Curious if you can make money on Udemy? I researched what successful instructors do and I'm sharing the strategies here.

Is Udemy worth it? It depends on several factors.

Udemy rewards active course creators.

I'll show you real Udemy earnings examples and how instructors achieved success.

Stick around for actionable insights.

What’s the big deal about Udemy?

Here's what makes Udemy special.

• Udemy is a busy marketplace with more than 75,000 course instructors
• It has over 210,000 courses covering almost every topic you can think of
• A community of over 67 million learners
• Has over 900 million course enrollments
• Udemy made $629 million in revenue for 2022

In the next sections, I'll dive into Udemy course earnings, the factors that affect your success, and some real-life stories.

So you'll know whether to publish your course on Udemy or use a robust course creation platform like Kajabi, Podia, or Systeme.

Udemy instructor revenue share explained

Udemy's revenue model for course creators comes down to 2 main streams:

1. The Udemy marketplace model.
2. The Udemy subscription model.

Their revenue share model

• Instructor promotions: You keep 97% of revenue when you drive sales through your own marketing (coupons, referral links).
• Udemy promotions: You get 37% when students find your course through Udemy's platform.

Note: Sales from Android and iOS devices have a 30% charge from Google and Apple.

How Udemy Business revenue share works

Udemy created an "instructor revenue pool" where 20% of Udemy Business' monthly subscription revenue goes to instructors.

Here's the scale: Udemy made $443.1 million in 2023 from Udemy Business subscriptions. That means $88.62 million went to the instructor revenue pool.

Your share depends on how much engagement your courses generated that month.

Udemy calculates engagement based on:

• Video watch time
• Time spent on quizzes, tests, and exercises
• Re-watched content
• Offline viewing on mobile app

If your courses generate 2% of all Udemy Business engagement for the month, you'll receive 2% of the instructor revenue pool.

But there's a catch.

Udemy recently announced changes to its revenue-sharing formula that will impact your earnings.

Udemy will reduce its revenue share for Udemy Business from 20% to 17.5% starting January 2025. From January 2026, it drops to 15%.

How does the Udemy Deals Program fit into all of this?

If you’ve seen massively discounted Udemy courses for a limited time, as much as $9.99, depending on the target market, you may have an idea of what this is all about.

If not yet, the Deal Program in Udemy lets you choose whether the platform should include your courses in its site-wide discount campaigns to boost sales.

How much do Udemy Instructors make on average?

I've gathered some real data on Udemy earnings. The numbers vary wildly.

Udemy instructors earn anywhere from $0/year to over $250,000/year. I'll share actual case studies of what course creators make in the next section.

Some estimates put the average Udemy instructor earnings at $3,306/year.

But here's the thing: "average" doesn't tell you much about what a typical Udemy creator actually makes.

A few years ago, Udemy reported that its top 10 earners had made $17 million combined. Individual earnings ranged between $500,000 and $8 million. That means just one instructor earned more than half of what the top earners made combined.

1. An Udemy instructor can make anywhere between $0 and over $3 million in lifetime earnings. This depends on factors like the number of courses they offer, student enrollments, course quality, engagement, pricing, ratings, and more.
2. The most successful instructors on Udemy haven't just published a good course. They've built a business. Some of the highest-earning Udemy instructors have contracts with Udemy, and their earnings can also come from profits outside the platform.

These examples show you the wide range of what's possible on Udemy.

So I think a more helpful approach is to share some real income reports from actual instructors.

Udemy course creator income reports (with insider tips)

Let me show you what these successful Udemy instructors did to get different levels of success on the platform. You can then apply these lessons to your own online course journey.

Yash Thakker makes $30,000 with 4-hour courses

According to him, Yash launched his first Udemy course in January 2023 without prior experience anywhere else. In the next nine months, he was averaging $2,000/month and by December, he had attracted over 14,000 enrollments and earned $29,554.

He says one of the biggest contributors to his success was that launching multiple courses quickly (as fast as 4 days from 3 weeks) helps. You can read more about his Udemy income reveal here.

