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Top TikTok Influencers in the United States

Apr 14, 2023 | By Chris Jacks

TikTok Influencers with Multi-Million Followers Can Elevate Brands’ Marketing

Not many industries enable people as young as sixteen years old to become millionaires practically overnight—except TikTok. The recent rise of TikTok, a popular social media app dedicated to sharing and watching short videos, has created a source of revenue for countless singers, dancers, educators, or anyone who has something unique or popular to share. With the right influencer marketing agency it’s possible to make a living in the United States through the TikTok platform or enlist TikTok influencers to promote your brand.

Related: Canada TikTok Influencers

A Comprehensive List of the Top TikTok Social Media Influencers in the United States

Although most TikTok users are teens or young adults—as of February 2021, 62% of TikTokers were under 30—the app’s top influencers are a wide range of ages and industries. From up-and-coming dancers to iconic celebrities, we’ve constructed a list of the top TikTok influencers in the United States.

Charli D’Amelio @charlidamelio

As of March 2021, Charli D’Amelio is the most followed influencer on TikTok, with nearly 110 million followers on the video platform. She hit not one but two huge TikTok milestones: the first user to reach 50 million followers and 100 million followers. Charli is a talented dancer best known for her fierce dance videos on the social media app.

But Charli’s dance moves go beyond TikTok, as she aspires to dance professionally and even toured around the United States with the Jonas Brothers and Bebe Rexha in March 2019. Around the same time is when Charli created a popular TikTok account and posted her first video. Her first viral video was a TikTok duet, or side-by-side video alongside a clip recorded by another user, posted in July 2019. Charli continued to post video content of herself performing popular TikTok choreography. After gaining millions of followers practically overnight, Charli’s status as one of the 

in the United States was confirmed by the influx of duets created by other users alongside her original videos.

Charli’s TikTok fame helped her launch a podcast with her sister called “Charli and Dixie: 2 Chix,” a novel, a makeup line, and a nail polish collection. Her brand continues to expand. Both sisters have gained sponsorships with a list of brands including Morphe cosmetics and Hollister.

Addison Rae Easterling @addisonre

Deemed the highest-paid Tiktok influencer in not only the United States but arguably the whole world, Addison Rae is barely 20 years old. She’s newer to the TikTok platform than many other TikTok influencers and didn’t create an account and begin posting until 2019. Addison’s following number jumped exponentially after Mariah Carey liked one of her videos featuring Mariah’s song “Obsessed.”

As a former dancer, Addison creates content that typically features popular TikTok dance moves and lip-syncs alongside her mom, Sheri. Did we mention Sheri has her own account with almost 14 million followers on TikTok? But she’s not the only one. The now-famous Rae family created their own family social media account—yes, the entire family: Monty, Sheri, Addison, Enzo, and Lucas—which has 6.6 million followers. But none can touch Addison’s nearly 78 million fan following.

How does her following translate to money? According to Forbes, the influencer is worth a cool $5 million. Addison has partnerships with American Eagle, Reebok, Hollister, Fashion Nova, and L’Oreal. Addison can also add ‘model’ to her resume after signing with the WME talent agency. She’ll play the leading role in the new remake of the ’99 film “She’s All That” and even founded her own makeup line.

Baby Ariel @babyariel

Baby Ariel became famous on the baby TikTok platform, Muscial.ly (Musical.ly was acquired in 2018 and merged into the platform that everyone knows today as TikTok).  Known by her full name, Ariel Rebecca Martin, she began posting in 2015. Ariel grew in popularity as an influencer so quickly that she was awarded the coveted Choice Muser award at the Teen Choice Awards in both 2016 and 2017.

Ariel’s videos don’t just serve as entertainment for her followers; she uses them to bring awareness to bullying. She started a popular campaign in 2015 titled #ArielMovement to help squash cyberbullying. The TikTok star was recognized for her positive influence by Forbes, Times, and People.

Her influence on Tiktok (with over 35 million followers), Youtube (just over 3 million subscribers), and Instagram (9.6 million followers) led to Ariel pursuing careers in music and acting. Her first released song, “Aww,” debuted in 2017 and has over 55 million views. The popular influencer has also played roles in Disney and Nickelodeon films.

Michael Le @justmaiko

Another Musical.ly OG, Michael Le started posting on the platform in 2016. His video specialty: dance and choreography. Born in the United States in 2000, Michael started dancing at a very young age filmed dance videos throughout his teen years. Those skills translated to TikTok, where he posts not only dance videos but also pranks. His most popular video with almost 250 million views involves both a dance and a prank on an escalator.

