How Much Does TikTok Pay Content Creators?

Content creation is hard work. Whether you’re a part-time TikToker or a full-time influencer, you deserve compensation for brainstorming, filming, and editing every video.

TikTok’s Creator Fund and Creativity Program pay creators for every view — but there are rules for eligibility and how much you can make. Here’s a guide to how much TikTok pays and other ways to earn money on the platform so your hard work pays off.

How Much Does TikTok Pay Per View? 

TikTok used to have two different programs for creator compensation: the Creator Fund and the Creativity Program. 

TikTok started the Creator Fund in 2020 to compensate creators for bringing in much of the platform’s views and engagement. It promised to pay out $1 billion over three years to eligible accounts in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. However, many creators reported low payouts — like only a few dollars for millions of views. While TikTok never released what it paid, creators said they made around $0.20–$0.40 per 1,000 views. As of February 2024, users can no longer sign up for the Creator Fund.

The platform pivoted to the Creativity Program, which launched in 2023 for U.S.-based creators and early 2024 for other eligible countries. According to creators receiving from the fund, it pays $4–$8 per 1,000 views — significantly more than the original fund.

How Much Can You Earn Through TikTok's Creativity Program Beta?

TikTok calculates Creativity Program earnings based on how many views you get and how much ad revenue your videos generate for the platform, also known as the average gross revenue per 1,000 qualified views (RPM). RPM is hard to predict because it fluctuates depending on location and engagement, so the exact amount you earn per view varies. 

Some creators say the Creativity Program earns them 20 times what the original Creator Fund did, amounting to thousands of dollars per video. This is great news for TikTokers with high view counts, but it also means beginners can look forward to more compensation for their efforts. You won’t need a huge following to make decent earnings.

Anyone who originally participated in the Creator Fund can roll over to the Creativity Program, but if you’re just starting to post TikToks, you need a U.S.-based account. You also have to:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have at least 10,000 followers
• Have at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days
• Follow the Community Guidelines

Videos eligible for the Creativity Program also have to be: 

• Longer than one minute 
• Viewed at least 1,000 times
• An original video, not a Duet, Stitch, or Photo Mode video
• Not sponsored 

5 Other Ways To Make Money on TikTok

TikTok monetization is about more than the platform’s payouts. Depending on your TikTok metrics, including views and engagement, there are dozens of other ways to earn — and some bring in higher earnings than the Creativity Program.

Here are five ways to make more money on TikTok:

1. Try Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate links earn thousands if you have an engaged following. Recommend a product to your followers, put an affiliate link in your bio, and receive a small commission every time someone buys the product from that link. The more people buy, the more money you make.

TikTok Shop has a built-in affiliate program, but dozens of other options exist, like Amazon Associates, ClickBank, and eBay Partner. Do some research and see which affiliate programs host products you like and how well they’ll pay you for each purchase.

To follow FTC guidelines, disclose which links will earn you a commission.

2. Create User-Generated Content

User-generated content, or UGC, is any branded content that comes from a creator instead of the company. Brands might ask TikTokers to make videos for them, but some UGC creators enjoy posting product reviews of different brands. The goal is for brands to create authentic content that doesn’t look like advertising. For creators, it’s usually sharing honest opinions about products they do — or don’t — love.

Creating UGC catches brands’ attention and could encourage them to reach out about an actual sponsored post, so although it might not be profitable at first, it could be in the future. If you really want to commit, create a UGC portfolio and reach out to brands about potential opportunities.

3. Collect LIVE Gifts

Viewers can send virtual gifts when you go Live on TikTok, which you can convert into money later. Here’s how it works:

1. Viewers buy coins on TikTok.
2. They use those coins to buy gifts, which are usually virtual animations, during a Live.
3. The receiver converts those coins into Diamonds, which they redeem for real money.

Every 200 Diamonds is worth $1, so the money adds up if you have loyal gifters. You just need to earn $100 to cash it out, and TikTok takes a 50% cut.

You don’t have to go Live daily to earn these benefits, but it’s a helpful way to earn more money and engage with your audience in real time. Kindly encourage viewers to gift if they can, and offer incentives for large gifts, like a shoutout or a follow.

If you aren’t sure what to do during a Live, here are a few ideas:

• Do a Q&A where viewers ask questions
• Cook a meal
• Give viewers a tour of your home or office
• Do a get-ready-with-me
• Interview a friend or fellow creator

4. Get Partnerships Through the Creator Marketplace

While it’s possible to land sponsorships and brand deals independently, joining TikTok’s Creator Marketplace moves the process along faster. This platform allows brands to search through qualified creators and reach out to them directly. Show off your content, explain what types of brands you want to work with, and match with the right companies faster than you could on your own. 

To join the Creator Marketplace, you must:

• Have a personal (not business) TikTok account
• Have at least 100,000 followers
• Be at least 18 years old
• Have at least three TikTok videos posted in the last 28 days
• Have at least 100,000 video likes in the last 28 days

5. Sell Merch

A loyal following is happy to buy a product that supports and represents you — so once you have enough dedicated viewers, sell branded merchandise. Before starting, poll your audience to see what they might want to buy, and then set up a website or partner with a merch company to get started.

Here are examples of things you could sell: 

• Hoodies and sweatshirts
• T-shirts
• Mugs 
• Tote bags
• Stickers
• Keychains 
• Socks 
• Patches 
• Posters 

Keep in mind that for selling merch to be worth it, you need to have quite a large following because production costs can be high.

3 Tips To Boost Earnings on TikTok

How much money you can make on TikTok depends on your strategies. Instead of spreading yourself thin with too many options, settle on a few that work — and continue posting the content your audience already enjoys.

Here are three tips to enhance your earnings: 

1. Create engaging, authentic content — Your audience is the driving force behind any money on TikTok, so invest time and energy into making content they love. Even if you’re creating branded videos or trying to earn money on Live, don’t forget to be yourself. People follow you because of who you are, and that doesn’t stop when your account grows.
2. Work with brands you love — Partnering with brands you genuinely care about and that match existing content on your profile makes it easier to promote them. If you post about makeup and beauty, partner with makeup and beauty brands you already use or are excited to try. Viewers value authenticity — and want to see more of the content they already watch — so let your honesty show.
3. Be consistent — There’s a lot of competition on TikTok. Post consistently to stand out to both the audience and the algorithm. Regular videos show you’re an active account and let viewers know they can look forward to new content often.

Discover Captions To Level Up Your Content

Monetizing your TikTok account starts with high-quality content — and Captions can help.

It’s a creative studio with AI tools that speed up content production for studio-quality, accessible videos. Add automatic captioning, trim clips to the millisecond, and remove awkward pauses with ease. With Captions, you spend less time editing and more time getting paid.