TikTok has exploded in popularity over the past few years and become one of the most used social media platforms in the world. With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok offers major opportunities for content creators to build an audience and earn money. But how much can you really make on TikTok? Here’s an in-depth look at how TikTok pays creators and how much you can expect to earn.
How Does TikTok Pay Creators?
TikTok offers creators several ways to monetize their content and earn money:
- The TikTok Creator Fund – TikTok directly pays creators based on the engagement and views on their videos. The more views and engagement you get, the more you can earn from this fund.
- TikTok LIVE – Creators can go live and earn monetary gifts from viewers during LIVE videos.
- TikTok Pulse – This is TikTok’s brand partnership program that allows creators to earn revenue from branded content.
- Sponsorships – Popular creators can earn money by partnering with brands for sponsorships and paid content.
- Affiliate Marketing – Creators earn commissions by promoting products through links and discount codes.
- Merchandise – Creators can design and sell custom merchandise like t-shirts, hoodies, and other items.
The TikTok Creator Fund is the main way most creators monetize their content on the platform. TikTok puts aside a large sum of money each year to pay creators from this fund. To be eligible, you need at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 video views over the last 30 days.
How Much Does TikTok Pay per View?
There isn’t an exact pay per view rate on TikTok. The amount paid per view depends on factors like:
- Your country
- The engagement on your content (likes, comments, shares)
- The number of overall views
TikTok does not disclose the exact formula they use to calculate how much creators earn per view. On average, estimates range from $0.01 – $0.10 per 1,000 video views. However, rates can be higher with sponsored content.
How Much Does TikTok Pay for 1 Million Views?
| Views | Estimated Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 million views | $25 – $100 |
| 10 million views | $250 – $1000 |
| 50 million views | $1250 – $5000 |
As the table shows, creators can expect to earn $25 – $100 for 1 million TikTok views. For 10 million views, estimated earnings are $250 – $1000. The more views you accumulate, the more you can earn.
Top creators earn towards the higher end of these ranges, especially if they have multiple viral videos. Average and smaller creators likely earn towards the lower end.
What is the Most Popular Type of Content on TikTok?
TikTok is used to share many different types of content. But some of the most popular and lucrative types of videos are:
- Dance videos – Fun challenging dance trends frequently go viral on TikTok.
- Reaction videos – Capturing genuine reactions to trends, food challenges, scary videos, etc.
- Comedy/impressions – TikTok has launched many comedy careers through viral sketch and impression videos.
- Life hacks/tutorials – Quick tips for beauty, home projects, cooking, and more are very popular.
- Challenges – The app is known for viral challenges that users recreate and put their own spin on.
If you can make content in these categories that resonates with TikTok’s audience, you have a good chance of building an engaged following.
Most Followed TikTok Accounts
Here are some of the most popular accounts with the largest followings on TikTok (as of October 2022):
| Account | Followers |
|---|---|
| @charlidamelio | 142.9 million |
| @khaby.lame | 142.5 million |
| @addyrae | 78.5 million |
| @bellapoarch | 77.6 million |
| @biancaandfam | 69.4 million |
Monitoring trends and analyzing what top creators are doing can help guide your own content strategy.
How Much Do Top TikTok Creators Make?
With billions of video views, top creators easily earn 5-6 figures monthly from TikTok alone. Some estimates on earnings:
- Charli D’Amelio – $4-5 million/month
- Addison Rae – $3-4 million/month
- Loren Gray – $2.5-3.5 million/month
- Spencer X – $2-3 million/month
- Bella Poarch – $1.5-2 million/month
These highest earners have cultivated massive audiences in the tens of millions. They earn significant income from not just the Creator Fund, but brand sponsorships, merchandise, and other business ventures outside of TikTok.
For creators with smaller, but still sizable audiences of hundreds of thousands or millions of followers, monthly earnings from TikTok range from:
- 100,000 followers – $500 – $2,000/month
- 500,000 followers – $1,500 – $5,000/month
- 1 million followers – $3,000 – $10,000/month
- 5 million followers – $10,000 – $50,000/month
These creators earn decent incomes from TikTok’s Creator Fund, LIVE, sponsorships, etc. Their earnings scale up significantly the larger their audience is.
5 Tips to Earn More Money on TikTok
If you want to maximize your earnings potential on TikTok, here are some top tips:
- Post high-quality content daily – Posting consistently and using hashtags to improve discovery is key.
- Go LIVE frequently – TikTok LIVE enables your followers to send you monetary gifts.
- Interact and engage with your audience – Respond to comments, message followers, etc. An engaged community will support you.
- Partner with brands – Seek out sponsorship opportunities once you have a sizable audience.
- Diversify income streams – Don’t rely solely on TikTok. Sell merchandise, expand to other platforms like YouTube, etc.
TikTok Creator Fund Requirements
To qualify for TikTok’s Creator Fund and earn money directly from your videos, you need:
- At least 10,000 followers
- At least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days
- A minimum engagement rate of 3%
- Original videos that follow TikTok’s content guidelines
- A valid ID for age verification
- A TikTok Pro account
TikTok reviews accounts that meet these metrics to accept them into the fund. They look at the quality of content and community engagement to determine approval.
How to Apply for the TikTok Creator Fund
If your account meets the eligibility requirements, follow these steps to apply:
- Open TikTok and go to your profile.
- Tap the three dots in the upper right corner.
- Select “Creator tools” then “Creator fund”.
- Review program info and tap “Apply”.
- Accept the agreement terms.
- Submit your application for review.
TikTok aims to review applications within 30 days. Certain content like politics and education may not qualify for the fund.
Conclusion
Building a following and earning money on TikTok takes significant effort, but the earning potential is immense. While pay per view rates start small, top creators easily earn millions per month from their high-engagement content and sponsorship deals. With 1 billion users and counting, TikTok offers an unmatched platform to reach a huge audience. Committing to a consistent posting schedule, engaging with your community, and diversifying your income streams can help you maximize your earnings potential on TikTok.
