How to Make Money on TikTok: 15 Proven Methods (2026)
TikTok Shop hit $15.82 billion in US sales in 2025, and the Creator Rewards Program pays up to $1 per 1,000 views. Here are 15 ways to monetize TikTok in 2026.
TikTok Shop grew its US sales to $15.82 billion in 2025 — a 108% increase from 2024 — and now commands 18.2% of total US social commerce. Meanwhile, the Creator Rewards Program pays creators $0.40 to $1.00 per 1,000 qualified views, roughly 10-25x more than the old Creator Fund.
With 1.99 billion global users and an algorithm that still gives small creators massive organic reach, TikTok has become one of the most accessible platforms for earning real money. But the monetization landscape has evolved dramatically — from the deprecated Creator Fund to TikTok Shop's explosive growth to the new Subscription model with up to 90% revenue share.
This guide covers 15 monetization methods with specific earnings data, eligibility requirements, and practical steps for each one.
1. TikTok Creator Rewards Program
The Creator Rewards Program (formerly the Creativity Program) replaced the Creator Fund and pays significantly more.
Pay rate: $0.40-$1.00+ per 1,000 qualified views — roughly 10-25x more than the old Creator Fund's $0.02-$0.04 per 1,000 views.
Eligibility:
- 10,000+ followers
- 100,000+ video views in the last 30 days
- 18+ years old
- US-based account (expanding to other regions)
- Account in good standing
Key difference from Creator Fund: Videos must be longer than 1 minute to qualify. This incentivizes quality, longer-form content rather than 15-second clips. Watch time, originality, and search value all affect your payout rate.
Earnings examples:
- 1 million qualified views ≈ $400-$1,000
- Finance and education content earns roughly 10x more than comedy/lifestyle
- Creators with high retention rates (50%+ watch-through) earn at the top of the range
2. TikTok Shop (Selling Products)
TikTok Shop has exploded into a serious e-commerce channel. US sales grew from about $15 million monthly at launch to $1.1 billion in monthly GMV in just two years.
How it works: Sell physical products directly through your TikTok videos, live streams, and profile. Viewers can purchase without leaving the app.
Commission on affiliate products: Promote other sellers' products through TikTok Shop's affiliate program and earn commission (typically 5-20% per sale).
Best categories: Health and beauty ($1.34 billion in US sales in 2024), apparel and accessories ($1.01 billion), and food/supplements.
Why it works: TikTok's algorithm surfaces product content to interested buyers. A single viral product video can generate thousands in sales overnight.
For tips on creating compelling product content, check our guide to the best AI tools for TikTok.
3. Brand Partnerships and Sponsored Content
Brand deals remain one of the highest-paying monetization methods on any platform. 66.9% of content creators report earning the most from sponsored posts.
Typical rates by follower tier:
- Nano (1K-10K): $50-$250 per post
- Micro (10K-50K): $250-$1,000 per post
- Mid-tier (50K-500K): $1,000-$5,000 per post
- Macro (500K-1M): $5,000-$10,000 per post
- Mega (1M+): $10,000-$50,000+ per post
How to connect with brands: TikTok One (formerly Creator Marketplace) is TikTok's official platform for connecting creators with brands. It launched in April 2025 with AI-powered tools for trend research, script generation, and brand matching.
Posting consistently is what gets brands to notice you. Use PostEverywhere to schedule your TikTok content in advance and post at the best times for maximum reach. Start free trial →
4. TikTok LIVE Gifts
During live streams, viewers send virtual gifts that convert to real money.
How it works: Viewers purchase TikTok Coins and spend them on gifts during your live stream. Gifts convert to "Diamonds," which you can cash out.
Eligibility: 18+ years old, 1,000+ followers, account in good standing.
Earnings potential: Top live streamers earn thousands per session. Consistent live streaming (3-5 times per week) builds a loyal gifting audience. The key is interactive content — Q&As, challenges, and real-time engagement drive more gifts than passive broadcasting.
5. TikTok Subscriptions
TikTok's subscription model lets creators offer exclusive content to paying subscribers.
Pricing: Creators can offer three customizable tiers with different perks.
Revenue share: Creators in the US and Canada receive 70% revenue share plus a 20% bonus opportunity. By reaching milestones like 10,000 followers and 100,000 monthly views, creators can push their split as high as 90/10.
