One in three US teens under the age of 18 have been approached by a brand to sponsor a product through their social media or know someone who has, a study has found.

Additionally, more than one in five (23%) US teens under the legal working age of 16 have been approached by brands for sponsorship opportunities.

The study found that nearly half a million (486,101) US teens earned $1,000 or more in brand-sponsored social media earnings in 2024.

To explore the scale of teen earnings through digital channels in the US, Whop, the all-in-one platform for digital products, gathered survey data from US teenagers aged between 12-18 years old to produce the US teen digital earnings report 2024. The findings show that teenagers in the US are capitalising on their digital presence and turning screen time into serious income.

Findings show that nearly one in three (31%) US teens believe brand sponsorships through social media are realistic methods of making money online.

A further 28% of teens believe product review videos are a realistic way of making money online. Over 1 in 5 (22%) teens believe viewer earnings from social media are a good money-making method.

How much are students making in brand-sponsored social media posts?

Two in five (42%) teenagers in the US are actively earning money online, an average of $717.62 was made by teens through online activity in the last year. Meanwhile, just 38% of 16-19 year olds were in employment or searching for a job in May 2024.

Those in the youngest age bracket below the legal working age, at 12-15 years old, earn $560.99 on average every year online. While those of legal working age (16-18 years old) earn $908.94 in an average year.

The data shows that there are entrepreneurial teenagers going even further than this. Approximately one student in every high school, around 40,000 US teenagers, earns $10,000 or more each year via their digital channels.

Operating online has given teenagers a platform to leapfrog the traditional roles to become their own boss, highlighting a whole digital economy that US teenagers are at the forefront of.

Cameron Zoub, CGO and co-founder of Whop, said: “The way people make a living is changing — Gen Alpha and Gen Z’s entrepreneurial mindset alone is proof of that. They aren’t mindlessly scrolling as some would have you believe. They’re building their networks, meaningfully engaging with brands, and creating their own path to financial freedom.

“Our findings are clear: younger generations are hungry for opportunities to make money online. It’s a sign of the times, and what more is to come.”

The research gathered insights from 1,655 respondents across the USA aged between 12-18 years old from August 7 2024 until December 7 2024.

Respondents were asked whether they earned money through online activity over the previous six months and, if any, the amount earned. Activity encompassed in online activity include social media activity & personal branding, gaming/consoles, clothing resale and live streaming.