Is Udemy course profitable?

Udemy courses can be profitable, but it's challenging and often requires significant effort, as instructors typically earn low revenue share (around 37%) on marketplace sales due to Udemy's heavy discounting and large cut, meaning thousands of sales are needed for substantial income, though higher earnings are possible with self-promotion or Udemy for Business. Success hinges on building an audience, creating high-quality content, engaging with students, and potentially using courses as lead magnets for higher-ticket offers, as many instructors make less than $1,000/year.

Is creating a course on Udemy worth it?

While Udemy is a popular starting point for course creators, it isn't the only option, and for many, it's not the best long-term strategy. If your goal is to build a sustainable business, grow your brand, and keep more of your revenue, you should consider self-hosting or using a hybrid strategy.

How much money do instructors make on Udemy?

The average instructor earning on Udemy is $3,306 per year. A majority of instructors (75%) make less than $1,000 a year on Udemy.

Who is the highest earner on Udemy?

Rob Percival's courses have reached nearly 120,000 students and exceeded $2.8 million in total earnings. Victor Bastos has reached more than 52,000 Udemy students with his courses, which have earned nearly $900,000. Alun Hill's courses have been accessed by nearly 47,000 Udemy students and have earned about $650,000.

How much do you earn from an Udemy course?

As a rule of thumb - the median value for most courses at Udemy is in a range between $15-$25 per month, depending on a niche. On the other hand, some courses earn a lot of money steadily (month after month) - most often, those are part of the Udemy for Business program (let's say - champions).

How Much I Made On Udemy In My First Year (Results)

Can you actually make money on Udemy?

On Udemy Business, instructors are compensated based on learner engagement. This differs from the Udemy marketplace model, where instructors are compensated based on course purchases. Each month, Udemy allocates 17.5% of monthly subscription revenue from Udemy Business customers as the instructor revenue pool.

Do employers take Udemy seriously?

Udemy courses aren't formally accredited, so certificates are "Certificates of Completion," not degrees, but many employers do recognize them as proof of skill development, commitment, and staying current, especially in tech; the real value comes from applying skills in projects you can demonstrate on a resume/LinkedIn, not just listing the certificate. Employers value relevant, up-to-date content, instructor reputation, and tangible results (projects) over just the certificate itself, which shows initiative but not necessarily mastery. 

Do Udemy instructors get paid?

For Connect 1-1, instructors receive 80% of the Net Amount from completed booked sessions, while Udemy receives 20% of the Net Amount. Please note: As mentioned above, the learner payment is first adjusted for applicable taxes and processing fees.

Who is Udemy owned by?

Udemy was co-founded by Eren Bali, Gagan Biyani, and Oktay Caglar in 2010, with Bali leading its early growth, but it's now a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: UDMY) owned by its shareholders, with Hugo Sarrazin as CEO and Eren Bali recently returning as CTO. While Bali is the visionary founder, the "owner" is technically the collective shareholders, managed by a board of directors, including Chairman Sohaib Abbasi.
 

How much does it cost to put a course on Udemy?

There is no fee to become a premium instructor. Instead, Udemy keeps a percentage of each sale depending on the transaction source. Learn more about our instructor revenue share.

Can anyone become an Udemy instructor?

Whether you need help creating your first Udemy course or you already have existing video content, we've got you covered. The first step is to sign up to become an instructor. We're here to help you share your knowledge and give you the potential to reach millions of learners across the globe.

How to succeed on Udemy?

To succeed on Udemy: – Analyze student feedback, update content, and launch more courses to build a profitable passive income stream. – Start by choosing a profitable course topic using Udemy Marketplace Insights and keyword research. – Plan your course by defining the scope, learning outcomes, and unique value.

What are the downsides of Udemy?

Udemy's main drawbacks include inconsistent course quality due to a lack of strict curation, making it hard to find truly in-depth or well-taught material despite many good instructors. Other issues are non-accredited certificates, limited instructor interaction, platform-driven pricing (frequent deep discounts), and potential for "tutorial hell" where passive watching hinders actual skill development.
 

Do you own Udemy courses forever?

Yes. Students receive lifetime access to a Udemy course regardless of what price they paid for it, or whether they used a coupon to enrol or not.

What is the Udemy lawsuit about?

Udemy agreed to a class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims it deceptively advertised discounts on its educational courses. The settlement benefits consumers who made purchases from Udemy.com between Aug. 23, 2017, and April 21, 2023.

Who is the highest paid Udemy instructor?

To this day the course has 2 Million+ enrollments. Based on his numbers, we can easily say, he's of the top-performing instructors on Udemy. Jose Portilla is also the highest paid Udemy instructor (Earnings here refer to the payments coming from sale of courses and subscription minutes) Portilla as of January 2026.

How much does it cost to be an instructor on Udemy?

There is no fee to be an instructor on Udemy. Instructors are paid according to a revenue share model.

How much money can you make selling courses on Udemy?

Here's some recent data I collected — the range is wild. Udemy instructors make anything from $0/year to more than $250,000/year. I'll share case studies of Udemy course creator earnings in the next section. Some estimates put the average Udemy course creator earnings at $3,306/year.

Can I show an Udemy certificate in my resume?

Yes, you can add a Udemy certificate to your resume. Do it with strategic placement and description.

Can I get a job with an edX certificate?

edX Certificates and Employer Impressions

Many students wonder what employers think of edX and what edX means to employers. Unfortunately, you can't depend on an edX certificate alone to land you a job. You need to invest time and effort in gaining the skills you need for the career you want.

What percentage does Udemy take from instructors?

This is not the first time Udemy has cut instructor revenue share (and probably not the last time). In 2019, Udemy decreased instructor revenue share from 50% to the current 25%.

How to make $1000 a month passively?

To make an extra $1,000/month in passive income, focus on investing (dividend stocks, REITs, P2P lending) requiring capital, or creating digital assets (courses, ebooks, stock photos, YouTube) that build income over time, or leveraging existing assets (renting space, vehicles, items) to generate recurring cash flow, with options like affiliate marketing and dropshipping bridging creation and sales. Reaching $1,000 typically requires significant upfront work or substantial capital, but consistent effort builds towards that goal. 

What is the easiest course with a high salary?

Technology-Related Courses: Courses regarding artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer security, and the cloud are also becoming more accepted as they promise high salaries and security of employment.

How to make $100 dollars a day online legit?

Legit ways to make $100+ daily online involve leveraging skills on freelance sites (writing, design, coding on Upwork, Fiverr), online tutoring, selling products (physical or digital), virtual assistance, or affiliate marketing, focusing on high-value services or consistent sales to reach that daily goal.