According to ZipRecruiter, the average affiliate marketer makes around $6,830 per week. But this number varies greatly depending on the niche you are working in. Anyway, finding the best niches for affiliate marketing is challenging, so we hand-picked them for you.
Read on to get a list of the most profitable affiliate marketing niches for beginners and seasoned marketers based on our experience.
- What is an Affiliate Marketing Niche?
- How to Choose a Niche for Affiliate Marketing?
- Best Affiliate Marketing Niches
- 1. Education
- 2. Wellness
- 3. iGaming
- 4. Finance
- 5. Technology
- High Ticket Affiliate Marketing Niches
- 1. Insurance
- 2. Real Estate
- 3. Software
- 4. E-learning
- 5. Medicine
- Most Profitable Affiliate Marketing Niches
- 1. Travel
- 2. Gaming
- 3. Cruises
- 4. Music
- 5. Weight Loss
- Low Competition Affiliate Marketing Niches for Beginners
- 1. Pets
- 2. Dating
- 3. Restaurants
- 4. Sports
- 5. Luxury
- Summary
- FAQ
- Why choose a specific niche for affiliate marketing?
- What makes a perfect affiliate niche?
- What is the best niche for affiliate marketing?
- How do you know if you’ve chosen the right niche?
- What is the most profitable niche for affiliate marketing?
What is an Affiliate Marketing Niche?
An affiliate marketing niche is the topic that you choose to promote. If you’re interested in fitness, then you can cover programs from weightlifting supplements to sports gear. The point is to choose something that you’re passionate about and what can generate revenue.
This will help you create social media and blog content to share topic-related offers to a target audience who have similar interests. However, this creates several challenges:
- How to choose a niche?
- What are the best niches?
- Where to find affiliate programs with these topics?
We’re answering all these questions below.
How to Choose a Niche for Affiliate Marketing?
You can be a good marketer, but your niche is what makes your income. Choosing a highly competitive or too specific industry can create many challenges, so here’s a guide to make the best decision:
- Identify your interests. The best offers are promoted by passionate people who know what they’re doing. If you know some industries inside-out, they might be a good choice for you.
- Research demand. Use tools like Google Trends to estimate popularity and Google Keyword Planner to check search volumes. This will show the market’s current interest in the topic.
- Analyze competitors. Look for websites that are promoting products with similar keywords, monitor social media profiles, and evaluate their quality and quantity.
- Calculate potential earnings. High ticket affiliate marketing niches can be very lucrative, but there is usually a lot of competition. If you’re a beginner, try starting with low-competition areas.
In case you’re still wondering whether affiliate marketing is legit or a scam, we previously covered a detailed overview of all the possibilities. Check them out to avoid scams and only work with legit offers.
Best Affiliate Marketing Niches
We picked the top niches for affiliate marketing with high profitability and moderate competition.
Industry | Sub-niche | Best program | Payments |
Education | E-learning | Coursera | Up to 45% per purchase |
Wellness | Nutra | Four Sigmatic | 10%+ per purchase |
iGaming | Gambling | GamblingCraft | Up to 50% from casino income |
Finance | Debt settlement | CuraDebt | Up to $600 per confirmed enrollment |
Technology | Cloud hosting | Kinsta | Up to $500 one-time bonus and 10% monthly payment |
1. Education
Education is an evergreen topic because people will always need to learn and grow. It’s one of the most profitable industries. Webmasters who work with education, e-learning, and EdTech make an average of $15,551 per month.
The best education affiliate programs include:
You will generally have to target students, lifelong learners, and professionals who are looking to grow their skills. These will be your most popular buyers.
2. Wellness
Most people care about their physical and mental well-being. This creates great demand and helps marketers in this area earn an average monthly income of $7,194.
The best wellness affiliate programs include:
Your target audience will include people looking for weight loss solutions, fitness enthusiasts, and health-conscious consumers who follow the trend. There may also be many other categories, but it really depends on the products in your offers.
3. iGaming
The iGaming global market size reached $81 billion in 2022 and the average affiliate remuneration rate is 25-35%. This means there’s a lot of money here. What’s the best part? It seems competitive, but it isn’t that difficult to make a living.
Here are the leading iGaming programs:
You can learn more about related affiliate programs on our website. We provide the best and time-proven options for gambling, nutra, betting, crypto, trading, and many others.
Note that we may receive a reward when you register for any of the programs listed on our website. |
4. Finance
The finance industry is quite broad, including personal loans, debt settlement, investment, and many other sub-niches. Most beginners avoid it because they assume it’s too competitive. They’re right — it is competitive. But if there’s demand, there’s profit.
The leading finance programs include:
Your sub-niche will determine the target audience. For example, debt settlement programs will usually target people in the age of 30-39 because the average debt here is $26,532. Research your target audience in detail before launching an offer to always hit the bull’s-eye.
