Wouldn’t it be nice to earn money on TikTok? What if we told you that people are earning tons of money from the platform? We’re going to provide you with a blueprint to monetize your account and make real money from your followers.
Can you earn from TikTok without any followers?
Yes and no.
If you sell merch or use affiliate links, you can make money without many followers. Someone needs to view your content and take action. But if you want to make money from TikTok directly, you need to meet quite a few requirements.
What are they?
TikTok Monetization Requirements
TikTok’s Creator Fund is no longer an option for anyone who is trying to monetize their account. You’ll need to sign up for the Creativity Program, which is available in the following countries:
- Brazil
- France
- Germany
- Japan
- Korea
- UK
- US
If you’re outside of these countries, you’ll want to keep checking the News Room to learn if or when your country will be added to the list. The Creativity Program is in beta, so it’s available in a very limited number of countries.
Anyone in these countries will need to meet other requirements (view TikTok’s main requirement page):
- 18 years old or older
- 10,000+ followers
- 100,000 views in the last 30 days
- Post content longer than one minute
TikTok Series Requirements
TikTok does offer Series, which is another monetization feature with much lower requirements, including:
- 3+ posts in the last 30 days
- 1,000+ views in the last 30 days
- 30+ day-old account
- 18 years old or older
Series allows you to charge $0.99 – $189.99 for your Series, which can be up to 80 videos, each up to 20 minutes long. You can sell your videos directly to followers.
Your account must be within one of the available countries to join monetization programs. Influencers are responsible for handling their own taxes. Why? You’re considered an independent contractor when earning money on social media.
In the US, you’ll need to:
- Pay self-employment tax
- Pay federal and state tax
- Pay quarterly tax
Independent contractors are 100% responsible for their own taxes. If you don’t want to be hit with a major tax burden, set aside 25% of your money for taxes. You can itemize your tax deductions, which means you’ll want to keep receipts for:
- Travel🛩️
- Clothes👔
- Equipment
- Business expenses💰
- Etc.
Working with an accountant in your country will allow you to stay tax-compliant and help you find ways to reduce your tax burden.
But what if we told you there were other ways to make money on TikTok?
15 Ways To Make Money on TikTok
TikTok’s monetization tools aren’t the only way that you can earn money on the platform – although it’s a nice income stream. You can earn money using one of these monetization methods:
1. Live Gifts🎁
Can you make money on TikTok for going live? Absolutely. LIVE Gifting is a way for your viewers to reward you for your stream. Anyone who is 18+ (19 in South Korea) can purchase coins from their profile and send them to you. You can also collect diamonds, which you can then request TikTok to redeem.
Every gift has a different value since they follow exchange rates.
The price of these digital goods is subject to:
- Exchange rate
- Tax
- Etc.
If you’re running a Livestream, you can boost your chances of earning more by:
- Setting a LIVE goal
- Ask people to send coins if they like the stream
Viewers love helping creators make money for their hard work and effort on LIVE.
2. Brand Partnerships🤝
Brand partnerships are the best of the best ways to make money on TikTok. You might have offers for a partnership because a marketing manager saw your post and they believe your audience is the perfect fit for their product or service.
You’ll be able to:
- Negotiate partnerships
- Pick and choose partnerships
- Control the terms of your partnership
How to Find Brand Partnership Opportunities on TikTok
Brand opportunities can be sought directly by contacting brands that you feel vibe with your audience. You’ll need to reach out to them via email or social media and introduce yourself. However, you should also join the Creator Marketplace.
Advertisers have a difficult time finding creators and influencers who are the ideal fit for their campaigns.
The Creator Marketplace is an easy way for creators to get found, but you’ll need to apply, and the requirements are said to be intense to meet. You can read more on TikTok.
You may negotiate a single sponsored post via a partnership or a long-term collaboration.
3. Affiliate Marketing🔗
Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money online, and some creators are making money on TikTok with very few followers. You can join TikTok Shop and sign up as a creator to:
- Connect with brands
- Promote their products
- Receive a commission for each sale you make
You can recommend the products in livestreams or videos, but affiliate marketing goes well beyond the Shop.
Affiliate marketing works like this:
- You sign up to become an affiliate
- You make a post promoting the product
- Someone uses your code or clicks on your affiliate link
- You make money when a purchase is completed
You’ll need to join an affiliate network (if you don’t use the Shop) or join a program directly. A few of the top networks for TikTok traffic are:
If you make a video promoting a product that you’ll be paid for, you need to disclose this relationship to your audience. You can simply say, “If you buy this product, I will earn a commission on it.”
