How much to pay micro-influencers on TikTok and Instagram
Cameron Blackwood
There is no official rate card. Two creators with 25k followers can quote $200 and $1,200 for a similar video. Use published ranges as a budget band, then check the actual account.
This guide uses Influencer Marketing Hub's micro influencer rates (updated 7 July 2026) for the dollar figures. Other blogs publish wider bands. Treat all of them as starting points, not invoices.
Micro here means roughly 10k to 100k followers on the platform you are buying. Nano (under 10k) is usually cheaper. Mid-tier (100k+) is usually not.
What brands actually budget
Influencer Marketing Hub's 2026 summary:
| Buy | Typical range they cite |
|---|---|
| Overall, per deliverable | $100 to $2,000+ |
| Instagram feed / static, many micros | $150 to $500 |
| Instagram, 10k–100k, another pass in the same article | $100 to $500 per post |
| TikTok video, 10k–100k | $200 to $800 |
| TikTok campaign (one or more videos) | $500 to $2,000 |
| Lower-end micro post | $150 to $300 |
| Mid-range micro post | $300 to $500+ |
They also note some Instagram benchmarks stretch to $300 to $2,500 when engagement and production are strong, and that a crude formula some people use is $10 to $20 per 1,000 followers, then adjusted for niche and engagement.
Finance, health, and other restricted categories often sit at the top of any band. Lifestyle and food often sit lower. Location, language, and exclusivity move the number too.
What the quote should include
Ask for a line-item, not a lump "collab" fee:
- Deliverable (one TikTok, one Reel, a story set, raw files).
- Revisions and deadline.
- Organic post only versus paid usage (your ads, Spark Ads, whitelisting).
- Exclusivity (no rival in the category for 30 or 90 days).
- Who posts, and whether you can recut.
Usage rights are a second product. Hub lists them as a driver of price. Do not assume a $400 TikTok includes six months of paid ads. If you need ads, say so in the brief and in the first message. See how partnerships work.
Check the quote against the account
Follower count is a weak denominator. A 40k account with dead comments is a worse buy than a 12k account whose last ten videos all clear a few tens of thousands of views.
Before you accept a number:
- Analyze the TikTok or Instagram username.
- Run TikTok CPM or Instagram CPM from a realistic view estimate, not from follower count.
- Check engagement rate and view-to-follower (Instagram equivalents are on the same tools list).
If the fee implies a CPM far above what you would pay in ads for the same views, you are paying for trust and production, which can still be worth it. Just know that is the trade.
A simple way to set a budget
- Decide how many deliverables you need (for example three TikToks).
- Pick a band from the table (for example $200 to $800 each).
- Multiply, then add shipping, product, and usage if you need ads.
- Leave room for one creator who is a better fit and quotes above the midpoint.
Product-only deals happen. Treat them as a test, not as a replacement for a rate when you need a specific video on a date.
Finding people before you talk money
A vague brief produces a vague shortlist, and then every quote feels random. Write product, audience, deliverable, and constraints first. Creator Discovery Agent can search TikTok or Instagram from that text. Free includes one search a month. Plans list the rest.
Related: how to vet micro-influencers before you accept a quote, how to contact micro-influencers for the first DM or email, how to measure influencer marketing ROI once the posts are live, Heepsy vs Microinfluencer if you are comparing discovery tools, and how to find creators for free.