Estimated monthly earnings
$300
- Per day
- $10.00
- Per year
- $3,600
- Revenue per 1,000 views (RPM)
- $3.00
- Monthly video views needed for your goal
- 333,334
- 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
YouTube ad earnings are your views divided by 1,000, multiplied by your RPM, which is what you earn per 1,000 views after YouTube's share. Your RPM is shown in your channel analytics and varies with topic, audience country, video length and season, so use your own figure. Ads are rarely the whole income; sponsorships and products often matter more.
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 video views | 100,000 |
| RPM (revenue per 1,000 views) | $3.00 |
| Monthly income goal | $1,000 |
| Results | |
|---|---|
| Monthly earnings | $300.00 |
| Per day | $10.00 |
| Per year | $3,600 |
| Monthly views needed for the goal | 333,334 |
Creators, and people thinking of becoming creators, tend to ask the same first question: what would my views be worth? This calculator turns views and RPM into an income estimate, and shows the views you would need for a goal. The bigger lesson is in the limits, which are covered below.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your monthly video views, across the videos you expect to publish or already have.
- Enter your RPM. In YouTube Studio's analytics, look for revenue per 1,000 views over a recent period.
- Enter a monthly income goal to see how many views it requires.
If you have no channel yet, there is no true RPM to use. Try a range of low and high assumptions and see how much the answer moves. The spread is the honest message.
The formulas
- Monthly earnings = (monthly views ÷ 1,000) × RPM
- Yearly earnings = monthly earnings × 12
- Views needed for a goal = (goal ÷ RPM) × 1,000
For 100,000 monthly views at an RPM of 3, that gives 100 × 3 = 300 a month. These formulas are covered by tests, including a round trip in which the views needed for your goal produce exactly that goal.
RPM versus CPM
The two terms are constantly confused. CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions, before the platform's share. RPM is what you earn per 1,000 views after that share, and it counts all views, including those where no ad played. Because RPM already reflects the share and the non-monetised views, it is the right number for forecasting your own income. A high CPM does not automatically mean a high RPM.
What moves RPM
Audience location. Advertisers pay more to reach viewers in some countries than others, which is often the largest single factor.
Topic. Some subjects attract more advertiser demand than others.
Video length and format. Longer videos can show more ads, and different formats are monetised differently.
Season. Advertising demand rises and falls through the year.
Viewer behaviour. Watch time, ad-blocking and the mix of devices all matter.
Since so many factors are outside your control, it is worth building income that does not depend on a single figure.
How to read your result
The monthly estimate is a rough scale, not a prediction. Views themselves are the bigger unknown: most new channels take a long time to build an audience, and many never reach the thresholds required to earn from ads. The "views needed" line shows what your goal implies. If it is far beyond your realistic reach in the next year, consider how much of your income might come from other sources. Many creators earn more from sponsorships, affiliate links, memberships or their own products than from ads, which is why our guide to YouTube content creation and the YouTube platform guide discuss the wider picture. For a similar estimate on a website, use the AdSense revenue calculator.
Common mistakes
Copying a famous channel's numbers. Their audience and niche are not yours.
Counting views you do not have yet. Plan around the audience you have, and treat growth as a bonus.
Ignoring costs. Equipment, software, editing help and your own time all belong in the real return. Our effective hourly rate calculator shows how to count them.
Relying on ads alone. Ad income is volatile and depends on policies you do not control.
Overlooking rules. Monetisation policies and eligibility change, so check the current official terms.
Assumptions and limits
This calculator uses one RPM for all your views, although real RPM varies by video, country and month. It ignores taxes, payment thresholds and currency conversion. It does not model audience growth or the chance of reaching monetisation at all. Treat it as a way to understand scale. Every figure on this site is an example, not a promise; see our earnings disclaimer. If you are thinking about building an audience as a business, our guide to building a personal brand covers the longer game.
Frequently asked questions
How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views?
It varies widely. What you earn per 1,000 views, your RPM, depends on your audience's countries, your topic, how long viewers watch, the season and the ad formats shown. Some channels earn several times more than others with the same views. Check the RPM in your own analytics instead of relying on averages quoted online.
What is the difference between RPM and CPM on YouTube?
CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions, before YouTube takes its share. RPM is what you actually earn per 1,000 total views after that share, and it includes views where no ad was shown. RPM is the number to use when estimating your income.
Do I need to be in the YouTube Partner Programme to earn?
To earn from ads, yes. The requirements, such as audience size and watch time, change over time, so check YouTube's current official rules. Creators can also earn from sponsorships, affiliate links, memberships and their own products, some of which do not depend on that programme.
Are Shorts and long videos paid the same?
Not necessarily. Different formats can have different revenue arrangements and different RPMs, so estimate them separately if you make both. Use the RPM your analytics report for each format.
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.