5. Technology
Tech spending is expected to reach $5.06 trillion in 2024. Now the world is dominated by technologies like VR, AI, ML, and many others. They are an integral part of our routines, and we can’t live without them. As they impact society so much, the industry has great value and creates potential for great earnings.
Let’s check out the best tech programs:
This is one of the few industries where you can get up to $500 per sale, placing it among the best high ticket affiliate marketing niches. However, you’ll learn about even more lucrative niches in the following section.
High Ticket Affiliate Marketing Niches
Although affiliate marketing is quite well-paid, not all industries offer equal rates. Some are known to provide high payouts, thus labeled as “high-ticket”. We gathered the best high-paying affiliate marketing niches below.
Industry | Sub-niche | Best program | Payments |
Insurance | Business insurance | Embroker | Around $250 per sale |
Real Estate | Sales | All Things Real Estate | 10% per sale |
Software | SEO | Semrush | $200 per sale |
E-learning | Corporate learning | Smart Marketer | Up to 30% rewards with an average course price of $1500-3000 |
Medicine | STD testing | STDcheck | 40% per sale |
1. Insurance
Different types of insurance are mandatory in almost all countries. Take, for example, car insurance. The average full coverage in Florida costs $3,467 per year. Premium health insurance in the same state costs $5,868 per year on average. That’s a lot of money, and you can get a share of it.
Here are the leading insurance programs:
Depending on your program, you will usually target car owners, travelers, and citizens of countries without universal healthcare. However, the biggest checks will usually come from business-oriented offers.
2. Real Estate
The average United States home is valued at $358,734 in 2024. Getting any royalties from a sale in this industry is guaranteed to be big. Besides, it’s always in demand, as over 4 million homes were sold in the US market in 2023.
Some of the best real estate programs include:
While you will earn the most from real estate sales, there are many programs that provide subscription-based products to tenants and homeowners. For example, Foreclosure.com offers a 25% dividend from its $40 subscription plan.
3. Software
The software market volume is projected to reach $698 billion in 2024. As modern technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning emerge, these numbers will grow even more. It may even be one of the most competitive industries in affiliate marketing.
Here are the most cash-flowing software programs:
Most programs will offer you a regular commission from their subscriptions, and this may be a lucrative option if you’ve got a large audience. However, companies like Semrush pay $200 immediately after the referred user buys a subscription. Both models are great to make money.
4. E-learning
The e-learning market is projected to reach $279 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 8.56%. The COVID-19 pandemic gave the industry a big boost, so now the whole world can experience digital learning solutions. And there’s much more to come.
The best e-learning programs are:
There are many sub-niches in the e-learning industry: business education, specialized courses, industry-related courses, and many others. Business training is usually the most profitable option due to large corporations investing funds in their employees’ skills.
5. Medicine
More than half of Americans take prescribed meds daily. The average prescription cost $1,432 per American in 2021, so there’s a big cashflow in the industry.
Here are the leading medicine programs:
The industry includes pharmacy, nutritional supplements, medical equipment, testing, and other relevant sub-niches. Your demographics and interests cover most people, making it a great opportunity to capitalize on medicine.
We discussed the most common mistakes beginners make in affiliate marketing in our previous article. Make sure to check it out to avoid frequent errors and start earning with minimum challenges.
Most Profitable Affiliate Marketing Niches
While high-ticket industries can bring huge single checks, they aren’t always the most effective. Certain niches are more attractive due to their high volume and quantity of sales. We gathered the most lucrative industries.
Industry | Sub-niche | Best program | Payments |
Travel | Hotel booking | Tripadvisor | 50% per booking |
Gaming | Gaming hardware & peripherals | Razer | 10% per sale |
Cruises | Cultural tourism | Polynesian Cultural Center | 5% per sale |
Music | Singing lessons | Singorama | Up to 70% per sale |
Weight loss | Diet programs | Diet Direct | 10% per sale |
1. Travel
Americans single-handedly take 1.1 billion trips a day, nearly 4 for every person in the US. Thousands of flights, trains, and other types of transport depart with tourists each minute. It’s no wonder: everyone wants to travel and see the world. And they’re ready to pay for it.
Here are the top offers in the travel industry:
Tripadvisor has around 463 million visitors each month and provides 50% of its booking rewards as a remuneration to affiliates. You also get paid when people just click your links and visit the booking partners’ websites.
2. Gaming
Around 3.2 billion people play computer games regularly, with the average console player spending around $84 a month. People use gaming as a way to entertain themselves and spend their free time, so the industry is booming with profits.
The leading gaming programs include:
It’s not just about video games. This industry also includes hardware, peripherals, gadgets, and many other things that help gamers get a better experience. The commissions are quite nice too: you’ll get up to 10% from each Razer sale or up to $20 for each Gamefly sign-up.
3. Cruises
30.7 million people went on a cruise in 2023. It’s not just a “rich people’s” thing. Many will save up during the year to go on vacation to the high seas. The average 7-day cruise costs around $1700, so it covers an even larger audience than you think.
