Do Twitch Moderators Get Paid? – The Truth Behind Being A Twitch Mod
When you think about Twitch as a way to make money online, you probably picture popular gamers streaming on Twitch to thousands of viewers.
In truth, this is the most popular way to make money on Twitch.
Even semi-popular streamers with just a few hundred viewers can make money playing video games on Twitch through advertisements, Twitch subs, donations, and even selling merch.
But, what about Twitch moderators?
Today, we're examining the question: do Twitch mods get paid, and, if so, how much money can they make?
Let's get to it!
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Do Twitch Mods Get Paid?
No, Twitch mods don't get paid, and Twitch doesn't state anywhere in its policies that streamers need to pay their mods. This means the vast majority of Twitch mods don't make any money. Being a Twitch mod is more of a volunteer role rather than a paid gig; you're electing to help out a streamer for free because you like their content and want to help provide a better viewing experience for others.
However, if you do some digging on Reddit, you can see there are rare scenarios where Twitch moderators get paid by streamers:
In this example, you can see this Twitch mod states he sometimes receives gifts from the streamers he mods for.
In another example, two Twitch users and streamers state they've seen Twitch mods get paid with:
- Revenue from selling merch
- The streamer sharing a portion of tips with them
- The streamer donating cosmetic, video-game related items with their mods
I've spent time watching Twitch streams over the years and back when I was in college, and I don't think I ever saw a Twitch mod get paid or a streamer mention plans to pay their mods.
So, while this can happen, I think it's safe to say it is rare and that most Twitch mods don't get paid.
Do Twitch Mods Get Paid For Major Channels?
Another question I've seen pop up is if mods get paid for moderating massive channels.
And I'm really talking massive here; think tens of thousands of hundreds of thousands of concurrent viewers for the likes of DrLup, Ninja, Myth, and Pokimane.
Well, I found an interesting post on Reddit asking if Ninja's mods get paid.
This user states they were a mod for his channel (before he left for Mixer and then came back) and that he was paid $50 per stream they moderated:
Unfortunately, there's no way to verify this.
However, I could see this being real. After all, $50 is nothing to a massive streamer. In fact, paying mods to reduce the small chance your channel gets banned temporarily for excessively toxic chat that breaks TOS seems like a worthwhile insurance policy to me.
So, in short, I think 99% of Twitch mods don't get paid.
However, for some of the truly massive channels, I bet there are some backdoor deals going on to incentivize mods to do their best work.
Extra Reading – How To Make $50 A Day.
How Can Twitch Mods Make Money?
I didn't want to end this post on such a low note, so I started thinking about the possible ways Twitch mods can make money.
In my opinion, the best ways you could turn your mod job into a nice side hustle idea include:
- Offer Other Services: Reach out to the streamer and offer other services you know, like video editing compilations for YouTube, social media management, or some other sellable skill. You never know what happens, and Twitch streamers that run their stream as a business are generally entrepreneurial.
- Go Above & Beyond. You shouldn't become a Twitch moderator for money. Rather, you should take on this role because you love the stream and want to volunteer your time. However, going above and beyond to do your best job probably increases the slight chance you end up getting paid.
I honestly think point one is worth thinking about.
I mean, think about the number of streamers who also upload highlights of their streams to YouTube.
This is Nightblue's YouTube channel.
He's also a massive League of Legends Twitch streamer, but his YouTube videos are basically compilations of footage from his Twitch stream.
Nightblue hires editors to make his video…so this is an example of a side gig that's created by a streamer.
You get the idea: by reaching out to a streamer you mod for looking for extra opportunity, you might find something!
One of my YouTube viewers actually did this for my YouTube channel, and I ended up hiring them to help with thumbnails and some graphic design work. You never know what can happen!
Extra Reading – The Best Game Apps That Pay Instantly To PayPal.
Should Twitch Streamers Pay Twitch Mods?
This is a tough question to answer because it depends on the size of a streamer's channel, how much they earn, and how they want to treat their moderators.
The fact is most Twitch streamers don't make much money, so they can't afford to pay their mods.
Some larger streamers are likely paying their mods, and many streamers also gift free subscriptions to their mods as a way to say thank you.
When Do Twitch Streamers Need Mods?
You might be wondering what kind of Twitch streamers and channels need mods.
Well, according to Twitch's mod guide, it all depends on channel side. Twitch suggests the following mod numbers for different channels:
- Small Channels (< 1 Text Line Per Second): Have 2 to 3 active mods at any time or monitor things yourself.
- Medium Channels ( < 5 Text Lines Per Second): Have an active mode for every 200 approximate live viewers.
- Large Channels: Use a mix of automated mod features and active Twitch mods. One active mod per every 600 live viewers in the suggestion.
I'll say right now, if you want any chance of making money as a Twitch mod, you're likely going to have to mod for a larger channel.
