CxB / Creator Pay Report / October 2026 · see the latest

How much do creators make? Brands pay them.

161 US creators said what they earned in October 2026, on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Every number, with the video it came from.

Jump to Who pays · Pay per view · Followers · Rates · Usage rights · UGC · Pay terms · In their words · Quick answers

Cover of @brittanyybowen's TikTok video about their payTikTok@brittanyybowen$133,306in September · 869K followers Cover of @kongxugc's TikTok video about their payTikTok@kongxugc$12,350in September · 3K followers · full-time job Cover of @dr.rebeccahopkins's Instagram video about their payInstagram@dr.rebeccahopkins$20K/mofrom brands · 62K followers · part-time doctor Cover of @RoscoeJennings's YouTube video about their payYouTube@RoscoeJennings$1,113from YouTube in September · 72 years old · 441K views Cover of @sophieheatonnn's TikTok video about their payTikTok@sophieheatonnn$12,922from brands · TikTok paid $10 Cover of @mindblownmagicillusion's Instagram video about their payInstagram@mindblownmagicillusion$0from Instagram · 1B+ views on one video Cover of @justkingkev's TikTok video about their payTikTok@justkingkev$15for 12.6M TikTok views Cover of @ItsDansBooks's YouTube video about their payYouTube@ItsDansBooks$8,318in September · full-time book creator · 38K subs Cover of @monae.kwan's Instagram video about their payInstagram@monae.kwan$18,000record month · first deal was $550 Cover of @kaitlinsonday's TikTok video about their payTikTok@kaitlinsonday$15,000for one brand deal Cover of @elijahmaxwellmitchell's Instagram video about their payInstagram@elijahmaxwellmitchell$13,000in September · quit his job 2 weeks later Cover of @_samholley_'s YouTube video about their payYouTube@_samholley_$5,242in October · 5K subs · 84% from brand deals Cover of @micahhescott's TikTok video about their payTikTok@micahhescott$50,200signed · $30,200 paid so far Cover of @itscassidy.lynn's Instagram video about their payInstagram@itscassidy.lynn$20K+from UGC in 3 months · 23K followers Cover of @tortyaaa's TikTok video about their payTikTok@tortyaaa$875for one 30-second video
161US creators, in their own videos
50%of stated income came from brands
$0what Instagram paid for Reels views
$1–350TikTok, per million views
$6,000YouTube long-form, per million views
67%had under 100K followers

Where does the money come from?

45 US creators itemized a month. Brands paid 50% of it. The apps that host the videos paid 25%.

Brands: 50%Platforms: 25%Shopping: 16%Own products: 5%Other: 4%50%from brands
  • Brands50%
  • Platforms25%
  • Shopping16%
  • Own products5%
  • Other4%

Share of stated dollars across 45 itemized months. Platforms: mostly YouTube and Facebook. Shopping: Amazon, LTK, TikTok Shop.

By app, what creators on each one reported

TikTok31 creators · brands 38%
Instagram5 creators · brands 79%
YouTube9 creators · brands 59%

Share of stated dollars. Small samples per app; read the direction, not the decimals.

Cover of @sophieheatonnn's TikTok video about their payTikTok@sophieheatonnn

@sophieheatonnn, under 30K followers, one month

Brand deals
$12,922
TikTok payout
$10

TikTok's bar is there. It's just tiny.

Cover of @dr.rebeccahopkins's Instagram video about their payInstagram@dr.rebeccahopkins

@dr.rebeccahopkins, a doctor with 62K followers

Brand deals, a month
$20,000
One video, her rate
$1,000

The brand that accepted $1,000 a video came back asking for seven.

What each app pays per million views

From creators' own payout screens. Instagram: $0. TikTok: pocket change. YouTube long-form: real money.

Instagram@mindblownmagicillusion · $0 on a video with 1B+ views
$0
TikTok@justkingkev · $15 for 12.6M views
$1.19
TikTok@EdwardsEconomics · $15 for a video with 1M+ views
$15
YouTube Shorts@benkimball.ai · $5,553 for 161M views
$34
TikTok@kenziejolittle
$82
Facebook Reels@SocialMediaStrategyLab · $0.19 per 1K qualified views
$190
YouTube Shorts@vidIQ · $1,000 for 5M engaged views
$200
TikTok@falcofps0 · $800 for 3.3M views
$242
TikTok@HeWalkedAway · $0.28–0.40 per 1K, down from $1.29
$340
TikTok@bakemydaymimo1 · her estimate: $300–400 per 1M
$350
YouTube Shorts@falcofps0 · $2,500 for 7M views
$357
Facebook@bakemydaymimo1 · $100 per 100K views
$1,000
YouTube long-form@RoscoeJennings · $1,113 for 441K views
$2,527
YouTube long-form@softasmrsam
$5,713
YouTube long-form@falcofps0 · $12,600 for 2.1M views
$6,000
Cover of @falcofps0's TikTok video about their payTikTok@falcofps0

@falcofps0, Fortnite creator, one month

YouTube long-form · 2.1M views
$12,600
YouTube Shorts · 7M views
$2,500
TikTok · 3.3M views
$800

Fewest views, most money: long-form YouTube.

