Earning a full-time income on YouTube is possible, but how much money can you really make? This definitive guide examines REAL data on YouTube earnings.
We’ll analyze income reports from over 30 creators, from tiny channels to the biggest stars raking in millions…
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Key Takeaways on YouTube Income Potential
- Inside the YouTube Money Calculator
- Small Channel Earnings Data
- How Views and Subscribers Impact Revenue
- What it Takes to Make Six Figures on YouTube
- Highest Paid YouTubers of 2023
- Trends Among Top Earning Creators
- How to Maximize Income on YouTube
Let‘s start with the platform’s monetization model…
How YouTubers Actually Make Money
YouTube offers creators several built-in income streams:
Ad Revenue – The bulk of earnings. YouTube runs video ads and shares 55% of revenue.
Channel Memberships – Fans pay a monthly fee for exclusive member perks. YouTubers earn $1.99 per month per member after platform fees.
Super Chats & Super Thanks – Viewers pay to pin live chat messages and give video tips. Creators keep 70% of earnings after fees.
YouTube Premium – Viewers pay for an ad-free experience and creators get a cut of the revenue.
Merch Shelf – YouTubers can showcase branded merch on their channel shelves with direct shopping links. Creator profit depends on their merchandise pricing and margins.
Ad Revenue Rates Vary Wildly
However, earnings potential largely depends on a channel’s RPM. Or how much Revenue Per Thousand Views they generate:
As this chart shows, advertiser demand and viewer locations cause HUGE variations between niches.
Gaming and entertainment command premium rates from brands targeting younger viewers in wealthier regions like the USA. News and politics see lower spending.
So your niche plays a big role, but let’s break down exactly how view counts turn into cash…
Inside the YouTube Money Calculator
At its core, YouTube earnings come down to a simple formula:
Total Earnings = Views x RPM ÷ 1000- Views = Total Number Video Views
- RPM = Revenue Per 1000 Views
RPM encompasses YouTube’s revenue share, advertiser demand, viewer demographics, and more bundled into an average CPM rate.
Let’s walk through some examples:
👉 If a creator has 5,000,000 views in a month and an average $5 RPM across those views they would make:
5,000,000 x $5 / 1000 = $25,000Not bad!
👉 However a channel with 500,000 views and a $10 RPM makes:
500,000 x $10 / 1000 = $5,000More views yet earned less thanks to differences in audience and advertiser rates.
This shows why we see such huge variability in incomes, even with similar view counts.
Now that you know the math behind YouTube earnings, what do REAL channels of different sizes make?
Small YouTuber Earnings Data
Over 75% of channels make less than $100 a year. Why the struggle?
You need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours over 12 months to qualify for YouTube monetization. Without access to ads, channel memberships, etc. building income is extremely difficult.
However, many small creators happily earn side incomes:
YouTubers with 100 Subscribers
These rookie channels lack monetization access, so they often:
- Utilize affiliate marketing links to products mentioned
- Direct viewers to third party sites like Patreon
- Promote their own small businesses or services
Income relies on niche until gaining enough subscribers and watch time for YouTube’s Partner Program.
YouTubers with 500 Subscribers
Assuming they meet eligibility standards, 500 subscriber channels make roughly:
- Average Views Per Month: 15,000
- Average Yearly Earnings: $225
- Average Monthly Earnings: $20
This adds up to under $20 per month in the early stages. Smaller niches tend to drive lower RPMs as well at roughly $1.50 per 1000 views.
Let’s look at earnings once channels pass that crucial 1,000 subscriber mark…
How Much Do YouTubers with 1,000 Subscribers Make?
The 1,000 subscriber threshold unlocks channel monetization. With it, earning reports show ad revenue as the main income stream.
YouTube Money Calculator Estimate
1,000 Subscribers:
- Average Monthly Views: 60,000
- Average Yearly Earnings: $2,000
- Average Monthly Earnings: $165
- Average RPM: $3 per 1,000 views
This lines up closely with our sample monetized channel from earlier making $25 per month at just 217,000 yearly views and a weak $1.75 RPM.
But what explains earners who make much MORE at 1,000 subscribers?
Factors Impacting Lower Subscriber YouTube Earnings
Beyond just view counts, these factors alter income:
🔸 Watch Time – Better audience retention per video increases Adsense RPMs
🔸 Uploads Per Month – Consistency keeps viewers engaged with more videos
🔸 Clickthrough Rates – When viewers click and engage with video ads
For example, a strong video game channel with 5,000 views per video and 80% audience retention can outearn a channel with 1 million views and 20% retention.
This drives home why no universal estimate fits all channels.
Now what happens as we move into 5 and 6 figure subscriber counts?
YouTubers with 100,000 Subscribers
Triple digit subscriber channels start leveraging their influence:
- Average Yearly Earnings: $150,000
- Average Monthly Earnings: $12,500
- Average Monthly Views: 1,900,000
- Average RPM: $8 per 1000 Views
Notice the jump to $8 RPM here. Advertisers bid more aggressively to reach engaged followers at scale while views climb.
Other income ideas bigger channels unlock:
🔸 Sponsored Video Partnerships $500+ per 100k Views
🔸 Paid Channel Shoutouts $100+
🔸 Physical / Digital Products
🔸 Get Interviewed in Niche Outlets
🔸 Invited to Industry Events
Mid-size channels balance monetization with community. Let‘s examine revenue potential once channels pass 250,000 subscribers…
How Much Money Do YouTubers with 1 Million Subscribers Make?
