What is the average rate for a 50K Instagram creator?

A 50,000-follower Instagram creator with 3-5% engagement typically charges $500-$1,500 per Reel, $300-$900 per static post, and $150-$400 per Story set.

Do brands pay more on TikTok or Instagram?

In 2026, Instagram still pays slightly more per piece for equivalent follower counts (about 15-25% higher than TikTok). YouTube longform consistently pays the most per piece.

How does engagement rate affect my rates?

Engagement rate is the single biggest multiplier on creator rates after follower count. A creator with 30K followers and 8% engagement often out-earns a 100K creator with 1% engagement.

Which niche pays creators the most?

Finance and crypto pay the highest per piece (typically 1.4-1.6x lifestyle baseline), followed by tech/SaaS, business, beauty, auto, and health/wellness.

How much should I charge for my first brand deal?

For your first deal as a micro creator (1K-10K), aim for $200-$500 in your niche's baseline range. Use our free rate calculator for your specific numbers.

2026 Creator Brand Deal Rates by Tier and Niche

Why creator rates feel impossible to figure out

Most creators undercharge by 40-60% on their first 5 deals. Not because they're bad negotiators — because nobody publishes real rate data.

Brands have rate cards. Agencies have rate cards. But until now, the creators themselves have been guessing.

Want your specific rate fast? Try the free creator rate calculator — input your platform, niche, and followers, get a rate range in 30 seconds.

The 6 factors that determine your rate

1. Platform

Platform	Base $ per 1,000 followers (post)
Instagram	$15-$25
TikTok	$10-$20
YouTube	$20-$40
X (Twitter)	$4-$10
Substack	$12-$30

2. Follower count

Nano (1K-10K): $100-$500 per post
Micro (10K-50K): $400-$1,500
Rising (50K-200K): $1,000-$4,500
Mid (200K-500K): $3,000-$10,000
Macro (500K-1M): $7,000-$20,000
Mega (1M+): $15,000-$50,000+

3. Engagement rate

8%+: 1.5x base rate
5-8%: 1.2x
3-5%: 1.0x baseline
1-3%: 0.7x
Under 1%: 0.4x

Brands will often request a screenshot of your last 10 posts' engagement before negotiating. Have these ready.

4. Niche multipliers

Finance / Crypto: 1.50x
Tech / SaaS: 1.45x
Business: 1.40x
Beauty: 1.35x
Auto: 1.30x
Health: 1.25x
Lifestyle: 1.00x baseline

5. Audience geography

US: 1.0x · EU: 0.85x · Asia: 0.65x · LatAm: 0.55x

6. Content format

Static post: 1.0x · Reel/TikTok: 1.5x · Story set: 3.5x · Dedicated YouTube: 4.0x

2026 rate ranges by tier and niche

Tier	Beauty	Fashion	Finance	Tech
Nano	$200-$600	$150-$450	$300-$800	$300-$800
Micro	$500-$1,800	$400-$1,500	$800-$2,200	$800-$2,200
Rising	$1,500-$5,500	$1,200-$4,500	$2,200-$7,500	$2,200-$7,500
Mid	$5,000-$13,500	$3,500-$11,000	$7,000-$18,000	$7,000-$18,000
Macro	$11,000-$27,000	$8,500-$22,000	$16,000-$36,000	$15,000-$35,000
Mega	$25,000-$70,000	$20,000-$55,000	$35,000-$100K+	$35,000-$100K+

What to do if you're overwhelmed by negotiations

Most creators leak rate by accepting first offers because they have 47 other things to do. Kiki handles the back-and-forth, knows the data for your tier, and only surfaces decisions you actually need to make.

Try free for 7 days →