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How Much Does YouTube Pay per 1,000 Views? RPM Explained

By Elhano Creator Tools editorial team · Published 26 October 2026

“How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views?” is one of the most-searched creator questions, and the honest answer is: it depends on your channel, and YouTube tells you the exact figure once you're monetised. That figure is called RPM. This guide explains what it measures, why it varies so much between channels, and how to turn it into an earnings estimate you can trust.

RPM and CPM: the two numbers

YouTube Analytics shows two “per thousand” metrics, and mixing them up is the most common reason earnings estimates are wrong. YouTube's ad revenue analytics help page defines them:

  • CPM (cost per mille) is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions, before YouTube takes its share. Only views where an ad was shown count.
  • RPM (revenue per mille) is your total revenue, after YouTube's share, per 1,000 views. It includes ads plus sources such as YouTube Premium, channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Stickers.

RPM is always lower than CPM, because it's after the revenue share and because it's spread over all views, including views where no ad played. If you want to know what you earn per 1,000 views, RPM is the number to use.

How the revenue is split

For long-form videos, the YouTube Partner Program terms give creators 55% of net ad revenue from ads shown on their videos. Shorts work differently: ads run between Shorts, the revenue is pooled, allocated by each creator's share of views, and creators keep 45% of what's allocated to them (YouTube Shorts monetization policies). That's one reason Shorts RPMs are typically a small fraction of long-form RPMs.

Why RPM varies so much

You'll see creators report RPMs that differ by ten times or more. That's not exaggeration; several factors stack up:

  • Audience country. Advertisers bid more for viewers in some markets than others.
  • Topic. Videos about finance, software or business attract advertisers with high-value products. Entertainment for broad audiences usually attracts lower bids.
  • Time of year. Ad spending typically rises through the fourth quarter and falls in January.
  • Video length and format. Long-form videos of 8 minutes or more can carry mid-roll ads. Shorts are paid from a shared pool.
  • Advertiser suitability. Videos that aren't suitable for most advertisers get limited or no ads.
  • Viewer behaviour. Ad blockers, Premium viewers and skip rates all change what each view earns.

Because of all this, any single “average RPM” you read online is close to meaningless for your channel. Published figures usually come from small, self-reported samples. We don't quote one, and you should be wary of sites that present one as fact.

How to calculate your earnings

The formula is simple:

Estimated earnings = views ÷ 1,000 × RPM

Example: a channel gets 150,000 views a month and its Analytics shows an RPM of $4.20. 150,000 ÷ 1,000 × $4.20 = $630 a month. If a seasonal dip drops RPM to $3.00, the same views earn $450.

Our YouTube money calculator does this for up to six RPM scenarios at once and shows daily, monthly and yearly figures. For Shorts, use the Shorts money calculator, which accounts for the share of views that are monetised.

Estimating before you're monetised

Without your own RPM, the best you can do is a range. Pick a low, middle and high RPM, run all three, and treat the spread as the uncertainty. If you know creators in your niche and country who share their numbers, their RPMs are better inputs than a generic list. Then focus on the part you control: reaching the Partner Program thresholds. The monetization calculator shows how long that will take at your current growth.

Ad revenue is only part of the picture

RPM covers ads, Premium and some fan-funding features. It doesn't include sponsorships, affiliate commissions, merchandise or your own products, which for many creators are larger than ad revenue. If you sell sponsorships, quote consistently using the same logic as our sponsored post calculator.

Key takeaways

  • Use RPM, not CPM, to estimate your own income.
  • Earnings = views ÷ 1,000 × RPM; the RPM is the uncertain part.
  • RPM varies by country, topic, season, format and advertiser suitability.
  • Ignore unsourced “average RPM” claims; use your own Analytics or a range.

Sources