How much money do you make on YouTube with 1 million subscribers

  • Creators who are a part of YouTube's Partner Program can monetize their videos with ads.
  • YouTubers can make thousands of dollars each month from the program.
  • Eight creators with 1 million subscribers or more shared how much money they make on YouTube.

This is the latest installment of Insider's YouTube money logs, where creators break down how much they earn.

Surpassing the 1 million subscriber mark on YouTube is a huge milestone, and, in practical terms, it often means a creator can earn a full-time living from the platform.

YouTube creators earn money a number of ways, but money from the ads that play in their videos usually constitutes a big chunk of their income. Andrei Jikh, a finance YouTuber with 1.7 million subscribers, has earned $1.6 million in ad revenue in less than three years, for example.

Read a full breakdown of how much Jikh has made this year so far and how he's done it.

Another YouTuber, lifestyle creator Tiffany Ma, earns up to $11,500 a month from ads on her videos, she told Insider.

Read a full breakdown of how much Ma money earns per month and how she grew her channel.

To start earning money directly from YouTube, creators must have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past year. Once they reach that threshold, they can apply for YouTube's Partner Program, which allows them to start monetizing their channels through ads, subscriptions, and channel memberships. For every 1,000 ad views, advertisers pay a certain rate to YouTube. YouTube takes 45% of the revenue, and the creator gets the rest.

Two key metrics for earning money on YouTube are the CPM rate, or how much money advertisers pay YouTube per 1,000 ad views, and RPM rate, which is how much revenue a creator earns per every 1,000 video views after YouTube's cut.

Some subjects, like personal finance and cryptocurrency, can boost a creator's ad rate by attracting lucrative advertisers.

"The ad revenue for crypto is a lot higher than anything else finance-related, like credit cards or banks," Jikh told Insider. 

While Ma's lifestyle content makes less money, she's perfected a strategy to maximize payout.

"To really optimize your audience, I think YouTubers should definitely put three to four ads within a video," Ma said.

Many of these creators make money outside YouTube as well.

Graham Stephan, who has 3.4 million subscribers, launched his own coffee brand, for instance. (Read how he did it, what it cost, and how much he's made in our interview with Stephan.)

But the money made directly from YouTube forms a key pillar of many creators' incomes.

Here are 8 exclusive earnings breakdowns in which YouTubers with 1 million followers or more share exactly how much they earn from the platform:

  • Nate O'Brien has 1.1 million subscribers and films videos about personal-finance
  • Kevin David has 1.3 million subscribers and films videos about ecommerce 
  • Marina Mogilko has 1.3 million subscribers and films business-related videos
  • Michael Groth has 1.5 million subscribers and films Pokémon-related videos
  • Shelby Church has 1.6 million subscribers and films tech and lifestyle videos
  • Andrei Jikh has 1.7 million subscribers and films videos about cryptocurrency 
  • Tiffany Ma has 1.8 million subscribers and films lifestyle videos
  • Graham Stephan has 3.4 million subscribers and films personal-finance videos

YouTube is arguably the most appealing platform for making money. There are Youtubers out there earning tens of millions of dollars by uploading videos without leaving their house. So how much money do Youtubers make?

Lots of these YouTube stars are getting paid to do stuff they enjoy, like playing video games or telling jokes. Or even unboxing kids toys.

I can’t promise that you’ll become the next multi-million dollar Youtuber. But there is still plenty of money to be made on this platform.

How much money exactly? I’ll explain below.

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Ryan Kaji: $29.5 million

The highest-paid Youtuber is just 9 years old. His channel, Ryan’s World (formally Ryan ToysReview), has more than 24 million subscribers. The account is managed by his parents (to meet the YPP guidelines, of course).

Ryan started reviewing toys on YouTube at the age of 3. The videos were pretty straightforward, showing Ryan unboxing and playing with toys.

After his channel took off, the content expanded. Today, Ryan also conducts science experiments on YouTube. He has his own line of clothes and toys as well.

His YouTube fame landed him a deal with a TV series on Nickelodeon, called Ryan’s Mystery Playdate.

