Data, not vibes
What “good” actually looks like.
Industry-approximation benchmarks for creators — engagement rates by platform and tier, YouTube RPM by niche, and what brands pay per post. Every figure an honest estimate.
Why benchmarks matter
A number without context is just noise. “Is 3% engagement good?” depends on your platform, your niche, and — most of all — your size. Benchmarks give you that context: a line to measure yourself against, drawn from creators at your level.
Two rules before the tables. First, tier matters more than the raw number — engagement compresses as accounts grow, so every figure here is graded within follower tiers. Second, everything on this page is an estimate: industry approximations compiled from public reports, creator surveys, and agency rate-card data. Nobody outside the platforms has exact figures. Anyone who claims otherwise is selling something.
Good engagement rate by follower tier
Engagement rate = (likes + comments) ÷ followers × 100 — on TikTok, shares count too. “Good” means at or above the benchmark for your tier; 1.5× the benchmark is excellent.
| Follower tier | TikTok | YouTube | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano (1–10K) | 5.0% | 9.0% | 4.0% |
| Micro (10–100K) | 3.5% | 7.0% | 3.0% |
| Mid (100K–1M) | 2.5% | 5.0% | 2.0% |
| Macro (1M+) | 2.0% | 4.0% | 1.5% |
Estimated “good” thresholds. Two patterns to notice: TikTok runs highest because shares count as engagement, and every platform decays as you grow. That decay is normal — not a red flag.
YouTube ad RPM by niche
RPM is what you actually earn per 1,000 views after YouTube's cut. It's set by what advertisers pay to reach your audience — which is why a finance view can be worth ten times a comedy view.
| Niche | Est. RPM (per 1K views) |
|---|---|
| Finance | $15–30 |
| Tech | $8–15 |
| Education | $6–12 |
| Gaming | $3–8 |
| Lifestyle / Vlog | $3–6 |
| Comedy | $2–5 |
| Shorts (any niche) | $0.05–0.10 |
Shorts pay a flat, far lower RPM regardless of niche — long-form is where ad revenue lives. On TikTok, Creator Rewards pays an estimated $0.40–$1.00 per 1,000 qualified views.
What brands pay per sponsored post
The industry's baseline anchor: $25–50 per 1,000 followers for a dedicated short-form video. At 50,000 followers that's $1,250–$2,500 per post. Two levers move you within — or outside — that range: niche and format.
Niche multipliers
- Finance ×1.5 · Tech ×1.5 — advertisers with expensive products pay more per viewer.
- Beauty / Fashion ×1.2 · Fitness ×1.1 — proven buyer intent, competitive brand budgets.
- Comedy / General ×0.9 — big reach, weaker purchase intent.
Format multipliers
- YouTube dedicated video ×3.5 — the most expensive unit in the creator economy.
- Instagram Reel ×1.1 — slight premium over the short-form baseline.
- Static post ×0.5 · Story ×0.3 — cheaper placements, priced accordingly.
Strong engagement adds up to ±25% on top, and multipliers stack. A finance creator filming a dedicated YouTube video is in a different pricing universe than the base anchor.
How to read these
- Benchmarks shift constantly. Platforms adjust payouts and algorithms every quarter. Treat every figure as a dated snapshot, not a law.
- Niche beats tier. A mid-tier finance channel can out-earn a macro comedy channel. Read the row that matches your content, not just your follower count.
- Ranges, not grades. Landing below the line isn't failure — it's a diagnostic. Check your content mix, posting cadence, and whether your followers are actually your audience.
- Then make it personal. Benchmarks tell you where the middle is; calculators tell you where you are.
Run your own numbers with the Engagement Rate Calculator and the Sponsorship Rate Calculator — free, instant, no signup.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good engagement rate in 2026?
Do benchmarks differ by niche?
Why do bigger accounts have lower engagement?
How often do benchmarks change?
Where does this data come from?
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