Where marketers earn online
Marketers take freelance SEO, ads and social media work, earn commissions promoting products through affiliate networks, and sell their expertise on calls and courses.
Also for: SEO specialist, social media manager, digital marketer
How marketers earn online
- SEO, paid ads and social media management for clients
- Affiliate commissions from your own sites or audience
- Consulting calls and courses
Tip: Results with numbers, such as traffic or sales you grew, sell marketing work better than certificates.
What marketers earn in the US
- Median pay a year
- $78,760
- Median pay an hour
- $37.87
- Range (10th to 90th percentile)
- $43K–$155K
- Employed in the US
- 899,600
US employees in the closest official occupation (SOC 13-1161), from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Freelance rates online vary widely by country, experience and platform, so treat this as a benchmark for what the work is worth, not what a platform will pay.
The top 12 platforms for marketers, compared
| Platform | Type | Fees | Pays via | Who can join |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rakuten Advertising |
Affiliate network | Free to join, advertiser-set commissions | Direct deposit, PayPal | Worldwide |
 CJ Affiliate |
Affiliate network | Free for publishers, advertiser-set commissions | Direct deposit, Payoneer | Worldwide |
 Amazon Associates |
Affiliate program | Commissions up to 10% by category | Bank transfer, Gift cards, Check | Per-country programs worldwide |
 Digistore24 |
Affiliate network | Vendors 7.9% + $1 per sale, affiliates free | Bank/SEPA, wire, PayPal | Worldwide |
 eBay Partner Network |
Affiliate program | 1-4% commission by category | Direct deposit, PayPal | Worldwide |
 FlexOffers |
Affiliate network | Advertiser-set commissions | Bank transfer, PayPal | Worldwide |
 Awin |
Affiliate network | Free to join for publishers, commissions are paid by advertisers | Bank transfer | Worldwide |
 ClickBank |
Affiliate marketplace | Commissions often 50%-75% on digital products | Direct deposit, Check, Payoneer | Worldwide |
 PartnerStack |
SaaS affiliate network | Recurring commissions on SaaS subscriptions | PayPal, Stripe | Worldwide |
 Skimlinks |
Affiliate aggregator | Publisher keeps 75% | Bank transfer, PayPal | Worldwide except Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria |
 impact.com |
Partnership platform | Free for partners, brand-set commissions | Bank transfer, PayPal | Worldwide |
 Upwork |
Freelance marketplace | 0-15% variable service fee per contract (5% on Direct Contracts, 0% with Freelancer Plus) | Direct to Local Bank, PayPal, Payoneer, Direct to U.S. Bank, Wire transfer, M-Pesa, Instant Pay (US) | Worldwide except Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Russia |
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Affiliate networks
11 for marketers
Rakuten AdvertisingThe affiliate network descended from LinkShare, connecting publishers with premium retail brands worldwide.
Fees Free to join, advertiser-set commissionsrakutenadvertising.comCJ AffiliateOne of the oldest and largest affiliate networks (formerly Commission Junction), home to thousands of major retail and travel brands.
Fees Free for publishers, advertiser-set commissionscj.comAmazon AssociatesThe world largest affiliate program - link to any Amazon product and earn commissions up to 10% by category. Open sign-up with a simple sales requirement to stay active.
Fees Commissions up to 10% by categoryaffiliate-program.amazon.comDigistore24A European affiliate marketplace where partners earn commissions on digital products.
Fees Vendors 7.9% + $1 per sale, affiliates freedigistore24.comeBay Partner NetworkeBay official affiliate program, paying a share of eBay revenue when your links drive purchases across its marketplace.
Fees 1-4% commission by categorypartnernetwork.ebay.comFlexOffersAn affiliate network aggregating thousands of advertiser programs across retail, finance, and travel, with publisher-friendly onboarding.
Fees Advertiser-set commissionsflexoffers.comAwinA global affiliate network of 9,500+ advertisers that absorbed ShareASale in 2025, uniting both into one platform. Publishers can join for free.
Fees Free to join for publishers, commissions are paid by advertisersawin.comClickBankA marketplace for digital and direct-response products with famously high commissions - often 50% to 75% per sale.