Cher Hin Chong's Udemy earnings hits 5-figures with his programming language course

In two years, Cher has earned five figures from his single Python course on Udemy. He launched the 4-hour long course in 2020 and has enrolled 29,000 students and attracted more than 7,300 reviews.

More significantly, his students have rated the course a solid 4.9 out of 5.0. This, he claims, led Udemy Business to pick up his course a year after it was launched, and it has since started making significantly more.

His advice is to create a resourceful course that will earn strong ratings, thereby attracting more students and a slice of the Udemy Business subscriptions pie.

Rob Percival makes over $2 million as Udemy's top instructor

Rob Percival is a former high school math teacher who became one of Udemy's highest-earning instructors.

According to Fortune Magazine, he made more than $2 million since 2014 teaching web development courses.

His success story demonstrates that educators can transition from traditional teaching to building a lucrative online course business.

His programming courses have attracted hundreds of thousands of students, making him one of the platform's most successful instructors.

The lesson?

Your teaching background can be a massive advantage on Udemy.

Students value clear instruction and well-structured courses, skills that professional educators already possess.

Andrea Bizzotto makes $4,250/month from Udemy

Andrea of Code With Andrea, earned an average of $4,250/month from his course between September and December 2020.

He swears by email marketing/newsletters, blogging, and YouTube were some of the methods he used to promote his courses.

Lesson? Building your own audience before selling a Udemy course will help you have a "ready" market when it's time to launch.

Rahul Iyer's 6-figure Udemy income report

Rahul joined Udemy in 2016, hoping to earn a side income to pay off his mortgage of $114,000.

During the previous two years, he had been a cohort-based trainee.

In October 2018, he reached $1.024, up from $11.65 a year earlier, which was the first significant success he describes.

He crossed the $5,000/month threshold in December 2019, more than 2X his full-time salary at the time.

He then went on to blast past $250,000 lifetime earning the following after quitting his 8-5 job.

Lesson: He used to do 12-hour weekends for several years without much in returns, a testament that Udemy success does take time — but can be incredibly reward for your effort.

Alun Hill earns $1,000/day and moves to Malta

Alun Hill created a series of popular Udemy courses, including a meta-course on how to make money on Udemy itself.

His earnings were so substantial that he used the income to relocate to a fortress in Malta.

He reportedly earns around $1,000 per day from his courses, which translates to approximately $30,000 per month in passive income.

His strategy demonstrates the power of creating courses about course creation itself, tapping into the aspirational market of people who want to become instructors.

The takeaway?

Sometimes the best course topic is teaching others how to succeed in your niche. Meta-courses can be incredibly profitable when you have proven results to share.

Joe makes $502,400 on Udemy with 92 courses

Joe's strategy is simple.

He partners with other experts to create more courses and improve their quality. This collaboration also helps him reach new audiences through his partners' networks.

The takeaway?

Working with other experts can boost your course quality and expand your reach on Udemy.

John Thompson reaches $1 million in lifetime earnings

John Thompson hit a major milestone on Udemy by reaching the "2 Comma Club" with over $1 million in lifetime earnings. This puts him in an elite group of Udemy instructors who've crossed the seven-figure mark.

While specific details about his journey aren't fully public, reaching $1 million in lifetime earnings typically needs a mix of multiple high-quality courses, consistent marketing efforts, and strong student ratings maintained over several years.

This case study shows that million-dollar earnings on Udemy are possible. But they need long-term commitment and a portfolio approach to course creation.

The Modern Dude makes $150/month with minimal effort

You don’t have to be Gary Vee, grinding hard to make money on Udemy, though.

Nick Carter explains how he’s made $1,800 from his three Udemy courses without making any more effort into the course, not as much as updating or editing the existing content.

Take a look at the video above to discover how he earns passive income selling courses on Udemy.