Million subscriber channels enter elite status as top performers on the platform. With huge audiences comes big earning potential:
YouTube Money Calculator Estimate
1 Million Subscribers:
- Average Yearly Earnings: $2.5 Million
- Average Monthly Earnings: $210,000
- Average Monthly Views: 19 Million
- Average RPM: $11 per 1000 Views
Notice the jump to a $11 RPM thanks to valuable viewership metrics for advertisers:
With scale comes bargaining power. Top creators make HUGE incomes with enough scale while commanding premium ad rates not afforded to smaller channels.
Highest Paid YouTubers of 2023
Let‘s examine this year‘s top income earners according to Forbes:
MrBeast – $100 Million
MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) has dominated YouTube for years thanks to viral stunts and massive giveaways.
He crossover into mainstream fame with appearances on The Late Show and features in The New York Times.
Donaldson reinvests ALL his profits back into videos attempting absurd ideas like recreating Netflix’s Squid Game in real life. This hype fuels monthly view counts exceeding 1 BILLION.
At over 200 million subscribers, Donaldson is the undisputed king of YouTube income thanks to a fiercely loyal audience.
Jake Paul – $45 Million
Originally gaining fame on Disney Channel, Jake Paul has leveraged YouTube pranks into an influencer empire across TikTok, boxing and business.
His financial YouTube success allowed the move into boxing exhibitions against stars like Ben Askren for million dollar paydays.
Combined with promoting merchandise, NFT projects, and other controversies – Paul continues demonstrating the power of YouTube fame.
Unspeakable – $30 Million
Nathan creates kid friendly videos around Minecraft and epic challenges across YouTube and Facebook for elementary age viewers.
HIs family friendly niche is a YouTube Adsense haven thanks to engaged views from longer videos and protective parental controls.
Markiplier – $28 Million
Mark Fischbach built one of YouTube‘s most loyal gaming fanbases over 10 years. His 31 million subscribers tune into Markiplier‘s animated personality in video game playthroughs, comedy sketches and fan interactions.
Recently Markiplier expanded into additional podcast content to balance gaming burnout risks. Diversification is key!
The list continues with family vloggers Ryan Kaji and popular kid‘s character Blippi earning over $25 million each solely from YouTube content.
However, after these top 10 creators earnings drop steeply to under $5 million for names that aren‘t household status yet. This shows while YouTube offers unlimited upside, only a tiny fraction see 8 figure salaries.
Now that we‘ve covered subscriber goals and earnings brackets – what other lessons can rising creators apply from these top success stories?
Trends Among the Highest Earning YouTubers
After combing through income reports and creator stories in this post certain best practices stood out:
Embrace Video Innovation
Top creators relentlessly test bringing new ideas, formats, and interactive video types to an insatiable audience.
Shorts, livestreams, subscriber battles, and viral trends all play a role in engaging viewers beyond just static videos.
Reinvest in Production Value
Too often creators get stuck battling their own declining interest rather than pushing production quality.
Look at early MrBeast videos vs now. Or Markiplier‘s audio and visual polish evolution. Rising incomes allow for expanded, cinema level quality production.
Which brings us to our next lesson…
Master Your Niche Over General Fame
It‘s enticing to think crossing over into mainstream celebrity on YouTube guarantees lasting success.
But loyal community rapport around shared interests built over years leads to lasting viewer loyalty that transcends any one video. Playing to a committed niche pays long term dividends.
Expand Off The Platform
Youtube spearheads discovery and conversions for these creators. But they aren‘t reliant solely on Google‘s platform for income.
Secondary social accounts, podcasts, brand deals, merchandising pop up shops and special events all play a role in diversified income streams.
While good fortune and luck play some role, studying their paths reveals repeatable frameworks for going full time on YouTube.
Now, how can rising creators apply these lessons to make more money on YouTube in 2023?
7 Proven Ways to Maximize YouTube Revenue
Beyond subscriber count, how you optimize your channel impacts income. Here are 7 tactics to drive RPM rates:
1. Post Consistently
Top creators emphasize daily or weekly uploads train YouTube‘s algorithm your channel offers fresh value. It rewards consistency placing your videos higher in suggestions and search.
2. Target Search Intent
Optimize metadata and titles for search queries viewers actively use on topics related to your content. Think "How to x" or "X explained simply" etc.
3. Max Watch Time Over Clicks
Audience retention directly correlates to higher RPMs. Short quick cutting videos may get clicks, but longer more evergreen videos earn more over time via watch time.
4.Promote Channel Memberships
Monthly recurring income through exclusive content and member badges build loyalty. But you must promote the perks consistently.
5. Run Sponsored Videos
Pre-roll ads pay a flat rate while sponsored mid-roll segment rates run on views. Either works to subsidize income during fluctuations.
6. Upload Playlists By Topic
Bite sized videos make it easier to marathon watch playlists around a specific focus area. Adding these playlists to channel navigation boosts time on site.
7. Diversify Content Off YouTube
Upload clips across TikTok, Instagram, etc plus repurpose footage into a podcast. This expands reach while allowing YouTube to focus on core video uploads.
While achieving top YouTuber status takes luck and grind over years – the lessons from this post apply today.
Use data-backed optimization around search, audience retention and promoting channel monetization to ensure your future earnings scale sustainably over time.
Now over to you – what surprises you most from the real income reports covered today? Let me know in the comments!
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