YouTube Money Calculator
Estimate what your long-form YouTube views could earn, with low, typical and high figures by niche. Free, with no sign-up.
Typical: about $240 a month
About $2,880 a year (low $1,080, high $5,400)
Estimate only. Real earnings depend on your audience's countries, video length, ad types and the season.
Entertainment pays about 1.2× less than the all-niche median RPM ($2.90 per 1,000 views).
Long-form views only. Shorts are not included.
UK creators can check eligible products and estimated commission in YouTube Studio.
Want a bigger number? Talk to Ritual about growing your channel.
Figures are Ritual's estimates by niche, based on published industry data. A rough guide, not official YouTube data. Last reviewed: .
What moves your number
- Audience countryAdvertisers pay more to reach viewers in some countries than others.
- Video lengthLonger videos can carry mid-roll ads, so one view can show more than one ad.
- Views that carry adsNot every view shows an ad. The more of your views that do, the higher your RPM.
- SeasonAdvertisers spend more in Q4 (October to December), and less in January.
How YouTube pays you for views
When your channel is in the YouTube Partner Programme, advertisers pay to show ads on your videos. YouTube keeps a share of that money and pays the rest to the creator. YouTube Analytics shows what you received as RPM: revenue per 1,000 views.
This calculator does the same sum the other way round:
monthly earnings = (monthly views ÷ 1,000) × RPM
It uses three RPMs for your niche: low, typical and high. Typical is our central estimate, and low and high show a realistic range for channels in that niche. Where your own channel lands depends on the things below.
RPM vs CPM: what each means
What advertisers pay for 1,000 ad impressions, before YouTube takes its share. It only counts views where an ad was shown.
What you receive for every 1,000 views, after YouTube's share. It counts all your views, including views where no ad was shown.
That is why your RPM is lower than your CPM, and why RPM is the right number for estimating earnings. Because RPM already allows for views with no ad, the calculator doesn't need a separate "monetised views" step.
YouTube RPM by niche in 2026
The figures behind the calculator: our estimate of what creators receive per 1,000 long-form views in each niche, after YouTube's share.
| Niche | What it covers | Low RPM | Typical RPM | High RPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education & Science | Tutorials, explainers, science and learning | $2.30 | $8.10 | $13.80 |
| Transport | Cars, motorbikes, aviation, trains and other vehicles | $3.40 | $5.70 | $9.40 |
| Business & Finance | Money, investing, business and careers | $2.60 | $5.40 | $9.80 |
| Gadgets & Tech | Tech reviews, unboxings, setups and how-tos | $2.40 | $4.20 | $6.60 |
| News & Politics | News, current affairs and political commentary | $1.80 | $3.20 | $4.30 |
| Lifestyle | Vlogs, home, travel and everyday life | $1.80 | $3.10 | $5.10 |
| Crafting & Handmade | DIY, crafts, sewing and making things by hand | $1.50 | $2.90 | $4.40 |
| Food & Cooking | Recipes, cooking, baking and food reviews | $1.60 | $2.90 | $3.90 |
| Health & Sport | Fitness, sport, health and wellbeing | $1.30 | $2.90 | $3.90 |
| Gaming | Let's plays, walkthroughs, esports and game commentary | $1.40 | $2.70 | $4.00 |
| Entertainment | Comedy, challenges, reactions and podcasts | $0.90 | $2.40 | $4.50 |
| Music | Artists, covers, lessons and music commentary | $1.30 | $2.10 | $3.90 |
| Kids & Teens | Videos made for children and young teens | $0.40 | $0.80 | $1.40 |
These are Ritual's estimates for each niche, based on published industry RPM figures, blended and rounded to the nearest 10 cents. Typical is our central estimate; low and high show a realistic range for the niche. They are a rough guide, not official YouTube data and not figures from any single channel. Channels whose viewers are mostly outside the US and UK will usually earn less. Median of the typical figures across all niches: $2.90.
Data last reviewed: . We check the figures and the exchange rate every quarter. Pound figures use a fixed rate of $1 = £0.746.
