Wondering what is the creator economy, and whether it’s for you? It is the market of independent people who earn money from their own online audiences through brand deals, platform payouts and direct fan payments.
| Key fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated market size (Goldman Sachs Research baseline) | $250 billion |
| Projected market size by 2027 | $480 billion |
| Global creators | 50 million |
| Expected annual growth in creator numbers | 10-20% compound annual growth rate |
| Creators earning more than $100,000 a year | About 4% |
| Share of creator revenue from brand deals | About 70% |
These figures come from Goldman Sachs Research’s April 2023 report. Later numbers in this guide come from a 2026 statistics roundup by inBeat. Estimates like these change as researchers revise them, so check the source before you rely on them.
What the creator economy covers
The creator economy is the set of people, platforms and businesses built around independent online content. Goldman Sachs Research, in its April 2023 report, describes individual people with their own brands and online audiences as one of the biggest developments of the digital age.
Two forces pushed it forward. The report points to the increase in digital media consumption and to technology that has lowered barriers to content creation.
Platforms moved too. New platforms such as TikTok have emerged, while older ones like Facebook and YouTube have added short-form video, live streaming channels and other formats for user-generated content.
In practice the ecosystem has a few moving parts:
- Creators: video makers, writers, podcasters, streamers and other independent publishers with their own audience.
- Platforms: the services that host content, recommend it and often pay creators a share of revenue.
- Brands: companies that pay creators to pitch products to an engaged audience.
- Fans: followers who pay creators directly through subscriptions, donations and similar tools.
Illustrators and other visual makers belong to this world as well, and the topic of digital art is one place to see how a creative field fits in.
How big is the creator economy?
Goldman Sachs Research estimated that the total addressable market could roughly double over five years, to $480 billion by 2027 from $250 billion at the time of its April 2023 report. It said that growth is roughly in line with its estimates for global digital advertising spend over the same period.
The same report expected the 50 million global creators to grow at a 10-20% compound annual growth rate during the next five years. It named influencer marketing and platform payouts from short-form video advertising as the primary growth drivers.
Other researchers give different totals. The table below sets out three estimates reported in the inBeat roundup.
| Estimate | Figure |
|---|---|
| Goldman Sachs Research projection for 2027 | $480 billion |
| Coherent Market Insights projection for 2030 (from $127.65 billion in 2023) | $528.39 billion |
| Precedence Research longer-range projection for 2035 | $2.08 trillion |
The Goldman Sachs figure comes from Goldman Sachs Research’s April 2023 report, and the other two are reported in inBeat’s 2026 statistics roundup.
The gap is a definition problem. The inBeat roundup says every major research firm defines the category’s scope differently, with some including e-commerce and platform tooling revenue and some not.
The growth rate is steadier than the dollar total. The same roundup says most research firms converge on a 23-26% CAGR for the back half of this decade, so treat any single market-size figure as a rough guide.
Headcount has the same problem. The roundup cites over 200 million creators worldwide from Linktree’s 2023 Creator Report, with broader counts running as high as 303 million, while Goldman Sachs Research used 50 million.
How creators earn money
Goldman Sachs Research says creators earn income primarily in three ways:
- Direct branding deals, where a creator pitches products as an influencer.
- A share of advertising revenue with the host platform.
- Subscriptions, donations and other direct payments from followers.
Brand deals dominate. The report puts them at about 70% of revenue, according to survey data. If you want a fuller walk-through of each income route, start with our guide to how do creators make money.
Rates vary widely by audience size. The inBeat roundup cites an average influencer rate of about $215 per post across all tiers, based on Collabstr’s 2026 data, and says that figure is skewed low by the volume of nano-tier deals.
On Instagram, the roundup gives $25 to $150 per post for nano-influencers with 1,000-10,000 followers, rising to $250-$5,000 for micro influencers with 10,000-100,000. Treat these as benchmarks, not quotes.
