If much youtubers make average is on your radar, this short guide cuts through the noise. Here is what is worth knowing, and how to put it to work today.
Key Takeaways
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- The most straightforward way to calculate expected earnings for a YouTube channel is through CPM (“cost per mille”).
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This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, advisory, or brokerage services. We may earn compensation from some links on this page.
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The most straightforward way to calculate expected earnings for a YouTube channel is through CPM (“cost per mille”). Mille is the Latin word for “thousand,” so CPM is the cost an advertiser pays for 1,000 impressions or views.
As a YouTube content creator, you can make money from ads (more on that later). As a general rule, YouTube keeps 45% of the ad revenue. The 55% you get is known as RPM or revenue per mille.
CPMs and RPMs can vary widely depending on factors such as location, content length (e.g., long-form vs. shorts), and the topic of your content. Analyzify says the average RPM for long-form YouTube videos is approximately $3.00 worldwide. For YouTube Shorts, the average RPM drops significantly to around $0.05.
At $3 RPM, you would need 100,000 views per month to make $300 in ad revenue. That number (100,000 views) sounds high, but as you add more videos to your channel and grow your subscriber base, you should be able to get more views.
For 1,000,000 views on YouTube Shorts, you’d then make approximately $50.
Here’s a chart showing how much you would make (based on $3 RPMs) with different monthly views with long-form content.
RPMMonthly ViewsAd Revenue$3100,000$300$3500,000$1,500$31,000,000$3,000$35,000,000$15,000$310,000,000$30,000
This table should give you some idea of what’s possible on YouTube and how numerous video views you’ll need to earn a part-time or full-time income.
However, this is just an average. Your earnings can vary widely depending on your niche. According to Analyzify, here are the lower and upper bounds of potential earnings across different YouTube niches.
CategoryEstimated RPMEstimated Earnings for 100,000 ViewsYouTube Shorts (Low RPM)$0.01$1YouTube Shorts (Typical RPM)$0.05$5YouTube Shorts (High RPM)$0.08$8Music$0.75$75Entertainment / Pets & Animals$1.00$100Gaming$2.50$250People & Blogs / How To & Style$3.50$350Education$5.00$500Digital Marketing / Finance (Low)$8.00$800Digital Marketing / Finance (High)$20.00$2,000
Remember that these figures are based solely on advertising revenue and reflect a global average. The U.S. typically has some of the highest advertising spending in the world, so creating content that targets U.S. audiences can lead to higher RPMs and greater earnings potential.
One underutilized way to improve the economics of YouTube content is to repurpose shorter clips to Facebook.
Numerous creators cut highlights from long-form YouTube videos and post them natively to Facebook, where eligible Pages can earn additional income through Facebook’s Content Monetization program.
While YouTube ad revenue depends heavily on scale, Facebook frequently rewards consistency, original posting behavior, and growth momentum , creating a secondary monetization stream from content you’re already producing.
More importantly, as you’ll see throughout this article, several other legit ways to make money on YouTube exist.
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The Highest-Earning YouTube Content Creators
Most top-earning YouTube creators focus on funny and/or entertaining videos targeting young audiences. Of course, YouTube channels of all types can earn significant income (starting one on a topic you’re passionate about is a excellent way to make money with your hobby), but the viral videos that target young audiences tend to generate the most views, which leads to the highest earnings.
In 2023, 12-year-old Ryan Kaji was among the highest-earning YouTube stars, earning approximately $35 million.
Kaji’s channel Ryan’s World , which his parents launched with him at the age of 3 , gained popularity for videos unboxing and reviewing toys.
If you’ve been skeptical of the earning potential of YouTube, you’ll be hard-pressed to find numerous other business opportunities that have been used to grow an estimated net worth of $100 million before the age of 12.
In 2023, MrBeast ranked first among the highest-earning YouTube stars, earning $85,000,000.
Gaming-focused content is another popular niche, with numerous creators earning seven figures a year. In addition to YouTube, Twitch allows creators to expand their earnings by streaming live content, offering subscriptions, and receiving donations from their audience.
Markiplier (real name Mark Fischbach) was number six on the list, and Preston Arsement came in at number three. Markiplier has amassed over 36 million subscribers with a huge collection of videos covering different video games. Arsement owns a few gaming YouTube channels but initially gained popularity with Minecraft videos.
Here’s the complete 2023 list of top-earning YouTubers, according to Statista (with links to their channels):
- Mr. Beast (Jimmy Donaldson)<
Final Thoughts
The bottom line: a little research on much youtubers make average goes a long way. Compare your options, watch for seasonal offers, and never pay full price when a better deal is one click away.
Originally published at thewaystowealth.com.
