How Much Money Influencers Are Really Paid for Social Media Posts

As I delve into the lives of these digital pioneers, it’s evident that they’ve mastered the art of monetizing their creativity and influence in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago. From ASMR creators cashing in on soothing sounds to content creators raking in thousands for a single sponsored video, it’s clear that the internet has opened up a goldmine of opportunities.

Becoming an influencer just makes cents—and lots of dollars, apparently.

Less-familiar content creators are also raking in cash through brand partnerships and earnings from video ads on their platforms, just like how popular personalities such as Alix Earle, Charli D’Amelio, and Addison Rae have leveraged their social media fame for invitations to fashion weeks, reality shows, and film roles.

At the start of this past month, it was confessed by Chris Olsen that his habit of being irritating online has led to him amassing a fortune of a million dollars.

Nevertheless, numerous individuals maintain secrecy about their earnings, including makeup influencers such as James Charles and Patrick Starrr. In 2023, both admitted that they are unaware of their income. To quote Patrick Starrr, “It’s too much to keep track of.

Emma Chamberlain also confessed that she has “no idea” how much money she has. 

Last year, on The Colin and Samir Show, he shared that he has a well-structured system with numerous safety measures which enables him to avoid checking his bank account regularly. He is aware of his capabilities and limitations, but for quite some time now, he hasn’t felt the need to do so.

Since that’s the case, we stepped forward willingly to delve deeply into the subject. Now, let me clarify, the income of influencers is significantly influenced by their follower count.

As a seasoned lifestyle guide, I’d be delighted to share an intriguing tidbit I learned recently. The charismatic TikToker, Markell Washington, reveals his annual income ranges from half a million to seven hundred thousand dollars, a figure he shared with Salary Transparency Street in 2023. A significant portion of this—approximately $15,000 to $25,000 per month—stems from brand partnerships and Snapchat’s mid-roll program, which channels ad revenue generated from ads within their public Snapchat Story to creators like Markell.

Washington discovered that creativity is essential for landing profitable collaborations. To illustrate this, when promoting the movie “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” in 2023, he said, “I utilized my competitive cheer skills by flipping and rolling outside, making me look like an old, rolled-up armadillo. However, they appreciated the content due to my unique approach.

Indeed, branded content can lead to massive money: TikToker Morgan Presley (who now has 5.6 million followers) confessed on The Really Good Podcast in 2023 to once making $50,000 on a single sponsored video, while TikTok comedian Ben Brainard (who has 3 million followers) charges between $5,000 and $10,000 per brand deal, he told Salary Transparency Street.

According to Brainard, a significant portion of his time is dedicated to persuading fellow creators to increase their prices. He believes that since they are the ones writing, filming, producing, editing, and marketing for them, it’s only fair to charge a reasonable amount for their work.

A modest follower base can still be profitable: Content creator Gigi Robinson, with only 36,000 Instagram followers, disclosed to the media that she makes approximately $150,000 annually.

It was revealed in a study by FYPME (F**k You Pay Me), often referred to as the “Glassdoor for Influencers,” that Walmart, Adobe, Target, McDonald’s, and Nike were the top five companies offering the most generous sponsorship deals to influencers in 2023. The findings are based on reviews from more than 16,000 content creators who shared their experiences with brand collaborations.

Despite primarily earning through corporate endorsements, content creator Julia, who goes by @itsblitzzz online and has 838,000 YouTube followers, has recently opened up about the potential earnings from ad revenue generated by video views specifically.

Previously employed full-time in a New York corporation, earning an annual salary of $26,000, Julia supplemented her income through various jobs such as social media work, dancing, and bartending. Five years ago, she decided to leave this career path and now dedicates herself entirely to being an ASMR and lifestyle influencer based in Los Angeles.

Through her entire online journey spanning from April 2009 to December 2023, Julia accumulated $610,464.83 in ad revenue, which she revealed in her January vlog, having garnered a staggering 224,637,887 views on her YouTube videos.

Back in the days when I was consistently pumping out content and my channel was thriving, I’d rack up an astounding 4 million views a month! At that time, my monthly earnings would soar as high as a staggering $20,000.