Platform payouts are murkier. The roundup says TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program has no officially published payout rate, and that creator-reported data converges on $0.40 to $1.00 per 1,000 qualified views. It compares that with $0.02-$0.04 under the earlier Creator Fund.
Direct fan income
Fans paying creators directly is the third route, and it is the one creators control most. A membership business model for creators turns occasional support into recurring income, and learning how to price a membership tier is the practical next step.
One-off funding works differently, and our overview of crowdfunding for creators covers how it compares.
What the typical creator earns
The creator economy has a small top and a very long tail. Goldman Sachs Research says only about 4% of global creators are deemed professionals, meaning they pull in more than $100,000 a year, and it expects that share to stay steady even as the ecosystem expands.
The inBeat roundup adds more detail on the shape of the field:
- Only around 4 million creators, under 2%, have 100,000 or more followers.
- About 67% of creators are nano creators with 1,000-10,000 followers, roughly 139 million people globally.
- The estimated US total is 27 million paid creators, or 14% of the population aged 16-54.
- Of that US group, 44%, or 11.6 million people, work full-time.
- The average US content creator income is $44,000 per year, with the top tier reaching up to $74,500 annually, citing HubSpot.
The takeaway is that most creators are small, and that is where most of the opportunity sits. Reaching an audience at all is the first hurdle, which is why how to build an audience as a creator is the topic most newcomers should read first.
What platforms need to win creators
Goldman Sachs Research argues that the platforms best placed to attract influential creators and a larger share of total spending are those offering multiple forms of monetization. It also cites six enablers of a “flywheel effect”, in which small gains build on each other over time:
- Scale: a large, global user base with diversified interests.
- Capital: access to large pools of capital to fund monetization.
- Strong AI-powered recommendation engines for surfacing content and matching creators with users.
- Effective monetization tools, with a variety of payout structures for creators.
- Robust data and analytics that give transparency on engagement, retention and conversion.
- E-commerce options integrated into the core user experience.
As of that April 2023 report, the large incumbent platforms were in the driver’s seat. The analysts expected “some element of a ‘flight to quality’”, in which creators prioritize platforms with stability, scale and monetization potential.
For a creator, this means platform terms matter as much as audience size. A platform that changes its payout rules can change your income overnight.
Risks to plan for as a creator
Heavy reliance on one income source is the biggest structural risk. Goldman Sachs Research noted that macroeconomic uncertainty can affect brand spending, and brand deals are the largest revenue source, so it pays to diversify creator income across several routes.
Contracts are the next area to get right. Reading the brand deal contract basics before you sign helps you spot unclear payment dates, usage rights and exclusivity terms.
Income from creating is usually self-employment income, so records and tax planning matter from the start. Our primer on taxes for self-employed creators is general information, not tax or legal advice, and rules differ by country.
The last risk is personal. Constant posting for algorithms and brands wears people down, and creator burnout is worth understanding before it shows up in your work.
Frequently asked questions
What is the creator economy in simple terms?
Show answer
It is the economy of independent people who build online audiences and earn from them. Goldman Sachs Research lists brand deals, a share of platform ad revenue, and subscriptions or donations as the main income routes.
How big is the creator economy?
Show answer
Goldman Sachs Research estimated $250 billion at the time of its April 2023 report and $480 billion by 2027. Other firms publish different totals because they define the category differently, so use the numbers as rough guides.
Can you make a full living as a creator?
Show answer
Some do, but few reach the top. Goldman Sachs Research says only about 4% of global creators earn more than $100,000 a year, and the inBeat roundup puts the average US creator income at $44,000 per year.
Where does most creator income come from?
Show answer
Brand deals, at about 70% of revenue according to survey data cited by Goldman Sachs Research. Platform payouts and direct payments from followers make up the rest of the picture.
Do platforms matter more than audience size?
Show answer
Both matter. Goldman Sachs Research expected a “flight to quality” toward platforms with stability, scale and monetization potential, so the platform’s payout tools and reliability affect what you can earn from the same audience.
