We compiled 136 of the top affiliate marketing statistics to give you a data-backed snapshot of the current affiliate marketing landscape and the future trajectory of the industry.
These statistics are derived from our own in-depth affiliate marketing survey, as well as trustworthy external sources.
The list encompasses a wide range of areas, including affiliate revenue, traffic generation, industry trends, niche-specific data, and affiliate marketing best practices.
Top Affiliate Marketing Statistics (Editor’s Pick)
This hand-picked selection of the most intriguing affiliate marketing statistics includes essential information on earnings potential, high-earner strategies, industry insights, and overall sentiment toward affiliate marketing.
- The global affiliate marketing industry is worth over $17 billion.
- The global affiliate marketing industry is expected to grow to a market size of $27.78B by 2027.
- Affiliate marketing is responsible for 16% of all internet orders in the U.S.
- 81% of brands use affiliate programs to boost brand awareness and drive sales.
- 31% of web publishers say affiliate marketing is a top revenue source.
- Major brands get 5% to 25% of their overall online sales from affiliate marketing.
- 20% of brand marketers say affiliate marketing is their most successful channel.
- The 3 most profitable affiliate niches are Education/E-Learning, Travel, and Beauty/Skincare.
- Affiliate marketing is growing at a rate of 10% year-over-year.
- The average affiliate marketer earns $8,038 per month.
- 78.3% of affiliate marketers use SEO as a primary traffic source.
- 83.1% of affiliate marketers are optimistic about the future of affiliate marketing.
Global Affiliate Marketing Industry Overview & Growth
Despite the rapid changes brought on by AI, the affiliate marketing industry is booming. The value of the global industry is at an all-time high and is projected to increase substantially in the near future. Companies and investors continue to value and prioritize affiliate marketing.
- The global affiliate marketing industry is worth over $17 billion.
- The global affiliate marketing industry is expected to grow to a market size of $27.78B by 2027.
- The global affiliate marketing industry is expected to increase by 63% in the next 4 years.
- America is the dominant sector, with a 39% stake in the worldwide affiliate marketing sector.
- Affiliate marketing is responsible for 16% of all internet orders in the U.S.
- Affiliate marketing is growing at a rate of 10% year-over-year.
- Amazon made $1.28 billion in revenue through affiliate programs in Q1 2023.
- Yearly affiliate marketing revenue of up to 20% is reported by 65% of retailers.
- Google searches for “affiliate marketing” have quadrupled since 2020.
- 81% of brands use affiliate programs to boost brand awareness and drive sales.
- Affiliate programs are the most important client acquisition method for 40% of US firms.
- A whopping 94% of publications utilize numerous affiliate marketing programs.
- Over $1 billion in revenue is generated by the top coupon affiliate websites.
- 20% of brand marketers say affiliate marketing is their most successful channel.
- Major brands get 5% to 25% of their overall online sales from affiliate marketing.
- Affiliate marketing links receive over 5 billion clicks per year.
- Affiliate marketing companies have received over $1.5 billion in funding from investors.
- Brands who use affiliate marketing get an average ROI of $15 for every dollar spent, which equates to a 1400% return.
- 44% of brands use first-interaction attribution for affiliate marketing campaigns.
Sources: Proficient Market Insights, Uniqodo, Streamline, Amazon, BloggingX, Google Trends, Mediakix, Backlinko, Affise, Statista, Pepperjam, Aspire, Zippia, Crunchbase, Digiday x AWIN, Impact
Affiliate Marketing Revenue & Earning Potential
Affiliate marketing remains a lucrative way to make money online. With the average affiliate marketer making over $8,000 monthly and experienced marketers making nearly 10x more than beginners, there’s a lot of potential for those willing to stick with it and learn the ropes.
- The average affiliate marketer earns $8,038 per month.
- Affiliate marketers with 3+ years of experience earn 9.45x more than beginners.
- The average affiliate website RPM is $149.76.