Do you need a lot of followers?

No, but it helps. Under 10K followers, the middle month was $3,475; over 100K, $22,865. Yet a 3K account made $12,350 and a 143K account made $100.

$100$1K$10K$100K1K10K100K1MFollowersEarned in a month@DearDebt on YouTube: $24 in a month, 9,540 followers@graciethecatmom on TikTok: $100 in a month, 143,558 followers@toothfairyasmrrr on TikTok: $280 in a month, 46,765 followers@RuralChinaGirlYingying on YouTube: $300 in a month, 14,500 followers@frugal.j on TikTok: $332 in a month, 38,955 followers@theoliviaclaire on TikTok: $373 in a month, 6,976 followers@smellslikeretirement on YouTube: $406 in a month, 5,390 followers@Kimberly_Shipley on YouTube: $502 in a month, 4,950 followers@byvalegomezz on TikTok: $984 in a month, 3,249 followers@RoscoeJennings on YouTube: $1,113 in a month, 29,100 followers@polarnobearfn on TikTok: $1,448 in a month, 18,167 followers@ethanshustle on YouTube: $1,520 in a month, 25,800 followers@Juscallmenicki on YouTube: $1,526 in a month, 18,600 followers@EarlyExitPlan on YouTube: $1,680 in a month, 63,400 followers@tortyaaa on TikTok: $2,475 in a month, 4,437 followers@shesaysju on TikTok: $2,665 in a month, 1,932 followers@goodboyrumble on TikTok: $3,475 in a month, 4,598 followers@justkingkev on TikTok: $4,306 in a month, 434,772 followers@elliemilnerlloyd on TikTok: $4,609 in a month, 86,032 followers@calebhammercomposer on Instagram: $5,000 in a month, 1,328,925 followers@HeWalkedAway on YouTube: $5,000 in a month, 2,730 followers@_samholley_ on YouTube: $5,242 in a month, 5,290 followers@jordinslife on TikTok: $5,418 in a month, 87,874 followers@SocialMediaStrategyLab on YouTube: $5,607 in a month, 3,280 followers@tayloredugc on TikTok: $7,627 in a month, 11,470 followers@itsdansbooks on TikTok: $8,318 in a month, 86,950 followers@ItsDansBooks on YouTube: $8,318 in a month, 38,400 followers@darealsab on TikTok: $10,000 in a month, 7,170 followers@missmonett on TikTok: $11,569 in a month, 8,874 followers@emily_may784 on TikTok: $11,589 in a month, 22,699 followers@kongxugc on Instagram: $12,350 in a month, 6,140 followers@kongxugc on TikTok: $12,350 in a month, 3,048 followers@sophieheatonnn on TikTok: $12,381 in a month, 28,677 followers@elijahmaxwellmitchell on Instagram: $13,000 in a month, 37,737 followers@elimaxwellmitchell on TikTok: $13,000 in a month, 94,422 followers@c.m.alongi_author on TikTok: $13,500 in a month, 524,315 followers@nicolehanaburgh on Instagram: $13,769 in a month, 166,349 followers@kaylahscreatorvault on TikTok: $14,000 in a month, 13,324 followers@hannahjurczak on TikTok: $15,800 in a month, 34,439 followers@falcofps0 on TikTok: $15,900 in a month, 60,724 followers@monae.kwan on Instagram: $18,000 in a month, 32,307 followers@shehelpsmomma on TikTok: $18,693 in a month, 74,595 followers@dr.rebeccahopkins on Instagram: $20,000 in a month, 62,336 followers@laura_lucks on TikTok: $22,582 in a month, 636,850 followers@kayymrose on TikTok: $22,865 in a month, 145,143 followers@moneymindunfiltered on YouTube: $30,000 in a month, 75,700 followers@katliente.ttv on Instagram: $32,000 in a month, 206,520 followers@christinadibella22 on TikTok: $33,371 in a month, 195,585 followers@sydney.grace28 on TikTok: $33,765 in a month, 60,139 followers@melanierrenee on Instagram: $34,747 in a month, 125,317 followers@katliente on TikTok: $40,455 in a month, 550,974 followers@micahhescott on TikTok: $50,200 in a month, 73,527 followers@octaviasyd on TikTok: $60,000 in a month, 73,338 followers@abbyxconway on TikTok: $92,038 in a month, 405,527 followers@brittanyybowen on TikTok: $133,306 in a month, 869,128 followers
TikTokInstagramYouTube· where they posted the video

55 US creators who stated a month's total. Both axes are log scale. Tap a face to open the video.

What creators charge brands

Real prices, said out loud. Use the tabs up top to filter by app.

