How Do Digital Creators Make Money in 2024? 10 Ways To Get Paid

According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a digital creator is $108,000. That’s slightly higher than the salary for a content creator, which I’ll talk about later in this article. But whatever your title, you can easily double, triple, or even 10x your salary by following the strategies below.

OK, maybe not easily. But if you love what you do and you’re willing to put the work in, there’s money to be made, whether you do freelancing, side hustles, generate a passive income, or all at once.

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1. Work directly for a brand or creative agency

If you’re new to content creation and want somewhere to cut your teeth, brands and creative agencies are a great place to start.

Taking a brand or agency role will give you immediate exposure to two things:

A diverse range of creative people to learn from
An equally diverse range of digital content for you to create

This can very quickly teach you what you like and where you want to develop in the future. Plus, with a reliable salary under your belt, you’ll have the security to start exploring other avenues.

2. Sell your services on freelance sites like Upwork

Once you’re confident in your skills and are ready to take your income to the next level, freelancing is a great place to start.

Since the pandemic, Americans have broken freelancing records, with 39% of the US workforce performing at least some freelance work in 2022.

The great news for content creators is this: you can start freelancing without taking the plunge and giving up your day job. (Funnily enough, that’s exactly what your author is doing right now!)

By using freelance platforms like Upwork, you can create a profile, throw your hat in the ring for projects, and get paid securely – all in one place.

3. Grow your social media following

Let’s be honest. If you want to transform your financial situation, you need to start thinking about social media.

Today’s highest-earning digital creators all have platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to thank for their fortunes. And from crochet to calligraphy, physical creators have seen interest in their crafts skyrocket too.

Social media isn’t necessarily a money-maker in its own right – although some platforms are now offering bonuses to content creators. But it does open doors for new revenue streams.

So get creative, put your content out there, and lean into what your followers like and engage with. That’s the first step towards turning your fan base into a loyal community of potential customers.

_{Photo by bruce mars}

4. Partner with brands to create sponsored content

The first thing you’ll notice when you start growing your fan base is that it doesn’t take long for brands to come knocking.

Suddenly, you aren’t just a content creator anymore. You’re an influencer.

There are entire networks of agencies dedicated to finding up-and-coming influencers like you – people who authentically represent their brand and can bring it to a new audience. And the great news is that you can start earning even if you only have a few thousand followers.

Here’s a breakdown from Influencer Marketing Hub showing how much you can earn per post as a digital content creator:

1,000-10,000 followers – $10 to $100
10,000-50,000 followers – $100 to $500
50,000-500,000 followers – $500 to $5,000
500,000-1,000,000 followers – $5,000 to $10,000
1,000,000+ followers – $10,000+

5. Include affiliate links in your content

If you’re the kind of digital creator who enjoys creating blogs and other types of educational content, then it’s worth thinking about affiliate marketing.

This is where you earn commission for helping companies get traffic and sell more products – usually around 5-10% of the sale price. And as long as you’re linking to products you genuinely love and would happily link to anyway, it’s a win-win!

Here are a few great examples:

Foodie content creators – Link from your recipes to the best tools for the job, like food processors, pasta rollers, and other gadgets.
Travel content creators – Link from your travel diaries to the best restaurants, hotels, and excursions in the region.
DIY content creators – Link to all the equipment you used in your how-to video, from a circular saw to packs of screws.

6. Sell prints and merch featuring your most popular creations

Designers and illustrators – this one’s for you!

Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are brilliant places to discover new art and artists. But once people find something they love, they want to own it.

They want to bring it into their homes, take it to the office, or wear it on their backs. So if you’ve developed a style that your fans can’t get enough of, it’s time to fire up your very own merch machine.

Here are some things you can put your designs on to make a little extra cash:

Prints
Coffee cups
Mugs
Water bottles
T-shirts
Hoodies

_{Photo by Annie Spratt}

7. Sell training materials, courses, and consultation services

The e-learning market is expected to hit $319 billion by 2029. Today’s most successful course creators earn $1,000 to $10,000 per month. And some even rake in seven-figure salaries, just from courses!

So if you’re an expert in your field and have some knowledge to share with the next generation of content creators, why not make some money while you’re at it?

From Udemy to Skillshare, there are plenty of platforms out there that make it easy to build, share, and sell your courses. And once you’ve created your training materials, you’re halfway towards offering your own consultation service too.