- 69.4% of affiliate marketing websites use ads as an extra monetization channel.
- 82% of websites earning 6+ figures annually monetize with both display ads and affiliate products.
- 42.9% of marketers say affiliate marketing brings more revenue than ad monetization.
- 31% of web publishers say affiliate marketing is a top revenue source.
Sources: Authority Hacker, eMarketer
Affiliate Networks & Platforms
Amazon remains the most popular network, but a wide array of other networks are gaining ground. There’s plenty of room for all of them though, as successful affiliate marketers utilize at least 3 networks to drive revenue.
- Amazon Associates is the most popular affiliate network, with 58.5% of affiliate marketers using it.
- High-earning affiliate marketers ($10k+/month) use 3.03 affiliate networks on average.
- 24.6% of affiliate marketers use the Clickbank affiliate network.
- 21.8% of affiliate marketers use the ShareASale affiliate network.
- 20.5% of affiliate marketers use the CJ affiliate network.
- 15.7% of affiliate marketers use the Impact affiliate network.
- 11.7% of affiliate marketers use the Awin affiliate network.
- 46.6% of affiliate marketers have no preference between affiliate networks vs. in-house programs.
- 24.46% of affiliate marketers locate affiliate programs on the merchant’s website.
- 99% of affiliate programs offer a CPA payment model.
- In the United States, 71% of affiliate publishers operate with three or more networks.
- There are 11,400 affiliate programs in the United States.
- B2C affiliate programs account for 59.32% of all affiliate programs used by marketers.
- 48.9% of affiliate marketing programs pay a flat rate.
- 42.4% of affiliate marketing programs pay affiliates a percentage of sales.
Sources: Authority Hacker, Cleverbridge, Forrester, Zippia, Wonder
Affiliate Niche-Specific Insights
The most competitive niches tend to be the most profitable, with Education/E-Learning, Travel, and Beauty/Skincare leading the way. If you’re considering entering a competitive niche, know that your efforts will likely be rewarded for the increased competition.
SaaS products seem to pay the highest commissions, and the Toy and Home & Garden niches are surging in popularity.
- The 3 most profitable niches are Education/E-Learning, Travel, and Beauty/Skincare.
- Affiliate marketers in the education and eLearning niche earn an average monthly income of $15,551.
- Affiliate marketers in the travel niche earn an average monthly income of $13,847.
- Affiliate marketers in the beauty and skincare niche earn an average monthly income of $12,475.
- Affiliate marketers in the finance niche earn an average monthly income of $9,296.
- Affiliate marketers in the technology niche earn an average monthly income of $7,418.
- Affiliate marketers in the digital marketing niche earn an average monthly income of $7,217.
- Affiliate marketers in the health & fitness niche earn an average monthly income of $7,194.
- Affiliate marketers in the e-commerce niche earn an average monthly income of $5,967.
- Affiliate marketers in the home & garden niche earn an average monthly income of $5,095.
- Affiliate marketers in the sports & outdoors niche earn an average monthly income of $4,849.
- Affiliate marketers in the entertainment niche earn an average monthly income of $4,416.
- Affiliate marketers in the food & nutrition niche earn an average monthly income of $3,015.
- Affiliate marketers in the fashion niche earn an average monthly income of $2,049.
- Affiliate marketers in the personal development niche earn an average monthly income of $1,566.
- Affiliate marketers in the parenting & family niche earn an average monthly income of $1,145.
- Affiliate marketers in the arts & crafts niche earn an average monthly income of $1,041.
- Affiliate marketers in the pets & animals niche earn an average monthly income of $920.
- Affiliate marketers in the sustainability & environment niche earn an average monthly income of $555.
- Around 14% of Instagram affiliate marketers operate in the lifestyle niche.
- Saas-based products pay 20 to 70% commission to their affiliates.
- 19% of affiliate programs are in the fashion industry.
- The toy industry saw a 109% growth in affiliate marketing last year.
- The retail sector generates 43% of affiliate marketing revenue.
