TikTok Earnings in the UK: Honest Numbers for 2026

Let's address the elephant in the room: TikTok pays UK creators poorly for views.

The TikTok Creativity Programme (which replaced the Creator Fund in 2023) pays UK creators approximately £0.50-£1.00 per 1,000 qualified views for videos over 1 minute. For shorter videos, the original Creator Fund pays even less — roughly £0.02-£0.05 per 1,000 views.

To put that in context: a TikTok video with 1 million views might earn you £20-£50 from the old Creator Fund or £500-£1,000 from the Creativity Programme (if the video is over 1 minute and meets quality criteria). Compare that to YouTube, where 1 million UK views would earn £1,500-£8,000.

TikTok's LIVE feature allows viewers to send virtual gifts, which convert to real money. UK creators report earning £2-£20 per hour of live streaming at small audience sizes, scaling to £50-£500+ per session for creators with large, engaged live audiences. It's unpredictable income but can add up.

The minimum payout threshold on TikTok is £10, and payments arrive via PayPal or bank transfer. Eligibility for the Creativity Programme requires 10,000+ followers, 100,000+ views in the last 30 days, and an account in good standing.

The bottom line: don't count on TikTok's direct payments as a primary income source. They're a bonus, not a salary.

This is where TikTok money actually comes from for UK creators.

Brand deal rates for UK TikTok creators:
- 10,000-50,000 followers: £100-£500 per video
- 50,000-100,000 followers: £500-£1,500 per video
- 100,000-500,000 followers: £1,000-£5,000 per video
- 500,000-1,000,000 followers: £3,000-£10,000 per video
- 1,000,000+ followers: £5,000-£25,000+ per video

UK brands actively working with TikTok creators include Pretty Little Thing, Gymshark, ASOS, Boots, Superdrug, Sky, Three Mobile, and various fintech companies. The UK TikTok advertising market has grown significantly, making brand deals more accessible to mid-tier creators.

TikTok Shop has become a major earner for UK creators since its full launch. Creators earn commission (typically 5-20%) on products sold through their videos. Top UK TikTok Shop affiliates earn £5,000-£30,000/month, though these are outliers. A more realistic figure for active creators is £200-£2,000/month.

The key to TikTok Shop success in the UK: product selection matters enormously. Beauty, skincare, and fashion products perform best. The UK audience responds well to honest reviews and demonstrations rather than hard sells.

UGC for TikTok ads is another growing income stream. UK brands pay creators £150-£800 per video specifically designed for use in TikTok ad campaigns. You don't need a large following — brands want authentic-looking content, not celebrity endorsements.

The most successful UK TikTok creators treat the platform as an audience-building tool and monetise through multiple channels.

Use TikTok for growth, monetise elsewhere. Build your audience on TikTok (where organic growth is still the fastest of any major platform), then funnel viewers to YouTube (for ad revenue), your email list (for product sales), or your website (for affiliate income). Many UK creators earning £5,000+/month from content have TikTok as their largest audience but YouTube as their largest revenue source.

Post consistently and test formats. The TikTok algorithm rewards frequent posting. UK creators who post 1-2 videos daily grow significantly faster than those posting weekly. Use trending sounds and formats but adapt them to your niche rather than creating generic content.

Leverage TikTok Shop strategically. If your niche involves physical products (beauty, fitness, fashion, home), TikTok Shop can be a significant income stream. The UK market is particularly strong for beauty and skincare products. Create genuine review content rather than obvious sales pitches.

Create content that brands want to sponsor. UK brands looking for TikTok creators want native-feeling content that doesn't look like an advert. Study what performs well organically in your niche and create similar-quality content for brand deals. The best UK TikTok sponsorships feel indistinguishable from organic posts.

Consider using AI tools for content. FluxNote can help you create polished video content for TikTok, particularly for niches like finance, education, and informational content where you don't need to be physically present.