TikTok
4.4Kfollowers
$875one UGC video with ad rights TikTok
5Kfollowers
$100per video, a part-time dental hygienist Instagram
under 900followers
$550her first UGC deal Instagram
12.6Kfollowers
$1,500per dedicated blog article Instagram
62Kfollowers
$1,000per video; the brand came back for 7 TikTok
75Kfollowers
$1,500per deal, 3 deals in October TikTok
120Kfollowers
$15,000one brand deal TikTok
196Kfollowers
$10,000her biggest deal Instagram
200K+followers
$15,000one Reel, one post, one livestream TikTok
646Kfollowers
$14,000one video TikTok
810Kfollowers
$1,800five TikTok Shop videos Instagram
talent manager 
$1,000per Reel · $500 a TikTok · $300 a story YouTube
26K subsfollowers
$250per sponsored video YouTube
159K subsfollowers
$13,000one Circle K deal YouTube
235K subsfollowers
$18,000one campaign, with exclusivity

The fee is for the video. The money is in the rights.

Creators price the brand's rights on top of the video: ad usage, whitelisting, exclusivity. A gifted product for permanent rights is the offer they're learning to refuse.

Paid usage: how much one creator adds to her rate

$200Per video
base rate
$260+30%
if the brand runs it as an ad
$3001.5×
for raw footage
$500+$300
whitelisting on top

@shopwithlyss_'s UGC rate card, 11.9K followers on TikTok: $150–200 a video to start, +30% if the brand runs it as an ad, 1.5× for raw footage, a flat $300 for whitelisting.

Cover of @rachelsopsanders's Instagram video about their payInstagram@rachelsopsanders

@rachelsopsanders, 210K followers

What the brand offered: a gifted product
$42
What she negotiated instead
$4,150

"A $42 product is nice, but that's not going to pay my bills."

How much do UGC creators make?

Marketplaces pay least. Brands that come to you pay more. And UGC income doesn't need an audience: most of it is videos the creator never posts.

Cover of @tayloredugc's TikTok video about their payTikTok@tayloredugc

@tayloredugc, UGC creator: 32 jobs, $7,627 in a month

Shout
$117
Backstage
$235
Inbound (brand found her)
$438
Popular Pays
$700

Average pay per job, by where the job came from.

Cover of @monae.kwan's Instagram video about their payInstagram@monae.kwan

@monae.kwan, from UGC to a business

First UGC deal, under 900 followers
$550
Record month, 32K followers
$18,000

Digital products, mentoring and strategy work on top of brand deals.

When do brands pay?

Late. Net 30 to net 120, and one creator's rule: assume 10 days late and chase on a schedule.

@micahhescott TikTok

Signed
$50,200
Paid so far
$30,200

@kayymrose TikTok

Signed
$56,315
Paid so far
$22,865

Who paid them

Brands creators named, the apps that paid for views, and the marketplaces small creators get jobs from.

RelayRakutenBarkawayMonday HaircareUltaSkintificGoProT-MobileMarriottStan StorePrintifyKaleHome From CollegeMedicubeSide ShiftTaco BellPhlurBanu skinGarnierLUGGEstée LauderJesterDefineLegionLola blanketsBarkwayYouth to the PeopleKiehl'sYouTubeTikTokTikTok Creator RewardsFacebookTikTok ShopInstagramPatreonTikTok ShopAmazonBackstageColeyTribeLTKAmazon Influencer ProgramShopMyCohley

In their words

Verbatim lines about money, from the videos. Tabs filter these too.

I made $133,306 in the month of September.

@brittanyybowen · 869.1K followers TikTok

Not me going from $61 to $575 in a week

@ttsdailydiary · 295 followers TikTok

I made $11,569 for the month of September, all from creating content.

@missmonett · 8.9K followers TikTok

So the first month of me quitting my job, I made $10,000 on TikTok alone.

@darealsab · 7.2K followers TikTok

The brand deals. I made $84,300. This is insane.

@bobbiebeaut · 156.1K followers TikTok

I'm about to film a brand deal that I'm getting paid $14,000 for.

@_milaholmes_ · 645.9K followers TikTok

I stream for 75 hours across 27 days, which is about $19 an hour

@polarnobearfn · 18.2K followers TikTok

the amount was $406.31. So that was my earnings for September.

@smellslikeretirement · 5.4K followers YouTube

Brand work. Oh, my. I made $13,980 this month.

