We all know influencing can pay well—but just how well?
Philadelphia-based influencer Brandon Edelman, known online as @bran_flakezz, recently went viral on TikTok after revealing he made $768,000 last year, primarily from brand partnerships and creator funds. After taxes and expenses, he pocketed net earnings of just over $300,000.
Known for his self-described “feral party content,” Edelman discussed his TikTok career on Your Rich BFF, a finance podcast hosted by Vivian Tu. “So $768,000 is the top number, 20 percent of that goes to management, so we’re down to, like, what $550k? From $550k, $200,000 of that goes to taxes,” Edelman said. “Just the way it goes. Now we’re down to $330k. After the $330k, you have your expenses. I have a team now, so it’s like, lawyer, accountant, therapist . . . it’s insane.”
After doing the math, the 28-year-old revealed he wound up pocketing, “probably about $300,000”—still a far cry from his previous $40,000 salary working in the fashion industry. “I grew up, literally, dirt poor, so this is insane,” he told Tu. “My parents made enough money to put food on the table, but they didn’t have savings. We lived paycheck to paycheck. I knew when I grew up, I wanted to be more financially secure.” (Fast Company has reached out to Edelman for comment.)
Edelman’s transparency has encouraged a wave of salary disclosures across social media. Still, Edelman is the exception—not the rule. In 2023, 48% of creator-earners made $15,000 or less, according to a 2024 report by the Wall Street Journal, pointing to figures from NeoReach, an influencer marketing agency. Just 13% made upwards of $100,000.
There’s also the racial pay gap to account for. Influencers like @aliyahsinterlude and @claaaarke joined the conversation on TikTok, addressing pay disparities and the different expectations put upon creators of color in the industry.
A 2024 report from SevenSix Agency, a British influencer marketing and talent management agency, revealed stark pay disparities based on ethnicity, with white influencers earning up to 50% more than their BAME counterparts. For example, when it comes to Instagram Reels, white influencers earn an average of £1,637.62 ($2,100.92) per post, while Black influencers make £1,080.41 ($1,386.07). South Asian influencers average £1,135.00 ($1,456.10), Southeast Asian influencers £700.63 ($898.85), and East Asian influencers £1,009.55 ($1,295.16).
Edelman acknowledged this pay disparity in a follow-up video on his TikTok page. “This is why salary transparency is important,” he explained. “In every industry, in every walk of life. We don’t know what we don’t know. For us to be able to have open conversations about what we are making gives us the edge to then negotiate what we are actually worth.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.
