Estimated monthly earnings
$400
- Per day
- $13.33
- Per year
- $4,800
- Revenue per 1,000 views (RPM)
- $8.00
- Monthly page views needed for your goal
- 125,000
- To earn $1,000 a month at this RPM.
This calculator produces estimates from the numbers you enter, so it is only as accurate as your inputs. It is not tax, accounting or legal advice. Rules and fees differ by country and change over time; check the current terms that apply to you.
The short answer
Ad earnings are page views divided by 1,000, multiplied by your RPM, which is the revenue you earn per 1,000 page views. If you only know click-through rate and earnings per click, multiply them to get RPM first. The hard part is that RPM varies enormously by topic, country, device and season, so use your own reported figure.
Worked example
These are the example values loaded into the calculator above, run through exactly the same formulas, so you can check the method against your own numbers.
| Inputs | |
|---|---|
| Monthly page views | 50,000 |
| RPM (revenue per 1,000 views) | $8.00 |
| Monthly income goal | $1,000 |
| Results | |
|---|---|
| Monthly earnings | $400.00 |
| Per day | $13.33 |
| Per year | $4,800 |
| Page views needed for the goal | 125,000 |
Every publisher eventually asks the same question: what could this traffic earn from ads? The answer comes from one number, RPM, and one multiplication. This calculator does the multiplication, and this page explains why the RPM you use matters more than anything else.
How to use this calculator
- Choose how you want to estimate. If your ad account reports RPM, use that option. If you only know your click-through rate and average earnings per click, use the second option.
- Enter your monthly page views.
- Enter your RPM, or your CTR and earnings per click.
- Enter a monthly income goal to see the traffic required.
The example values on the page are illustrations, not typical figures. Replace them with the numbers from your own reports.
The formulas
- Monthly earnings = (monthly page views ÷ 1,000) × RPM
- Yearly earnings = monthly earnings × 12
- RPM from clicks = 1,000 × click-through rate × earnings per click
- Page views needed for a goal = (goal ÷ RPM) × 1,000
For example, 50,000 page views at an RPM of 8 is 50 × 8 = 400 a month. In click mode, a 1% click-through rate at 0.40 per click gives an RPM of 1,000 × 0.01 × 0.40 = 4. The calculator is tested against these hand-worked values, and feeding the "page views needed" result back in returns exactly your goal.
Why RPM varies so much
RPM is not a property of your ad network. It is the outcome of several things, and you influence only some of them.
Topic. Advertisers pay more to reach people interested in some subjects than others, so two equally popular sites can earn very differently.
Visitor location. Advertisers bid more for visitors in some countries, which can change RPM several times over for identical traffic.
Device. Mobile and desktop visitors see different ad formats and earn differently.
Season. Advertising spend rises and falls through the year, and many publishers see stronger earnings towards the end of it.
Ad placement and page design. Where ads sit, how many there are and how fast the page loads all affect both earnings and user experience. Ads that make a page unpleasant tend to cost you more in lost readers than they earn.
Traffic quality. Engaged visitors who read to the end of a page see more ads than visitors who leave immediately.
Because of all this, the most reliable RPM to use is your own, measured over a few weeks. If you have no data yet, run the calculator with a low, a middle and a high assumption and see whether your plan survives the low one.
How to read your result
The monthly figure is an estimate, not a forecast, because traffic and RPM move constantly. The "page views needed" line is often the most sobering output. It shows how much traffic your income goal really requires, which helps you decide whether ads alone can get you there or whether you need other income streams as well. Many publishers combine advertising with affiliate links, sponsored content or their own products, because ads on their own reward scale.
Traffic takes time
Reaching meaningful traffic usually takes far longer than people expect. New sites often wait many months before search visitors appear, and ad income follows traffic, not the other way round. Our guide to blogging and our article on how long it takes to make money online give realistic timelines, and our piece on learning SEO explains how traffic is earned.
Common mistakes
Using someone else's RPM. Their niche, audience and layout are not yours.
Confusing page views with visitors. RPM is per page view, not per visitor, so a visitor who reads three pages counts three times.
Assuming linear growth. Doubling traffic does not always double earnings, because new traffic can come from lower-paying sources.
Chasing clicks. Encouraging accidental clicks breaks network rules and risks your account.
Ignoring costs. Hosting, tools and content creation all reduce what you keep.
Assumptions and limits
This calculator assumes a constant RPM across all your traffic, which is rarely true. It ignores taxes, payment thresholds, fees and any revenue share your network keeps beyond what is already reflected in your reported RPM. It works for any ad network that reports revenue per 1,000 views, not only AdSense. It says nothing about whether you will reach your assumed traffic. Earnings figures on this site are examples, never promises; see our earnings disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
How much does AdSense pay per 1,000 views?
There is no single answer. Earnings per 1,000 page views (RPM) depend on your topic, where your visitors live, the device they use, the season and how ads are placed on the page. Two sites with identical traffic can earn very different amounts. Use the RPM shown in your own ad account reports, and treat any figure quoted for an entire industry with caution.
What is the difference between RPM and CPM?
CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions. RPM is what you, the publisher, earn per 1,000 page views after the network's share, and it counts every page view whether or not an ad was shown or clicked. For estimating your income, RPM is the more useful number.
How many visitors do I need to earn a full-time income from ads?
It depends entirely on your RPM. Enter your own RPM and income goal in the calculator to see the monthly page views needed. For most sites the required traffic is large and takes a long time to build, which is why most publishers also use affiliate links or their own products.
Can I click my own ads to test them?
No. Clicking your own ads, or asking others to, is invalid activity under ad network rules and can get your account closed and earnings withheld. Test using reporting tools, never by clicking.
How we keep this calculator accurate
The formulas on this page are standard arithmetic, written out in full above so you can check them. Each one is covered by automated tests that compare the calculator against independently worked examples and round-trip checks, and the worked example is generated by the same code as the calculator. We use no third-party data, exchange rates or fee tables, because those go stale; fees and rates are always numbers you enter. If you spot a mistake or an assumption that does not fit your situation, please tell us. Our earnings disclaimer and editorial approach explain how the site works.
Written by
The editorial team behind How To Make Money Online, responsible for researching, writing, and fact-checking every guide on this site against current platform terms and fees.