to Statista, the number of TikTok downloads reached its peak in the first quarter of 2020 due the COVID-19 pandemic, peaking over 313.5 million worldwide. That’s 62.3% more downloads than it got in Q1 2019. Since then, the popularity of the short-video format hasn’t really decreased, getting a total of 1.057 billion users in 2023.

Here’s a breakdown of the results:

• 2023- 1057 billion users
• 2022- 984,49 billion users
• 2021- 856 billion users
• 2020- 721.09 billion users
• 2019- 703.84 billion users
• 2018- 653.75 billion users

Demographics: TikTok Users by Country

A recent survey made by Statista shows how by July 2024, Indonesia lead the list of countries with the largest TikTok audience with 157.6 million users per month. The United States followed closely behind with 120.5 million users, with Brazil in third position with 105.2 million users. Mexico and Vietnam were in third and fourth position with 77.54 and 65.64 million users respectively.

Here’s a list with the top 10 countries with a largest TikTok audience per month:

1. Indonesia- 157.6 million
2. United States- 120.5 million
3. Brazil- 105.2 million
4. Mexico- 77.54 million
5. Vietnam- 65.64 million
6. Pakistan- 62.05 million
7. Philippines- 56.14 million
8. Russian Federation- 56.01 million
9. Thailand- 50.81 million
10. Bangladesh- 41.14 million

How many TikTok Influencers are There?

The number of TikTok influencers is increasing exponentially since 2018, with projections over 150,000 in 2021, over 200,000 in 2022, and over 220,000 in 2023. Here’s how the number of this elite of TikTokers has grown since 2018:

• 2018- 16,394 influencers
• 2019- 35,528 influencers
• 2020- 106,104 influencers
• 2021- ~150,000+ influencers
• 2022- ~200,000+ influencers
• 2023-  ~220,000+ influencers

What is the Average Salary of a TikTok Influencer?

According to recent data, TikTok influencers earn an average salary of $131,874 per year and $58 per hour. While these numbers are surprising and certainly enticing, we have to take these numbers with a pinch of salt. That’s because TikTok Royalty (the top influencers in the platform) normally earn seven to eight figure salaries, making the average numbers go upwards. However, unlike other platforms like Instagram, the number of followers does not have a direct impact on your earnings, but the engagement and size of their niche content.

How Much TikTok Influencers Are Earning in 2024

Now that we know what the average salary using the whole TikToker pool is, it’s time to take a closer look at the typical salary of the platform’s influencers and content creators.

A survey made by NeoReach shows that the salary for a normal TikTok Influencer (excluding TikTok Royalty) ranges from $15.000 to $25.000 per year. This means into only one third of TikTokers are able to generate a full-time salary with their videos.

Here’s a breakdown of the results:

• $15,000- 48%
• $15,000-$25,000- 9%
• $25,000-$35,000- 7%
• $35,000-$50,000- 5%
• $50,000-$75,000- 11%
• $75,000-$100,000- 5%
• $100,000-$150,000- 6%
• $200,000 or more- 7%

Types of TikTok Influencers and How Much they Earn

As stated above, TikTok influencers monetize their channel through engagement with their viewers. The more engaging their videos are, the more masses they attract. This means more branded and affiliated content proposals they receive, which translates into monetization.

Here’s a breakdown of the different types of TikTokers based on their following and how much do they earn by average:

Nano TikTokers

Nano TikTokers are influencers that are taking the first steps to become TikTok personalities. Their followers are in the range of 1000-10,000 and earn an average of $25 to $125 per video. If we look at their annual earnings, they generate less than $15,000 per year, less than a full-time salary. Most of TikTok influencers or aspiring influencers fall in this category (48%).

Micro TikTokers

Following the ladder to TikTok success we find the so-called micro TikTokers. These have approximately 10,000 to 100,000 followers and their niche size is bigger and they exert some power and influence in it. Their average income is $30 to $400 per post, generating a minimum of $50,000 per year. Depending on the amount of followers they have, the numbers increase exponentially. 32% of US TikTokers fall in this category.

Macro TikTokers

TikTok content creators with more than 100,000 followers can be considered macro TikTokers. These are considered famous personalities in their niche and their opinions and videos exert a massive influence in it. Macro TikTokers make $1200 to $2500 per video and have minimum annual earnings of $400,000. Only 7% of US TikTok users become Macro TikTokers.

Mega TikTokers

Mega TikTokers are considered kings and queens in their own niche, and their opinion as well as their video content reshape what’s in and what’s not in those areas. These users have over a million followers and also earn millions, generative more than $2500 per video. On an annual basis, they can earn more than $1,000,000 on the low end. Mega TikTokers are extremely rare, with only 2% of TikTok users reaching their fame and glory.

How do TikTok Influencers Make Money?

Successful TikTok users make money through different types of revenue streams. From partnership and sponsored deals to live gifts or using TikTok’s creator fund, the social media platform has become a juicy source of income for millions of influencers. Here’s how to make money on TikTok:

Brand Partnerships and Sponsored Posts

Unlike platforms like YouTube, TikTokers can’t earn money through ads. The main source of income for TikTok influencers is through brand partnerships and sponsored posts. According to a recent report made by HypeAuditor, 66,9% of TikTok influencers earn the most income from sponsors and brand deals.

Brand Partnerships and sponsored posts are achieved by gaining presence on TikTok and increasing their number of followers in a specific niche. The higher the number of followers, the higher the possibility a company or brand will lay eyes on them. Once this is achieved, the brand contacts the TikToker and offers to pay a flat rate to create posts that show, explain or simply hype their products.

Here’s an average on how much a TikTok influencer can earn through sponsored posts based on their followers:

• 1000-10,000 followers- $20-$150
• 10,000-50,000 followers- $30-$400
• 50,000-500,000 followers- $80-$1,650
• 500,000-1,000,000 followers- $150-$3,500
• 1,000,000 or more followers- $1,200-unlimited

TikTok Creator Academy

In 2020, TikTok launched its Creator Academy, a platform that rewards and pays content creators based on the views their videos have received. This service is currently available only in the US, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and France. Not all TikTokers can use this fund, to be eligible they must have at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 video views in a month.

Influencers that have successfully enrolled the Creator Academy can expect to earn between $0.02 to $0.04 per 1,000 views. In total, that’s $20-$40 per million views. While not being as profitable as brand and sponsored partnerships, it is an incentive that TikTokers have to create high quality content.

Affiliate marketing

TikTok influencers can increase their income thanks to affiliate marketing. This monetization strategy consists in creating content where they show and promote a product, as well as post a link to buy it. When a user clicks and buys the product through said link, the influencer gets a commission per each sale. A recent report made by NeoReach states that 7.8% of TikTok influencers earn the most money through affiliate marketing.

TikTok Live Gifts

TikTok Live allows viewers and creators to interact with each other in real time. During these live broadcasts, fans can send influencers digital gifts in the shape of stickers that later can be redeemed for money.

Merchandising

Last, but not least, influencers can earn money by selling their own merchandise and products through TikTok.

While TikTok Influencers have to Potentital to make Life-Changing Money, it’s not an Easy Feat

As seen by the data gathered in this article, being a TikTok influencer has the potential to generate seven or even eight-figure salaries. However, this feat is not an easy one since it requires a massive amount of followers as well as establishing successful brand partnership and creating a large amount of high-quality content in the form of sponsored videos.

While everyone can aspire to be an influencer and succeed in reaching its early stages (nano TikTokers), most TikTok creators won’t earn a living through the platform and will still have a full time job.