💰 YouTube Money Calculator 2026
Estimate Your YouTube Ad Revenue & Earnings Potential
📊 Understanding YouTube Monetization in 2026
The YouTube Money Calculator helps creators, marketers, and analysts estimate potential earnings from YouTube ad revenue. Whether you're planning your content strategy, evaluating sponsorship rates, or simply curious about how much YouTubers make, this free tool provides accurate revenue estimates based on views and RPM (Revenue Per Mille).
In 2026, YouTube creators earn between $1-$30 per 1,000 views depending on niche, audience demographics, and seasonality. Finance and business content commands the highest rates, while entertainment and gaming typically earn less. Use this calculator to project your daily, monthly, and yearly earnings instantly.
💰 YouTube Earnings Calculator
📊 Enter Your View Count
Select Your Niche for RPM Estimate:
💰 Estimated YouTube Earnings
📋 Earnings Breakdown
📝 How to Use the YouTube Money Calculator
- Enter your daily views — Input your average daily view count from YouTube Studio Analytics.
- Set your RPM — Enter your Revenue Per Mille or select a niche preset for estimated rates.
- Adjust monetized percentage — Typically 40-60% of views show ads. Default is 55%.
- Review your estimates — See projected daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly earnings.
- Try different scenarios — Use the sliders and tabs to explore subscriber-based or goal-based calculations.
📊 What is RPM & CPM?
RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is the amount you actually earn per 1,000 views after YouTube takes its 45% cut. CPM (Cost Per Mille) is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions. RPM is the more useful metric for creators as it reflects real earnings.
| Metric | Definition | Who Uses It | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPM | Cost per 1,000 ad impressions | Advertisers | $8.00 |
| RPM | Revenue per 1,000 video views | Creators | $4.00 |
| Relationship | RPM ≈ CPM × Monetized% × 0.55 | Both | $8 × 55% × 55% = $2.42 |
📐 YouTube Earnings Formula & Calculation Method
Basic Earnings Formula
This calculates your revenue by multiplying your total views by the percentage that show ads, then by your RPM rate per thousand views.
RPM from CPM Conversion
Where 0.55 represents YouTube's 55% creator share (YouTube takes 45%). Monetized% is typically 40-60%.
Views Needed for Income Goal
Use this to calculate how many views you need to reach a specific earnings target.
📊 YouTube Earnings Examples
Example 1: Gaming Channel (Low RPM)
Scenario: Alex runs a gaming channel with 50,000 daily views and a $2.50 RPM.
Calculation: (50,000 × 55% × $2.50) ÷ 1,000 = $68.75/day
Monthly: $68.75 × 30 = $2,062.50 | Yearly: $68.75 × 365 = $25,094
Example 2: Tech Review Channel (Medium RPM)
Scenario: Sarah creates tech reviews with 20,000 daily views and a $5.00 RPM.
Calculation: (20,000 × 55% × $5.00) ÷ 1,000 = $55.00/day
Monthly: $55 × 30 = $1,650 | Yearly: $55 × 365 = $20,075
Example 3: Finance Channel (High RPM)
Scenario: Mike runs a personal finance channel with 15,000 daily views and a $15.00 RPM.
Calculation: (15,000 × 55% × $15.00) ÷ 1,000 = $123.75/day
Monthly: $123.75 × 30 = $3,712.50 | Yearly: $123.75 × 365 = $45,169
💵 YouTube RPM/CPM by Niche — 2026 Reference Table
| Niche | Avg RPM | CPM Range | $10K Views Earns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💵 Finance/Investing | $12-30 | $15-50 | $120-300 |
| 💼 Business/Marketing | $8-18 | $12-30 | $80-180 |
| 🏥 Health/Fitness | $5-12 | $8-20 | $50-120 |
| 💻 Technology | $3-8 | $5-15 | $30-80 |
| 📚 Education | $4-10 | $6-18 | $40-100 |
| ✨ Lifestyle/Vlog | $2-5 | $3-10 | $20-50 |
| 🎮 Gaming | $1.5-4 | $2-8 | $15-40 |
| 🎬 Entertainment | $2-5 | $3-10 | $20-50 |
Source: Industry averages based on creator reports and analytics platforms (Social Blade, VidIQ). Rates vary by viewer geography, Q4 seasonality, and ad inventory.
📈 Earnings Milestones
💡 Important Tips for YouTube Earnings
- Check YouTube Studio for accurate RPM: Your real RPM in Analytics → Revenue is more accurate than niche averages.
- Q4 is the best time: October-December CPM rates spike 50-200% due to holiday advertising. Plan content accordingly.
- Audience location matters: US, UK, Canada, and Australia viewers generate 3-5x higher CPM than other regions.
- Not all views monetize: Only 40-60% of views show ads due to ad blockers, skipped ads, or unavailable inventory.
- Diversify income: Top creators earn 2-10x more from sponsorships, memberships, and merchandise than ad revenue alone.
- Longer videos earn more: Videos over 8 minutes can include mid-roll ads, significantly increasing earnings per view.
🔗 Official YouTube Resources
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
YouTube pays an average of $1-5 per 1,000 views for most niches, but this varies significantly. Finance and business channels can earn $10-30, while gaming may earn $1-2. The actual payment depends on RPM, viewer location, ad engagement, and seasonality.
CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions. RPM is what you actually earn per 1,000 video views after YouTube's 45% cut and accounting for non-monetized views. RPM is always lower than CPM and is the metric creators should focus on.
YouTube takes 45% of ad revenue; creators receive 55%. For YouTube Premium revenue, creators get 55% based on watch time. For Super Chats and channel memberships, YouTube takes 30%.
At an average RPM of $4, you'd need about 250,000 monthly views to earn $1,000. With higher RPM ($10) in finance, you'd need ~100,000 views. With lower RPM ($2) in gaming, you'd need ~500,000 views.
To monetize, you need: 1,000 subscribers AND either 4,000 watch hours (last 12 months) OR 10 million Shorts views (last 90 days). You also need a linked AdSense account and must follow YouTube's community guidelines.
YouTube pays monthly, typically between the 21st-26th. You must reach the $100 payment threshold to receive payment. Revenue from the previous month is finalized around the 10th-12th of the following month.
Advertisers spend more during the holiday shopping season (Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas), driving up CPM/RPM rates by 50-200%. January typically sees a significant drop as advertising budgets reset for the new year.
This provides estimates based on industry averages. Actual earnings vary based on your specific niche, viewer demographics, content type, seasonality, and YouTube's ad system. For best accuracy, use your actual RPM from YouTube Studio Analytics.
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Last Updated: February 2026