Michael isn’t the only TikTok star in his family—his mom and sister are both content influencers on the platform and have a huge number of followers to boot. Tiffany, Michael’s sister, posts content similar to his, which has earned her 2.6 million followers. Michael’s mom, Tina, boasts just under 5 million followers of her own. The youngest sibling not yet mentioned, Johnathan, had a TikTok account which was removed due to Federal Trade Commission regulations as a result of rights reserved violations—basically, Johnathan was under 13 years old, so his account was removed. However, he is still featured in his sibling’s videos under their accounts, compliant with community guidelines. Although Michael loves TikTok, he aims to channel his future energy into his Youtube channel as that’s where the majority of his revenue comes from. And speaking of energy, Michael boasts that he’s “energized up” thanks to Bang energy drinks, a lucrative brand partnership that he endorses throughout TikTok videos.

Will Smith @willsmith

Yep, the Fresh Prince is on TikTok and currently killing it. Will Smith—rapper, actor, producer, and Grammy award winner—joined the TikTok revolution in late 2019. His first video content post served as an announcement to let everyone know, “I guess I’m on TikTik now.” His popular social media posts feature super smooth transitions, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air throwbacks, and most recently, epic dance battles with Jason Derulo. Will has nearly 50 million followers on TikTok—that’s close to his 51.4 million Instagram following—proving that he’s popular with those who may not have even been alive during his prime acting or rapping years.

Zach King @zachking

Zach started creating video content long before TikTok even existed. He mastered the video editing software, Final Cut Pro, and created a website and Youtube channel in 2008 to teach others techniques for using the program. His tutorials were so helpful that he began selling content workshops to help pay for school, which he used toward a degree in Cinema and Media Arts in 2012.

Zach started posting videos on Vine, a social media platform like TikTok yet with a maximum video length of 6 seconds, in 2013. His success on Vine and Youtube lead to appearances on Ellen DeGeneres and a spot to compete with his wife on The Amazing Race.

Zach shortly after discovered TikTok in 2016, then known as Musical.ly, and made his first video content post. Given his video editing background, it’s no wonder his videos were a hit on the platform. Illusion videos are Zach’s specialty and they never fail to disappoint. It’s clear that a great deal of thought and hard work go into each of his videos. In fact, Zach holds the number one spot as the most viewed video on TikTok. His Harry Potter illusion post has over 2.2 billion views and counting. He’s also ranked at fourth in the line-up of TikTok influencers with the most followers sitting just under 58 million followers.

Loren Gray @lorengray

The sixth most followed and fourth highest-earning TikTok influencer on the platform, Loren Gray, has been a social media app user since it was known as Musical.ly. She created her account as a fresh 6th grader in 2015 and quickly grew a huge following.

What began as lip-syncing videos on TikTok turned into a music career for the aspiring singer. Loren released her first single in the United States in 2018, titled “My Story.” Subsequent single releases were well-received by her growing fan base, which is currently 51.5 million followers on TikTok, 3.8 million subscribers on Youtube, and over 21 million on Instagram. Thanks to her big following, Loren enjoys partnerships with brands including Burger King, Skechers, Hyundai, and Revlon.

Even Taylor Swift is a fan—she featured Loren in her music video for “The Man.” What’s next for Loren Gray? She aims to expand her brand by launching a jewelry line.

James Charles @jamescharles

Youtube star turned Tiktok influencer James Charles’s name has become synonymous with makeup. He is one of the biggest influencers in the beauty world, with over 25 million subscribers on Youtube, 27 million on Instagram, and a whopping 35.6 million on TikTok. James began his influencer career creating makeup tutorial content for Youtube in 2015. His widespread reach on the platform turned into a partnership with CoverGirl cosmetics as their first male spokesmodel. James took his incredible makeup talents to Tiktok in 2019 with his first video.

The Hype House Crew: A United Group of the Top TikTok Influencers & Creators

What is Hype House? It is a collective founded in 2019 by some of the top TikTok influencers to date. Hype House is an actual house too—a number of the stars currently or formerly resided in the 10-bedroom mansion. Although all the members are around ages 19 to 20 years old, their house doesn’t necessarily resemble Jersey Shore meets The Brat Pack as one might imagine. The collaboration was established as a productive space for top TikTok influencers to use to create content for social media. They can use the house independently or collectively to make videos for their social media accounts or posted to their united account. That’s right, Hype House has its own collective top followed TikTok account with 20 million followers.

Where is this legendary Hype House? It can be found in the heart of the United States—Los Angeles. Although the address is unknown, there’s speculation about where this iconic mansion is located. Based on photos, it is likely the Hollywood Hills. The house has been used by celebrities as a party venue. John Cena allegedly hosted his birthday party there in 2020.

The Hype House members include Charli D’Amelio, her sister Dixie D’Amelio, Addison Rae, Chase Hudson, Connor Yates, among another dozen other TikTik influencers.

FAQ

How much money do TikTok influencers make?

Truthfully, the sky’s the limit when it comes to making money from TikTok. Influencers can make as little as nothing upwards of millions of dollars annually. How much revenue influencers can generate depends primarily on the number of followers one has, follower engagement, and quality of content. If you’re looking to become an influencer or hire one, you could make or pay from $0.01 for each view on a sponsored video up to $10,000 per post for some of the top influencers.

