How To Make Money On TikTok: Step-By-Step Guide for 2025

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TikTok isn’t just for dances anymore – it’s one of the top apps to make money now. From creator rewards to live gifts, thousands of users are turning short clips into steady income. Some successful creators are even making between $50,000 and $75,000!
So, how do you make money on TikTok? This guide walks you through every legit option for 2025 – step by step.
Before diving into brand deals or affiliate links, let’s start with the built-in ways TikTok creators can make money on TikTok right inside the app.
The TikTok Creator Fund was the first way to help creators earn money on TikTok from their videos. It’s now replaced by the TikTok Creator Rewards program, which pays based on engagement, originality, and views. Think of it as TikTok’s version of ad income sharing – you get rewarded for content that keeps people watching.
| Requirements | Effort needed | Typical payout |
| 10K+ followers | Consistent posting | $20–$40 per 1M views |
| 100K+ video views in the last 30 days | High engagement | Varies by region |
| Original, high-quality videos | Follow TikTok’s community guidelines | Paid via TikTok balance |
Pros:
Cons:
Most TikTok creators earn around $20–$40 for every million views, so don’t count on the TikTok Creator Rewards program as a full-time income. Think of it as a bonus that grows with your audience. To improve your RPM, focus on premium content that keeps people watching and avoid reused clips – originality is what helps your videos perform better and earn more.
Make money from your phone by streaming on TikTok. When you go on TikTok live, people who watch can send virtual gifts – sometimes just stickers or emojis. Those turn into diamonds inside the app, and later you can cash them out.
Here’s how it works:
Say a few hundred people hop into your live, and you collect rewards from half of them – ten cents here and there. It doesn’t seem like much, but you could end up with around fifteen bucks by the end. Not huge, but if you go live a few times a week, it starts to pile up.

To qualify for live gifts, you’ll need:
Try going live often. Doesn’t have to be long – even short ones help. People start noticing when you show up around the same time.
Talk to them a bit while you’re on. Read a few comments, thank anyone who sends a gift.
Keep it easy. Do something fun, maybe a mini Q&A, or show how you make something. When the chat feels real, people stay longer.
Lately, TikTok made it possible for viewers to send gifts and even direct tips on regular videos – not just lives. It’s a small but steady way for TikTok creators to earn from short clips that people enjoy or find useful.
Here’s how it usually works:
Pros:
Cons:
Direct tips = more for you, gifts = TikTok takes ~50%.”
If you’re already getting steady engagement on your TikTok content, adding tipping can quietly boost your income without changing your posting routine.
TikTok Series is basically a way to post multiple videos people pay to watch – kind of like selling your own mini show inside the app.
To get started, you’ll need a few things:
You set the price yourself – anywhere from $0.99 to $189.99 for the whole series. Some sell full workout plans, cooking lessons, or behind-the-scenes content that doesn’t go on their public feed. It’s a good setup if you’ve already got fans who stick around for what you do.
A TikTok series works best when you have an engaged audience – people who care about a specific thing you share. Think consistent theme, like hobbies, tutorials, or anything you’d normally charge for outside TikTok.
TikTok Pulse is where ads run next to the top videos on the platform. It’s TikTok’s way of letting creators earn a slice of the ad income from brands shown beside their content.
Pulse vs. Creator Fund:
Staying in that top 4% is tough. Most creators see short bursts of earnings with viral content, but it’s not something you can rely on long-term. Still, if you post consistently high-performing clips, Pulse can be a solid bonus on top of other income streams.
Earning on TikTok doesn’t stop with the app itself. Once you’ve built a following, there are plenty of outside ways to make money on TikTok.
Once your TikTok videos start pulling in steady views, brands might show up in your DMs. Most deals are simple – they pay you to use or mention their product in a post. Sometimes it’s a one-off, sometimes a longer collab. You can also find offers inside the TikTok Creator Marketplace.
Typical payout ranges:
If you want to start landing deals:
Community interaction matters more than follower count. A small but active crowd beats a huge silent one every time.
The TikTok affiliate program is one of the easiest ways for TikTok creators to earn without waiting for brand sponsorships. You basically become a TikTok influencer and get paid when someone buys something through your affiliate link.

Here’s how it works:
Popular programs:
Let’s say you promote a $50 item and the commission rate is 10%. If ten people buy, that’s $50 earned just from one short video. Do that a few times a week and it starts to grow.
Keep in mind to only promote products you actually use and disclose affiliate relationships. Honest sponsored content always converts better than a fancy pitch.
Once you’ve built a bit of a following, selling your own stuff can be a nice next step. It doesn’t have to be fancy – just something your target audience already cares about.
Here are some ideas:
Sell physical products:
Sell digital products:
Sell services:
Digital products scale better long-term. You make them once, and they keep selling – no packing boxes or post office runs.
Setting up an online store or linking through your bio can turn casual followers into paying customers without leaving the app.
When you start getting some traction, TikTok can help you nudge people toward your other pages. Here’s how:
TikTok: short clips that grab attention and build trust → External platform: where fans go for more – YouTube, Instagram, Patreon, Twitch, or similar → Monetization tools: ads income, memberships, or YouTube ads and subscriber perks.
You don’t have to push hard, just mention your other pages naturally in captions or bios. A few loyal viewers moving off-platform can make a big difference over time.
Diversifying monetization tips protects you from TikTok’s algorithm shifts. Keep exploring new options – like joining the TikTok Creator Marketplace or testing smaller affiliate campaigns – so you’re not stuck with one income stream.
Making money on TikTok takes time. Here’s what helps and what doesn’t:
Do’s:
Don’ts:
Try combining TikTok income with passive apps like Honeygain to make money online in the background. It’s a small bonus that adds up while you create content.