Estimate what your channel actually earns from ads. Enter your views and RPM — for long-form or Shorts — and see monthly and yearly income. Free, instant, fully editable.
For long-form videos, YouTube keeps 45% of ad revenue and pays creators 55%. The number that matters for your take-home is RPM — revenue per 1,000 views, after YouTube's cut. Multiply your views by your RPM (÷ 1,000) and you have your estimated ad income.
| Niche | Typical long-form RPM |
|---|---|
| Finance / business | $12–$30+ |
| Tech / software | $6–$12 |
| Education / how-to | $4–$9 |
| Lifestyle / vlog | $3–$6 |
| Gaming | $2–$4 |
| Entertainment / Shorts-heavy | $1–$3 (Shorts much lower) |
Ad income only — this doesn't include sponsorships, memberships, Super Thanks or merch, which for many creators dwarf ad revenue. Estimates vary; verify in YouTube Studio. Rates as of 2026.
For long-form, most channels earn an RPM of about $1–$5 after YouTube's 45% cut, though high-value niches like finance reach $10–$30+. Shorts pay roughly $0.03–$0.10 per 1,000 views. Enter your own RPM above (or pick a niche) for your number.
CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 impressions; RPM is what you actually keep per 1,000 views after YouTube's share and unmonetized views. This calculator uses RPM, so the result is your real take-home.
No — this estimates ad revenue only. Brand deals, channel memberships, Super Thanks, affiliate links and merch are separate, and for many mid-size creators they earn more than ads. We'll add tools for those.
RPM swings with your audience's country, the season (Q4 is highest), watch time, ad formats, and how many views are monetized. Treat this as a planning estimate and check YouTube Studio for your actual figure.