With social media and TikTok becoming such a central part of modern life and business, you may be interested in learning how much you could earn from your own viral TikTok video moment.
TikTok Earnings Calculator
Lower Earnings Estimate: $1,000.00
Upper Earnings Estimate: $2,000.00
Average Earnings: $1,500.00
Key Takeaways:
- TikTok creators earn between 2 and 4 cents per 1,000 views
- Viewers can donate LIVE gifts which can be converted into cash
- Regular uploads are more important than viral videos
| Number of TikTok Video Views | TikTok Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1,000 Views | $0.02 – $0.04 |
| 10,000 Views | $0.20 – $0.40 |
| 100,000 Views | $2 – $4 |
| 1,000,000 Views | $20 – $40 |
| 5,000,000 Views | $100 – $200 |
| 10,000,000 Views | $200 – $400 |
| 50,000,000 Views | $1,000 – $2,000 |
| 100,000,000 Views | $2,000 – $4,000 |
| Average Annual Income (U.S. Only) | Average Hourly Income (U.S. Only) |
|---|---|
| $45,000 – $50,000 | $25 – $28 |
The Factors That Influence TikTok Earnings
Creating a successful TikTok account that generates income depends upon a variety of different factors, including the number of followers your account has, the engagement level of your audience, the niche that your content occupies, the language used and your location, as well as any TikTok monetization funds and brand sponsorships you have access to, to name just a few.
TikTok Monetization Methods
TikTok creators enjoy multiple methods of monetizing their content through TikTok directly and through other independent means.
TikTok Creator Fund
TikTok Creator Fund Requirements
- Account owners must be 18+ years old
- 10,000+ followers
- 100,000+ authentic views in the last 30 days
- TikTok account that meets community guidelines and terms of service
- One valid digital payment account
- Reside in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Italy, France, or Spain
TikTok Creator Payout Rate
- $0.02 – $0.04 per 1,000 views
The TikTok Creator Fund was set up to incentivize and financially reward the platform’s creators. Creators eligible for the fund can earn money based on their videos’ performance. The more likes, shares, views, and comments a video receives; the higher the potential earnings of the creator.
LIVE Gifting
LIVE Gifting Requirements
- Live in a supported country
(Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, UAE, UK, Ukraine, USA, Vietnam) - Account owners must be 18+ years old
- Have a linked and verified payment method (PayPal, Payoneer, Stripe, etc.)
- Account must be 30+ days old
- 1,000+ followers
- NOT stream from a TikTok Business Account
LIVE Gifting Payout Rate
- 1 Diamond = $0.01 (in the U.S.)
Viewers of your stream can donate gifts (such as stickers and animations) to you live onstream. TikTok converts any gifts you receive on stream into diamonds at 50% of their coin value. This means that if you receive a sticker that costs 2 coins to purchase, TikTok will convert it into 1 diamond.
TikTok Pulse
TikTok Pulse Requirements
- Live in the U.S.
- Account owners must be 18+ years old
- Have a linked and verified payment method (PayPal, Payoneer, Stripe, etc.)
- Account must have published 5+ videos in the last 30 days
- 100,000+ followers
- Join TikTok Creator Marketplace
TikTok Pulse Payout Rate
- $3 – $9 per 1,000 views
If TikTok creators meet all the requirements listed above, they may be eligible to join the TikTok Pulse program. They will need to wait for an invitation from TikTok first. The program aims to pay creators with the best-performing videos on the platform (the top 4%), 50% of ad revenue generated via ads placed on their videos. The actual amount that creators receive does vary as it’s calculated daily.
Brand Deals & Sponsored Content
For many streamers, the best way to monetize their TikTok accounts is through brand partnerships and sponsored content collaborations. Some of these deals can be made through TikTok’s own affiliate marketing program with more than 10,000 products listed there.
The amount that streamers can earn from these deals and partnerships will vary based on details like follower count, engagement rate, content quality, and the niche the stream occupies.
Merchandise
Another way that streamers can monetize is through the sale of merchandise. Merch can be anything from t-shirts and hoodies to cuddly toys and mugs and will typically be branded with the streamer’s channel info. This gives viewers a reliable way to support their favorite streamers and helps to promote the streaming channel to a wider audience.
Success Stories: Top TikTok Creators
Charli D’Amelio
| Estimated Annual Earning | $17.5 Million |
| Number of Followers | 148.7 Million |
Charli D’Amelio is the undisputed queen of TikTok when it comes to earnings and followers. She joined the platform in 2019 when the majority of users were consumers of content rather than creators and quickly went viral with her simple dance videos.
