KeeperSide Hustle Index
Add a review
← All hustles
Creator economy

Short-form content (TikTok / Reels)

You make short videos for TikTok, Reels, or Shorts and earn through creator funds, brand deals, and your own products. A good hook matters more than fancy gear.

5.03 reviewsLast review 2 weeks ago
Add a review
Median monthly earnings
$1,500
Middle 50%: $1,500 – $12,500
Effective hourly
$100.00
Earnings over the hours people logged
Hours per week
3 hrs
Median across reviews
Startup cost
Under $100
To get up and running
Time to first $100
3–6 months
From starting out
Monthly expenses
Under $50
To keep it running
Schedule flexibility
Fully on my own terms
Most common answer
Would recommend it
100%
3 of 3 say yes or probably yes
What people make in a month
Gross earnings people entered themselves, before expenses and taxes. 3 reviews.
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
Under $100
$100–250
$250–500
$500–1,000
$1,000–2,000
$2,000–3,500
$3,500–5,000
$5,000–10,000
$10,000+
By platform
How many reviewers use each platform. Many people work more than one.
TikTok Shop
1 reviewer
How it scores
Happiness10.0 / 10
Would do it again100%
Schedule flexibility3.7 / 5
Pay predictability2.8 / 5
What surprised people most
Every option reviewers could pick, most common first. 3 reviews.
How much I could earn
3
How much time it takes
1
How difficult it is to get started
1
How little I could earn
0
How difficult it is to find customers or clients
0
Taxes — how much I owe
0
Unexpected expenses
0
How competitive the market is
0
Nothing really surprised me
0
Reviews
Everyone here is anonymous. Nobody sees who wrote what.
· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks ago
Monthly $1,000–2,000Hours 10–20 hrs/moHourly $100.00

I hate social media

· 2–5 years in · 2 weeks ago
Monthly $250–500Hours 10–20 hrs/moHourly $25.00

What advice would you give someone just starting out?: Just be consistent! You do not have to be perfect. I got the best results from consistency instead of over planning. Social media needs authenticity and the more you plan, the less authentic it becomes. Imperfect action over no action wins any day.

TikTok Shop· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks ago
Monthly $10,000+Hours 80–120 hrs/moHourly $125.00

I’m surprised by how much income can come from just making videos from your phone however doing this with a full-time job it’s like having two full-time jobs. However, it is fun to show some creativity when my full-time job has none.

Already doing this?

Most people doing short-form content (tiktok / reels) overpay on taxes — here's the full write-off guide.

🤳 30 Tax Write-Offs for Content Creators

We’ve gathered the best write-offs for content creators all in one place. Now that deserves a like!

Side hustle income means side hustle taxes.
Keeper — the tax app behind this index — finds the write-offs for whatever work you do.
Explore Keeper