Today, we’re going to shock you with the incomes of some of the highest paid bloggers on the internet and show you that blogging can be a serious business.
And maybe you, too, will become the next blogger on that list!
What is even more insane is that some of the big companies their CEOs earn less than some of the people who blog on the internet. So, if you never thought you’d make a CEO’s salary, think again.
We’re going to show you 20 of the highest paid bloggers who make a lot of money in all kinds of niches.
A lot of bloggers are not on the list. The reason is simple: not all bloggers share information about their earnings, and for good reason. And yes, there are a lot of income bloggers with six or seven figures who don’t publish their incomes, so there is no way to know exactly what they earn, so they can include them in this list.
How do these bloggers make a living?
There are a few patterns you may notice with the earnings of our fellow bloggers on this list. There are actually only six different ways to earn most of their money.
Here’s a short list of terms at the beginning so you know what I’m talking about in the article below.
- Affiliate Marketing, Where you send your readers to other people’s products and get a percentage of the sale. Affiliate commissions from software publishers are the most popular among successful blogs.
- Advertising , Ads placed on your blog.
- Sponsored Articles , Where companies pay you to publish something specific on your blog.
- Sell digital products (courses and e-books) , Create a unique course or e-book on a topic and sell this information to your readers.
- Sell physical products , The only difference from the above is that you are selling something they can physically hold. It could be a health supplement, a t-shirt, etc.
- Selling printable products , This is technically still a digital product, but you can also print them and use them as a physical product (think of newspapers and guides).
This is how the vast majority of bloggers make a living.
1. Yaro Starak, +$40,000/month
Yaro Starak runs Entrepreneurs Journey, a blog designed to help fellow entrepreneurs succeed online.
How he makes his money:
His main source of income comes from the sale of his own digital products, while other revenues include affiliate marketing and advertising.
How he started :
Yaro created his first website on a card game called Magic the Gathering and started earning over $1,000 a month with it. He then launched a blog website about this success.
You’ll also notice that the blog is very Yaro-focused, in a good way. He is on every thumbnail and every post includes an original photo of him.
2. Abby Lawson, +$41,000/month
Abby and Donnie Lawson (her husband) run Just a Girl and Her Blog, which is a popular blog about lifestyle, organization and productivity.
How they make their money :
65% of their revenue comes from affiliate marketing and promotion of products like ConvertKit (email marketing). 35% comes from their own products and services (some digital and printable training).
Our point of view :
This blog is much more lifestyle oriented than many other successful blogs. You see, many lifestyle bloggers don’t end up making money because they provide more entertainment content than education.
What’s impressive about Abby is that she has managed to make her lifestyle blog generate income by educating while entertaining.
3. Darren Rowse , +$40,000/month
Darren Rowse runs the popular blogging authority site, Pro Blogger, where he teaches people how to blog like the pros.
How he makes his money:
Advertising is his main source of income, but he also sells a course on how to create a better blog in 31 days and hosts a small conference called Success Incubator.
Our point of view :
Pro blogger has the style of a blog that has authority and is “polite”. On the home page, Darren wears a suit jacket and everything is presented in a clean and professional manner. This type of approach, along with the domain name, naturally encourages people to trust the messages he delivers.
4. Trevor and Jennifer Debth, +$46,000/month
Trevor and Jennifer own Show Me The Yummy, a popular recipe blog.
How they make their money:
55% of their revenue comes from advertising, sponsored posts and freelance work. 40% comes from their own video training (programs). The remaining 5% comes from affiliate programs.
Our point of view :
They have incredible video content on their Facebook page that is worth watching. I think it’s a combination of these elements and an amazing photograph that sets them apart.
5. Ryan Robinson , +$50,000 /month
Ryan Robinson of ryrob.com owns a blog in the area of personal finance. He talks about making money online and starting a profitable side business.
How he makes his money :
The majority of his money comes from his affiliate’s income, about 90% of his total income. The other 10% comes from his online course sales.
Our point of view :
Ryan Robinson does not pretend to be someone he is not. From the outset, he explains that he is “neither a business expert nor an omniscient guru.
He is good at three things and focuses on those three things he calls his superpowers to grow his income.
6. Steve and Jennifer Chou , +$80,000/month
Steve and Jennifer run the successful blog My Wife Quit Her Job, where they show readers how to make money online with an e-commerce store and other methods.
How they make their money :
Most of it comes from selling their own digital product when they set up a successful e-commerce store. They make the rest from advertising, sponsorships and affiliate marketing.
Our point of view:
A powerful and compelling story. The whole basis for starting their business was that they wanted to have children and Jennifer wanted to quit her job to take care of them. That’s how they created the eCommerce store and blog.
Today, they are both able to work from home and raise their children exactly as they wish.
7. Rosemarie Groner , +86 000 $ / month
Rosemarie Groner is the busy mother at Busy Budgeter, where she writes about money, meal ideas, budgets and all things mom-related.
How she makes money :
She earns about 40% from a mix of sponsored content, affiliates and ads. The lion’s share comes from about 60% of her own products.
