You make money on Instagram in two ways: Instagram pays you through its own tools, and brands or shoppers pay you because of your audience. Instagram’s creator site lists subscriptions, gifts, badges, bonuses, branded content, partnership ads and its creator marketplace as ways to earn. Brand deals and affiliate links can bring more money than Instagram’s own payouts, and they work for smaller accounts too.
At Earn by Creating, we write how-to guides for people who want to get paid to create, and we check each platform feature against the platform’s own pages. Instagram does not publish one follower number for its monetization tools. Your Professional dashboard shows which tools your account can use, so start there before you plan.
Every Way to Make Money on Instagram
Here is each income stream, who pays you and when it usually opens up. Instagram’s own tools are listed on its creator site. The rest come from brands and shoppers.
| Income stream | Who pays | Follower bar | Typical first step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand partnerships | The brand | No platform minimum | Pitch brands in your niche with a media kit |
| Affiliate links | The store, per sale | None for most programs | Join a program for products you already use |
| UGC (user-generated content) work | The brand, for content it posts | None | Build a sample portfolio |
| Subscriptions | Your followers, monthly | Eligibility shown in your dashboard | Plan perks you can deliver every month |
| Gifts | Viewers on Reels | Eligibility shown in your dashboard | Turn on gifts if your dashboard offers them |
| Bonuses | Instagram, for post performance | Invitation only, varies | Watch your dashboard for an invite |
| Creator marketplace | The brand (deal found via Instagram) | Eligibility shown in your dashboard | Complete your marketplace profile |
| Your own products | Your customers | None | Sell a template, guide or service |
Most new creators should start with brand partnerships, affiliate links or UGC work, because none of them waits on Instagram’s eligibility rules. Add Instagram’s own tools as your account qualifies.
Instagram’s Own Monetization Tools
Instagram pays creators directly through a handful of features. Your Professional dashboard is the place to see which ones you can use, since Instagram does not publish a single follower threshold and availability differs by country.
- Subscriptions. Followers pay you monthly for exclusive content, such as subscriber-only posts, Stories and Lives. Subscribers get a badge next to their name in comments and messages. You set the price and can change it in the subscriptions settings, and Instagram says payouts arrive on the 21st of the following month.
- Gifts. Viewers send you gifts on your Reels as a way to support you.
- Badges. Viewers buy badges during your Instagram Lives, and the badge shows next to their name in the chat.
- Bonuses. Instagram rewards the performance of Reels and other posts through bonus programs. Bonuses are offered by invitation and vary by account, so you cannot apply for them on demand.
- Creator marketplace. Brands search Instagram’s marketplace for creators and send partnership offers inside the app.
- Partnership ads. A brand runs your post as a paid ad, with your handle shown. Price this separately, as covered below.
Subscriptions earn the most when you have a loyal group who want more of you, not just more posts. Promise perks you can deliver every month, such as a weekly subscriber-only Live or early access to tutorials. A subscription that goes quiet loses members fast.
Brand Partnerships on Instagram
Brand partnerships are a major earner for many Instagram creators. A brand pays you for a Reel, carousel or Story set, and Instagram’s Paid partnership label tags the brand on the post. You can find deals in three ways:
- Pitch brands directly. Send a short email with a content idea, three example posts and your media kit. Our Instagram brand deals guide walks through the pitch.
- Use Instagram’s creator marketplace. If your dashboard offers it, complete your profile so brands can find you by niche and audience.
- Answer inbound offers. Brands that see your posts may message you. Check every offer for clear deliverables and payment terms before you agree.
Price each deal by deliverable, then add usage rights. If a brand wants to run your post as a partnership ad, that is paid reach on your content, so charge by duration, for example 30, 60 or 90 days. Our influencer rates guide shows how to set those prices, and the media kit builder puts your numbers on one page.
Affiliate Links and Storefronts
Affiliate links pay you a commission when someone buys through your link. They work at any audience size, which makes them a good first income stream. Common setups:
- Store affiliate programs. Many brands run their own programs with a link or code for each creator.
- The Amazon Influencer Program. Amazon accepts Instagram accounts, reviews engagement and follower metrics without a published minimum, and pays commission through a storefront and shoppable videos. Commission rates vary by product category. See the Amazon Influencer Program.
- Your link in bio. Put your storefront or a page of product links in your bio, then point to it in Stories and captions.
Affiliate commission is a material connection, so disclose it. The FTC expects a clear disclosure such as “I earn a commission if you buy through my link”, placed where viewers see it.
UGC Work and Your Own Products
User-generated content (UGC) work pays you to make photos or videos that a brand posts on its own account or runs as ads. You do not need followers, because the brand uses its own audience. Instagram helps here as a portfolio: a grid of product videos shows brands what you can make. Start with our guide on how to become a UGC creator.
Your own products are the other stream with no follower bar. A preset pack, a printable planner, a recipe guide or a one-hour coaching call can all sell from a link in your bio. Products take work up front, but you keep most of the price.
Which Way to Start Depends on Your Account
Pick your first income stream from where your account is today:
- Under 1,000 followers. Start with UGC work and affiliate links. Neither needs an audience, and both teach you what sells.
- 1,000 to 10,000 followers in one niche. Add direct brand pitches. Small brands often prefer a focused small account over a broad large one. Our micro-influencer guide explains why.
- An engaged audience that asks for more. Turn on subscriptions or gifts if your dashboard offers them, and plan perks you can keep up.
- Steady inbound offers. Raise your rates, price usage rights separately and consider your own product.
If you are still building the account, our guide on how to become an Instagram influencer covers niche, formats and a posting schedule.
Disclosure and Taxes
Every paid post needs a clear disclosure. Use Instagram’s Paid partnership label, and also say it in the caption or the video, for example “#ad” or “Paid partnership with [brand]”. The FTC updated its Endorsement Guides in 2023, and they call for disclosure of any material connection, including payment, free products and affiliate commission, made clearly and conspicuously.
In the US, Instagram income is self-employment income. Self-employment tax is 15.3% on net earnings once they reach $400, and you may need quarterly estimated payments with Form 1040-ES. Free products you receive for promotion are generally taxable income too. The Modern Wallet explains how much to set aside. This is general information, so talk to a tax professional about your own situation.
Who Should Not Count on Instagram Income Yet
If you post rarely or across many unrelated topics, Instagram’s tools and brands will both pass you by. Pick one niche and post on a steady schedule for a few months before you judge your income. If you want paid work while you build, UGC jobs pay for content without needing your audience at all.
What would change this advice: if your dashboard offers subscriptions or the creator marketplace early, turn them on, since they add income without extra pitching.
Open your Professional dashboard today, write down which money tools it offers you, and pick one brand or affiliate program to start this week.