Products that work well for affiliates on TikTok are:
- Apparel
- Beauty products
- Lifestyle products
- Gadgets
Choose to promote products that resonate with your audience.
4. Merchandise Sales🛍️
Creators can leverage TikTok Shop and the merchandise discovery algorithm that promotes merchandise that is:
- Relatable
- Authentic
- Inspiration
The discovery engine enables creators and brands to showcase their products right in the app with shop pages, videos and LIVE shopping.
TikTok shopping has near global availability, although it initially rolled out in select countries. You can choose from multiple payment options, such as PayPal or Zelle.
If you want to go a step further, you can also sell your own merch, which is where you can make a lot of money.
5. TikTok Ads Platform
TikTok Ads cost money – but you can also push your own products.
For example:
- You have a website where you sell a digital course
- You purchase in-feed ads to promote your course
- Traffic from TikTok is sent to your website’s sales funnel
If you don’t want to sell a product or service, you can also use ads to boost your following, which can help you increase your earnings in the future, too.
6. TikTok Pulse
TikTok Pulse is an option for the top creators on the platform, so you’ll need to have an immense following and create top-tier content to gain access to this platform. If your content is within the top 4% on the platform, TikTok will pay you 50% of ad revenue seen next to your content.
Eligibility requirements are:
- 100k+ followers
- Post 5+ videos in the previous 30 days
- 18+ years of age
If ads are placed next to your videos and you’re accepted into Pulse, you can earn money. How much? It depends on the ads shown, views and your overall reach. Reddit users had a great conversation on earnings from TikTok Pulse that you can read here.
7. Sponsored Hashtag Challenges
Branded hashtag challenges (HTC) create a full-funnel and are known for their crazy levels of engagement. Brands create a video, creators recreate the video or engage in the challenge, and you might earn:
- Products
- Cash
- Other rewards
Brands work with TikTok to create their own guidelines for creators to follow. As a creator, you need to create and share videos that adhere to the challenge’s requirements. Every challenge has its own terms that you’ll agree to beforehand that outline how you’ll be compensated.
8. Refer Your friends
TikTok wants to create a thriving community, and one way to reach this goal is to reward creators who refer their friends. Global availability for the program means that worldwide people can join, but you’ll need to meet the age requirements:
- 19+ in Korea
- 20+ in Japan
- 21+ in Egypt
- 18+ everywhere else
When you refer a friend, you can often redeem your rewards for:
- Cash
- Mobile top-ups
- Coupons
Rewards vary by country, so it’s not a 100% sure-fire method of how to make money on TikTok in certain countries. You’ll receive your reward when the person you refer:
- Downloads the app
- Enters the referral code by clicking the icon beside their profile name
You can also send your friend a direct referral link to make it even easier to earn rewards. Open the app, go to Profile > hamburger icon > Settings and Privacy. From here, tap Balance to view your rewards balance.
9. Sell Shoutouts
Do you have a decent-sized following? You can sell shoutouts and earn great money in the process. Shoutouts can be sold directly or through platforms like Collabstr or Shoutcart. You’re selling a post for someone else and promoting their:
- Profile
- Brand
- Product
- Etc.
How do you set your shoutout pricing? It’s all about engagement. Some creators with 100K followers charge $350 – $850 for a shoutout and others far less. You’ll need to consider your engagement rate and industry.
10. Create Niche Accounts and Sell Them
Are you a creator who finds it easy to make new niche accounts? Some creators have cracked the code to gaining a following fast – leverage this talent. You can:
- Start a new niche account
- Organically grow your following to 10k
- Sell the account
Selling your account and how much you’ll earn depends on the niche, likes and follower count.
Niche accounts with real followers and engagement sell very well.
If you have a faceless account, it may be even more valuable because the buyer can simply step in your shoes and begin running the account without the risk of losing followers.
11. Promote Your Services or Products📢
Another way to earn money on TikTok is by promoting your own products or services. Influencers are in a unique position because they already have an engaged audience, which makes it much easier to successfully launch products and services.
In fact, you can now even sell products directly on TikTok through:
- LIVE shopping
- Shoppable videos
- Shop pages
If you don’t have your own products, you can promote items that are featured directly on the TikTok Shop Product Marketplace to start earning money.
TikTok handles the payment processing and logistics, making it a stress-free way to sell products through social media.
12. Fan Subscriptions Platforms
Many TikTokers earn money through fan subscription platforms, like:
- Patreon
- Kajabi
- Circle
- Buy Me a Coffee
With a subscription platform, followers can support TikTokers directly by paying a monthly fee. Typically, they get something in return for their support, such as access to exclusive content, shoutouts and other perks.