Our point of view:
I think Rosemarie has a very good understanding of her audience.
She also obviously understands the crazy power of Pinterest for bloggers, having acquired over 95,000 fans at the time of this publication.
8. Lindsay and Bjork , +$90,000/month
Lindsay and Bjork run two blogs, Pinch of Yum and Food Blogger Pro, where they write recipes and show people how to create their own blog.
How they make their money:
They make 50% of their revenue from advertising, 20% from sponsored items and affiliate marketing, and I would say over 30% from Food Blogger Pro (they don’t report on its revenue).
Our point of view :
I think they were among the first recipe bloggers to disclose their revenues, which has given them a loyal audience. People who followed them for their recipes now also wanted to learn how to create a food blog themselves.
9. Jon Morrow , +$100,000/month
Jon Morrow is the founder of Smart Blogger, where he teaches other bloggers how to succeed.
How he makes his money:
The blog makes most of its money through affiliate marketing products that help bloggers succeed and by selling its own digital courses/products.
Our point of view :
Jon Morrow, the owner, is strapped to a wheelchair and can only feel his face. Yet despite this, he has become a millionaire and has traveled the world with his blogging career.
I also suggest that you check out his other website, Unstoppable, where he talks more about this kind of thing.
10. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner , +100 000 $ / month
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents is the legendary financial blog that helps people earn more and save more.
How she makes money :
Most of her revenue comes from affiliate marketing of other courses and services like Bluehost, but a good portion also comes from selling her own digital products. The rest comes from sponsorships and advertisements placed on her blogs.
Our point of view:
I like to call it “the natural one” in blogging. Michelle is not a “marketer”. Not at all. You’ll find that most of the successful bloggers on this list are incredible marketers posing as bloggers.
The truth is that Michelle is an exceptional blogger. Her audience likes her so much that she makes more money than most marketers without seeming to try. That’s very impressive!
11. Alborz Fallah , +$125,000/month
Alborz is the creator of Car Advice, where he has turned his passion for cars into a successful blog and profitable business.
How he makes his money :
Mainly by advertising and sponsoring with brands.
Our point of view :
Alborz has turned his personal blog project into a huge brand website and one of the most trusted car advice sites in Australia. They now have a team of over 30 people and publish content like crazy.
12. Elisa Larson and Emma Chapman , +$125,000/month
Elisa Larson and Emma Chapman are the creators of A Beautiful Mess, where they blog about everything from crafts to Instagram tips.
How they make their money:
Although there are no clear indicators as to where the majority of their income comes from, they said it is a mix of:
Advertising
Sponsorships with brands
Digital Courses and Training (Photoshop, Blogging, and Instagram Strategy)
Physical products (books, planners, scrapbook material, etc.)
Our point of view :
Their social presence is wow! They’re on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest and even Twitter. It’s impressive.
13. Jeff Rose , +$138,000/month
Jeff Rose’s blog, Good Financial Cents, is a financial blog that teaches people how to get the financial freedom to be smarter with their money.
How he earns his money:
33% of his income comes from a financial planning practice he manages. Another 33% comes from affiliate marketing products and services such as insurance plans. 20% comes from the sale of online courses and digital products. The remaining 14% comes from sponsorships and advertising.
Our point of view :
I think it’s the fact that Jeff runs his own financial planning practice that makes his blog a true expert tip.
14. Heather and Pete Reese, $170,000+ per month
The Reese family runs the blog, It’s A Lovely Life, which is really a great family blog about lifestyle and travel.
How they make their money:
60% comes from sponsored content and affiliate marketing. The remaining 40% comes from selling their own products and courses.
Our point of view :
Another great example of the effectiveness of combining a lifestyle blog with educating your readers on various topics. This combination seems to be powerful enough both for your readers and for making money online.
15. John Lee Dumas , +$195,000/month
John Lee Dumas and his wife run a podcast that has now conducted over 1,900 interviews with successful entrepreneurs such as Tony Robbins, Gary Vee, and more.
How they make their money :
35% of their revenue comes from affiliate marketing – other courses and products like Clickfunnels . 35% comes from sponsorship sales on this podcast. The remaining 30% comes from selling their own products and digital magazines on Amazon.
Our point of view :
They publish podcasts 7 days a week! Yes, you read it right. Every day there is a new podcast with someone.
16. Pat Flynn , $200,000 or more per month
Pat Flynn is a shock blogger helping you create a passive income online at Smart Passive Income.
How he earns his money :
40% of his income historically comes from affiliate marketing of various products and services such as ConvertKit, Bluehost, and other high-priced courses. The other half comes from selling its own products and courses. 10% comes from various other locations.
Our Viewpoint :
It’s the first one in. He’s been in control of the game since 2008, and I think every blogger remembers seeing his revenue reports as a stunning thing. Now everyone in the business does them.
I think the other big factor is his authentic nature. When Pat talks, he sounds like a guy who wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone try to sell you anything you don’t need. I think that’s very helpful when you’re talking about a subject full of crooks. It’s the marketer you can trust.
