YouTube Money Calculator
Type your views and pick a niche to see what YouTube would pay. The estimate uses real RPM data from 300 monetized channels, not advertiser guesses. Free, no signup.
Pick a niche to see the typical range.
Only monetized channels earn this. You need to join the YouTube Partner Program first (1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours). Check if you qualify.
You'd need about 435,000 views a month (14,500 a day).
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Make your first faceless video →How this YouTube money calculator works
YouTube earnings come down to one number: RPM, or revenue per 1,000 views. It's what you take home after YouTube's share, across all your views, including the ones that didn't show an ad. The calculator multiplies your views by the median RPM for your niche:
Earnings = views ÷ 1,000 × RPM
The RPMs come from AIR Media-Tech's 2026 study, which pulled YouTube Studio analytics from 300 monetized channels over 3,595 channel-months (May 2025 to May 2026). The "typical range" is the middle half of those channels, from the 25th to the 75th percentile. We break down the full data, and why CPM and RPM rank niches differently, in our YouTube RPM by niche analysis.
YouTube RPM by niche (2026)
| Niche | Median RPM | Typical range | 100K views/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education & Science | $10.22 | $2.31–$19.50 | $1,022 |
| Transport* | $5.69 | $3.17–$9.81 | $569 |
| Lifestyle | $2.98 | $1.77–$5.24 | $298 |
| News & Politics* | $2.60 | $1.79–$3.62 | $260 |
| Entertainment | $2.43 | $0.88–$5.02 | $243 |
| Crafting & Handmade | $2.39 | $1.00–$3.90 | $239 |
| Gadgets & Tech | $2.33 | $0.70–$3.71 | $233 |
| Music | $2.28 | $1.35–$4.16 | $228 |
| Food & Cooking* | $2.25 | $1.50–$3.11 | $225 |
| Gaming | $2.05 | $0.70–$3.62 | $205 |
| Business & Finance* | $2.01 | $0.73–$5.17 | $201 |
| Health & Sport | $1.23 | $0.72–$1.53 | $123 |
| Kids & Teens | $0.33 | $0.16–$0.88 | $33 |
*Fewer than ten channels in the sample, so read these as rough. Source: AIR Media-Tech, 2026.
What 1,000 to 1 million views pay
At the all-niche median RPM of about $2.30:
- 1,000 views: about $2.30
- 10,000 views: about $23
- 100,000 views: about $230
- 1 million views: about $2,300
The same million views is worth about $10,220 in education and science, and about $330 in kids' content. That gap is why niche choice matters more than almost anything else. Our guide to how much YouTube pays per view goes deeper, and the best niches for YouTube covers which ones you can run without a camera.
Why your real earnings may differ
- Audience country. Advertisers pay far more for viewers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
- Video length. Long videos (8 minutes or more) can show mid-roll ads, which raises RPM.
- Shorts vs long-form. Shorts revenue comes from a shared pool and usually pays much less per view.
- Made for kids. Videos marked for kids can't show personalized ads, which is why that niche pays the least.
- Not monetized yet. Before you join the Partner Program, ad revenue is $0. See YouTube monetization requirements (the bar doubles for new applicants in February 2027).
Turning views into a side hustle
Most people who use a YouTube income estimator are asking one thing: is this worth my evenings? The math says a channel with 100,000 views a month in a mid-paying niche earns a few hundred dollars. That's real money, but it takes consistent uploads to get there. The two levers you control are the niche and how many good videos you can publish.
If filming yourself is what's stopping you, a faceless channel removes that step. Start with how to start a YouTube channel or how to make a faceless YouTube channel, and see how to make money on YouTube for income beyond ads, like affiliate links and sponsors.
FAQ
How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views?
Across the 300 monetized channels in AIR Media-Tech's 2026 study, the median creator earned about $2.30 per 1,000 views (RPM). It ranges from about $0.33 for kids' content to $10.22 for education and science.
How much does YouTube pay for 1 million views?
At the all-niche median RPM of about $2.30, 1 million views pays roughly $2,300. In education and science (median $10.22) it is about $10,220, and in kids' content (median $0.33) about $330.
How accurate is this YouTube money calculator?
It uses median RPMs from real YouTube Studio data, so it shows what a typical channel in each niche earns. Your channel can earn much less or more, depending on audience country, video length, and how many views carry ads. The typical range shown is the middle half of channels in the study.
How many views do you need to make $1,000 a month on YouTube?
At the all-niche median RPM of about $2.30, you need roughly 435,000 monetized views a month. In education and science (median RPM $10.22) it is about 98,000 views a month.
When does YouTube start paying you?
Only after you join the YouTube Partner Program. Today that takes 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. From February 1, 2027, new applicants need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views.
Does this calculator work for YouTube Shorts?
Only roughly. The RPM data is each channel's overall revenue in YouTube Studio. Shorts revenue comes from a shared pool and usually pays much less per view, so expect a lower figure for Shorts views.