When it comes to investing in an exchange-traded fund (ETF), there's no fixed rule regarding how much money you need to get started. However, if you have $10,000 and are looking for a dividend-paying investment that can provide a steady income stream with potential growth, these three ETFs are worth a closer look.

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Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD +0.77%)

If you're seeking an index fund that homes in on companies with excellent records of paying and growing dividends, SCHD may be precisely what you're looking for. The ETF is a low-cost, passive fund that tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 index, providing exposure to roughly 100 high-quality U.S. dividend-paying stocks.

SCHD screens companies for at least 10 consecutive years of dividends, while also looking for strong fundamentals. With a 0.06% expense ratio and a recent 30-day dividend yield of 3.20%, SCHD is one of the most popular dividend ETFs available.

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM +0.66%)

Another low-cost, passively managed ETF is VYM. VYM seeks to track the FTSE High Dividend Yield index, which consists of U.S. companies with above-average dividend yields. The ETF uses the full replication approach, holding nearly all stocks in its benchmark.

The fund holds roughly 604 stocks (primarily large-cap U.S. stocks) across multiple sectors, offering instant portfolio diversification. With an expense ratio of only 0.04% and a recent 30-day dividend yield of around 2.2%, VYM appeals to investors seeking broad diversified equity income for the long term.

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO +0.39%)

DGRO seeks to replicate the performance of the Morningstar U.S. Dividend Growth index, which includes companies expected to grow their dividends over time. By primarily investing in large-cap stocks across diversified sectors -- such as Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, and ExxonMobil -- the fund emphasizes quality and financial stability.

With around 390 holdings and a 0.08% expense ratio, the fund has a recent 30-day yield of 2.01%, paid quarterly.

Each of these funds offers something different, depending on what you're looking for. For example:

• SCHD is a quality dividend leader with excellent 2026 performance.
• VYM provides broad high-dividend exposure with solid gains.
• DGRO focuses on companies expected to increase dividends over time.

This has been a year of unprecedented ETF investment, and there are plenty of reasons why. Where else can you pay a low expense ratio for portfolio diversification and, as with these ETFs, earn a dividend?