Sumner Hobart's part-time Udemy earnings

Sumner Hobart has been teaching on Udemy since 2019 as a part-time instructor, working less than 10 hours per week. His total investment was less than $900 in course creation costs.

In his earnings reveal video, he shares his actual income data from 2019 to 2024. This shows that consistent part-time effort can generate meaningful income on the platform.

His approach?

Create courses once and let them generate passive income with minimal ongoing maintenance.

His strategy proves you don't need to quit your day job or invest thousands of dollars to start earning on Udemy. A part-time commitment with strategic course topics can build sustainable income over time.

Viking Dev makes a splash on launch day

In this video, Mitch Edwards shows what you can achieve by having your own audience via email marketing, social media platforms, and other networks. He earned a respectable $1,134 in November 2021.

That number is far higher than his earnings for the following month, $58 in December. That’s because he’d prepared the sale for launch day, in November, a strategy you do as well.

But if you want a more gradual rise, here’s another example.

Hilal Hakla Udemy earnings reveal

Hilal is an Azure developer who, in 2022, launched a course on Udemy and earned $1,000 within the first six months.

As he shares in the community, he’s learned that achieving more success on Udemy may require launching and selling more courses there, strive towards a subscription-based pricing model, and that Udemy is a long-term game.

Coach Christina's one-year Udemy journey

Coach Christina tracked her first year as a Udemy instructor and shared what she earned and what she learned.

In her Medium article, she gives an honest picture of what new instructors can expect.

Her story shows why you need realistic expectations when you start on Udemy.

Her growth was gradual, not overnight.

She faced challenges building momentum at first and learned how important student feedback really is.

The lesson?

Success on Udemy takes time. Focus on making quality content, getting reviews, and improving based on what students tell you. Don't expect massive earnings right away.

Scott Stockdale makes $500 with 89 students in 2 months

Scott learned from one of the best how to create a Udemy strategy that leads to success. He goes into detail how Louise (Digital Nomad Girl, who’s made $100,000 on Udemy herself) taught him what he used.

You can also listen to the podcast where he chats up Louise in July 2020. He took action, launching his “Outsource to a Virtual Assistant” soon after and made $518 from November to January.

As of February 2024, the course has grown to over 350 students enrolled and 62 ratings (4.6/5.0).

His advice?

Get good ratings early to make Udemy's SEO algorithm show off your courses more and to gain the social proof customers need to convert.

In spite of barely mentioning his course on social media at the time, he also recommends leveraging your network and collaborating with other creators to earn more.

How Lindsay Marsh made $33K in one month before Covid-19

I've focused on courses from before 2020 because that year saw a huge spike in online learning due to lockdowns. I wanted to keep things realistic by showing what's possible under normal conditions.

Just before the pandemic, Lindsay was already pulling in $20,000 a month in 2019. That jumped to a record $33,500 in January 2020.

Her secret?

Launching multiple courses consistently. She aimed to release a new 10-hour course every 6 to 8 weeks.

Here's what else she does: One big promo every month where all her courses go for $9.99.

She hosts live streams, creates intermediate courses to upsell her main ones, and uses her Facebook community to boost engagement and drive repeat sales.

What factors influence how much Udemy instructors make?

Market supply-demand dynamics

Your success on Udemy hinges on understanding the market supply and demand. Luckily, Udemy’s Marketplace Insight tool can be your crystal ball.

It gives you a peek into demand, supply, pricing, and potential revenue for various course categories.

Here's a peek at insights on the demand/supply in the personal productivity niche:

The tools offer insights such as related course topics learners are searching for, keywords they use, the search volume for the keywords, examples of live courses in that category, and where and how students purchase the live courses related to your searched niche. Handy!

Marketing and promotion strategies

Marketing your course outside Udemy can seriously boost your earnings.