When selecting a fan subscription platform, consider:
- The management tools available
- Whether the platform is subscription-based or one-time donation only (or both)
- Whether your followers are familiar with the platform and comfortable using it
13. Long-Term Brand Ambassadorships
Ambassadorships are different from sponsorships. Typically, brand ambassadors aren’t paid directly for promoting a product or brand. Rather, they earn commissions or gifts for helping build brand awareness and generating buzz for a business.
14. TikTok Account Management👨💻
TikTok account managers post content for their clients, respond to comments, engage with followers and handle other TikTok-related tasks.
Many TikTok account managers work for agencies, but those who operate independently typically find clients on social media, freelancer platforms or their network of contacts.
In their day-to-day work, account managers rely on tools and analytics to help them do their jobs, including:
- Scheduling tools like Hootsuite, SocialBee or Pallyy
- Analytics tools like SocialPilot, Loomly and more
- Tracking tools like VistaSocial
These tools help managers keep on top of their clients’ accounts and continue growing their TikTok presence.
15. Become a TikTok Coach
Have you mastered the art of growing a following on TikTok and getting crazy views and engagement? You can earn a living as a TikTok coach.
TikTok coaches are sometimes called consultants, and they know everything there is to know about the social platform.
You don’t need any special tools or even any training to become a coach. You just need to be able to demonstrate results. Your own TikTok account can be proof enough that you know what you’re doing and can help other Tiktokers grow their accounts.
Coaches may work with businesses, other influencers or freelancers who want to build their brand and following on TikTok.
A report from Business Insider also revealed that TikTok is quietly paying a group of creator coaches to help grow the platform’s livestreams.
Factors Affecting TikTok Earnings
There are so many ways to generate income on TikTok, but some influencers earn more than others. Why? Apart from your follower count, there are some other factors that will influence your earnings, including:
1. Niche
A big factor that will affect your earnings is your niche. Some niches appeal to a larger audience and naturally attract better sponsor deals.
Some of the highest-paying niches on TikTok, according to TikTokers, are:
- Technology🖥️
- Health and wellness🏋️
- Finance and investment💰
- Personal development
- Lifestyle
- Beauty
You can make money on TikTok with virtually any niche, but these ones command top dollar for sponsored posts.
2. The TikTok Algorithm
The TikTok algorithm will also affect your earnings, especially for earnings through the Pulse program. Pulse is a rev-sharing program, so if your videos aren’t getting many views because of the algorithm, you’ll make less money as a result.
Even for things like sponsored posts and affiliate programs, the algorithm can still affect your earnings because you may not be getting as many views or as much engagement if the algorithm changes.
3. Follower Count and Authenticity
Naturally, your follower count will affect your earnings, and brands will take into account the authenticity of your followers. If you have a lot of ghost followers, you may not earn as much as you could have otherwise.
4. Engagement Rate
Along with niche and follower count, engagement rate is one of the top factors that will affect your earnings on TikTok – especially for sponsored posts.
Brands want to see that your followers are actually interested in your content. You can have 2 million followers, but if only a handful of people are liking and commenting on your videos, then this means that you don’t have your audience’s attention.
Many nano and micro-influencers are outearning influencers with more followers just because their audience is so engaged and interested in their content.
On TikTok, experts say a good engagement rate is between 4% and 18%.
5. Quality and Consistency of Your Content
Of course, the quality of your content will also affect your earnings. The higher the quality of your content, the more you can earn on TikTok.
Along with offering quality content, you also need to be consistent. Influencers who post regularly will make more money simply because they take their job seriously. They’re regularly engaging with their audience and creating new and valuable content for them to consume.
6. Negotiation Skills
Yes, your negotiation skills will also affect your TikTok earnings. Influencers who master the art of negotiation will earn more because they know the value they bring to the table.
Influencers can negotiate higher rates by offering things like exclusivity clauses, usage rights and rush fees for quicker deadlines.
How Much Can a TikToker Earn?
You know which factors affect your earnings on TikTok, but how much can you really earn? A lot if you have a following and a high engagement rate.
In fact, research from Epidemic Sound found that TikTok is the top income-generating platform for creators.
For sponsored posts, the earning potential depends on your engagement rate and your follower count. But on average, here’s how much different influencers can earn on TikTok.
| Influencer Level | Followers | Earning Potential |
| Nano | 1K-10K | $4-$25/post |
| Micro | 10K-100K | $50-$200/post |
| Macro | 100K-1M | $790+/post |
| Mega/Celebrity | 1M+ | $1,600+/post |
Top TikTokers with the Highest Earnings
1. Charli Grace D’Amelio (@charlidamelio)
Charli D’Amelio has earned the title of the highest-paid influencer on TikTok. In 2021 alone, Forbes estimates that she earned over $17 million – three times what she made in 2020.