Eligibility: 18+, account in good standing, 10,000+ followers, 100,000+ video views in the past calendar month.
Super Fan evolution: Starting September 15, 2025, subscriptions evolved to focus on exclusive content, subscriber engagement, and community identity. The new Super Fan program integrates former LIVE subscription features.
6. TikTok Series (Paid Content)
TikTok Series lets you create premium, gated video collections that viewers pay to access.
How it works: Bundle up to 80 videos into a paid Series. Set your own price. Ideal for courses, tutorials, masterclasses, and in-depth educational content.
Best for: Creators with established expertise who can package knowledge into structured, valuable content that viewers are willing to pay for.
7. Affiliate Marketing
Promote products through trackable affiliate links and earn commissions on sales.
Two approaches on TikTok:
- TikTok Shop Affiliate: Promote products from TikTok Shop sellers directly within the app. Commission rates typically 5-20%.
- Traditional affiliate marketing: Promote products via bio link, using networks like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and CJ Affiliate.
Strategy: Educational content ("5 products that fixed my skin") outperforms hard sells. Use TikTok's high organic reach to put your recommendations in front of thousands of potential buyers.
8. UGC Creation for Brands
Create authentic-looking ad content for brands — without needing a following.
How it works: Brands hire you to create TikTok-style videos for their paid ad campaigns. The content runs as ads on the brand's account, not yours.
Rates: $150-$500+ per video. Additional fees for usage rights, hook variations, and raw footage.
Creative Challenge: TikTok's Creative Challenge program lets creators submit ad creatives to brand challenges and earn based on performance. Requires 50,000+ followers and a US-based account.
9. Selling Digital Products
Package your knowledge into digital products and use TikTok as a marketing engine.
What to sell: Online courses, templates, guides, presets, eBooks. Use platforms like Gumroad, Teachable, or Stan Store to handle payments.
Strategy: Create TikTok videos that demonstrate your expertise, then link to your product in your bio. Educational content drives the most conversions.
Earnings potential: A single well-positioned digital product can generate $1,000-$10,000+/month with consistent TikTok content driving traffic.
Create scroll-stopping content faster with AI. PostEverywhere's AI content generator helps you write captions, brainstorm hooks, and repurpose content across platforms. See plans →
10. Selling Merchandise
Turn your brand into physical products using print-on-demand services.
Services: Printful, Printify, Spring (formerly Teespring), Merch by Amazon.
Zero upfront cost: Products are only printed when ordered. Promote through TikTok content and link to your store in bio.
TikTok Shop integration: If you sell through Shopify, you can connect directly to TikTok Shop for in-app purchases.
11. Driving Traffic to External Businesses
Use TikTok's massive organic reach to drive traffic to your website, e-commerce store, or service-based business.
Why it works: TikTok's algorithm gives content from small accounts significant reach — something that's increasingly difficult on Instagram or Facebook. A single viral video can drive thousands of website visitors.
Best for: Course creators, e-commerce store owners, SaaS companies, local businesses, and anyone with an existing business to promote.
12. Coaching and Consulting
Leverage your TikTok expertise or niche knowledge to attract coaching clients.
Typical rates: $500-$5,000+ per coaching package, depending on niche and results.
How it works: Share valuable insights on TikTok, build authority, then funnel engaged viewers toward paid coaching through your bio link.
Best niches: Fitness, business, finance, career coaching, and social media marketing.
13. TikTok Pulse (Ad Revenue Sharing)
TikTok Pulse places ads next to the top 4% of performing content on the For You Page and shares revenue with creators.
Revenue split: 50/50 between TikTok and the creator.
Eligibility: Invitation-only for top-performing creators with consistent high-engagement content.
This is currently limited but represents TikTok's push toward a more YouTube-like ad revenue sharing model.
14. Managing TikTok Accounts for Others
As TikTok becomes essential for business marketing, demand for TikTok managers is growing.
Rates: $1,000-$5,000+/month per client for content strategy, creation, scheduling, and analytics.
How to start: Build your own TikTok presence first as proof of concept, then offer management services to businesses in your niche.
Use PostEverywhere to manage multiple client accounts from a single dashboard with our multi-account management features.