8. Get paid for speaking on podcasts, webinars, and at events

If there’s one thing creatives love, it’s getting inspired by other creatives — one of the reasons The Creators’ Diary exists. And, luckily for you, there are hundreds of people out there trying to find the next guest for their podcast, webinar, or event.

According to Harvard Business Review, first-time speakers can earn between $500 to $2,500 for a talk. And as your popularity increases, this can quickly climb to $10,000+.

So if you’re interested in making some extra income from public speaking, here are some tips to help you get started:

Do your research – make a shortlist of podcast and webinar hosts or events that align with your fan base
Use your network – chat with fellow creators who have done talks in the past
Send your pitch – make it clear why you’re a good fit for their audience

9. Create a members-only subscription using Patreon

When it comes to making money, it’s all about subscriptions. Software companies are doing it. Streamers are doing it. And yes, you guessed it, digital creators are doing it too!

With Patreon, you can create a members-only community for your fans (or “patrons”), where you can offer exclusive content in exchange for a small subscription fee. You can even set up your own pricing model with monthly packages to suit everyone’s needs.

Not convinced? What if I told you that the top creators on Patreon earn over $150,000 per month?

Here are a few things you could offer depending on the type of content you create:

YouTuber – behind-the-scenes footage and bonus episodes
Music artist – early access to tracks or backstage passes
TikTok creator – exclusive posts and Q&A sessions
Visual artist – discounts on artwork or exhibition tickets

10. Get into the NFT game

If you’re a digital art creator, you’re probably already familiar with NFTs – or non-fungible tokens to the uninitiated.

Back in 2021, this kid made £290,000 (around $350,000) selling whale NFTs. Now, fair warning, a lot has changed since then. Crypto sunk in value over the last few years, taking NFTs with it. And today, for many people, the eye-watering cost of minting digital art just isn’t worth the risk.

But, if you are interested or you just want to know what’s involved, here are the most basic steps to start selling your creations as NFTs:

Set up a digital wallet using a platform like Coinbase
Add the cryptocurrency Ethereum (ETH) to your wallet
Connect your wallet to an NFT platform like Rarible
Upload the file you want to sell as an NFT
Set up your auction and add a description
Pay the fee to list and sell your NFT

_{Photo by Paul Felberbauer}

How much money do content creators make?

The average salary of a content creator in the United States is $60,000, according to Glassdoor. But, naturally, there are outliers, with Meta offering $114,000 and Google paying $94,000 on average.

Despite the fact that the roles are almost interchangeable, this is lower than the average salary for digital creators, which is $108,000. This could be because the digital creator role is often slightly more specialized, sometimes including more technical skills like animation and coding.

What type of content creator makes the most money?

Content creators can cover a wide range of skill sets. So, to work out the most lucrative niches, I used Indeed’s salary search tool to compare different specialisms.

Here’s what I found out. Videographers are the highest-paid content creators in the United States, followed by art directors, designers, and copywriters.

You can see the full list here:

Animator – $46,301
Art director – $81,833
Copywriter – $61,457
Designer – $73,278
Illustrator – $53,596
Photographer – $46,918
Social media content creator – $57,986
Video editor – $52,624
Videographer – $123,906

How do some content creators make so much money?

The highest-earning content creators leverage every tool in their arsenal to make their millions. I’m talking literal millions.

Take KSI, who earned $24 million in 2022. He built his YouTube following from the ground up by creating entertaining content that his fans love. Now he’s a boxer and rapper, he has his own line of apparel, and he’s also the face of Prime Hydration.

But he isn’t alone. Here’s a breakdown of the Forbes’ top 10 creators:

Jimmy Donaldson (Mr Beast) – $82 million
Rhett & Link – $35 million
Jake Paul – $34 million
Elliot Tebele (F*ckJerry) – $30 million
Matt Rife – $25 million
Olajide Olatunji (KSI) – $24 million
Charli D’Amelio – $23 million
Logan Paul – $21 million
Emma Chamberlain – $20 million
Brent Rivera – $17.5 million

Just like KSI, all of these digital creators started out on social media. But, sooner or later, they ventured out into the physical world to make their millions.

For any creator with the time, energy, passion, and creativity, riches await.