Fees Commissions often 50%-75% on digital productsclickbank.comPartnerStackThe affiliate network for SaaS - promote software products with recurring commissions on subscriptions.
Fees Recurring commissions on SaaS subscriptionspartnerstack.comSkimlinksA content monetization tool that automatically turns product links into affiliate links across 48,000+ merchants. Part of Taboola.
Fees Publisher keeps 75%skimlinks.comimpact.comA partnership management platform where creators and publishers join the marketplace to work with thousands of brands on affiliate terms.
Fees Free for partners, brand-set commissionsimpact.comFreelance sites
8 for marketers
UpworkOne of the largest freelance marketplaces in the world, covering everything from development and design to writing, marketing, and admin support. Clients post jobs and freelancers submit proposals, with hourly and fixed-…
Fees 0-15% variable service fee per contract (5% on Direct Contracts, 0% with Freelancer Plus)upwork.com
FiverrA gig-based marketplace where freelancers package their services as fixed-price offers that clients can buy instantly. Strong for creative and digital services like logo design, video editing, voice over, and quick devel…
Fees 20% seller commissionfiverr.com
PeoplePerHourPeople Per Hour Limited is a British online freelance marketplace that connects businesses with freelance professionals for project-based and hourly work. It is headquartered in London and has an additional office in Ath…
Fees Tiered, 20% down to 3.5% per clientpeopleperhour.com
ZhubajieOne of China largest crowdsourcing service marketplaces (ZBJ) spanning design, development, and marketing.
Fees 0% commission, monetizes via membershipszbj.com
ContraA commission-free platform where independent workers showcase portfolios, sell services, and get hired for flexible work. Freelancers keep 100% of what they earn.
Fees 0% commission for freelancerscontra.com
WorkanaThe leading freelance marketplace for Latin America, connecting Spanish and Portuguese speaking freelancers with clients across the region. Freelancers bid on projects across tech, design, and marketing.
Fees Tiered commissionworkana.com
SribuAn Indonesian marketplace for design, content, and digital marketing services. Clients run design contests or hire freelancers directly in Bahasa Indonesia.
Fees 10% commission on services (20% contests)sribu.com
HoofdkraanSelf-employed freelancers bid on Dutch marketing, web, content, and bookkeeping projects.
Fees No commission, subscription from EUR 24.95/mohoofdkraan.nlRemote job boards
7 for marketers
JobspressoA curated remote job board listing roles in tech, marketing, support and operations, with location limits shown on each listing.
Fees No job-seeker fee listedjobspresso.co
JustRemoteA curated remote job board across development, design, marketing, and support.
Fees Free for job seekers, optional paid Power Searchjustremote.co
CryptoJobsListA crypto, blockchain and Web3 job board listing remote and on-site roles at crypto startups, with applications through a simple web form.
Fees Free for job seekerscryptojobslist.com
EU Remote JobsA remote job board focused on roles in European time zones, covering engineering, support, sales, marketing, finance and HR jobs.
Fees No job-seeker fee listedeuremotejobs.com
Built InA tech job board listing startup and tech company roles in the US and worldwide, with a filter for fully remote jobs.
Fees No job-seeker fee listedbuiltin.com
JobicyA remote job board with manually reviewed listings in engineering, marketing, design, support, finance and data, free for job seekers.
Fees Free for job seekersjobicy.com
We Work RemotelyOne of the largest remote-only job boards, listing programming, design, marketing, and support roles since 2013.
Fees Free for job seekersweworkremotely.comCreator merch platforms
3 for marketers
ViralstyleA US print-on-demand platform for launching custom-product campaigns with built-in marketing - you set prices above base cost and keep the margin.
Fees Keep everything above base costviralstyle.com
SpringA campaign and creator-merch platform (formerly Teespring) for selling custom shirts and merch. Note - creators have reported major payout delays through 2025 and 2026, so check current reliability first.
Fees Keep profit above base costspri.ng
BonfireLaunch t-shirt campaigns with no upfront cost - popular for fundraisers and communities, you set the price above base cost and keep the difference.
Fees No upfront cost - you keep the margin above base pricebonfire.comMentorship platforms
1 for marketers
GrowthMentorLive shopping platforms
1 for marketers
TikTok Shop