Here's how to do it right:

• Target YouTube keywords strategically: Research what your ideal students are searching for on YouTube. Create videos targeting these keywords and link directly to your Udemy course using your instructor referral link in the description. This drives organic sales while you earn the full 97% revenue share.
• Build an email list first: Start collecting emails 3-6 months before launching your course. Offer a free mini-course or cheat sheet related to your topic. When you launch, you'll have a ready audience to buy through your referral link.
• Write SEO blog posts: Create helpful blog content around long-tail keywords your students search for. Include your course link naturally within the content. This creates a passive traffic stream that converts over time.
• Show up in niche communities: Join Facebook groups, Reddit communities, and Discord servers where your target students hang out. Don't just promote your course. Answer questions, share insights, and build trust first. Include your course link in your profile or when it genuinely helps someone.
• Use social media the right way: Share bite-sized tips from your course on Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok. Each post should demonstrate your expertise and drive traffic to your Udemy landing page through your bio link.
• Leverage instructor coupons: Create custom discount codes for different marketing channels. This lets you track which sources drive the most sales so you can double down on what works.

🔑 Pro tip: Students who buy through your referral links earn you 97% revenue vs. 37% from marketplace sales. Building your own traffic sources can literally triple your earnings per student.

Student engagement and course ratings

Your course ratings directly impact visibility in Udemy's algorithm and how many browsers actually buy.

Here's how to improve both:

• Hook them in the first 30 minutes: Students decide whether to rate your course within the first few lectures. Include a quick win or valuable insight early to get them excited.
• Time your rating requests perfectly: Don't ask for reviews right away. Wait until students complete 25-30% of your course when they've seen enough value but are still engaged. Use Udemy's automated prompts at this sweet spot.
• Respond to every single review: Thank positive reviewers personally and address negative feedback within 24-48 hours. This shows potential students you're active and care about results.
• Stay active in Q&A: Answer student questions within 24 hours. High Q&A activity signals to Udemy that your course is alive, which improves search ranking. Plus, thorough answers convince fence-sitters to enroll.
• Build a course community: Create a free Facebook group, Discord, or Slack for your students. This boosts completion rates and creates advocates who naturally recommend your course to others.

Courses with 4.5+ ratings and 50+ reviews get significantly more visibility in Udemy search results. Your first 20 reviews are critical for momentum.

Regular updates and course maintenance

Your course isn't a "set it and forget it" product.

Strategic updates extend its earning potential and keep you competitive:

• Do quarterly content audits: Every 3 months, check for outdated info, broken links, or old tools. Even small updates trigger Udemy to mark your course as "recently updated," giving it an algorithmic boost.
• Turn questions into bonus content: Watch your Q&A section for recurring questions. Create short bonus lectures addressing these gaps. This improves the student experience and adds value to your sales page.
• Refresh your intro video annually: Update stats, examples, and your bio to show you're still active. This reassures new students the course is maintained.
• Time major updates strategically: When you add 3+ lectures, Udemy may show a "New" badge. Plan big updates for high-traffic months like January or September to maximize visibility.
• Keep old content when updating: For technical courses, add new sections for updated versions instead of replacing old ones. Some students still use older software, and this shows comprehensive coverage.

Courses updated in the past 6 months earn 34% more on average than outdated ones. Regular maintenance isn't optional if you want consistent income.

Wrapping up: Is Udemy income worth it for course creators?

Udemy is a solid way to sell online courses without spending much upfront. Unlike platforms like Teachable and its alternatives, it doesn't charge subscription fees.

But here's the catch: Udemy takes up to 63% of your earnings for marketplace sales (not your own referral link) and 50% for affiliate sales.

From the income reports we've shared, there's no guarantee you'll make six figures selling Udemy courses.

But that's not guaranteed anywhere else either, right?

If you're looking for initial motivation, starting on Udemy can help. But if you want to truly grow your course business and offer high-ticket items long-term, hosting your own courses is a better option.

So.

Take the next step.

We have a blog post on the top online course platforms to choose from.

I'd personally recommend either Podia or Kajabi. If you're confused between them, read this comparison between Podia and Kajabi.

These platforms provide course creation tools and features to build your own community and use marketing automation to take your business to the next level.