Her current net worth is estimated to be $20 million. She makes her money through:
- Brand partnerships and sponsored content. In 2020, she partnered with Sabra Hummus and earned $1 million from the deal.
- Merchandise deals. She has exclusive licensing partnership deals, a book and other products (like a fragrance) that earn her cash.
- TV appearances. Charli has a reality TV show on Hulu and has made numerous television appearances that earn her hundreds of thousands of dollars.
2. Dixie Jane D’Amelio (@dixiedamelio)
Dixie D’Amelio has over 55 million followers on TikTok and is one of the richest influencers on the platform. Estimates suggest that she earns over $40,000 per sponsored post. In 2020, she earned about $2.9 million from partnerships with brands like Morphe and Hollister.
In 2021, her earnings skyrocketed to $10 million.
Along with brand deals, Dixie also has a reality TV docuseries on Hulu and is now starting a career as a singer.
3. Addison Rae Easterling (@addisonre)
TikTok influencer Addison Rae is estimated to have a net worth of $15 million. In 2021 alone, she earned $8.5 million from her presence on TikTok.
According to the media, she earns over $65,000 per sponsored post on TikTok.
Her super-influencer status has helped her make a debut in acting on Netflix’s He’s All That.
4. Denarie Bautista Taylor (@bellapoarch)
Bella Poarch is a TikTok star and singer with a net worth of at least $4 million, according to Cosmopolitan. She skyrocketed to fame in 2020 when she published the most-liked video on TikTok – a lip-syncing video.
How does she make her money?
Most of her earnings on TikTok come from sponsored content, but her status on TikTok has helped her generate more opportunities.
- She has a real record deal now
- She’s also created NFTs
5. Joshua Kenneth Richards (@joshrichards)
Josh Richards is estimated to have a net worth of over $22 million. The Canadian influencer makes his money through sponsorships, brand partnerships, investments, his podcasts and other avenues.
According to his business partner, Josh has “20 different ways to make money.”
How To Increase My Income as a Beginner
Want to increase your TikTok income as a beginner? Follow the tips below.
1. Post Consistently
One of the best ways to boost your income as a beginner is to create more content and post consistently.
When you post consistently, you:
- Learn what types of content your followers prefer
- Grow your following
- Show brands that you’re serious about content creation and engaging your audience
Aim to post at least once a day, and focus on providing more value with your content.
2. Make Your Content More Valuable
Quality content is a great way to build your following and attract the attention of brands that may want to do sponsorships.
Aim to make your content more valuable if you want to increase your earnings. How do you do that?
- Provide insight or advice that’s uniquely yours
- Discuss a topic from a different perspective
- Solve problems that you know your audience has
If you can create more valuable content, you’ll make more money as a result.
3. Go Live to Get Virtual Gifts
One simple way to boost your earnings is to go live to get virtual gifts. In order to qualify for LIVE Gifts, you’ll need to:
- Live in a location where this feature is available
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Meet the minimum follower and video view requirements
- Have an account in good standing
When you go LIVE with Gifts, viewers can send you Diamonds that you can exchange for real cash.
These are a few simple ways to increase your earnings as a beginner on TikTok. Remember that the main focus should always be to create great content that your followers will love. The earnings will follow along with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do People Make a Living Off of TikTok?
Yes, many people make a living off of TikTok. In fact, successful TikTokers can make $100,000+ per year. Some sources suggest that there are more than 100,000 influencers on TikTok. Not every influencer makes a full-time income, but a large percentage do.
Can Someone Still Earn Money with TikTok if They Stop Making TikTok Videos?
Yes, but only if you’re already a known influencer. Even then, you will eventually lose your value as a content creator if you’re not creating any new content for your audience. Engagement is a key metric in determining whether you’re a good candidate for a sponsorship deal.
How Can I Calculate Money Earned by TikTok?
Money earned through TikTok’s official features can be tracked right on the app. However, earnings from merch, sponsorships and other avenues will need to be calculated using your own methods, such as an Excel file or accounting software.
Can You Make Money on TikTok Without Showing Your Face?
Yes, you can make money on TikTok while staying anonymous. There are many topics that are super popular on TikTok and don’t necessarily require you to show your face, like travel, gaming, finance/investing, product reviews and more.
Why Do Female TikTokers Earn More on TikTok?
Most of the content creators on TikTok are female, so naturally, females are likely to earn more on the platform. But it’s important to remember that male and female TikTokers have the same opportunities to earn money on the platform.
