TikTok’s highest-paid celebrities collectively made $55.5 million in 2021 with a 200% increase compared to the previous year. The app has become hugely popular as both a way to connect with favorite celebrities and keep pace with trends. Due to its spread and ease of use, many users turned their experience on this platform into a career. As a result, one of the burning questions is how much money can a TikToker make.
In this article, we’ve also compiled how top TikTokers earn money, how much they can earn, and what requirements they must meet.
Who Are the Top TikTokers and How Much Do They Make?
Forbes has recently released a list of the top TikTokers with the broadest audience. The list contains only celebrities who made their debut through TikTok. You can also catch famous actors and singers on TikTok, and it’s no surprise that their channels are earning millions. Forbes has calculated earnings solely for 2021.
It features the top five most famous TikTokers, with Charli D’Amelio taking the crown with over 138 million followers and more than $17 million in earnings. Charli is followed by her older sister, Dixie D’Amelio. She took the runner-up spot on Forbe’s list with over 57 million followers and $10 million to date.
Many TikTok stars expanded their horizons past their TikTok fame and entered other fields in the entertainment industry. The D’Amelio sisters got their own TV Show on HULU, “The D’Amelio’s Show,” and are often referred to as the next Kardashians.
Addison Rae landed a lead role in Netflix’s movie “He’s All That.” It was briefly ranked #1 in 78 countries. Addison’s current following surpasses 86 million, while her TikTok earned her over $8.5 million.
Another well-known name in Forbes’ Top Five, Bella Poarch, used TikTok as a launchpad for her music career. She kicked off her TikTok career in 2020 after posting a lip-sync video to the “M to B” song. Her video became the most viewed TikTok video that year.
Josh Richards, who rounds up the Forbes’ Top Five with over 25 million followers, earned $5 million and is co-hosting a podcast “BFFs” with Dave Portnoy.
The honorable mentions go to Avani Gregg and Kriss Collins, who earned $4.75 million over the past year.
Ways to Earn Money on TikTok
There are a few ways to make money on TikTok, some more profitable than others. TikTokers can earn millions per post or make nine dollars daily based on their following and engagement.
Here are some ways in which TikTokers earn money.
TikTok’s Creator Fund
In 2020, TikTok set up a fund that distributes money to creators who meet specific requirements. For example, users must be 18 years or older, have at least 10,000 followers, and get at least 100,000 authentic video views in the last 30 days.
Starting with only U.S. citizens, this fund recently expanded to Europe. However, only TikTokers from the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France are eligible to apply for its benefits.
However, even the highest-performing TikTokers can’t have too high expectations regarding payday. There’s been an ongoing online debate on “Creator Fund” with both satisfied and unsatisfied users.
The general consensus is that TikTok pays between two and four cents for every 1,000 views. However, the exact mechanism remains a secret. Based on that estimate, earning a sizeable sum requires entering a multi-million view zone.
Business Insider reported that influencers with over a million TikTok followers earned a bit more than $1,500 in a five-month period.
The Creator Fund is a significant commitment. A popular TikToker needs to have all their videos rank highly to deliver meaningful earnings. In essence, the fund is unlikely to provide more than pocket change to a hobbyist TikToker.
Sponsored Posts
Although TikTok started as an entertainment app, it quickly became more with its ever-growing audience, reaching more than a billion users worldwide. Now it’s often used as a marketing and a promoting tool to grow businesses and spread awareness on many social matters.
Companies reach out to TikTokers with a highly-engaging audience and a sizeable following that aligns with their desired demographics. By making a sponsored post – often promoting songs or various branded products – TikTokers get paid.
Due to the ubiquity of sponsored posts, TikTok has a built-in platform, the Creator Marketplace, to promote collaboration between companies and creators. It’s a way for brands to look up TikTokers who can provide good market outreach and deliver the best results, even if they have yet to become viral. Due to the Creator Marketplace search options being brand-bound, a popular TikToker can’t simply browse for collaborative corporations. The company is the one that decides with whom to partner.
According to Forbes, some of the more popular TikTok users can earn between $100,000 and $250,000 per post, with the elite reaching $500,000 per video on sponsored posts.
In fact, one of the most popular ways to earn money on TikTok is by promoting songs in a video. Record labels and music marketers use this option as a tool to make a song viral.
TikTok Live Gifting
TikTok Live Gifting is another way that influencers use to earn money. Once they hit 1,000 followers, they can host live streams where they receive donations from their followers. The platform’s spread has made it possible to donate in multiple currencies without a hassle.
To donate, users exchange TikTok coins for virtual gifts used to reward their favorite content creators. They range from “Panda” to “Drama Queen” and have a different values attached. Virtual gifts a content creator has received get converted into “diamonds” that they can further exchange for money via PayPal or another payment service.
The minimum withdrawal amounts to $100, and the maximum is $1,000. However, the sky’s pretty much the limit with gifting opportunities. The donation side of TikTok works only for live streams, making the real-time connection especially lucrative to creators.
Selling Through TikTok
Companies and savvy entrepreneurs can also earn money through TikTok by indirectly selling their products. The way this works is similar to Instagram ads and sponsored content. Usually, a well-known brand works with the Creator Marketplace. However, a smaller company can create and manage its own TikTok account to promote its services. This is often helped by user-generated content to boost the channel’s popularity through hashtags and the algorithm behind the scenes.
TikTok Is Taking Over the World
TikTok is an ever-growing industry with a broad, highly-engaging audience. It can make and break careers, and many people find their pathways through this platform. From expanding businesses, promoting goods and services, and starting fundraisers, these TikTokers are leaving their stamp on society.
Which TikToker’s earnings surprised you the most? Share your experience with TikTok celebs in the comment section below.
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