What YouTube actually pays creators per 1,000 views — by content category. Real RPM data with monthly earnings projections.
RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is what YouTube pays you per 1,000 views after their 45% cut. It varies enormously because advertisers bid based on the purchasing intent of your viewers. A finance viewer is worth 8-10x more to advertisers than a gaming viewer.
| Niche | RPM Range | At 500K Views/mo | At 2M Views/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance & Investing | $7–$12 | $3,500–$6,000 | $14,000–$24,000 |
| Legal & Law | $6–$11 | $3,000–$5,500 | $12,000–$22,000 |
| Real Estate | $6–$10 | $3,000–$5,000 | $12,000–$20,000 |
| Business & Entrepreneurship | $5–$9 | $2,500–$4,500 | $10,000–$18,000 |
| Education & E-Learning | $5–$8 | $2,500–$4,000 | $10,000–$16,000 |
| Tech & Software | $3.50–$6 | $1,750–$3,000 | $7,000–$12,000 |
| Health & Fitness | $2.50–$5 | $1,250–$2,500 | $5,000–$10,000 |
| Beauty & Fashion | $2–$4 | $1,000–$2,000 | $4,000–$8,000 |
| Food & Cooking | $2–$4 | $1,000–$2,000 | $4,000–$8,000 |
| Lifestyle & Vlogs | $1.50–$3.50 | $750–$1,750 | $3,000–$7,000 |
| Entertainment | $1.50–$3.50 | $750–$1,750 | $3,000–$7,000 |
| Gaming | $1–$2.50 | $500–$1,250 | $2,000–$5,000 |
| Kids & Family | $2–$5 | $1,000–$2,500 | $4,000–$10,000 |
| Music | $0.80–$2 | $400–$1,000 | $1,600–$4,000 |
Calculate your exact YouTube earnings with the interactive RPM calculator.
YouTube Calculator →YouTube runs a real-time ad auction on every view. Finance advertisers pay $15-$50 per click because a new banking customer is worth thousands in lifetime value. Gaming advertisers pay $0.50-$2. This advertiser-side difference flows directly into your RPM. Three factors drive your rate: audience demographics (older, higher-income = higher RPM), content topic (keyword advertisers target), and ad placement (mid-roll ads on 8+ min videos earn 2-3x pre-roll only).
Ad budgets are spent aggressively in Q4 before year-end. A gaming channel earning $1.50 RPM in March might see $2.50-$3.00 in December. Finance channels can see $15+ RPMs during tax season (Jan-April). Plan your content calendar around these seasonal peaks.
CPM is what advertisers pay. RPM is what you receive — always 40-60% of CPM because YouTube keeps 45% and not every view shows an ad. When your RPM shows $5 in YouTube Studio, advertisers paid roughly $9-$12 CPM for your audience.