Charli D’Amelio is among the big earners known from TikTok. It is not possible to identify a definitive current number one. The estimated amounts are not based solely on payments from TikTok. Advertising, personal products and work outside the app also count. Want to compare amounts? First check the year and which income sources have been included.
Below, you can read which amounts are known, where the money comes from and how you can keep track of your own income.
Which TikTokers earn millions?
In the Forbes estimates from 2025 these amounts appear. They concern income through multiple platforms, not just TikTok.
| Creator | Estimated income |
|---|---|
| Charli D’Amelio | 23,5 million dollars |
| Khaby Lame | 20 million dollars |
Charli ranks above Khaby in this comparison. However, these two names do not make up a complete worldwide ranking. The amounts therefore do not show who currently earns the most from TikTok alone.
With lists like these, also pay attention to the difference between income and wealth. Income is the money someone earns during a particular period. Wealth is everything someone owns, minus their debts. A list of the wealthiest creators therefore answers a different question.
How do TikTokers earn their money?
A creator can earn money in various ways. You might discover someone on TikTok, but that does not mean TikTok pays that person.
| Income source | Who pays? | What for? |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising in a video | A brand | The creator shows or discusses a product. |
| Sales through a link | A seller | The creator receives an agreed fee if someone buys through the link and the purchase meets the conditions. |
| Personal products or services | A customer | For example, a shirt, lesson or digital file. |
| Work outside TikTok | A client | For example, a performance or presentation. |
| A rewards programme | The platform | Videos that meet the conditions of that programme. |
A brand may pay a well known creator more for multiple deliverables than for one video. This could include several recordings or permission to use the video in advertisements as well. You therefore cannot simply divide an estimated annual income by the number of videos to find out what one video earns.
TikTok emphasised in the Creator Rewards announcement the importance of original videos longer than one minute. This older announcement does not confirm that this rewards programme is currently available in the Netherlands or Belgium.
How can you earn money with TikTok in the Netherlands and Belgium?
You can look at paid collaborations, sales through a link or a personal product or service. You do not need to rely on TikTok paying you for every video watched.
A hypothetical example: you make videos with simple drawing exercises. You could offer your own drawing lesson alongside them. You would still need to find people who want to buy the lesson, make arrangements and teach it. The video itself does not automatically generate money.
Can you also earn money with TikTok Shop?
TikTok Shop allows people to shop through TikTok. First check the current official conditions for your country and account. Only buy products or make arrangements once you know that you have access and understand the conditions.
If you cannot confirm that you can use Shop or a rewards programme, do not count on that income yet. You can also work directly with a brand. You make separate arrangements about what you will provide and what you will be paid.
Agree on these points in advance for a collaboration:
- How many videos will you make and when will you deliver them?
- How much will you be paid and when?
- Can the brand also use your video as an advertisement?
- Who pays for materials and any other costs?
Why do lots of TikTok followers not automatically generate money?
Someone may follow you for funny videos without ever buying anything through you. A follower does not necessarily watch every new video either. The number of followers therefore does not tell you how much money an account earns.
In a collaboration, it is also important that your subject suits the product. A video about repairing a bicycle attracts different attention from a dance video. As a result, the biggest account is not the best choice for every assignment.
Purchased followers do not by themselves prove that people genuinely watch your videos or want to buy something. You therefore cannot infer expected income from them.
Want to compare follower numbers? Read who has the most followers on TikTok. That is a different comparison from who earns the most.
How can you keep track of your own TikTok income?
For your own collaboration, look at three things: what you receive, which costs you incur and how much time you spend on it. This says more about what the assignment earns you than a comparison with an estimated income of millions.
Hypothetical calculation example: you receive €150 for a video. You buy €30 worth of materials and spend a total of four hours on the assignment.
- Amount received: €150.
- Cost of materials: €30.
- Remaining after these costs: €150 − €30 = €120.
- Per hour worked: €120 ÷ 4 = €30.
This amount is before tax. Other costs, such as equipment, have not been included. Also count discussions, preparation, filming, editing and revisions in your hours.
Record these amounts and hours for every assignment. This will help you compare which arrangements are feasible for you and what you would like to agree differently next time. If you also publish your own content, our TikTok services includes packages for followers and likes. The product pages show the available quantities and prices.
