By Robert Reeve · 6 min read

Last Updated on December 14, 2022

Ever found yourself wondering at some point or other: just how much is this YouTuber making? While making money from YouTube is a fairly recent concept, it can be said that many have found their way to fame and fortune by uploading content to the platform.

But how much money can you earn from uploading YouTube videos? Continue reading to find out how much YouTubers are making and how you can start earning money on YouTube!

How Much Money Do YouTubers Make?

When thinking of a YouTuber's income, chances are certain channels like Mr Beast who earns a bewildering $54 million, first come to mind. While there are certainly many success stories from people that made it big on YouTube, getting that far takes an exceptional amount of time, effort, and hard work!

Rather than getting paid based on your subscriber or view count, YouTube monetization works from the number of ad views you receive on a video.

How much income you generate on YouTube can vary depending on many things, such as your view count, channel category, your content niche, and location. Because of this, it is difficult to calculate an exact price per ad view, so these next few statistics are based on average earnings.

Per 1,000 Views

You can make, on average, between $2-$12 per 1,000 views on your YouTube videos. Again, this can vary for every creator, and your view count does not necessarily correlate to your ad views. Tools like ad blockers can affect your ad revenue, so it is safe to assume that only half of your views also account for your ad views.

Per 100,000 Views

Your YouTube channel is slowly starting to take off and is reaching 100,000 views on your video uploads. You are now earning an average of $120-$800 and the future is looking bright. Don't get too comfortable though, as views don't always mean engagement!

Some viewers may lose interest halfway through a video or click off after seeing an ad. Your YouTube earnings depend on people staying on your video until the very end, so make sure your content is engaging!

Per 1,000,000 Views

Incredible! Your successful YouTube channel is now racking in 1 million views per video and your estimated earnings are now between a substantial $1,200- $6,000! You've crossed the threshold into influencer territory and gained extra revenue streams through influencer marketing and selling merchandise.

After hitting the 1 million mark and consistently uploading and scaling your video content, it's time to start thinking about quitting the day job and turning YouTube into a successful and rewarding career!

How To Make Money On YouTube

Becoming a successful YouTuber has become the ideal career, but many are unsure of how to start earning money on the platform. There are multiple ways you can start earning additional income from your YouTube content. Here's how you can get started!

Sign Up To The YouTube Partner Program

Becoming a YouTube partner is the first step to earning revenue on your videos. The YouTube partner program (YPP) is how content creators enable monetization on their videos and make money from ad revenue. To create any kind of cash flow from YouTube, you must first check your eligibility for YPP and sign up!

Some eligibility criteria include having over 1,000 subscribers, over 4,000 public watch hours within the past year, and a linked Adsense account. If you are eligible for YPP, you can start using their exciting monetization features, such as overlay ads and channel memberships!

Video Ads

So, we know that ad revenue is a large source of income for YouTubers. But how do video ads work exactly?

After signing up for the YouTube partner program, you can create a Google Adsense account. Adsense ads appear on your YouTube video, so creating an account is how you earn money.

If you are eligible for the program, Adsense will allow you to generate YouTube money by displaying ads on your videos. An advertiser pays based on a cost-per-view or cost-per-click basis, so you will receive a commission based on your ad views.

The skip ads feature and ad blockers can affect your ad views and how much YouTube pays, so it is generally a good idea to have other revenue streams that you can rely on.

Affiliate Links

Becoming an affiliate with a brand you trust is a great way to earn money on YouTube. By providing a special promo code or link to a product on your videos, you can earn a commission based on sales made using your link and the link's click-through rate!

Only partner with brands that align with your audience demographic and promote products that would benefit them so that you don't lose your viewer's trust.

Merchandise

Selling merch is a fantastic source of passive income for YouTubers and is often one of their main ways of making money. Design and promote branded merchandise to your loyal viewers and use a third-party company that will manufacture and ship it out to minimize effort.

Promote your brand through merchandise using sales and one-time offers. Limited edition merch also sells quickly as they are one of a kind.

Sponsorships

Companies looking to branch into influencer marketing will often approach YouTubers for sponsorship deals. YouTubers will make sponsorship deals with brands that have similar audience demographics and are paid per view on every sponsored video.

The Top 5 Highest-Earning YouTubers

Wondering who the current YouTube stars with the highest salary are? Here is a list of 5 top paid content creators on YouTube!

5. Unspeakable- $28.5 Million

Starting his career uploading Minecraft gameplay videos and finding success through crazy challenges, Nathan Johnson Graham has the 5th highest YouTube salary. His success in selling merchandise has a lot to contribute to his high income, as well as having over 14 million subscribers and billions of video views on his YouTube channel.

4. Rhett And Link- $30 Million

Comedy duo Rhett and Link have built their YouTube empire from their online series Good Mythical Morning. The show has branched into multiple spinoffs, each with its own successful YouTube channels and merchandise collections.

3. Markiplier- $38 Million

Markiplier is a big name in the YouTube gaming world, with 33.7 million subscribers. Mark made it big through his funny commentary while playing various indie horror games, and has been making videos since 2012. His YouTube Adsense revenue, merchandise sales, sponsorships, and collaborations with other YouTubers have made Markiplier the 3rd highest paid YouTuber!

2. Jake Paul- $45 Million

Despite his past controversies, Jake Paul is the YouTuber with the second-highest paying salary. His high income has much to do with his successful music and boxing career, after showing impressive talent at celebrity matches in 2019. Jake Paul has since moved his content away from prank videos towards fitness and lifestyle videos.

1. MrBeast- $54 Million

Mr Beast uploads expensive YouTube videos that require a very high budget to sustain. How does he do it, you ask? Through viral content, popular merchandise, advertisers, and ventures into the food industry, Mr Beast makes an incredible amount of money on YouTube to ultimately support charities and give it all away!