Influencers also make money on Instagram through commissions on affiliate links, selling merchandise and DTC products, and monetization tools the platform is slowly rolling out. One influencer made an average of $5,000 per month last year through affiliate links alone.

Do influencers get paid by Instagram?

Average monthly income nears $3,000

However, there are significant differences in income among accounts, notably depending on the number of followers. Micro-influencers (between 1,000 and 10,000 followers) make an average $1,420 per month. Mega-influencers (more than one million followers) make $15,356 per month.

How many followers do you need for Instagram to pay you?

With just 1,000 or so followers, you can make money on Instagram. Neil Patel, a widely known digital marketing specialist, says the key is engagement — followers who like, share and comment on your posts. "Even if you have 1,000 followers who are engaged, the potential to make money is there," he writes on his blog.