Lee Min-hyung joined The Korea Times in 2014 and has worked as a journalist mainly in Korea’s finance, tech and automotive industry. He specializes in content creation, breaking news and in-depth analysis currently on transportation and mobility. You can reach him via mhlee@koreatimes.co.kr.
Average YouTuber income surpasses $52,000
The YouTube logo is displayed on a mobile phone and on a laptop screen, Jan. 23. EPA-Yonhap
By Lee Min-hyung
Top 1% earn about $970,000 annually, highlighting stark income polarization
Income earned by one-person media creators such as YouTubers has risen by more than 25 percent over the past four years, surpassing 70 million won ($52,000) annually on average, while the top 1 percent made nearly 1.3 billion won each, highlighting stark income polarization, data showed Monday.
According to Rep. Park Sung-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party, 34,806 YouTubers reported general income tax in 2024, with combined earnings of 2.47 trillion won — averaging approximately 71 million won per person. These figures cover income reported by taxpayers registered as one-person media content creators or media content producers.
The number of YouTubers filing tax returns jumped from 9,449 in 2020 to over 30,000 in 2024, while average income rose 25.6 percent 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.
Based on 2024 income data, the top 1 percent — 348 creators — earned a combined 450.1 billion won, averaging 1.29 billion won each, up about 70 percent from 2020. Furthermore, the top 10 percent reported total earnings of 1.15 trillion won, averaging 333 million won per person.
By contrast, the bottom 50 percent earned a combined 428.6 billion won, or just 24.63 million won each. Demographically, creators in their 30s generated about half of total income, while those in their 40s recorded the highest average earnings at 86.75 million won.
“Authorities must continuously monitor and thoroughly verify any attempts to conceal income generated on YouTube or evade taxes,” Park said, calling for stronger oversight of harmful content.