Becoming A TikTok Moderator: What You Need To Do

From a TikTok user’s perspective, the social media platform seems to run on autopilot. You scroll your feeds, create content, and participate in Live sessions without ever “seeing” any involvement from the app’s employees.

Behind the scenes, though, there are plenty of humans at work. For example, tens of thousands of people work as moderators, reviewing content non-stop for violations of Community Standards and TikTok’s Terms and Conditions. Bots may flag TikTok videos for possible issues, and users may report posts, but moderators make many of the most sensitive decisions.

There’s another category of moderators, too. They work in TikTok Live streams to ensure that the creators and participants don’t run afoul of any of the social app’s rules.

TikTok content moderation is a paid position, while Live moderation is usually a volunteer one. As you might expect, it’s much easier to be chosen for the latter. Here’s what you need to know.

Becoming a TikTok Content Moderator

This is a “real” job and a stressful one, and it doesn’t pay big money, either. Moderators are said to make between $20 and $50 per hour.

You shouldn’t apply for a moderator’s position if you think it involves scrolling through feeds at your own pace, on the lookout for offenses. You’re provided with the TikTok posts you must review, you get limited time to watch each one (one reputable report found that moderators have only 48 seconds to review a 60-second video and description), and you’re watched like a hawk.

Still interested? This is how the application and acceptance process work.

1. You submit an application on the TikTok careers page (careers.tiktok.com). You must be at least 18, be fluent in English as well as the language of your home region (if it’s not English), and be willing to work shifts other than a traditional 9-5 stint.
2. Successful applicants will already have familiarity with the app, be able to demonstrate strong communication skills, be fast learners and detail-oriented, and show a commitment to maintaining TikTok’s content standards.
3. If you pass the initial screening, you usually advance to a personal interview with a TikTok supervisor.
4. Once you’re accepted as a moderator by TikTok, you generally go through a month-long, intensive training period with a skills test at the end. Assuming you make it through that stage, there’s then a two-month probationary period in which you’re known as a “baby mod” and review a pre-selected, never-ending queue of practice videos. You only become a “real” moderator if you complete your probation successfully.

The best moderators may be promoted to the “advisor” level where they earn more money and supervise the moderators, but it’s a long haul to get there. Before applying to be a TikTok mod, be sure that a job like the one we’ve described — which is more like an assembly line than a leisurely and fun experience — is something you’re really interested in doing.

Becoming a TikTok Live Moderator

This position may be more what you have in mind when you think of moderating on TikTok, although most Live moderators aren’t paid for their time. In fact, the platform doesn’t choose you for the job; TikTok influencers and content creators select the users who will moderate their Live streams, and only extremely popular celebrities pay their moderators (from their own pockets).

That means the most important path to Live moderation is having a good relationship with a creator who hosts live streams on the app. To put it bluntly, the majority of hosts hire their friends or people they know well to do the job.

These moderators are essentially in the Live session to address inappropriate activity or language, prevent some sensitive topics from being discussed, mute or block problematic participants, and answer viewer questions. In most cases, they’re facilitators rather than “cops,” and their role is much more relaxed than that of a content moderator.

TikTok Live moderators are being watched, though. Bots and human employees monitor Live streams periodically, and moderators who aren’t doing their jobs properly can be removed or banned, as can the creator running the session if they’re also found to be at fault.

So, how do you become a TikTok Live moderator? In a nutshell, make friends with the owner of a powerful TikTok account who regularly runs live streams. Once you’ve established a relationship, you can ask them about the possibility of moderating their sessions. If you’re lucky, they might even ask you.