Mr. Beast (Jimmy Donaldson): $24 Million

Jimmy Donaldson, AKA Mr. Beast, boasts over 55 million subscribers. He is known for over the top stunts and large cash giveaways.

Mr. Beast first went viral in 2017 after posting a video where he counted to 100,000. Since then, more and more of his stunts have featured giving stangers thousands of dollars, and in 2018 he was named “Youtube’s Biggest Philanthropist”.

And Mr. Beast isn’t slowing down anytime soon. In December of 2020 he opened a burger restaurant that pays people to dine there. It’s no wonder he’s the second highest paid YouTuber on the platform.

Dude Perfect: $23 million

The Dude Perfect YouTube channel has nearly 60 million subscribers. The channel was created by five friends back in 2009, Tyler Toney, Coby Cotton, Cody Jones, and Garrett Hilbert.

Their video content consists of sports and comedy. Some of the most popular videos include the group doing trick shots, battling each other with bubble wrap, and breaking Guinness World Records.

For example, they hold the record for the world’s longest basketball shot. The shot came from the third deck of the Texas A&M Aggies football stadium.

Dude Perfect has more than 10 billion views on YouTube.

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Good Mythical Morning is a daily YouTube show hosted by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. The duo is often referred to as just Rhett and Link.

More than 16 million people subscribe to Rhett and Link’s channel. They have more than 6 billion views since the channel first launched back in 2008.

Rhett and Link essentially have a YouTube talk show. The two friends sit at a desk and do strange things with a comedic twist. They eat different foods on camera, try new products, conduct hilarious experiments, and play original games with celebrity guests.

Some of their most popular videos showcase the team eating a scorpion, eating the world’s hottest pepper, and deep-frying strange objects, like grass and toothpaste.

Mark Fischbach: $19.5 million

Mark Fischbach, better known as Markiplier, is another YouTube gaming sensation. Mark has over 25 million subscribers and roughly 12.6 billion views since his channel launched in 2012.

Unlike some of the other gaming channels we’ve seen, Mark does more than just play video games on YouTube. He uploads animated parody videos, comedy sketches, and other humorous forms of entertainment.

Some of the most popular videos on this channel include Mark’s “try not to laugh challenges.” He watches a series of random funny videos and films his reactions while he tries to hold back laughter.

Fischbach used his YouTube fame to co-found a clothing line called Cloak, marketed towards gamers.

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Preston Arsement: $19 million

Preston Arsement is a 26-year-old Youtuber that runs a channel called PrestonPlayz.

Compared to other Youtubers on our list, Preston’s channel is relatively new. He joined YouTube in March 2018. But in just two years, Preston gained over 4.5 million subscribers and is quickly approaching 900 million video views.

Preston’s content shows him playing video games. He provides commentary on his own videos while showing his face in the corner of the screen. Preston was initially known for playing Call of Duty, but all of his most popular videos today revolve around playing Minecraft.

Preston regularly pranks his friends and tries humorous stunts while gaming.

Anastasia Radzinskaya: $18.5 million

Anastasia is a six-year-old Russian-American. Her parents run multiple YouTube channels with content made for children.

  • Like Nastya
  • Like Nastya Show

Anastasia (also known as Nastya and Stacy) has more than 117 million subscribers and 48+ billion views across all of her channels.

The content is centered on Anastasia learning new things, going to the park, playing with her cat, friends, and father.

Anastasia’s YouTube fame has earned her partnerships with brands like Legoland and Dannon.

Blippi (Stevin John): $17 Million

Stevin John, AKA Blippi, runs a YouTube account for kids. His videos are educational and entertaining, and he’s the highest paid kids content creator who is not actually a kid.

John had the idea to start a kids youtube channel after seeing his two year old nephew watching YouTube videos that were low quality. He published his first Blippi video in 2014. Since then, he now runs multiple channels as Blippi, including the Blippi Toys channel which brings in 7 million dollars a year on its own.

He still wears the hat his mom sewed for him as part of his original Blippi costume in every video.

David Dobrik: $15.5 Million

David Dobrik is a 24 year old YouTuber who specializes in humor and entertainment videos. He has over 18 million subscribers, and recieved over 2 billion views in 2020.