17. Chiara Ferragni , +$200,000/month (probably much more)
Basically, living every girl’s dream, Chiara launched a personal blog in 2009 and turned it into a massive fashion brand – The Blonde Salad.
Our point of view :
She launched a website that attracts half a million visitors a month. She then turned that into a brand that generates over 15 million in annual revenue.
That’s what you’d call a real boss.
18. Sarah Titus , +$200,000/month
Sarah Titus’s blog sarahtitus.com focuses on everything related to mom’s life and helping moms earn money at home.
How she makes money:
She makes most of her money by selling printables on her online store, and also makes money from affiliate marketing.
Our point of view:
You will notice that she talks about God and her family’s struggle in almost all of her messages. By sharing her religion and her personal life, Sarah creates a deep and intimate bond with her readers. This connection naturally encourages them to support her blog and feel comfortable spending money on it.
19. Melyssa Griffin , +$200,000 / month
Melyssa Griffin is a teacher turned blogger / pro marketing for melyssagriffin.com.
How she makes money:
Most of it comes from selling her own courses as well as high priced courses to others.
Our point of view :
Melyssa is the queen of restlessness. She very frequently launches products on her mailing list. The girl is ON all the time. Subscribe to her mailing list and you’ll know what I’m talking about. She doesn’t play games.
20. Tim Sykes , +$1,000,000 and over per month
Share trader Penny became blogger and Instagramer, timothysykes.com takes our place No1.
How he earns his money :
He earns most of his money by selling DVD courses that teach people how to sell stocks and trading.
Our point of view:
We estimate that the majority of his income comes from his work on social media (his Instagram has more than 1.2 million followers and he is very active in this market).
His personal blog is estimated to bring in $15-20 million a year, so to be safe, we’ve estimated his income at $1 million a month.
7 Proven Ways to Make Money Blogging in 2020
Earning money in a single night via blogs or any other means is certainly not possible. Because of the pandemic and the ongoing lockdown, people are looking for ways to make money while at home, obviously faster than ever. This concept is driving people to blogs; however, blogs have never been a technique for making money faster.
You can create a blog today and leave it after a day because of the same tactics and procedures that can easily annoy anyone, if they have never been in the blog. What I personally have always believed is that blogging is one of those tasks that require your time and patience. Apart from that, blogging is one of the most profitable businesses.
Blogs can take from 6 months to 2 years. It is an incredible secondary option for those who are scrambling 24/7 to make money in a short period of time. Or those who are unemployed due to the CODIV-19 lockdown and have practical blogging skills.
No kidding aside, you can earn up to seven figures in salary a year because blogs are a canonical way to make a lot of money working online. Here are the 7 proven ways to make money through blogging in 2020.
Advice and coaching:
One of the most basic ways to make money is through consultation and coaching. You can slowly improve your skills and then sell your services or one of your software. Here, the most important thing is to find your skills and use them to make money. You can consult companies on an hourly basis, or you can go with logo design. You can also give consultation for writing texts and creating blogs for brands and companies.
Blog announcements:
Another simple way to earn money via blogs is to display advertising spaces. It pays a very small amount in return at the beginning because it’s easy. Online ads can be in the form of banners, buttons, text links and they can be easily fixed in the header or navigation bar. But believe me, because of these ads, people get angry. Using online advertising is not an incredible idea to make money, but PPC, CPC and CPM are always used to win the audience and the money, both!
Sponsored content:
Those who are looking to earn money via blogs, they can go to the sponsored content option. This is when the company pays you a fee to write them an article, either about them or about the services they offer. This helps to engage the relationship between a blogger and an advertiser. You need to recognize the products and companies that match your writing style and passion and get on with it.
Physical products:
If you started the blog right away and don’t want to buy the physical product, you can opt for direct delivery of your products. This also helps to make money in today’s blogs. If you think about what direct delivery is, then here we go. It’s a business model. Here you don’t need inventory and you can run an online store that can include suits, women’s clothing, cosmetics and many others.
Affiliate marketing:
With the help of affiliate marketing and affiliate programs you can help another company to promote and market their business. It is also another way to make money through blogs which is widely used by many bloggers. It uses two main methods; CPL (cost per lead) and CPA (cost per share) which are the best options for novice bloggers.
Digital products:
To make money through blogging, you can also increase your level in your own digital products rather than selling someone else’s products through affiliate marketing. There are 4 types of digital products; eBooks, online courses, virtual summits and software.
Public speaking:
Speaking in public is easier if you are good at speaking. Some well-known speakers charge up to $100,000 for a conference. Being a speaker is not easy either. You have to speak and win over the audience to increase your audience. You can also speak for the topics of your blogs.
Blogging is not an easy task at all. You have to sit in front of the laptop or PC for hours and you can go all day without combing your hair. You can try your luck and get a mix of the 7 ways mentioned. Being dependent on one source is one way to welcome failure, so be passionate if you’re going to start blogging. It will take time but will pay you more than you expect!