Average South Korean YouTuber earnings jump 25% in 4 years to US$49,000 annually

Income earned by single-person media creators such as YouTubers in South Korea has risen by more than 25 per cent over the past four years, surpassing 70 million won (US$49,000) annually on average, while the top 1 per cent made nearly 1.3 billion won each, highlighting stark income polarisation, data showed on Monday.According to Park Sung-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party, YouTubers reported combined earnings of 2.47 trillion won – averaging around 71 million won per person – in 2024. These figures cover income reported by taxpayers registered as single-person media content producers.The number of YouTubers filing tax returns jumped from 9,449 in 2020 to 34,806 in 2024, while average income rose 25.6 per cent from 56.51 million won.Growth accelerated after a surge in political broadcasts following the declaration of martial law in December 2024, intensifying competition and prompting calls for stricter tax oversight.South Korean singer Kim Jong-kook draws millions to his YouTube account, Gym Jong Kook. Photo: Instagram/kjk76Based on the 2024 income data, the top 1 per cent – 348 creators – earned a combined 450.1 billion won, averaging 1.29 billion won each, up about 70 per cent from 2020. Furthermore, the top 10 per cent reported total earnings of 1.15 trillion won, averaging 333 million won per person.