How Much Does YouTube Pay?
This is the most common question for aspiring creators. The answer depends heavily on your RPM (Revenue Per Mille), which is how much you earn per 1,000 views. While the average channel earns between $2 and $5 per 1,000 views, finance and tech channels can see rates upwards of $20. Use our YouTube Money Calculator to plan your content strategy and financial goals.
If you are creating courses alongside your channel, check out our Course Revenue Calculator to see how digital products can amplify your income.
RPM vs. CPM: What's the Difference?
You will often see these two acronyms thrown around in the YouTube Studio dashboard.
- CPM (Cost Per Mille): How much advertisers pay YouTube for 1,000 ad impressions. This is the gross figure before YouTube takes its cut.
- RPM (Revenue Per Mille): How much you take home per 1,000 video views. This includes ads, Channel Memberships, and Super Chat revenue.
Formula: Estimated Earnings = (Total Views / 1,000) * RPM
Factors Affecting Your Income
Why do some creators make more with fewer views?
- Niche: Advertisers pay more to reach audiences interested in real estate, software, and finance compared to gaming or vlogs.
- Geography: Views from countries like the USA, UK, and Australia typically have a higher CPM than views from developing regions.
- Video Length: Videos over 8 minutes allow for mid-roll ads, significantly increasing revenue potential.