There are seven proven ways to make money on TikTok in 2026, with top creators earning anywhere from $0.50 per 1,000 views through the Creator Rewards Program to over $100,000 per sponsored post through brand deals. TikTok now supports more than 2 million active creators who generate revenue across multiple income streams, and this guide ranks every monetization method by realistic income potential so you can prioritize the strategies that pay the most.
All 7 TikTok Monetization Methods Ranked
Not all TikTok revenue streams are created equal. Brand deals consistently generate the highest per-post income for creators at every follower level, while platform-native programs like Creator Rewards offer lower but more predictable payouts. The table below ranks every current monetization method by typical monthly earnings at three follower tiers.
| Rank | Method | Monthly Earnings (10K Followers) | Monthly Earnings (100K Followers) | Monthly Earnings (1M+ Followers) | Difficulty to Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brand Deals | $200 - $500 | $2,000 - $10,000 | $20,000 - $100,000+ | Medium |
| 2 | TikTok Shop | $100 - $1,000 | $1,000 - $15,000 | $10,000 - $80,000+ | Medium |
| 3 | Affiliate Marketing | $50 - $500 | $500 - $5,000 | $5,000 - $50,000 | Low |
| 4 | LIVE Gifts | $50 - $300 | $500 - $5,000 | $5,000 - $30,000 | Low |
| 5 | Creator Rewards Program | $10 - $50 | $200 - $1,500 | $2,000 - $15,000 | Low |
| 6 | TikTok Series | $0 - $100 | $200 - $3,000 | $1,000 - $20,000 | High |
| 7 | Subscriptions | $0 - $50 | $100 - $2,000 | $1,000 - $10,000 | High |
These ranges represent realistic earnings based on creator-reported data and industry benchmarks. Your actual income depends on niche, engagement rate, and content quality. Use our TikTok Money Calculator to estimate what you could earn at your current follower count.
Estimate your TikTok earnings across all income streams -->
1. Brand Deals and Sponsored Content
Brand deals are the single most lucrative way to make money on TikTok. Sponsors pay creators directly to feature products or services in their content, and rates scale dramatically with audience size and engagement quality.
What Brands Pay in 2026
The industry standard for TikTok sponsorship rates is roughly $10 to $25 per 1,000 followers for a single in-feed video, though creators with high engagement rates can negotiate well above that benchmark. Nano-influencers with 1,000 to 10,000 followers typically earn $50 to $500 per post. Mid-tier creators with 100,000 to 500,000 followers regularly land deals worth $2,000 to $15,000. Mega-influencers with over 1 million followers command $20,000 to $100,000 or more for a single sponsored video.
How to Land Your First Brand Deal
Start by building a media kit that includes your follower count, average views per video, engagement rate, and audience demographics. Join influencer platforms like TikTok Creator Marketplace, AspireIQ, and Grin to get discovered by brands. You can also pitch brands directly by emailing their marketing team with a short portfolio of your best-performing content. Estimate your fair rate using our brand deal rate calculator before entering any negotiation.
Maximizing Sponsorship Revenue
Creators who negotiate usage rights, exclusivity clauses, and multi-post packages earn 30-50% more per campaign than those who accept flat-rate, one-off deals. Long-term ambassador partnerships are especially valuable because they provide predictable monthly income while giving you creative freedom to integrate the brand authentically.
2. TikTok Shop and E-Commerce
TikTok Shop has quickly become one of the highest-earning monetization methods on the platform. Creators can sell their own products directly through in-feed videos, LIVE streams, and a dedicated shop tab on their profile, keeping a significant share of every sale.
Selling Your Own Products
If you have a physical or digital product, TikTok Shop lets you tag items directly in your videos. TikTok takes a commission of approximately 5% on each transaction. Creators in niches like beauty, fashion, fitness, and home goods routinely generate $1,000 to $15,000 per month at the 100K-follower level by featuring products in organic content. Use our TikTok Shop calculator to project your potential revenue.