Julia, the mother of 2-year-old daughter Honor and a 2-month-old girl with Nick Long, one of her collaborators in Blink-182’s music, now posts less often. However, she still earns approximately $56,400 annually from ad revenue on her old videos without producing new content.

Even though the income doesn’t go as far due to the high cost of living, she acknowledged that it represents a significant sum of money earned passively.

If you bring in a couple of sponsorships each month, it could potentially equal an entire yearly salary earned within a single month. For me, this has been a comfortable source of income. In essence, the average income I generate solely from YouTube ad revenue amounts to six figures annually.

Absolutely, reality stars who already have a dedicated fanbase can significantly boost their earnings by transitioning into social media. For example, contestants from the show “Love Is Blind,” such as Deepti Vempati and Natalie Lee, have reportedly made $500,000 each since their Netflix season aired in 2022 through influencer work. Similarly, Summer House’s Carl Radke mentioned earning over $70,000 from paid social media posts this year, while Lindsay Hubbard has pocketed approximately $150,000.

Read on to compare how much different influencers make online.

Last year, the OnlyFans model disclosed that she amassed an astounding $43 million through the adult subscription service. Intriguingly, she also posted income records showing her earnings from November 2023 to November 2024. One of these records revealed a single subscriber had sent her a payment of $4.7 million!

Previously appearing on “Dance Moms”, she shared that she effortlessly earned a five-figure sum per month from YouTube videos at just 13 years old. In the documentary titled “Child Star“, she mentioned that she currently posts up to 300 times daily on Snapchat, which is an integral part of her influencing career.

The TikToker revealed he has a net worth of over seven figures.

In a video from July 2024, he joked, “Feel free to keep finding me irritating.” He added, “Being a nuisance is what’s made me rich.

The makeup artist disclosed that he makes approximately $50,000 during his TikTok live sessions, which he conducts 4-5 times per week. He generates income by selling cosmetics and receiving gifts from his fans.

Jeffree shared on the “Cancelled” podcast in November 2024 that he’d be frying bacon in the morning and earning $50,000. He added that there are times when he doesn’t sell anything, instead, he’d be cooking bacon in his kitchen, wearing a bathrobe and slippers, enjoying some casual conversation, and answering questions.

Other times, he’s making bank by offering discounts on his own branded makeup products.

“It’s a niche market but it’s massive,” he added. “We’re the No. 1 or 2 beauty store.”

In 2023, dance content creator Markell disclosed to Salary Transparency Street that his annual income ranges from approximately $500,000 to $700,000, primarily sourced from partnership agreements with brands and Snapchat’s mid-roll advertising scheme.

Following their appearance on Netflix’s reality series “Love Is Blind” in 2022, this duo transitioned into internet fame and claimed that they individually earned approximately half a million dollars within just under two years through their work as social media influencers.

In January 2024, the ASMR influencer identified as @itsblitzzz on YouTube confessed that she earns approximately $56,400 annually through ad revenue generated by her older videos, without producing fresh content.

She’s made over $610,000 in 14 years on the platform in ad revenue alone, with less than a million subscribers.

In September 2024, an ASMR content creator revealed that she earned approximately $3,948.05 from TikTok, where she had almost 400,000 followers, and around $910.95 on YouTube, with nearly 27,000 subscribers in the same month.

A YouTube creator based in Minnesota earned approximately $193,000 on the adult platform OnlyFans between January 2020 and December 2022, as she disclosed in an article posted on Medium.

According to a podcast episode from 2023 titled “The Really Good Podcast”, a content creator raked in an impressive $50,000 from a single sponsored video.

The chronic illness advocate told Salary Transparency Street in 2023 that she earns about $150,000 a year with less than 40,000 Instagram followers.

The comedian quotes a fee ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 per sponsored video, as disclosed on Salary Transparency Street.

The YouTuber shared that she made $4,746.94 from monetization on the platform from August 2023 to January 2024 (from a total of 923,700 video views), with under 30,000 subscribers.

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2024-12-28 15:18