How much money do YouTubers make?

With billions of creators uploading to YouTube daily, it’s no secret that for some that it has become a lucrative opportunity. However, how much money do YouTubers really make?

Holding its position as one of the top 10 video-sharing sites in the United States, YouTube has grown to provide a home for content creators making funny videos as well as business marketing and even tutorials for thousands of different topics.

Plenty of users make money on the video-sharing site every day, but the exact amount varies based on quite a few factors. We’re here to help you figure out the steps needed to start making money and how much you could make on the platform.

How to make money on YouTube

There are six goals you need to meet on your channel before you can unlock monetization, two of which require you to grow your channel.

YouTube monetization goals

• Follow all the YouTube channel monetization policies
• Live in an area where the YouTube partner program is available
• You cannot have any active Community Guidelines strikes on your channel
• Must have a linked Adsense account
• You must have 1,000 subscribers or more
• You must have 4,000 watch hours or more in the last 12 months

Once these goals are met or surpassed, you will be able to apply for the partner program.

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After you have applied, a human reviewer will check out your content and send out a determination email once they’re done.

What is the YouTube Shorts Fund?

YouTube creators do not always have to upload full-length videos in order to make money on the platform. Content creators can upload YouTube shorts — vertical format, less than 60 seconds long — and potentially be invited to the YouTube Shorts fund.

If chosen, users will be able to earn money from the $100m fund that is split amongst every person that is actively earning money from it.

Here are the requirements:

• Must have uploaded at least one short in the four months prior to being chosen.
• Must abide by the platform’s community guidelines, copyright rules, and monetization policies.
• Videos must not have a watermark from other platforms like TikTok, and cannot be non-original clips from TV shows and movies.
• Must be 13 years or older in the United States, or the equivalent in their country.

The support page has a list of countries in which channels will be eligible for the fund.

How much money do YouTubers make?

While many of the top-earning creators on the platform have ways to supplement their income, we are going to focus on the payout offered by YouTube and its advertisers:

• The platform pays out 68% of its AdSense revenue, so for every $100 paid by the advertiser, the publisher receives $68.
• Advertiser pay varies between 10 and 30 cents per view, with an average of about 18.
• The 18 cent average equates to about $18 per 1000 views. 

YouTubers also have the ability to earn extra money with channel memberships, super chat, and super stickers. These items have a wide range of prices, the platform pays out 70% of the cost. This means for every $100 your fans pay, you will get $70 in return.

How much do YouTubers make per hour?

The amount of money content creators can make on the platform varies dramatically. The YouTube Partner Program pays based on video and ad views, not hours worked.

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Being paid by view means that a high-profile creator like PewDiePie can earn thousands of dollars each hour spent working on a video, while a newly partnered creator may work for next to nothing for years before making a livable wage.

Who are the richest YouTubers?

At the beginning of every year, Forbes provides a list of the richest YouTube creators from the following year.

Topping the list is none other than Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson, who reportedly made $54m in 2021 between his various channels as well as his fast-food restaurant ‘Beast Burger.’

Here are the top 10 richest YouTubers from 2021: 

1. Mr Beast – $54 million
2. Jake Paul – $45 million
3. Markiplier – $38 million
4. Rhett and Link – $30 million
5. Unspeakable – $28.5 million
6. Nastya – $28 million
7. Ryan Kaji – $27 million
8. Dude Perfect – $20 million
9. Logan Paul – $18 million
10. Preston Arsement – $16 million

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Now that you know how much you can make on YouTube, you can start working towards the Partner Program and your new source of revenue!