Does TikTok pay influencers?

Most TikTok influencers have partnerships with brands which is how they make substantial money. TikTokers with brand partnerships still create their own content but incorporate the brand product or service into their video. Brands can pay per post, or influencers may be given an affiliate link through which followers can make purchases, and the influencer earns a commission. These are both effective ways to monetize your following on the platform. If you are interested in pursuing paid partnerships to make money through TikTok, enlist an influencer marketing agency.

TikTok influencers also have the option to make money through coins. You can only start earning coins after you’ve reached 1,000 followers on TikTok. After hitting that milestone, you can go Live on TikTok, during which time followers can send you gifts, aka coins. Coins add up to diamonds, and diamonds equal cold hard cash. TikTok does take a commission from these gifts. It’s not the most lucrative way to make money on TikTok, but coins and diamonds can add up.

Until recently, TikTok wasn’t paying influencers directly for videos on the platform, but that has changed with the TikTok Creator Fund launch. TikTok announced the new change in 2020 to support influencers through their inspired content creation. This new program was likely motivated by the prospect of TikTok influencers seeking revenue outside of TikTok (through sponsorships and brand partnerships) or turning to Youtube, which does pay creators. Any prospective influencer must meet certain requirements to be eligible for the fund program then complete an application. The amount of funds rewarded is calculated after admission to the creator program.

Do TikTok influencers get paid per post?

It depends on the contract. Based on the type of agreement, an influencer could get paid per post or per view. Typically, well-established influencers will get paid for the post, while someone who doesn’t quite have as much experience or as many followers will be paid by the view. If paid per post, it will be a flat rate regardless of how many people click on the video. If paid per view on a sponsored video, an influencer will want to be sure the video is engaging to encourage clicks. Consult with your marketing specialist when signing a contract with your brand partner or influencer to determine which method is best for you.

How do you become a top TikTok influencer in the United States?

It’s definitely possible to become an influencer with engaging, authentic content. The first step in pursuing this dream:

  • Confirm that your account is compliant with the TikTok community guidelines.
  • Begin attracting a following. To do this, create authentic content that your ideal audience finds relatable.
  • Use hashtags to expand your reach, and don’t forget to engage with followers. If you genuinely want to be a TikTok influencer, you must deeply connect with your audience.

Need help? An influencer marketing agency can help you develop a strategy to promote engagement and grow your following with integrity.

How do I hire an influencer for my brand?

Enlisting a Tiktok influencer to promote your business can be an effective marketing strategy. If you already have a specific influencer in mind, you can certainly reach out to them directly. Most celebrities have a particular route of contact for promotional inquiries; therefore, you should determine which method is preferred. You may not speak with them personally as a popular influencer will likely have a public relations or marketing professional to discuss their partnerships.

On the other hand, you can enlist an influencer marketing agency’s help to maneuver the communication for you. Our agency experts can help you save time through the process and get the exact results you seek. We use your ideal customer avatar model to determine the best platforms to pursue for your target audience. The marketing experts select an influencer to pursue and establish a budget and contract type with this information.

How can a top TikTok influencer help my business?

Utilizing one of the top TikTok influencers or influencer on any other social media network is a powerful marketing tool for many reasons. Social media influencers have a strong relationship with their following—there’s a considerable degree of trust and a unique connection between them. Influencers are transparent with their following and share nearly all details of their lives. For this reason, the audience truly feels as though they know this celebrity-type figure. Although some dishonest influencers might, most top TikTok influencers who lead their followings with integrity won’t support a brand that doesn’t align with their core values. If an influencer promotes a product or service, their followers trust that the influencer actually believes in the brand. Your brand will be point-blank in front of a huge, closely connected audience of devoted followers. This significantly and practically immediately increases your brand reach. The audience will trust the recommendation and feel motivated to purchase from you if the influencer believes so deeply in it—ultimately, growing your business.

Should I choose an influencer if their followers are not my target audience?

No, that’s not a wise ideal. There’s no point in wasting valuable energy, resources, and everyone’s time by marketing to an audience that won’t be interested in your brand. When considering your influencer marketing strategy, choose a TikTok influencer whose following is very close to your target audience. That will maximize the likelihood of the new prospects converting to customers. And don’t forget that each of these new leads is a link to an entire network of potential leads. Even if they don’t buy, they may recommend your brand to their friends or family, especially since their favorite influencer spoke so highly about it. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Jacks is an influencer marketing professional with over a decade of experience in the digital marketing sphere. As the Director of Growth Strategy, Chris oversees and drives strategic initiatives to fuel business expansion. With a keen eye for market trends and opportunities, Chris develops comprehensive growth plans and aligns business objectives across cross-functional teams. With a strong focus on crafting impactful, ROI-driven influencer campaigns across multiple sectors, Chris utilizes his expertise to enhance market positioning and maximize results.

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