Selling as an Affiliate Through TikTok Shop
Even without your own products, you can earn commissions by promoting items from other TikTok Shop sellers. Commission rates typically range from 5% to 20% depending on the product category. Top affiliate sellers on TikTok Shop earn over $10,000 per month by consistently posting product reviews and haul videos.
3. Affiliate Marketing Beyond TikTok Shop
Traditional affiliate marketing remains one of the most accessible ways to make money on TikTok because it requires no minimum follower count. You promote products from external brands and earn a commission every time someone purchases through your unique link.
Typical affiliate commission rates range from 5% to 50% depending on the product type. Digital products and software subscriptions tend to offer the highest commissions, often 20-50%, while physical goods from programs like Amazon Associates pay 1-10%. Creators who focus on a specific niche and build trust with their audience convert at significantly higher rates than those who promote random products. To understand how these commissions translate to actual earnings at your audience size, check our TikTok earnings calculator.
The key advantage of affiliate marketing is that old videos continue to generate commissions for months or even years after posting. A single viral product review can produce passive income long after it leaves the For You Page, making it one of the best passive income strategies for TikTok creators.
4. LIVE Gifts and Diamonds
TikTok LIVE allows viewers to purchase virtual gifts using TikTok Coins and send them to creators during live streams. Creators receive these gifts as Diamonds, which can be converted to cash. TikTok takes approximately 50% of the gift value, meaning creators receive roughly $0.50 for every $1.00 in gifts sent.
Earning Potential From LIVE Streams
Consistent live streamers who go live 3-5 times per week for 1-2 hours typically earn $500 to $5,000 per month at the 50K-100K follower level. Top LIVE creators in entertainment, gaming, and music niches have reported single-stream earnings exceeding $10,000 during special events. Check our live earnings calculator for a personalized estimate.
Tips for Maximizing Gift Revenue
Build a consistent LIVE schedule so your audience knows when to tune in. Engage directly with viewers who send gifts by acknowledging them by name. Create interactive segments like Q&As, challenges, and duets with viewers to increase watch time and gift frequency. Creators who combine LIVE streaming with strong follower growth strategies see compounding returns as their audience expands.
Understanding how TikTok Coins convert to real money is essential for setting realistic income goals from LIVE streaming.
5. Creator Rewards Program
The TikTok Creator Rewards Program (formerly the Creativity Program Beta, which replaced the original Creator Fund) pays creators based on qualified video views. To earn from this program, your videos must be at least one minute long and meet quality thresholds set by TikTok's algorithm.
Current Pay Rates
The Creator Rewards Program pays between $0.50 and $1.50 per 1,000 qualified views, a significant improvement over the original Creator Fund which paid $0.02 to $0.04 per 1,000 views. However, not all views count as "qualified." TikTok filters out views that are too short, come from certain regions, or are on videos that do not meet content originality standards.
A creator averaging 500,000 qualified views per month can expect to earn approximately $250 to $750 monthly. Those hitting 5 million qualified views per month typically earn $2,500 to $7,500. Use the Creator Fund calculator to estimate your earnings based on your current view counts.
Eligibility Requirements
You need at least 10,000 followers, 100,000 video views in the last 30 days, and an account in good standing. You must be at least 18 years old and reside in an eligible country. Review the full list of requirements in our TikTok monetization requirements checklist.
6. TikTok Series (Paid Content)
TikTok Series lets creators publish collections of premium videos behind a paywall. Viewers pay a one-time fee ranging from $0.99 to $189.99 to unlock a Series, and creators keep the majority of the revenue after TikTok's platform fee.
This monetization method works best for creators who produce educational, tutorial, or in-depth content that audiences are willing to pay for. Fitness trainers, business coaches, cooking instructors, and skill-based creators tend to see the highest conversion rates. A creator with 50,000 engaged followers who prices a Series at $4.99 and converts just 1% of their audience would earn roughly $2,500 from a single Series launch.