Here are the best cruise programs:
The Polynesian Cultural Center offers 5% per sale with an average check of $550, while ROAM luggage provides 8% with products costing $500+. It’s always in demand and you get many easy ways to promote your affiliate links.
4. Music
About one-third of the world’s population can play an instrument, while 7.1 billion listen to music. It’s one of the best opportunities to monetize on subscription-based services or instrument sales. Although profitable programs are hard to find, we hand-picked the top offers.
The best music programs include:
Digital stores like Thomann will offer up to 4.5% per sale, while singing lesson services like Singorama will reward you with up to 70% per sale. You can even make passive income for years because there will always be people willing to learn music.
5. Weight Loss
A global study shows that 45% of people are currently trying to lose weight. This isn’t always about professional athletes who have strict weight categories. Regular people who value their shapes and well-being are the majority.
Here are the best weight loss programs:
For example, the Diet Direct program offers a 10% reward with the average earnings per click being $65.57. Other programs may provide a fixed sign-up rate, but it usually doesn’t exceed $50.
Low Competition Affiliate Marketing Niches for Beginners
If you’re just starting your career in this area, then working with low competition niches for affiliate marketing is your best pick. There is a good starting point to make money without extra worries.
Industry | Subniche | Best program | Payments |
Pets | Pet food | Ollie | $60 per customer |
Dating | Dating education | The Tao of Badass | $123.66 per sale |
Food | Food supplies | Napkins.com | 13% per sale |
Sports | Sports gear | Leather Head Sports | 10% per sale |
Luxury | Jewelry | Rockford Collection | 5% per sale |
1. Pets
Pet owners in the US spend around $1,533 per year on their pets. This includes buying food, accessories, vet checks, and many other options. Pet owners are the people who are willing to do the best to take care of their furry friends.
Here are the best pet programs:
Programs like Ollie offer $60 per each new customer, while Chewy provides 4% per purchase. You can easily promote pet offers across social media, your personal blog, and even through word-of-mouth if you’re an active community member.
2. Dating
Over 59 million people use online dating services in the US. It’s believed to be a more efficient and reliable way to find a partner. A lot of people are easy to attract, so it’s the perfect area for beginners to monetize organic traffic.
The leading dating programs include:
While most offers like Cupid Media are directly about matching people, some like The Tao of Badass are aimed at teaching people to approach each other. The latter even provides a commission of $123.66 per sale, which is huge for this area.
3. Restaurants
Could you imagine that restaurants also have affiliate programs? Americans spend an average of $166 per person dining out each month. But most are quite picky with their choices and need an extra push. That’s where you appear with your offers and promotions.
Here are the best restaurants programs:
Offers like Restaurant.com are aimed at helping people choose the best place to dine, while Unicreamer or Revo Coolers are suppliers for the food industry. Both types of offers are quite viable and lack significant competition.
4. Sports
Sports fans are willing to pay an unhealthy amount of money just to enjoy their hobby. The average American is estimated to spend at least $111.80 on athletic gear or exercise equipment. Those who compete spend even more because they always aim to get the best of the best.
Here are some sports programs:
Almost all programs are aimed at selling gear and equipment. But Play Your Court stands out: it sends you a professional tennis coach to train you at the neighborhood court. Fans are ready to go to any extent to achieve their goals.
5. Luxury
The luxury industry is quite big and it combines many sub-niches. This includes clothing, jewelry, vehicles, accessories, and many others. Experts expect the luxury market to reach $386 billion in revenue during 2024, and you can get a share of it.
Some of the luxury programs include:
Offers from Rockford Collection reward affiliates with a 5% incentive with their average order value being $3,000. Most luxury brands provide a percentage from their sales, making it quite lucrative for all advertisers.
Summary
Each niche comes with multiple sub-niches where you can find the perfect partnership program. Some companies, like Semrush, provide fixed payouts for a completed action, but most are focused on a commission-based model. Both are viable models.
FAQ
Why choose a specific niche for affiliate marketing?
Specializing in an industry helps you become an authority in that area, helping you increase your earnings and learn the market’s peculiarities. It also helps you compete more effectively against other advertisers who are targeting a broader audience.
What makes a perfect affiliate niche?
The perfect industry combines demand, profitability, your passion, and moderate competition. It’s also necessary to ensure the area is evergreen to keep a constant profit.
What is the best niche for affiliate marketing?
Based on our experience and research, the best niches are:
- Education;
- Wellness;
- iGaming;
- Finance;
- Technology.
These will provide you with the highest checks, and they are an eternal topic of interest.
How do you know if you’ve chosen the right niche?
It depends on many factors. If you own a website, then growth in engagement and traffic is a good indicator. Your social media account must also increase the number of views and followers. The main factor is that people follow your affiliate links.
What is the most profitable niche for affiliate marketing?
We gathered the best high-ticket industries:
- Insurance;
- Real estate;
- Software;
- E-learning;
- Medicine.
These are industries with a huge cash flow and great potential. If you’re an experienced marketer, then you’re bound to monetize them.