While there are millions of bloggers online, there are a certain amount who actually make a full-time living from their blog. The most successful bloggers make upwards of $40,000 a month – crazy? Sure is! Impossible? Not at all.
However, turning blogging into a full time gig takes a lot of work, dedication, and patience. If you’re looking to take your blogging to the next financial tier but are lacking motivation, look no further – we’re put together a list of the 16 highest paid bloggers for you to be inspired by.
Disclaimer: We of course haven’t mentioned ALL of the bloggers that could be on this list. There are many bloggers we are missing out on, but here are some of the highest paid bloggers regardless.
16 Highest Paid Bloggers and Vloggers Earning $30,000+ Per Month
1. Grav3yardgirl – $32,000
Rachel “Bunny” Meyer – AKA Grav3yardgirl –, based out of Pearland, Texas, started her YouTube channel in December 2010.The channel started with primarily personal videos consisting of paranormal encounters and experiences and visits to the local graveyard. Eventually, her vlogs transitioned into general lifestyle content including makeup and fashion. A notable series on her growing channel, known as “Does This Thing Really Work?”, boosted her channel’s popularity. After gaining a considerable following, she gave her channel’s followers the name “Swamp Family”. As of May 2019, her channel had roughly 8.6 million dedicated subscribers.
In 2016, in addition to her frequent vlogs and videos, Grav3yardgirl launched her own cosmetics line. It was sold at major retailers such as Ulta, Sephora, and Macy’s, and was called Swamp Queen. The collection, as small as it was (containing only an eye shadow palette and two lipsticks) did well and earned her a considerable amount of cash.
2. Laura In The Kitchen – $35,000
Laura In the Kitchen, a popular food-related blog, is hosted by Laura Vitale. An Italian-American home-chef and content creator, Vitale runs both a YouTube channel and blog where she shares recipes and food related content. Her YouTube channel came about in 2010 and quickly gained momentum.
She has appeared on a number of popular television shows including The Wendy Williams Show, Steve Harvey, and the Rachel Ray Show. She stars on The Cooking Channel’s hit TV show Simply Laura.
3. JohnnyFD.com – $39,000
With an extensive travel history and passion for passive income, California native Johnny FD is a location independent entrepreneur. He has spent time in Thailand working as a professional fighter and scuba instructor and has graced the cover of Forbes, Business Insider, and England’s Top i100 List. He has written a guest post in Information Denmark, a Danish magazine, as well.
Somehow during his busy adult life he managed to write two successful books: 12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap, and Life Changes Quick: Simple Tips to Getting Rich, Fit, and Even Find Love. In addition to his books, he also regularly writes on his blog which focuses on passive income, travel, and overall lifestyle success, and hosts a podcast.
4. Just A Girl and Her Blog – $41,000
Just A Girl and Her Blog is the creation of Abby Lawson, breaking onto the scene in 2013. Today, both Abby and her husband contribute to the blog, which has become a family business ordeal and primary source of income. On the blog, the couple write about productivity and organization. They also share creative projects and tips and tricks for decorating.
On the blog, readers can purchase ebooks, printables, and various courses that delve into the information shared on the blog.
5. Dooce – $50,000
Doubling as “Dooce”, Heather Armstrong is the owner and operator of the blog Dooce. She was raised as a member of the LDS church and obtained a college degree in English in 1997. Heather broke away from her church and moved to LA, where she was married and then, after a few years, begin her blog in 2001.
Today, she writes posts focusing on self-care and lifestyle. She shares her personal life, goals, and daily routines on her blog, which is something her readers enjoy. In addition to sharing her personal thoughts, she writes in a way that is easy to connect with and doesn’t shy away from using minimally frowned-upon language and adult humor.
She runs a podcast and has authored a book, The Valedictorian of Being Dead. Her book is available in print and as an audiobook.
6. Ryan Robinson – $50, 000
Ryan Robinson, who can be found on ryrob.com, runs a successful personal finance blog. His content is geared towards those who want to make money online and who are open to the idea of having a side hustle. Most of his income comes from affiliate earnings, while the rest is sourced from his personal online courses.
Where many bloggers do their best to ensure that their online image is squeaky clean, Robinson doesn’t worry about it. In fact, he has said many times that “he isn’t a business expert or guru”. He is simply sharing what works for him and focuses on his three skills, which he calls “superpowers”.
7. Zoella – $62,000
Created in 2009 by British blogger Zoe Sugg, Zoella is a creative beauty, lifestyle, and fashion blog that has two incredibly successful companion YouTube channels. The first channel is geared towards reviews, fashion, beauty, and “Favorites” videos. The second, features primarily personal vlogs that showcase her daily life.
Over the years she has collaborated with an array of influential creators. She has also joined the Style Haul network and published a novel. The novel, called Girl Online, dropped in 2014 as part of a two book deal with Penguin. In addition, she has also launched a line of beauty products, a line of house ware products, and a line of licensed merchandise repping her channel, blog, and followers. Partnering with Emma Chapman and Elsie Larson, Sugg launched the photography app Filmm, and with Alfie Deyes she started the Brighton-based agency, A to Z Creatives.
