How Much Do Bloggers Make? Blogging Income & Salary 2023

The reason for your presence here is to find out the amount of money bloggers earn. Generally, bloggers’ earnings fall within the range of $38,440 to $51,906, with an average of $45,000. Nevertheless, numerous factors affect one’s blogging income, so continue reading to discover how to establish accurate income expectations for your blog.

Have you ever been told or assumed that blogging is no longer profitable? Since numerous successful bloggers do not disclose their earnings, it can be difficult to determine what a reasonable income can be expected from blogging.

What is the potential income for a blogger in the year 2023?

Perhaps you are uncertain about the feasibility of earning a profit through blogging. However, there is positive news that you can indeed commence a blog and aspire to earn a considerable income with persistence and dedication.

How much can bloggers earn? A substantial amount! Several bloggers, including myself, can earn six or sometimes seven figures yearly, often without any staff.

I will guide you through all the information you require regarding the financial aspect of blogging. This includes the potential earnings that you can make, the average income of bloggers based on their areas of specialization, what to anticipate for your own blogging salary during the initial year, and advice on increasing your blog’s earning potential.

How Much Money Can You Make Blogging?

According to the latest blogging statistics, certain bloggers do not earn any money, while some earn $500,000 or beyond annually.

Later on, we will examine several prosperous bloggers across a range of niches, who initiated with a blog and went on to construct an entire business empire.

The amount of money you can earn from your blog is subject to change depending on your abilities and the particular topic you have selected.

It is entirely possible to earn a considerable income as a blogger, with an annual income of $100,000 or higher being within reach once your blog becomes established.

Certainly, when it comes to blogging, the possibilities are endless. Your blog can continue expanding, or you may choose to create more blogs, as I have done with SmartWP, RightBlogger, and Hike with Ryan.

This does not imply that one has to work for 80 hours every week. One could employ a virtual assistant or a group of freelance writers to work only 10 to 20 hours per week.

Beginner bloggers typically don’t make much during their first year of blogging, according to the consensus among most seasoned bloggers.

During the initial months, your earnings may be zero. However, you will witness a steady increase in your income each successive year after your debut year of blogging.

The amount of money you can earn from blogging over an extended period of time depends on various factors. However, if you choose to blog in a lucrative and sought-after niche, then the potential for earning significant profits is considerable.

$30,000 – $50,000 in your first year of blogging. That’s around the average income in the USA. Note that the majority of your income is likely to come in the second half of the year, once your blog is well underway and you’ve grown your email list.
$100,000 in your second year of blogging. By this point, you’ll likely be blogging full-time (though not necessarily working as much as 40 hours per week). You’ll need plenty of traffic to your blog during this year.
$200,000 in your third year of blogging. At this stage, you’ll have experimented extensively with different monetization methods and figured out what works best for you, your topic, and your audience.
$400,000 or more in your fourth year of blogging. By doubling down on what’s working, hiring more help, and increasingly growing your audience, you should be able to make more and more money from your blog.

The speed at which you experience that may vary depending on your life situation. Check out my recommended blog samples for further inspiration in your blog’s particular area.

It’s clear that having numerous personal obligations could limit the time you’re able to allocate to your blog; however, over time, you can anticipate a consistent growth in your earnings.

How Long Does it Take to Start Making Money from a Blog?

My guide provides a detailed breakdown of how much time it takes to earn money through blogging. In summary, while it’s possible to start earning within a few months, this is only likely if you already have an established online audience generating income for you. If you’re investing significant time and effort into creating and promoting quality content, it’s more realistic to expect to start earning revenue from your blog within 6 to 12 months.

Although numerous bloggers can earn millions of dollars annually through their blogs, it is unlikely that the majority will earn six-figure salaries. Nonetheless, many individuals are still having a hard time earning a steady $100/month from their blogs even after blogging for 2 to 3 years.

In essence, creating a successful blog is a task that requires a considerable amount of time. This not only includes the daily efforts you put into it but also the duration required for your blog to establish a respectable ranking in Google searches, attract a consistent audience, and become well-known in your specific industry.

The Average Blogger Income (Based on Niche)

Have you ever thought about the typical earnings of a blogger? What is the income of an average blogger like?

When it comes to blogging, determining an “average” is difficult.

There are certain bloggers who consider their blog as a pastime and do not generate substantial income from it. They might earn only adequate funds to compensate for the expenses of website maintenance.

Some bloggers may start their blog while residing with their parents free of rent, and experience rapid growth.

An average blogger’s expected earnings would fall within the range of $45,000.

What is the average income for bloggers in various blog categories? The following are the typical earnings for bloggers in popular niches.

Average Blogger Salary by Niche (2023)—How Much Bloggers Really Make:

Travel Blogger: Average annual salary of $63,173.
Lifestyle Blogger: Average annual salary of $52,382.
Beauty Blogger: Average annual salary of $43,800.
Food Blogger: Average annual salary of $41,058.
Fashion Blogger: Average annual salary of $37,534.

