From Charlie D’Amelio to that preppy skeleton, you have probably seen viral TikTokers and wondered how they call TikTok their job. As famous TikToker Oneya Johnson revealed, he was formerly homeless and filming from his car before he went viral for his reactions. His merchandise and overnight fame have earned him 26.6 million followers and a much better financial situation. He has not revealed the exact amount, but Celebs Real Life has estimated his net worth to be about $2.5-$3 million while Captions Nation and The NY Banner have calculated it to be $10 million. Earning this amount of money from TikTok is not as easy as it seems.

   “They break up every single thing I do and make it a negative thing.” says famous TikToker Dixie D’Amelio on The D’Amelio Show after posting a video and receiving many negative comments. 

   As a part of the TikTok Creator Fund, influencers can earn between two to four cents for every 1,000 views. This means that influencers will only make $20 to $40 on a video with one million views. To be part of the TikTok creator fund to begin with, a creator must be 18 years or older, have at least 10,000 followers, be based in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, or Italy, have an account that fits with TikTok Community Guidelines and terms of service, and 100,000 video views have to be achieved in a 30-day period says TikTok Newsroom.

   There are many other ways TikTokers can make money and get paid that do not stem from the creator fund. On TikTok live streams, there is a way for viewers to send virtual gifts that can be converted into cash. Lucy Davis, who is an Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) content creator, revealed that she makes $20 to $300 each time she goes live. For reference, she currently only has about 609.7 thousand followers. 

   Another way TikTokers can make money is through sponsorships and brand partnerships. The revenue made from brand partnerships varies widely, but sponsorships can earn one to two cents for every view. That is $10,000 for one million views, nearly 500 times the amount TikTokers make with just the Creator Fund. Also, creators of songs and sounds might pay TikTokers with a large audience just to post a video with their sounds. Charlie D’Amelio’s first opportunity to make money through TikTok was from an indie exec offering her $75 just to dance to their sound in her video, says Forbes.com. Her mom, Heidi, told Charlie “nobody’s paying you money to do a dance to a song” and now Charlie has made $17.5 million from 2021 to 2022 through her fame on TikTok. Influencers can also create merchandise attached to their TikTok account, just like Oneya Johnson did.