@hannahjurczak · 34.4K followers TikTok

I made $1,037.50 in YouTube ad revenue. And then I also made $643 on Stripe.

@EarlyExitPlan · 63.4K followers YouTube

Facebook pays you for views. $2,351, good month.

@itsdansbooks · 87K followers TikTok

I earned $300 from YouTube last month, around 2000 yuan

@RuralChinaGirlYingying · 14.5K followers YouTube

For tax purposes, there's no point in taking a deal that's under $1,000.

@whosinmyglamchair · 2.9K followers TikTok

For the month of September I contracted 32 paid gigs for a total of $7,627.

@tayloredugc · 11.5K followers TikTok

In six months I went from making zero dollars to $30,000 a freaking month.

@octaviasyd · 73.3K followers TikTok

Top one got about half a million views, the bottom one got over a million views, and I made $15.

@EdwardsEconomics · 367K followers YouTube

in September I made $1,113.31.

@RoscoeJennings · 29.1K followers YouTube

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Quick answers

How much do content creators make in the US?

Among 55 US creators who stated a month's total in videos posted in October 2026, the median was about $10,000 and the middle half earned $1,680 to $18,693. Self-reported and skewed high: creators post income videos after good months.

Where does creator income come from?

Mostly brands. Across 45 US creators who itemized a month, brand deals and UGC were 50% of stated dollars, platform payouts 25% (mostly YouTube and Facebook), shopping commissions such as Amazon, LTK and TikTok Shop 16%, and the creator's own products 5%.

Does Instagram pay creators for Reels views?

Not in the US in October 2026, according to the creators themselves. One reported $0 from Instagram on a video with over a billion views; others said Instagram pays nothing directly and that their platform money comes from Facebook and YouTube. Meta's bonus programs are invitation-only.

How much does TikTok pay per 1,000 views?

Very little. Creators reported between about $0.001 and $0.35 per 1,000 views, or $1 to $350 per million. One creator earned about $15 on 12.6 million views; another estimated $300 to $400 per million. Views from paid ads don't count toward Creator Rewards.

How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views?

Long-form YouTube paid creators about $2.50 to $6 per 1,000 views in October 2026 reports, roughly 20 times what the same creators earned per view on TikTok. YouTube Shorts paid about $0.03 to $0.36 per 1,000 views.

How much do influencers charge brands?

Rates US creators stated: about $100 per video near 5,000 followers, $550 for a first UGC deal under 900 followers, $1,000 to $15,000 per deal from about 60,000 to 200,000 followers, and $14,000 for one video at about 646,000 followers. Usage rights, whitelisting and exclusivity are priced on top.

How much do UGC creators charge?

$150 to $875 per video, with about 30% added for paid ad usage, a flat fee for whitelisting, and 1.5 times the base rate for raw footage. Jobs through UGC marketplaces paid $117 to $700 each; brands that came to the creator paid more. One creator made over $20,000 in three months from UGC, mostly videos never posted on her own account.

Do you need a lot of followers to get paid by brands?

No, but it helps. US creators with over 100,000 followers had a median month of about $22,865, against $3,475 under 10,000. Still, 108 of the 162 creators with a known follower count had under 100,000, a UGC creator with about 3,000 followers grossed $12,350 in a month, and one with 4,400 followers was paid $875 for a 30-second video, because brands pay for videos they can run as ads.

When do brands pay creators?

Often 30 to 120 days after the work. Creators described net 90 plus net 30 terms through managers, one signed $50,200 of brand deals in September with $30,200 received so far, and one tells creators to assume payment arrives about 10 days late and follow up on a schedule.

How we did this

We ran 30 creator-pay searches on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and kept the videos posted in October 2026: TikToks with 20,000+ views, Reels with 100+ likes, YouTube videos and Shorts with 2,000+ views. Each was transcribed and coded for stated earnings, income sources, who paid, rates and niche, using only what the creator said. 79 TikTok, 50 Instagram and 37 YouTube creators were talking about their own pay or rates; side-hustle pitches and platform ads were left out. Every figure is self-reported and unverified, and creators post after good months, so totals skew high. Many October 2026 videos report the month before. Instagram search runs through Google, so its sample leans to bigger accounts.

US only. TikTok videos carry the creator's country. YouTube channels list one. Instagram doesn't, so we kept Instagram creators whose bio, text or rates put them in the US, or who quoted US dollars with no sign of another country, and dropped the rest (47 creators quoting rupees, pounds, euros, or based in Canada, the UK or elsewhere).

Sources, by app:

Every edition

The CxB Creator Pay Report comes out monthly, with the same 30 searches, cutoffs and coding so the numbers compare: October 2026 (latest). This edition: 161 US creators across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, published 2026-11-05, updated 2026-11-06.