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Social Media Stars: How Much Do They Really Make?
Brands are spending more on sponsored content from social media influencers ― but how much do these stars make?
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Multiple outlets have reported that nearly one in four people on social media consider themselves to be an influencer or content creator. However, NeoReach reported that roughly half (48 percent) of creator-earners only make $15,000 or less and only 15 percent make $100,000 or more annually. So, how did today’s top-earning social media stars get where they are? Experts say a combination of luck, consistency and personality helps social media stars grow their platforms.
As platforms proliferate, more popular voices than ever are connecting brands to niche consumers via endorsement deals, product placement content and advertising. Influencers with unique voices and messages parlay their followers’ trust into a steady revenue stream. We’ll examine how much money social media stars are raking in, how they convey brand messages and why brands benefit from working with high-level influencers.
How much do influencers get paid?
As brands turn to more social media marketing avenues, they’re finding that influential content creators receive an excellent return on investment (ROI).
“Brands are increasingly doling out dollars to content creators due to their unique ability to produce relevant, authentic stories that resonate with consumers’ evolving media consumption habits,” said Claudia Page, director of product at Epic Games. “Most everyday brands find it difficult to naturally enter lifestyle conversations because they lack credibility in those spaces.”
Brands are also willing to pay for that credibility. Social media stars can rake it in, but how much they earn is tied to who they are and their demographics, engagement rates, platform and follower counts.
“I’ve seen contracts around $150,000 for two tweets a week for a year, but I’ve also seen clients receive around $1,500 per tweet,” said Benjamin Oduro, manager at Hines and Hunt Entertainment. “Also, social media stars are now obtaining more television jobs, appearance bookings, etc.”
Average earnings by tier and platform
Influencer and marketing platform impact.com conducted a study with Adweek to identify current industry trends among social media influencers. The report broke down earnings for each influencer tier based on various popular platforms.
Average Influencer Pay Per Post
TikTok | YouTube | Snapchat | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nano | $500– $2,000 | $500– $2,000 | $1,000– $2,500 | $500–$1,500 | $200–$1,000 |
Micro | $2,000– $8,000 | $2,000– $8,000 | $2,500– $9,000 | $1,500– $6,000 | $1,000–$5,000 |
Mid-tier | $8,000– $20,000 | $8,000– $20,000 | $9,000– $25,000 | $6,000– $15,000 | $5,000– $20,000 |
Macro | $20,000– $45,000 | $20,000– $45,000 | $25,000– $49,000 | $15,000– $40,000 | $20,000– $35,000 |
Mega/Celebrity | $45,000+ | $45,000+ | $49,000+ | $40,000+ | $35,000+ |
Earnings Estimation Formula: (Number of Followers ÷ 1,000) × (Engagement Rate) × ($20 to $100, depending on niche & quality)
Factors influencing influencer pay
Of course, the numbers cited above are averages. Various factors can affect an influencer’s earnings, including follower count, promotion type and audience engagement:
- Follower count: Influencers’ audience size is a crucial factor in their earnings. Influencers with extremely large followings can earn significantly more per post. For example, Influencer Marketing Hub reported that Selena Gomez has 417 million Instagram followers and charges roughly $2.5 million per post, while Cristiano Ronaldo has 662 million Instagram followers and charges $3.2 million per post. However, follower count is just one piece of this puzzle, as some smaller niche influencers can turn a lucrative profit.
- Promotion type: The more involved the influencer is in promoting the product, the higher the rate. So, a sponsored post where the influencer writes a blurb encouraging followers to try the product may be charged a lower rate, while a video demonstration of the product would command a higher rate.
- Audience engagement: Perhaps one of the biggest factors affecting an influencer’s earnings is audience engagement. Influencers with highly engaged audiences can charge more and this is especially true for long-term brand deals. According to Brim, brands want to work with influencers who can spark conversations, get people clicking and convince their audience to buy the stuff they are selling. A super-engaged following can be more valuable than a huge, silent crowd.
Niche-specific and platform-specific influencer trends
Influencer earnings and strategies vary widely depending on the niche and the platform. For example, fashion and beauty influencers thrive on Instagram and TikTok, where visually striking content and short-form videos drive high engagement and brand collaborations. In contrast, gaming influencers dominate platforms like Twitch and YouTube, monetizing through live streams, ads, subscriptions and donations. Even within the same platform, the type of content matters: a TikTok fitness influencer may leverage workout challenges, while a tech influencer posts in-depth product reviews.
Certain niches command higher rates due to audience purchasing power or brand demand. Luxury, tech and finance influencers often earn more per sponsored post than lifestyle or hobby-focused influencers because of the high-value products and services they promote. Meanwhile, micro- and nano-influencers across any niche can be highly effective for brands seeking targeted audiences and authentic engagement, often delivering strong ROI despite smaller followings.
Platform-specific trends also shape influencer strategies. Instagram excels for curated, visually appealing posts; TikTok rewards viral, short-form content; YouTube offers monetization through ads and long-form videos; and X (formerly Twitter) works best for thought leadership and trend commentary. Understanding these niche and platform differences helps brands and influencers maximize reach, engagement and revenue potential.
Influencer market data and industry stats
Based on the latest industry data reported in Influencer Marketing Hub’s 2025 benchmark report, the influencer marketing sector continues its remarkable expansion trajectory. The global influencer marketing market reached an estimated $32.55 billion in 2025, representing a substantial 35.63 percent growth from the $24 billion recorded in 2024. This exponential growth demonstrates the industry’s sustained momentum, with a remarkable Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 33.11 percent showcasing the sector’s rapid expansion over the past decade. The market’s evolution from just $1.4 billion in 2014 to over $32 billion in 2025 illustrates how influencer marketing has transformed from an experimental tactic to an essential component of modern digital marketing strategies.
Platform preferences and spending patterns reveal significant shifts in how brands allocate their influencer marketing budgets. Instagram remains the most popular platform for influencer marketing, with 57 percent of brands deeming it their preferred social media platform for influencer campaigns, while TikTok follows as a close second, preferred by 52 percent of brands.
In the United States specifically, influencer marketing spending surpassed $10 billion in 2025, one year earlier than previously predicted, with brands fully committing to influencer marketing as spending rose by 23.7 percent in 2024. Meanwhile, creator tier preferences are shifting dramatically in 2025; high annual spending budgets ($500K+) have decreased by 3.5 percent, emphasizing cost efficiency and reflecting a growing reliance on micro- and nano-influencers.
FAQs
Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.