What affects your earnings
- Where your viewers live. Advertisers pay more to reach viewers in some countries than others, so two channels with the same views can earn very different amounts.
- Your niche. Some topics attract more advertisers than others. In the table above, the typical estimate for Education & Science is about ten times the figure for Kids & Teens.
- Video length. Longer videos can carry mid-roll ads, so a single view can show more than one ad.
- How many views carry ads. Not every view shows an ad. Ad blockers, and videos that are not suitable for most advertisers, both lower the share of views that do.
- The season. Advertisers spend more in the run-up to Christmas, so RPM tends to rise from October to December and drop in January.
How to earn more from the views you already get
- Keep videos advertiser-friendly. Videos that follow YouTube's advertiser-friendly content guidelines can show ads from more advertisers.
- Use mid-roll ads where they fit. On longer videos, place ad breaks at natural pauses so they don't push viewers away.
- Plan around the seasons. Save some of your strongest uploads for the last three months of the year, when advertisers spend most.
- Keep viewers watching. More watch time per viewer gives more chances for an ad to show.
- Check your own numbers. The Revenue tab in YouTube Analytics shows your RPM by video, so you can see which topics and formats earn most.
Ritual's YouTube team works on this with creators, from growth planning to ad break timing. See how Ritual helps YouTube channels.
Other ways to earn on YouTube
Ads are only one source of income. Many channels also earn from:
- Brand deals: sponsored videos or mentions, agreed with a brand.
- Channel memberships: viewers pay a monthly amount for perks such as badges and members-only videos.
- Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks: viewers pay to highlight a message.
- YouTube Shopping: eligible creators can feature products in their videos.
- Merchandise: your own products, sold to your audience.
The calculator estimates what your views earn on YouTube. Brand deals, merchandise and Shopping are separate and are not in the estimate. Each way to earn has its own eligibility rules, so check the current requirements in YouTube Studio before you plan around one. Our guide to YouTube monetisation options covers them in more detail.
This calculator is Ritual Network's own tool. It is not made or endorsed by YouTube, and its figures are not official YouTube data.
YouTube earnings, answered.
Anything else, email the team at team@ritualnetwork.com.
How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views?
It depends on your niche and where your viewers live. Our estimates put the typical RPM at about $1.30 to $9.00 per 1,000 long-form views depending on the niche, with a middle figure of about $3.30 across all niches. RPM is what the creator receives after YouTube's share.
How much could 100,000 views a month earn?
Using the typical RPM for each niche, 100,000 long-form views a month works out at roughly $80 (Kids & Teens) to $810 (Education & Science). For Entertainment it is about $240. Your own figure could be higher or lower, so use the calculator for a low, typical and high estimate.
Does the calculator include Shorts?
No. It covers long-form views only. Shorts are paid differently per view, and we don't yet have figures we trust, so we have left them out rather than guess. We will add Shorts once we do.
What is the difference between RPM and CPM?
CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions, before YouTube takes its share. RPM is what you receive per 1,000 views after YouTube's share, counting all views, including those with no ad. RPM is lower than CPM, and it is the better figure for estimating your earnings.
Why is my RPM different from the figures here?
The figures are estimates for typical channels in each niche. Your RPM moves with where your viewers live, how long your videos are, how many of your views carry ads and the time of year. You can see your own RPM in YouTube Studio, on the Revenue tab in Analytics.
Where does the data come from?
The figures are Ritual's estimates for each niche, based on published industry RPM figures, blended and rounded. They are a rough guide, not official YouTube data and not figures from any single channel. We review them every quarter.
Do I need to be in the YouTube Partner Programme to earn from views?
Yes. A channel earns from ads once it has been accepted into the YouTube Partner Programme and its videos are suitable for ads. Each way to earn has its own requirements, and they change, so check the current rules in YouTube Studio.
Do you save the numbers I enter?
No. The calculator works in your browser. We only count anonymous usage, such as which niche was picked and a rough range of views, to see how the tool is used. If you choose to send us your details through the form, we use them to reply to you.
Want a bigger number?
Talk to Ritual about growing your channel. Tell us where you are now, and someone from the team will reply by email.