- The home and garden industry is the fastest-growing industry, with 209.72% growth year-over-year.
- The beauty industry is the slowest-growing industry, with 17.24% growth year-over-year.
Sources: Authority Hacker, Knometrix, eMarketer, Refersion
Trending Technologies & Strategies
As we confirmed in our AI survey, marketers are incorporating AI tools into many aspects of their affiliate marketing business – including content creation.
Among other affiliate marketing trends, blogging remains the most popular way to promote affiliate products, and a minority of marketers are leveraging video content.
- 79.3% of affiliate marketers are embracing AI-driven content creation.
- 79.1% of affiliate marketers use blogging as the main way to promote affiliate offers.
- 19.3% of affiliate marketers create video content for affiliate product promotions.
- Since the COVID-19 outbreak, 65% of chief financial officers planned to increase their investment in affiliate marketing.
Sources: Authority Hacker, AWIN, SaaS Scout, Finances Online
Traffic Acquisition Metrics & Methods
Many affiliate marketers are leveraging SEO and organic social media marketing to drive visitor numbers, with a smaller yet substantial group capitalizing on email marketing. Social media use decreases as marketers gain more experience, indicating it isn’t as lucrative as other traffic sources.
- The average monthly website traffic for affiliate marketers is approximately 56,673 visitors.
- 78.3% of affiliate marketers use SEO as a primary traffic source.
- 35.5% of affiliate marketers use organic social media marketing as a primary traffic source.
- 22.8% of affiliate marketers use email marketing as a primary traffic source.
- Marketers with 6+ years of experience rely 26.7% less on organic social media traffic than beginners.
Sources: Authority Hacker
Social Media Dynamics
Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are the leaders in social media affiliate marketing strategy, with YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn trailing behind. Most marketers are leveraging multiple platforms and don’t have many followers.
- 75.8% of affiliate marketers use Facebook for affiliate product promotions.
- 61.4% of affiliate marketers use Instagram for affiliate marketing.
- 42.2% of affiliate marketers use Pinterest for affiliate marketing.
- 36.9% of affiliate marketers use YouTube videos for affiliate promotions.
- 31.1% of affiliate marketers use Twitter for affiliate marketing.
- 29.6% of affiliate marketers use TikTok for affiliate marketing.
- 19% of affiliate marketers use LinkedIn for affiliate marketing.
- 85.8% of affiliate marketers who use social media to drive traffic have less than 10,000 followers.
- 20.3% of affiliate marketers network with other marketers through social media.
- The average social media affiliate marketer uses 3.02 social platforms at the same time.
Sources: Authority Hacker
Affiliate Marketer Profiles, Demographics, & Team Dynamics
- The average affiliate marketer has 2.8 years of experience.
- 64.4% of affiliate marketers do not socialize with other marketers.
- Affiliate marketers earning $10k+ per month are 1.5x more likely to socialize with other affiliate marketers.
- Affiliate marketers earning $10k+ per month are 7x more likely to attend in-person conferences.
- 77.1% of affiliate marketers are solopreneurs with no team members.
- The average affiliate marketing team size is about 2.3 people.
- Affiliate marketers earning 6+ figures annually have 6.17x more team members.
- Males make up 54% of affiliate marketers, while female affiliates make up 43%.
- More than 75% of affiliate marketing managers are female.
- People within the 35 to 44 age group make up 32% of the total affiliate marketing industry.
- 57% of affiliate marketers are situated in the United States, 10% in Canada, and 2% in India.
Sources: Authority Hacker, Statista
Performance Metrics & Challenges
Generating traffic is the top challenge for affiliate marketers, though only ¼ have been negatively impacted by a search algorithm update. Among those who have been negatively impacted, changing content strategy was the most popular response.
Traffic and search algorithm updates aren’t easy to deal with. Know that if you’ve ever considered quitting affiliate marketing, you’re not alone. Nearly a third of high-earners have considered giving it up at some point in their careers.