15. Growing and Monetizing a Newsletter
Use TikTok's reach to build an email list, then monetize through paid newsletters, sponsorships, and product launches.
Strategy: Create TikTok content that demonstrates expertise, include a newsletter signup link in your bio, and convert your most engaged viewers into subscribers.
Newsletter platforms: Substack, Beehiiv, ConvertKit. Monetize through paid subscriptions ($5-$15/month), sponsorships ($50-$500+ per issue), and affiliate links.
How Much Does TikTok Actually Pay?
Here's a realistic breakdown:
| Revenue Source | Earnings Range |
|---|---|
| Creator Rewards Program | $0.40-$1.00 per 1K qualified views |
| TikTok Shop (own products) | Varies (unlimited upside) |
| TikTok Shop (affiliate) | 5-20% commission per sale |
| Brand partnerships (micro) | $250-$1,000 per post |
| Brand partnerships (mid-tier) | $1,000-$5,000 per post |
| LIVE gifts | $100-$5,000+ per session |
| Subscriptions | 70-90% of subscription fees |
| UGC creation | $150-$500+ per video |
The old Creator Fund ($0.02-$0.04 per 1,000 views) is effectively dead. The Creator Rewards Program pays 10-25x more but requires videos longer than 1 minute. The real money, however, is in TikTok Shop, brand deals, and digital products — not in platform payouts.
Getting Started: Which Methods to Choose
New to TikTok (under 1,000 followers): Focus on UGC creation, affiliate marketing, and building an audience through consistent posting.
Growing creator (1,000-10,000 followers): Unlock LIVE gifts, start applying for brand deals through TikTok One, and consider TikTok Shop affiliate.
Established creator (10,000+ followers): Maximize Creator Rewards, launch Subscriptions, pursue larger brand partnerships, and build your own TikTok Shop.
The key insight: TikTok's algorithm still gives small creators organic reach that's impossible on other platforms. Use that reach as leverage for every monetization method on this list.
FAQ
How many followers do you need to make money on TikTok?
You can start earning with zero followers through UGC creation and affiliate marketing. The Creator Rewards Program requires 10,000 followers and 100,000 views. LIVE gifts require 1,000 followers. Brand deals become viable around 1,000-5,000 followers.
How much does TikTok pay per 1,000 views?
The Creator Rewards Program pays $0.40-$1.00 per 1,000 qualified views for videos over 1 minute. The old Creator Fund paid $0.02-$0.04 per 1,000 views. Finance and education niches earn at the higher end; comedy and entertainment at the lower end.
Is TikTok Shop worth it?
Yes. TikTok Shop generated $15.82 billion in US sales in 2025 and is growing over 100% year-over-year. It now commands 18.2% of total US social commerce. Both sellers and affiliates are earning significant income through the platform.
Can you make a full-time income on TikTok?
Yes, but it typically requires combining multiple revenue streams. The creators earning $5,000+/month usually combine Creator Rewards with brand deals, TikTok Shop, and digital products. Relying solely on Creator Rewards is unlikely to replace a full-time income.
What content makes the most money on TikTok?
Longer-form content (1-3 minutes) earns the most through Creator Rewards. Educational, finance, and tech content commands the highest brand deal rates. Product review and demonstration content drives the most TikTok Shop sales. High-retention content (50%+ watch-through) earns more across all monetization methods.
How does TikTok compare to Instagram for making money?
TikTok offers stronger organic reach for new creators, making it easier to build an audience from zero. Instagram has more built-in monetization tools (Subscriptions, Badges, Shopping) and typically higher brand deal rates at equivalent follower counts. Most successful creators use both — see our Instagram monetization guide.
Start Monetizing Your TikTok
The window for building an audience on TikTok with organic reach is still open — but it's narrowing as more creators join the platform. Start now, choose 2-3 monetization methods that match your stage, and build from there.
Use PostEverywhere to schedule TikTok posts, find the best times to post, and manage your content across all platforms from one calendar view.
Related reading:
Jamie Partridge
Founder & CEO of PostEverywhere
Jamie Partridge is the Founder & CEO of PostEverywhere. He writes about social media strategy, publishing workflows, and analytics that help brands grow faster with less effort.