8. Slash Gear – $80,000
SlashGear is a consumer tech site and blog that is owned and operated by Ewdison Then. Then, a self-proclaimed techie and entrepreneur, takes pride in educating readers about all things computer and technology related. He occasionally also throws in a healthy dose of car related content. Most of his content comes in the form of reviews, buyer’s guides, and opinion works.
SlashGear has a prominent presence on Facebook, too. On the site, Then is fairly active, updating frequently and engaging with fans. Then typically posts anywhere from 3-8 posts per day, which is pure dedication and super impressive in our books.
9. The Busy Budgeter – $86,000
Rosemarie Groner is the mind behind The Busy Budgeter, a personal finance blog with a large following and tons of useful information. Before finding success as a blogger, Groner was a busy working mom who suffered from the effects of stress. Her blog, according to her, was her saving grace. On this blog, she shares tips and tricks as well as personal experience relating to saving money around the house. She also writes about making an income through blogging.
Groner has a variety of products up for grabs on her website. These include printable templates for organization, workbooks, and various planners. She has been featured on Forbes, FOX Business, County Living, and Rockstar Finance.
10. Pinch of Yum – $90,000
Operated out of Saint Paul, MN, Pinch of Yum is ran by Lindsay and her husband, Bjork. Lindsay is a former fourth-grade teacher turned head blogger, while Bjork runs the Food Blogger Pro podcast and contributes the Pinch of Yum whenever he can. Pinch of Yum, as it stands today, is a hub for great recipes and travel articles, all of which are created and shared by the creative minds behind the blog.
Pinch of Yum can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as the blog and website. Tools and cooking equipment used by the blog can be purchased online through the web shop.
11. Gothamist – $110,000
Gothamist was launched in 2003 by Jen Chung and Jake Dobkin. It was originally a New York City based lifestyle and news blog, but since its establishment, has blossomed to have eight locations across the US, Canada, UK, and China.
The blog features posts on a variety of topics including entertainment, food, and news. The news section, one of the most diverse areas of the blogs, covers everything from political to state-specific news, as well as, of course, news stories local to NYC. Gothamist is unique, accepting content ideas from readers.
12. A Beautiful Mess – $125,000
“Stay home and make something!” is the motto that sister duo and A Beautiful Mess contributors, Emma and Elsie follow. The blog was started in 2007 by Elise, with its intended purpose to be that of a personal blog. A few years later Emma started a food blog. Shortly afterwards, the two blogs were combined.
Currently, the blog has over 6,000 posts. Most of them relate to crafts, DIY, home decor and creativity with a dash of food sprinkled in. Although the blog offers tons of great, free content, A Beautiful Mess also has its own shop that promotes natural, cruelty-free makeup, earth awareness, and positivity.
13. Good Financial Cents – $138,000
Jeff Rose founded Good Financial Cents after obtaining a finance degree and realizing that, despite his college-level education, he had virtually no knowledge of finance. From this discovery, Jeff invested time into his learning and became what many would consider, a master in finances.
Jeff’s blog, which is maintained and updated on a regular basis, aims to teach readers about investing and general finances. He encourages readers to save, enjoy life, and reach financial freedom.
14. It’s A Lovely Life – $170,000
It’s A Lovely Life, ran by Heather Delaney Reese and her little family, was started in early 2014 as a personal blog. Soon, though, the entire family (husband, wife, and three children) was in on the action, creating and contributing to the blog, which is ran out of sunny California.
It’s A Lovely Life focuses on family adventure, travel, and everyday life, as well as online business success. Each member of the family has their own blog responsibilities, giving the blog healthy doses of unique personality in each post.
15. Entrepreneurs on Fire – $195,000
John Lee Dumas – or, as he likes to be called, JLD, is the creator of Entrepreneurs on Fire. Entrepreneurs on Fire is both a successful podcast and blog, that centers around entrepreneurship and creating the life one wants for himself. JLD has gained relevant knowledge and experience through his dedication and hard work. Before the blog, he worked as an active duty army officer, went to law school, and dabbled in corporate finance.
Today, he and his wife travel the world, make money, and strive to help others through the blog and podcast. In addition, they take every opportunity to help those less fortunate and have worked with charities such as Pencils of Promise.
16. The Blonde Salad – $200,000
Curated and managed by Italian blogger Chiara Ferragni, The Blonde Salad is a popular, modern fashion and lifestyle blog with a healthy amount of reliability and a touch of sass to keep things interesting. The blog was founded in 2009 and by 2013, Ferragni was named as one of BOF’s top 500 personalities shaping the fashion industry.
Today, the blog is both a blog and an eCommerce hub, selling a variety of fashionable items and staying stocked up with the latest styles. The blog is also associated with an Instagram and Facebook account, both of which have millions of followers and dedicated fans.
Conclusion
When you consider how much these bloggers make, it makes the idea of starting up a blog sound pretty tempting, doesn’t it? Regardless of whether it does or does not sound appealing, it’s easy to see that the bloggers mentioned above have found great success, which is something that we all strive for.