- 45.3% of affiliate marketers say getting traffic is their biggest challenge.
- Only 25.1% of affiliate marketers have been negatively impacted by search algorithm updates.
- 47.4% of affiliate marketers who have been negatively affected by algorithm updates changed their content strategy.
- 31.3% of affiliate marketers earning 6+ figures annually considered giving up affiliate marketing at some point.
- 26.9% of marketers report inadequate support from affiliate managers as a major challenge.
- 83.1% of affiliate marketers are optimistic about the future of affiliate marketing.
- 63% of marketers are concerned about affiliate marketing fraud.
- Affiliate marketing conversion rate averages about 0.5% to 1%.
Sources: Authority Hacker, AWIN
Best Practices
If you’re looking for the best affiliate marketing tactics, our survey data indicates that you should be choosing products based on current trends, leveraging email marketing, taking affiliate marketing courses, and diversifying your traffic.
- Trend-based product selection earns 47.16% more than choosing based on commissions or personal experience.
- 35.1% of affiliate marketers choose products based on personal interest and experience.
- 25.1% of affiliate marketers choose products based on commission rates.
- 63.9% of affiliate marketers promote physical products and services.
- 51.9% of affiliate marketers promote digital products and services.
- 75.5% of affiliate marketers find that time-sensitive promotions have little to no impact.
- Affiliate marketers who use email marketing earn 66.4% more than those who don’t.
- Experienced affiliate marketers are using email marketing 47.8% more than beginners.
- 66% of affiliate marketers earning $10,000+ per month have taken affiliate marketing courses.
- Beginners (less than 3 years of experience) who take affiliate marketing courses earn 57.7% more than those who don’t.
- High-earning affiliate marketers ($10k+/month) diversify traffic sources 21.56% more than average.
- 64.8% of marketers use Google Analytics to track affiliate conversions.
- Affiliate marketing is seen as a critical skill by 40% of digital marketers.
Sources: Authority Hacker
Consumer Behavior & Research
Almost everyone is using the internet to guide their purchase decisions, and most of those online consumers visit affiliate websites before making a purchase.
Influencers have immense sway over consumer decisions, and those who use video have an advantage over those who don’t.
- Prior to making a purchase, 74% of U.S. internet consumers visit numerous affiliate websites.
- Mobile devices account for 50% of affiliate-related traffic.
- 87% of U.S. consumers now start their shopping experience online with product searches.
- 81% of customers use online research methods like Google before purchasing a product.
- 88% of consumers have been inspired to buy something by an influencer.
- 64% of consumers prefer videos when interacting with influencer content
Sources: CyberCash Worldwide, CallHippo, Zippia, IAB
Conclusion
Industry data and general sentiment suggest that affiliate marketing will grow significantly in the years to come.
While the explosion of AI will force marketers to adapt and stay relevant, tech-savvy and willing to learn have a golden opportunity to rise to the top of this lucrative industry.
FAQs
Affiliate marketers get a successful conversion rate of 0.5% to 1% per visitor. However, this is a rough estimate, and our data shows that conversion rate increases as affiliate marketers gain more experience.
The growth rate of affiliate marketing is approximately 10% year-over-year. This trend is expected to continue with a forecasted market size of $27.78 billion by 2027 – a 63% increase over the current size of $17 billion.
Brands who use affiliate marketing get an average return on investment (ROI) of $15 for every dollar spent, which equates to a 1400% return. 20% of brands also say affiliate marketing is their most successful channel, which indicates many companies get a high ROI from this strategy.
You can really make 6 figures with affiliate marketing. The average affiliate marketer earns $8,038 per month, which is slightly under a 6-figure annual income.
The amount that Amazon affiliates make depends largely on their traffic level and niche. While Amazon Associates is a common beginner affiliate marketing program – and beginners usually don’t make much – nearly half of respondents to our affiliate marketing survey making $10,000+ per month reported using theAmazon affiliate program.