It should be noted that there is no assurance that you will earn the same income in the mentioned sectors. Also, you do not have to select the niche with the highest pay if it does not spark your interest.

Finding a niche that you are passionate about for a long-term commitment is crucial, despite the possibility of not seeing financial benefits in the early stages.

15 Ways To Make Money Blogging

By utilizing Google Adsense, you can exhibit Google Display network advertisements on your website. For new bloggers, implementing Google Adsense is the simplest approach to earn revenues from their blog, although the potential profitability may be limited.

Getting a thousand visitors per month may only yield a maximum of $50 through Google Ads, but it is a good beginning. During my first year of blogging, I utilized Google Adsense, after which I switched to an ad network to receive better CPM and CPC rates.

2. Advertising/Publisher Networks

Possible earnings from blogging per month: exceeding $20,000.

When your website reaches a minimum of 25,000 monthly page views, it is recommended that you stop using Google Adsense and begin collaborating with a publisher network. This network will directly handle the placement of display ads on your website to maximize your ad earnings. Generally, these networks charge a commission of 20%-40% from the display ad revenue on your site.

Despite the commission involved, affiliate/publisher networks can offer higher earning potential compared to working directly with Google. Certain bloggers are able to generate impressive amounts, exceeding $20,000 per month through display advertisements alone. It’s worth exploring ad/publisher networks that focus on your particular niche, easily found through a basic Google search for [your niche] ad networks. It’s important to note that some networks may have strict criteria for partnerships, meaning multiple outreach attempts may be necessary.

3. Affiliate Ads

By placing affiliate ads on your website, you have the opportunity to earn a substantial amount of money through legit means. It is possible to recommend products or services in various niches and receive payment for every sign-up made through your link. Such ads create a mutual benefit for bloggers and advertisers as the latter gets a confirmed sign-up, while the blogger stands to earn more money than they would per click. While a click could earn you $1-$3, depending on the product, an affiliate commission could yield between $5-$500 or even more upon successful referral.

Making this amount of money requires endorsing only the products or services that you have faith in and utilize. Referring a spam or subpar item solely for the purpose of receiving compensation can lead to losing the remaining audience. The payoff is not worth it.

Concentrate on establishing affiliate partnerships with products that you genuinely endorse or utilize. It’s possible that not all businesses offer affiliate programs, or they might restrict them to a select group of bloggers. Simply contact the creators of your preferred products or services to inquire about an affiliate program. They might have a minimum traffic standard in place, in which case you should make a mental note to reach out to them when your traffic increases.

4. Sponsored Content

As your blog grows, you will receive an increasing number of requests from people willing to pay for placing their content on your platform. Prepare for a massive influx of such requests. We receive around 100 such emails every week, with people offering anywhere between $50 to $1,000 for featuring their post on Millennial Money.

You may be considering that it’s an exorbitant amount to pay for publishing a post that is composed by someone else, but you must exercise caution. This approach is not favored by Google and if they get the impression that you are loading your blog with sponsored content, they might put you on their blacklist (which is definitely dreadful and can result in a prolonged recovery period).

It’s important to be cautious with the frequency of sponsored content on your feed as such posts can contain poor quality content or include low-quality links. Google and your followers can easily detect if you’re linking to weak sources from subpar blog posts. It’s recommended to either decline such posts or demand a higher fee and create them on your own.

Throughout my 3-year tenure at Millennial Money, I’ve merely consented to 4 sponsored posts. However, I opted to rewrite all of them myself, charging a higher rate. Furthermore, each sponsored post pertained to concepts and services that I already approve of. It’s imperative that you prioritize safeguarding your audience and Google image by minimizing the use of sponsored content.

5. Direct Display Ad Buys

You may be approached by certain brands or companies to advertise their product via a banner display on your website, or alternatively, you can seek out companies that align with your blog niche and target audience. Emphasize the advantage of having a display ad featured on every page of your blog, which guarantees maximum exposure.

The amount you earn per display each month can range from $200 to $2,500, depending on the niche of your blog. The 728×90 banner ad can bring in the highest revenue since it is the most noticeable when placed in the header of your blog. However, it is important not to overcrowd your blog with ads, as direct display ad sales are usually limited to a few at a time.

In case you are interested, you have the option of inserting miniature ads on your blog sidebar similar to those 100 x 100 pixel ads that you often see on websites. Some bloggers generate substantial revenue from such ads, which are highly focused. Although an app recently expressed its desire to feature on the Millennial Money homepage for a month, I do not display ads on my homepage.

In the end, they proposed a payment of $15,000 for a month-long placement, and I found it impossible to decline. Thus, I created a temporary section on my homepage solely for their advertisement. It’s important to engage in negotiations and let them initiate the first offer. Following that, request a minimum of $100 to $200 more. Don’t miss out on potential earnings.