The challenge with Series is that it requires a highly engaged, loyal audience willing to pay for content they could potentially find free elsewhere. Learn more about building a paid content strategy in our TikTok Series monetization guide.
7. Subscriptions
TikTok Subscriptions allow fans to pay a recurring monthly fee (typically $0.99 to $4.99) for exclusive content, badges, and perks from their favorite creators. This model provides the most predictable recurring revenue of any TikTok monetization method.
Subscription revenue depends heavily on conversion rate. Most creators convert 0.5% to 2% of their follower base into paying subscribers. A creator with 100,000 followers who converts 1% at $4.99 per month would earn approximately $4,990 monthly before TikTok's platform cut. The subscription model rewards creators who invest in community building and deliver consistent exclusive value.
Income Stacking: Why Top Creators Use Multiple Methods
The highest-earning TikTok creators do not rely on a single monetization method. They stack multiple income streams to maximize total revenue and reduce risk. A typical income mix for a full-time creator with 200,000 followers might look like this:
- Brand deals: 40-50% of total income ($3,000 - $7,000/month)
- TikTok Shop or affiliate: 20-30% ($1,500 - $4,000/month)
- Creator Rewards: 5-10% ($400 - $1,000/month)
- LIVE gifts: 10-15% ($700 - $2,000/month)
- Series or subscriptions: 5-10% ($400 - $1,000/month)
This diversified approach means that a slow month for brand deals does not wipe out your income entirely. Explore our comprehensive monetization hub for strategies on building and balancing multiple revenue streams.
How to Choose the Right Monetization Mix
Your ideal combination of TikTok income methods depends on three factors: your current follower count, your content niche, and how much time you can invest.
For Creators Under 10K Followers
Focus on affiliate marketing and UGC (user-generated content) creation for brands. These methods have no follower minimums and can generate meaningful income while you grow. Read our detailed guide on how micro-influencers under 10K make money on TikTok for specific strategies.
For Creators With 10K to 100K Followers
You now qualify for the Creator Rewards Program and should start pitching small to mid-tier brands for sponsorships. Begin testing LIVE streaming and TikTok Shop to identify which additional revenue streams match your audience's behavior.
For Creators With 100K+ Followers
At this level, brand deals should be your primary focus because they offer the highest ROI on your time. Layer in TikTok Shop, Series, and subscriptions to build diversified and increasingly passive income. Track your progress toward key income milestones with our TikTok Money Calculator.
Maximizing Earnings Across All Methods
Regardless of which monetization methods you choose, certain principles apply universally to increasing your TikTok revenue.
First, engagement rate matters more than follower count for every single income stream. Brands pay premiums for high engagement. The Creator Rewards Program rewards watch time. LIVE gifts depend on active, engaged viewers. Use our engagement rate calculator to benchmark where you stand.
Second, consistency compounds. Creators who post 4-7 times per week and go live 2-3 times per week earn 3-5x more than those who post sporadically, even at identical follower counts. Track your follower growth trajectory to stay motivated and adjust your strategy.
Third, understand the TikTok algorithm deeply. The algorithm determines how many people see your content, which directly impacts every monetization method. Creators who optimize for watch time, shares, and comments see exponentially more views and, consequently, more revenue.
Finally, set a concrete earnings target. Whether your goal is your first $1,000 on TikTok or scaling to a six-figure annual income, having a clear financial roadmap keeps you focused on the income methods that move the needle fastest.
Estimate Your TikTok Earnings
Every creator's earning potential is different based on their niche, engagement, and content strategy. The best way to understand your specific revenue opportunity is to run your numbers through a calculator that accounts for all seven monetization methods.
Calculate your estimated TikTok earnings now -->
Our TikTok Money Calculator factors in your follower count, average views, engagement rate, and niche to give you a personalized earnings estimate across all major income streams. It also breaks down your RPM (revenue per mille) so you can see exactly how much each 1,000 views is worth across different monetization methods.