Charli D’Amelio is among the top earners known from TikTok. It is not possible to identify a definite current number one. The estimated amounts do not only cover payments from TikTok. Advertising, personal products and work outside the app also count. Do you want to compare amounts? First check the year and which income sources were included.
Below, you can read which amounts are known, where the money comes from and how to keep track of your own income.
Which TikTok creators earn millions?
In the 2025 Forbes estimates these amounts are listed. They concern income from 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. But 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 note the difference between income and wealth. Income is the money someone earns during a particular period. Wealth is everything someone owns, minus debts. A list of the richest creators therefore answers a different question.
How do TikTok creators make their money?
A creator can earn money in different ways. You may discover someone on TikTok, but that does not mean TikTok pays that person.
| Income source | Who pays? | For what? |
|---|---|---|
| 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 several things than for one video. This could include multiple 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 generates.
TikTok emphasised in the Creator Rewards announcement the focus on 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 make 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 have to rely on TikTok paying you for every video viewed.
A fictional 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 start purchasing products or making arrangements once you know that you have access and what the conditions are.
Cannot you confirm that you can use Shop or a rewards programme? Then do not count on that income yet. You can also work directly with a brand. You make separate arrangements about what you deliver and how much you are paid.
Agree on these points before starting a collaboration:
- How many videos will you make and when will you deliver them?
- How much will you be paid and when?
- May the brand also use your video as an advertisement?
- Who pays for materials and any other costs?
Why do many followers on TikTok not automatically generate money?
Someone may follow you for funny videos without ever buying anything through you. A follower also does not necessarily watch every new video. The number of followers therefore does not tell you how much money an account earns.
For a collaboration, it is also important that your subject fits the product. A video about repairing a bicycle attracts different attention than a dance video. As a result, the largest account is not the best choice for every assignment.
Bought followers do not in themselves prove that people really watch your videos or want to buy something. You therefore cannot derive expected income from them.
Do you want to compare follower numbers? Then read who has the most followers on TikTok. That is a different comparison from who earns the most.
How do you keep track of your own income from TikTok?
For your own collaboration, look at three things: what you receive, which costs you incur and how much time you spend on it. That says more about what the assignment earns you than a comparison with an estimated million dollar income.
Fictional 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, are not included. Also count consultation, preparation, filming, editing and revisions in your hours.
Record these amounts and hours for every assignment. This allows you to compare which arrangements are feasible for you and what you want 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.