This is because small channels likely don't earn enough in ad revenue, Twitch subs, and affiliate income to even consider hiring a mod.
But, before we get into the complex stuff here, let's clarify the rules and reality of if Twitch moderators get paid.
How To Become A Mod On Twitch
If you're still interested in working as a Twitch moderator, even though you might not get paid, this is the section for you.
The main rule to know is there isn't a single right answer for how to become a Twitch mod.
But, generally, to become a mod on Twitch you should:
- Be a regular viewer of the channel you want to mod for
- Contribute to the chat regularly
- Engage with the streamer in chat if possible
- Act maturely
- Show your moderator skills by being helpful…answer questions people have, help deal with toxic viewers, and generally help people have fun on the stream
This last point is really the main one.
I mean, if the streamer sees you're basically acting like a Twitch mod, minus the actual powers of one, I think they're more likely to make you a mod after a few months than if they never see you in chat.
In short, you have to show you're a dedicated fan who cares about the wellbeing of the streamer's community and are generally a nice person.
If you do all those things, I think you have a chance at becoming a Twitch mod.
Just note: never try to donate your way into becoming a Twitch mod! There's no guarantees, and that's a waste of money in my opinion.
Extra Reading – The Best Apps That Pay You Instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Twitch Mods?
If you've ever watched a Twitch stream, you'll know there's a live chat box on the side where viewers can chat, share their outrage and enjoyment, or simply spam Twitch emotes in one of the funniest forms of groupthink you've ever seen.
But, if you ever watch a stream, you might also notice certain users have a green sword icon next to their name that looks like this:
Twitch streamers can select viewers on their channel to become Twitch mods.
As a mod, you have the power to:
- Time out users
- Ban users from commenting entirely
- Turn on special chat modes, like Twitch subscriber only
- Share links and announcements with channel viewers in chat
Generally, Twitch mods are there to help the streamer monitor their chat, control the dialogue to an extent, and prevent spammers or toxic people from ruining the viewing experience for others.
Twitch mods also unlock what's known as Mod View, which is where they can take channel actions, view unban requests, and monitor a list of high-priority tasks they should take care of.
Twitch mods don't get paid for moderating Twitch chat, banning users, or helping out the streamer.
This is essentially the job role, but no specific action pays you a specific amount of money, hourly wage, or even any money at all.
Extra Reading – The Best Games That Pay Instantly To Cash App.
What Is A Twitch Moderator's Salary?
Twitch mods don't get paid a set salary or even an hourly rate. Most mods don't get paid at all, and only official Twitch employees actually get a paid salary for working on Twitch.
Do xQc Mods Get Paid?
xQC is one of the most popular Twitch streamers out there, and he's known for his funny antics in games like Rust and Valorant.
According to Reddit and his own statements, xQc doesn't pay Twitch mods. He also states it's difficult to pay mods and keep things organized, especially if mods come and go.
Does Ninja Pay His Mods?
Rumors on Reddit state that Ninja pays his mods per stream, somewhere in the ballpark of $50 per stream. However, Ninja hasn't confirmed this number or if he even pays Twitch mods in the first place.
Who Are The Highest Paid Twitch Mods?
Recently, famous streamer Ludwig paid his mods $5,000 per day for doing an incredible job during his subathon streams for the month. Ludwig has 17 mods and paid them around $167,000 USD, split between all the mods. This is almost $10,000 per Twitch mod for a month of work, so it's safe to assume Ludwig's mods are the highest paid mods on Twitch.
Is Being A Twitch Mod A Good Side Hustle?
At the end of the day, most Twitch mods make no money. So, if you're looking to make quick money, this isn't the right online gig for you.
However, there are so many online jobs that pay daily you can use to make extra money instead, including:
- Freelancing online
- Using paid survey sites like Survey Junkie and Pinecone Research to earn extra cash
- Starting a blog or YouTube channel
- Using micro task sites to make money
And these are just some online side hustle ideas.
Gig apps like working for DoorDash or Instacart are two more examples of how you can get paid the same day, so there are plenty of options to make money out there.
So, become a Twitch mod if you love watching streams and want to volunteer your time to your favorite streamer.
However, don't become a mod if you want to make lots of money because most Twitch mods don't get paid at all.
Extra Reading – Ways To Make $150 Dollars Fast.
Final Thoughts
So, I think we've gotten to the bottom of the question: do Twitch mods make money?
Again, this is really a volunteer position at the end of the day, but if you love a stream, it should be a fun hobby at the end of the day.
I think Twitch is a very cool platform that brings together video game fans and content creators for an awesome viewing experience.
Is Twitch a realistic side hustle idea for anyone besides streamers?
Not exactly, but hey, there are plenty of weird ways to make money, and maybe you can turn a Twitch mod gig into a small source of extra income!
Looking for other video-game related side hustles? Checkout:
