How do I find out what other creators charge for brand deals?

Join creator communities (YouTube Creator Academy Facebook groups, creator Discord servers, or paid mastermind groups). Many creators share rate information within trusted private groups. Industry surveys from Creator.co and Influencer Marketing Hub also publish annual rate data by niche and follower tier.

Should I show my rates on my website or media kit?

A published starting rate or range is fine ('Starting at $1,500 for integrated sponsorships'). This filters out brands with no budget and signals your minimum expectation. However, exact rates for every deliverable are better discussed in conversation where you can tailor the scope.

What if a brand says my rate is too high?

Ask what their budget is and see if you can adjust the scope to fit (shorter read, fewer deliverables, no exclusivity). If their budget is genuinely below your minimum, decline politely. Brands that cannot afford your rate today are often not your target market.

How much should I charge for a brand deal as a new creator with 5,000 subscribers?

At 5,000 subscribers with 5-10% engagement, a reasonable starting rate for an integrated mention is $200-$500 per video. A dedicated video (the brand is the entire topic) can command $400-$800. Collect performance data from early deals and raise rates as your numbers improve.

Guide

PricingBrand DealsRatesContent CreatorUSA

How to Price Your Services as a Content Creator in the US (2026)

Most content creators underprice their services significantly — especially when they are new and do not know what the market pays. Whether you are pricing brand deals, freelance video production, consulting, or creator courses, getting your pricing right directly determines your income ceiling. This guide covers market rates, pricing formulas, and a clear strategy for raising rates over time.

Last updated: February 26, 2026

Step-by-Step Guide

Research rates in your niche

Ask peer creators in private communities, check Creator.co and Influence.co for public rate data, and request media kits from creators in your niche to benchmark where you stand.

Build a simple media kit

Create a one-page document with your channel stats, audience demographics, niche, and rate card. Update it quarterly with fresh performance data.

Set a minimum rate and hold it

Determine the minimum you will accept for a brand deal and do not negotiate below it. Underpricing trains brands to expect low rates and crowds out better-paying opportunities.

Track every deal and its performance

Log every brand deal with the brand name, deliverable, rate, and campaign performance results. This becomes your pricing justification data for future rate increases.

Raise rates annually or when fully booked

Schedule a rate review every January and whenever your bookings are consistently full. Staying at the same rate for multiple years effectively means a pay cut when factoring in inflation.

Brand deal pricing: what the market actually pays

Brand deal rates vary by platform, niche, audience size, and engagement rate. The standard starting formula is CPM (cost per thousand views) times average views, but this gives only a baseline.

YouTube brand deal rates (2026 estimates):
- Nano-influencer (1K-10K subscribers): $100-$500 per video
- Micro-influencer (10K-100K subscribers): $500-$5,000 per video
- Mid-tier (100K-500K subscribers): $2,000-$15,000 per video
- Macro (500K-1M subscribers): $10,000-$40,000 per video
- Mega (1M+): $25,000-$100,000+ per video

Engagement rate multiplier: A channel with 100K subscribers and 15% engagement deserves 1.5-2x the rate of a channel with 100K subscribers and 3% engagement. Brands pay for influence, not just reach.

CPM-based formula: Base rate = Average views × $25-$50 CPM (for most niches) / 1,000. Example: 50,000 average views × $30 / 1,000 = $1,500 per dedicated video.

Usage rights premium: Brands that want to repurpose your content in paid advertising pay a usage rights fee on top of your base rate — typically 20-100% of the original rate depending on duration, exclusivity, and placement.

Niche premium: Finance, legal, and B2B creators command significantly higher rates than entertainment creators with equivalent audience size. A 50K-subscriber finance creator may earn $3,000-$8,000 per sponsor versus $500-$1,500 for a lifestyle creator with similar numbers.

Freelance content creation rates

If you produce content for other brands or businesses (not as a creator with your own audience), market rates depend on your location, experience, and deliverable type.

Video production rates (US market):
- Entry level (0-2 years experience): $25-$50/hour or $300-$1,000 per finished video
- Mid-level (2-5 years): $50-$100/hour or $1,000-$3,000 per finished video
- Senior (5+ years): $100-$200+/hour or $3,000-$10,000+ per finished video

Specific deliverable pricing:
- Short-form (60-90 second Reels/Shorts): $200-$1,500 per video
- Long-form YouTube video (scripted, edited): $1,000-$5,000 per video
- Social media package (4 posts/month): $500-$3,000/month
- YouTube channel management: $1,500-$5,000/month
- Video script only: $100-$500 per script

How to set your starting rate:
1. Calculate your target monthly income (e.g., $5,000/month)
2. Estimate billable hours (e.g., 80 hours/month)
3. Add 30% for non-billable admin time: 80 / 0.7 = ~114 total hours
4. Hourly rate: $5,000 / 80 = $62.50/hour
5. Round up and verify against market: $65-$75/hour is reasonable for mid-level work

Project pricing vs hourly: Project pricing is almost always better for experienced creators. It rewards efficiency, eliminates scope creep risk if contracted correctly, and makes revenue more predictable.

Rate increase strategy

Raising rates is the fastest lever for increasing creator income, and most creators wait far too long. Demand-based pricing means your rate should increase as your results improve and your time becomes scarcer.

Signals you should raise your rates immediately:
- You are booking every available client without marketing
- You have a waitlist of more than 2-3 weeks
- You have not raised rates in 12+ months
- Your results (views, engagement, sales) have improved significantly

Rate increase strategy for existing clients:
1. Give 30-60 days advance notice
2. Frame the increase around value delivered: 'Your last three campaigns averaged 2.1M impressions. My new rate for campaigns of that scale is $X.'
3. Start new clients at the higher rate immediately
4. Do not over-explain or apologize

Rate increase strategy for brand deals:
1. Track previous campaign performance (views, click-through rates, sales where disclosed)
2. Build a media kit showing results
3. Raise your rate 15-25% with each new brand or upon renewal
4. Set minimum rates and do not negotiate below them

Pricing psychology: Specific numbers feel more justified than round numbers — $1,850 or $2,200 feel more considered than $2,000. Use specific numbers when you can explain the components.

Disclaimer: Market rates vary significantly by niche, platform, audience quality, and brand budget. These are estimates based on industry data and may not reflect every creator's market.

Pro Tips

Most creators quote too low because they compare themselves to competitors who are also underpricing — research what brands actually pay, not what other creators think they should charge
Usage rights are a significant upcharge that many creators forget — if a brand wants to run your content as a paid ad, charge 25-75% extra on top of your base rate
Exclusivity clauses should always command a premium — price exclusivity at 25-50% of the base rate per month of exclusivity requested
Add a rush fee of 25-50% for any project with less than 10 business days turnaround — this protects your schedule and filters out clients who do not plan ahead
Keep a spreadsheet of every deal with the rate and result — over time this data will clearly show you which brands pay most fairly and which consistently offer below-market rates