A key factor that has helped her success is that she is considered a “median” user in terms of her content and audience demographic. This makes her channel and content a safe recommendation choice for a much wider variety of users, especially with users fresh to the platform and without a preference history.
Dixie D’Amelio
| Estimated Annual Earning | $10 Million |
| Number of Followers | 57.5 Million |
Dixie D’Amelio (Charli’s older sister) has also found success on the platform. While she also posts dance videos with her sister and other top TikTok creators, she has also branched into the music world, releasing several singles that have achieved success in U.S. and global pop charts and millions of YouTube views.
Addison Rae
| Estimated Annual Earning | $8.5 Million |
| Number of Followers | 88.7 Million |
Addison Rae found TikTok fame through her dance videos, quickly amassing 1 million followers in her first year on the platform. She has since gained sponsorship deals with clothing brands like Fashion Nova and become the main spokesperson for American Eagle. She also sells her own branded merch, including products from her makeup line, Item Beauty.
Bella Poarch
| Estimated Annual Earning | $5 Million |
| Number of Followers | 92.4 Million |
Bella Poarch’s rise to fame began with her 2020 viral video lip-syncing to “Millie B – Soph Aspirin Send” which became the most viewed video on the platform that year. She has used her TikTok fame to sign a record deal with Warner Records to release the single “Build a Bitch” and signed deals to appear in ads for brands as varied as Prada and Google.
Josh Richards
| Estimated Annual Earning | $5 Million |
| Number of Followers | 26 Million |
Josh Richards joined musical.ly at the age of 14 before the platform went on to become the TikTok platform we know today. His huge following has helped him to successfully land sponsorship and brand deals, and launch his own line of merchandise. He’s now turning his social media fame into paying acting gigs appearing in the movies Summer Dropouts and Under the Stadium Lights.
Realities of Earning on TikTok
While it may appear that TikTok creators find overnight fame and fortune with a video that goes viral, the truth is that for the vast majority of creators, this isn’t the case. Here are four realities every hopeful TikTok creator should know.
Viral Video Doesn’t Equal Success
Although a viral video can give TikTok creators immediate fame and increase their audience, it doesn’t necessarily equate to financial success. There are videos on the platform with millions of views but their creators are relatively unknown and have not received any payment.
Consistency Is Key
A common misconception is that you only need one viral video to find success, and although that can be true, it is far more common for creators who post quality content regularly to be rewarded by the platform.
Income Diversification Is Important
TikTok’s top earners all have one thing in common: they have diversified their income streams. Due to the unpredictable nature of virality (and the payment structure of the platform), top creators create multiple streams of revenue (brand and sponsorship deals, merchandise) to supplement their direct TikTok income.
Always Adapting to the Algorithm
The algorithm that underpins the platform and determines which content users are shown is constantly being changed and updated by the TikTok team. Top creators closely follow algorithm changes and trends to ensure new and old content remains relevant and is pushed into user feeds.
Hyper Influencers Skew the Income Averages
While the headline of $45,000+ per year is eye-catching, it does hide the fact that there are a small number of creators (such as those shown above) that push that average much higher than it would otherwise be without them. Creators with approximately half a million followers typically earn around $400 per month.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Money Can TikTok Creators Make on Average?
The average annual income of a TikTok creator in the U.S. is between $45,000 and $50,000
What Is the TikTok Creator Fund?
The TikTok Creator Fund is a large pool of funds dedicated to financially compensating the most successful TikTok stars for their contributions to the platform’s success.
What Are the TikTok Creator Fund Requirements?
To join the Creator Fund TikTok creators must meet all the requirements below:
- Account owner is 18+ years old
- Account has 10,000+ followers
- Account has received 100,000+ authentic views within the last 30 days
- Account adheres to TikTok community guidelines and terms of service
- Account has one registered and verified digital payment method
- Account holder resides in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, or Spain.
Can Creators with Small Followings Earn on TikTok?
Yes. Although smaller creators may not meet the requirements to join the TikTok Creator Fund and TikTok Pulse, they can still earn money through brand deals and sponsorships.
How Many Followers Does a TikTok Creator Need?
A TikTok creator isn’t required to have any set number of followers, but if they wish to join the TikTok Creator Fund or generate income through sponsored brand deals and partnerships, they will need 10,000 followers.
Who Is the Highest Paid TikTok Creator?
Charli D’Amelio is the highest paid TikTok creator with an estimated $17.5 million in annual earnings.
What Kind of TikTok Content Gets More Followers & Views?
The “Entertainment” category is the most popular with over 500 billion hashtag views.”Dance,” “Beauty,” “Food,” and “Lifehacks” are some of the other most viewed categories.
