The online creator economy provides income for at least 11 million Americans, it is often overlooked by policymakers. Online creators earned over $23 billion in 2020 by posting and selling their work on web platforms across seven sectors: video, music, podcasts, writing, crafts, art and design, and influencer marketing. Tech companies herald their platforms as a democratization of industries that, for centuries, were reigned by biased gatekeepers. Our findings cast doubt, however, on claims that these platforms have delivered racial or gender equality to online creators.