Free Tool
YouTube Money Calculator
Estimate monthly and yearly YouTube earnings by niche, audience and format.
Based on an RPM of $10–$15 per 1,000 views.
Estimate only — actual RPM varies by geography, season, ad-block rate, and YouTube Partner Program status.
About the YouTube Money Calculator
The YouTube Money Calculator estimates what a channel could earn from a given number of monthly views. Enter your views, choose long-form videos or Shorts, pick your niche and say whether your audience is mostly in the US and other top-tier countries or spread across the world. You get a low-to-high range for both monthly and yearly earnings.
The estimate is built on RPM, which is revenue per 1,000 views after YouTube takes its share. RPM is different from CPM, which is what advertisers pay before that share, and it varies a lot by topic: finance and business content earns several times what gaming or vlogs earn for the same number of views.
Location matters too. Advertisers pay less for audiences in lower-income markets, so a global audience earns roughly two to three times less than a US or Tier-1 audience. The calculator divides the RPM range by about 2.5 for a global audience.
Shorts are paid differently. Their revenue comes from a shared pool rather than ads on each video, so they earn a small, roughly flat amount per 1,000 views whatever the niche. Use the results to plan and compare, not as a promise: real earnings depend on your audience, the season and your YouTube Partner Program status.
RPM benchmarks used by this calculator
US and Tier-1 long-form RPM, in US dollars per 1,000 views. Global audiences are divided by about 2.5. Shorts use a flat $0.01–$0.08 per 1,000 views.
| Niche | RPM (US / Tier-1) |
|---|---|
| Personal Finance | $10–$15 |
| Technology / SaaS | $8–$12 |
| Education / Learning | $9–$14 |
| Health & Wellness | $7–$11 |
| Legal / True Crime | $7–$9 |
| Real Estate / Business | $8–$13 |
| Travel | $5–$9 |
| Entertainment | $2–$5 |
| Gaming | $2–$5 |
| Vlogs / Lifestyle / Other | $2–$4 |
How to use it
- Enter the number of views you get, or expect to get, in a month.
- Choose Long-form or Shorts. Shorts ignore the niche and use a flat range.
- For long-form, pick the niche that best matches your channel and your main audience location.
- Read your estimated monthly and yearly earnings range, which updates as you change any input.
Frequently asked questions
What is RPM on YouTube, and how is it different from CPM?
RPM (revenue per mille) is what you earn per 1,000 video views after YouTube's share is taken out. CPM (cost per mille) is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions before that share. Because not every view shows an ad, RPM is usually lower than CPM, and it is the number that matters for your income.
How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views?
It depends mostly on niche and audience location. In this calculator, US and Tier-1 long-form RPM runs from about $2–4 for vlogs and lifestyle up to about $10–15 for personal finance. Shorts use a flat $0.01–$0.08 per 1,000 views.
Why do Shorts earn so much less than long videos?
Shorts revenue comes from a pooled model: ad revenue between Shorts is shared across creators rather than paid per video. The result is a much smaller amount per 1,000 views, and it stays in a similar range across niches, so the calculator uses one flat range for all of them.
Why does audience location change the estimate?
Advertisers pay different rates in different countries. Viewers in the US and other Tier-1 countries generate the highest rates, so for a global audience this calculator divides the RPM range by about 2.5.
Do I need to be in the YouTube Partner Program?
Yes. You can only earn from ads once your channel is accepted into the YouTube Partner Program. The eligibility rules change from time to time, so check YouTube's official help pages for the current requirements.
How accurate is this estimate?
It is a planning estimate, not a prediction. Actual RPM varies by geography, season, ad-block rate, video length and Partner Program status, and can be lower or higher than the range shown.