Like Mr. Beast, Dobrik is known for dramatic students, including marrying his best friend’s mom as a practical joke.

He recently has been branching out into TikTok, and has amassed over 20 million followers.

Jeffree Star: $15 million

Jeffree Star originally came into the spotlight back in the MySpace days to promote his music. He’s a singer, songwriter, and DJ.

Jeffree ultimately leveraged his stardom to create YouTube content about makeup, cosmetics, and fashion. He has 17.5 million subscribers and over 2 billion video views.

Some of his most popular content includes makeup reviews, makeup tutorials, and travel video blogs.

Jeffree is also an internet personality that uploads entertaining content related to his everyday life. For example, he has videos about cleaning up his messy house and staying at a Taco Bell hotel.

So how do these people actually make money on YouTube? This is the first question that most people have.

There are five main ways to get paid directly from the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). I’ll give you a brief overview of each.

  • Ad Revenue — This is the most straightforward way to make money on YouTube. Get paid for allowing Google to display ads on your content. Advertising formats include display ads, overlay ads, non-skippable video ads, bumper ads, and sponsored cards.
  • Channel Memberships — Charge a monthly fee to your subscribers. Paid channel subscribers will get access to perks like emojis, badges, and other offerings in exchange for their monthly payment. Great way to earn recurring revenue.
  • Merchandise Shelf — Allows you to showcase branded merchandise on your video content. Made for Youtubers who are already selling products on a third-party ecommerce platform. Use YouTube to drive online sales.
  • Super Chat & Super Stickers — Your fans can pay for Super Chat and Super Stickers when you’re broadcasting a live video. These features make their name and messages stand out in the chat feed during a broadcast. Depending on how much they spend, their comments can be pinned to the top of the feed.
  • YouTube Premium — YouTube offers a monthly subscription to users who want an ad-free experience, offline viewing, and YouTube Music. Creators can get a share of this revenue based on how much their content is viewed by YouTube Premium members.

You can also leverage your YouTube channel to make money outside of the platform. Affiliate programs, influencer marketing, and licensing your content are three examples of this. All of these are managed and facilitated away from YouTube through third-parties.

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Requirements for Making Money on YouTube

Before you can enable monetization features on YouTube and start earning millions, you must meet certain eligibility requirements. The first thing you need to do is apply to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).

Minimum requirements to be considered for the YPP include:

  • 1,000+ subscribers
  • 4,000+ public watch hours in the past 12 months
  • A valid and linked Google AdSense account (this is how you get paid)
  • You must live in a region or country where YPP is available
  • Follow all YouTube monetization guidelines and policies

Once you get accepted to the partner program, you won’t immediately have access to each monetization feature. Each one has its own unique requirements:

Ad Revenue

  • Must be 18+ (or have a legal guardian 18+ who can manage your AdSense account)
  • Content meets advertiser-friendly guidelines

Channel Memberships

  • Must be 18+
  • Minimum 30,000 channel subscribers

Merchandise Shelf

  • Must be 18+
  • Minimum 10,000 channel subscribers

Super Chat & Super Stickers

  • Must be 18+
  • Must be living in a country or region where Super Chat is available

YouTube Premium

  • Must create content that’s being watched by YouTube Premium subscribers

If you’re getting paid for sponsored content (separate from the YouTube Partner Program), you still need to disclose your brand relationships to YouTube when you upload content. Failure to do so could result in your accounting being suspended.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a YouTuber with 1 million subscribers make?

The average YouTuber with 1 million subscribers typically makes roughly $60,000 a year. If you’re considering becoming a YouTuber as an easy way to earn some cash, first you should check out these options first.

Who is the highest paid YouTuber?

The highest-paid Youtuber is just 8 years old. His channel, Ryan’s World (formally Ryan ToysReview), has more than 24 million subscribers. 

How much do YouTubers get paid?

It varies widely depending on the YouTuber. Typically, 1 million views on YouTube will get you between $2000 and $40,000.

How much does a YouTuber make a month?

The average YouTuber with a million subscribers makes about $5000 a month.