The fifth edition of the "Creators & Business" report, conducted by the Brunch agency in partnership with the YOUPIX consultancy, highlighted gender inequality regarding remuneration in the influencer marketing market. According to the survey, women are the majority in the influencer profession, representing 70.73% of respondents, while men account for only 24.93%. The other 3.52% are composed of transgender people, gender fluid, non-binary, and those who preferred not to answer.
Although they occupy a large choir, the highest salaries in the profession are in their hands, and the lowest are in theirs. According to the survey, the percentage of women earning up to R$ 2,000 in monthly income is 21.46%, almost double the average for men (12.60%). Among those earning between R$ 2,000 and R$ 5,000, women are also the majority, representing 31.42% of the total, while men account for 28.40%.
The slices start to invert from the larger monthly incomes. Above R$ 5,000, for example, men occupy the majority, with 33.70%, compared to 27.59% of women. Between R$ 10,000 and R$ 20,000, they also have a slight advantage with 15.8%, compared to the 14.18% they represent. Between R$ 20,000 and R$ 50,000, they regain an advantage, but in a very small way, with 4.60% compared to their 4.20%. Above R$ 50,000 and above R$ 100,000, women do not even represent 1% of the total, while men account for 3.2% and 2.1%, respectively.
For Fabio Gonçalves, director of international talent at Viral Nation and an expert in the influencer marketing market, one of the main reasons for this gender inequality is that the segment is still a reflection of our world: “The advertising and influencer market still reflects historical patterns of valuing male work. Many brands see men as authoritative spokespeople in topics such as finance, technology and business, areas that tend to attract campaigns with greater investment. Meanwhile, women, even though they dominate content creation, are often associated with niches considered 'soft', such as fashion and beauty, which, despite having a large reach, do not always receive as high budgets as other categories. In an ideal world, people should consider, in addition to the numbers, the quality of the work and other factors that make up a competent influencer profile, and not their gender”.
Another key factor highlighted by the professional is the difference in negotiation approaches. According to him, many male influencers are encouraged to adopt a more assertive stance when pricing their work, while women may face resistance when claiming higher values. Furthermore, Fabio says that the lack of transparency in pricing influencer work also contributes to this inequality.
“Since the influencer market does not have a fixed price list, many female content creators end up accepting lower payments because they are unaware of how much they could charge. This reinforces a cycle in which they continue to be paid less than men, even when they have similar or even higher engagement and reach,” she explains.
Finally, Gonçalves states, as a market agent, that talent, engagement, impact, and connection with the audience are the true differentiators of an influencer, regardless of gender. At Viral Nation, we work to ensure that opportunities and negotiations are fair and based on content quality and results delivery. Our commitment is to break down barriers and promote a more transparent and equitable market, where all content creators receive the proper recognition and appreciation for their work, regardless of their gender.
METHODOLOGY
The survey, carried out by the Brunch agency and the YOUPIX consultancy, had 369 valid responses from creators across the country, in a questionnaire carried out from August 13 to September 23, 2024.
