YouTube Earnings Calculator (2026)
Find out how much a YouTube channel really makes. Enter monthly views, pick a niche, and get daily, monthly, and yearly earnings estimates based on RPM — the money creators actually receive — for long-form videos and Shorts.
Estimate YouTube Earnings
RPM is what the creator keeps per 1,000 views, after YouTube’s cut. Shorts RPM is usually $0.03–$0.07.
Estimates only. Real RPM varies with audience country, watch time, video length, and advertiser demand — see the niche table below for realistic 2026 ranges.
How YouTube Earnings Are Calculated
YouTube pays creators through ad revenue, and the number that matters is RPM (revenue per mille) — the amount a creator actually receives for every 1,000 views, after YouTube keeps its 45% share of ad revenue. RPM already accounts for views that show no ad, so it is the most honest way to estimate channel income.
- RPM, not CPM: CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions. RPM is what lands in the creator’s pocket per 1,000 views — always lower, and the right number for earnings estimates.
- Niche drives RPM: advertisers pay far more to reach finance or business viewers than entertainment viewers, so RPM ranges from about $1 to $25 for long-form videos.
- Shorts are different: Shorts revenue comes from a shared pool, giving an RPM of roughly $0.03–$0.07 — about 100x less per view than long-form.
- Views are monthly: enter the channel’s total views per month across all videos, not subscribers.
Daily earnings = monthly earnings ÷ 30
Yearly earnings = monthly earnings × 12
YouTube RPM by Niche (2026)
These are typical RPM ranges reported by creators in 2026. Your channel’s actual RPM depends mostly on niche, audience location (US and UK viewers pay best), and video length — videos over 8 minutes can run mid-roll ads and usually earn more.
| Niche | Typical RPM range | Used in calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Business | $8 – $25 | $15 |
| Health and Fitness | $5 – $15 | $10 |
| Tech and Reviews | $4 – $12 | $8 |
| Education | $3 – $12 | $7 |
| General / Mixed | $3 – $8 | $5 |
| Gaming | $2 – $6 | $4 |
| Entertainment | $1 – $5 | $3 |
| Vlogging and Lifestyle | $1 – $5 | $3 |
| Music | $0.50 – $3 | $2 |
| YouTube Shorts (any niche) | $0.03 – $0.07 | $0.05 |
Worked Example: 100,000 Views a Month at $5 RPM
| Calculation | Earnings | |
|---|---|---|
| Per 1,000 views | RPM | $5.00 |
| Per day | (100,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 1,000) × $5 | $16.67 |
| Per month | (100,000 ÷ 1,000) × $5 | $500.00 |
| Per year | $500 × 12 | $6,000.00 |
The same 100,000 monthly views in the finance niche at $15 RPM would earn $1,500 a month — three times more from identical view counts. That is why niche choice matters more than raw views. Our guide breaks the numbers down further: how much do YouTubers make per 1,000 views in 2026?
Frequently Asked Questions