How Much Do YouTubers Typically Make?

Oh, the coveted title of “professional YouTuber.” The idea of creating content you’re passionate about and making money doing so would be a dream-come-true, which is why there are so many people trying to shoot their shots to make it big as a creator on YouTube.

But how do you go from making a few YouTube videos here and there to earning a living from it?

Whether you’re a video game streamer who’s trying to diversify their reach, an Instagram influencer who’s starting to get into the vlogging space, or a brand new creator trying to get their feet wet, we all have something to learn when it comes to making money on YouTube.

The big question on everyone’s mind is, of course, “How much do YouTubers make?” It’s a great question, but that’s just scratching the surface of the important information you need to know if you want to start making money with your content. In this article, we’re going to answer that question and dive deeper into the wonderful world of monetization as a YouTube creator.

How Much Money Do YouTubers Make?

Let’s get right into the nitty gritty. We’ll give you a couple of different stats to paint a picture of what it’s like to actually be a content creator. Here’s how much money you can realistically expect based on what stage you’re at in your YouTuber journey.

The Top Earners

Let’s start off with the top earners on YouTube. Obviously, it takes a long time to get to this point, and these creators have worked incredibly hard throughout their careers (and benefitted from a small dose of luck).

Of course, the first name that probably comes to mind is Mr. Beast. He has amassed a gigantic following on the platform, and when it comes to making money, there is none better than Mr. Beast. The creator made about $54 million in YouTube revenue 2021 alone, which he owes to the 10 billion views he amassed that year. The vast majority of us can only dream of raking in that kind of cash one day.

But he’s not the only one making millions every year. In the same year, Jake Paul brought in $45 million, and Markiplier brought in $38 million, putting all three of those creators among the top-paid stars in the entire entertainment industry.

The Beginners

Now, let’s take a look at the finances of the smallest monetized account on YouTube. On the platform, you have to amass 1,000 subscribers to start earning that sweet, sweet ad revenue — so what do creators make at that level?

Well, estimates vary based on a variety of factors, like how long your video is, how many video ads you’re running, what types of ads they are, and how many ad views you’re getting.

To measure income, most people use something called CPM, or cost per mille, which means how much you make per thousand video views. New creators with 1,000 subs will likely have a CPM between $1 and $5, which isn’t much.

With a small amount of money like this, your side hustle depends a lot on how much time you’re putting into it and how much YouTube content you’re putting out.

But this is what you can expect at the very beginning of your journey, and the earning potential only goes up from here!

The Average Joes

There’s a middle ground between these two scenarios. There are plenty of mid-size creators who are making a decent or even great living through their content on YouTube. But how much does YouTube pay its average creator?

There are a lot of estimates out there, but most of them say the average YouTuber makes around $4,600 a month, or about $55,200 a year. But again, that figure could vary based on a variety of factors, including video length, number of ads, and more.

Let’s break it down in a different way. If you’re an established creator with about 100,000 subscribers and good engagement, you could put out a few videos per week and make somewhere between $2,400 and $4,000 a month.

How Do You Make Money on YouTube, Anyway?

So now you know how much money there is to be made on YouTube, but you’ve got to evolve and grow as a creator before you get to a point where you’re making a decent living. Don’t worry — we’re here to explain how to make money on YouTube. We’ll go through how to get monetized, talk about different income streams, and then talk about how to grow your channel.

The YouTube Partner Program

Unfortunately, you can’t just start uploading videos to YouTube and making money. YouTube requires you to grow your channel to a certain point before you’re allowed to start monetizing. Once your channel grows to a certain point, you can apply to become a YouTube Partner, and then you can start making money.

To become a Partner, you first need to set up a Google AdSense account. This is how all your ad-based YouTube earnings will make it into your bank account. You’ll also need to make sure you follow the monetization policies, keep your Community Guidelines strike count to a minimum, get access to advanced features on your channel, and enable two-step verification on your Google account.

But the big hurdle is your number of subscribers and views. There are two ways to meet the requirements depending on what type of video content you make: through YouTube Shorts and the standard Watch Page on YouTube. For both options, you’ll need to amass 1,000 YouTube subscribers.

If you’re going the Shorts route, you’ll need to have 10 million views in 90 days. If you’re going the Watch Page route, you’ll need 4,000 public watch hours in the past year. Once you rack up a high number of views, you can apply to become a Partner. Once you’re accepted, you unlock the perks of monetization, and the cash starts to roll in.

Diversify Your Income

In general, YouTube creators make about half their money through YouTube ad revenue, so let’s talk about that before we move on to other forms of income.

Once you become a Partner, you’ll be able to go into your YouTube Studio and turn on the relevant ad features on Shorts and the Watch Page. There are plenty of different ad settings that you can tweak to best fit your specific channel, such as how many ads you run per video, how long those ads are, and where the ads are placed in your video.

But that is not the only way to grow your YouTube income. The highest-paid YouTubers have a variety of different revenue streams that help them make their money. Even within the YouTube app, there are loads of ways to make money.

For starters, there are Channel Memberships, which are quite similar to how Twitch subs function. Your fans can pay a monthly fee to get access to additional content, an ad-free experience, and other customizable features.

There’s also Super Chat and Super Stickers, which are similar to Bits and Cheermotes on Twitch. Users can purchase Supers and then use them on your channel to have their comments and cheers pinned. These can work both on your Watch Page and your livestreams. So, if you’re a gaming streamer on YouTube, this is a function you’ll want to look into.

Then there’s YouTube Shopping to help you start making merchandise sales. Create your own line of merch, and your fans can click on a link on your Channel to buy it and support you.

Finally, there are brand deals. As you grow, you can set up sponsorships with specific brands to continually rep their products or services on your channel. Companies pay top dollar for affiliate marketing, so these partnerships are big money-makers for content creators.

You can also use crowdfunding platforms like Patreon to give your subscribers a chance to support you and your content. Finally, once you have the cash to spend, you can try out some influencer marketing to see if you can get your content to new audiences and unlock new viewers.

Grow Your Channel

Now you know how to become a successful YouTuber, but progressing down that path doesn’t happen without hard work and a good plan. So here are some quick tips about how you can grow your channels and progress through the monetization milestones quickly.

The best piece of advice is to find your niche, whether it’s gaming content, crazy stunts, or unboxing videos. Make content that you’re passionate about and that you’re good at. There’s an audience out there for just about anything, so start down your path, get a following of passionate fans, and then focus on growing your platform.

Next, you should post consistently. Find a posting schedule that is manageable for you and stick to it diligently. This includes streaming, as well. If your followers have a pattern they can learn to expect, you’re more likely to become a part of their routine and develop devoted fans.

Finally, keep track of your analytics and make small improvements along the way. Double down on the content that works, and stop making the content that doesn’t. YouTube offers a ton of information about who watches your YouTube videos and how they watch them. Use this information to your advantage and forge it into a tool that makes your channel explode!

Making Money on YouTube

There are more people on YouTube than ever, which means there’s more opportunity to make money on the platform than ever. If you’re interested in becoming a content creator or are trying to grow your channel to make yourself more profitable, keep grinding.

With enough hard work and the right course of action, you can start making great money on this amazing social media platform and change your life and personal finances for the long haul.

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