Social media influencers with dark skin and curly hair earn significantly less than other influencers, according to a study by UK-based talent management company Seven Six Agency. .
Influencer pay disparity: The impact of skin color and hair type
The report, released June 4, surveyed 300 influencers from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including Arab, Black, East Asian, Latinx, South Asian, and Southeast Asian people, along with white people.
The findings show that influencers with “dark” skin tones earn 44.63% less than influencers with “light” skin tones.
This pay gap is further exacerbated by hair type, with creators with curlier hair earning less than creators with straighter hair.
Influencers with hair type 2A earned the highest fees on Instagram Reels on average at £1,713 ($2,191), while those with hair type 4B earned the lowest at £800 ($1,023). It was.
“We needed data to back up what we’ve always said: lighter-skinned and racially ambiguous creators get more work than darker-skinned creators.” “We can do that,” Charlotte Stavreux, founder of SevenSix Agency, told Business Insider.
Worsening wage inequality
The study also found that black influencers will be paid 34% less than white influencers in 2024, a significant increase from the 22% difference reported in 2022.
This gap mirrors the situation in the United States, where black creators were found to earn 35% less than white creators.
To address these issues, SevenSix Agency’s report includes recommended fees for creators and brands to consider when negotiating partnerships.
The report highlights the need for brands to recognize and redress these disparities to ensure fair remuneration for all creators, regardless of their skin color or hair type.
“If you don’t pay people equally regardless of their circumstances, that’s a form of discrimination,” Stavreux said.
“It’s our responsibility to share this data because it helps hold the industry accountable for how it can improve.”
Image credit: Kiran Gidda
