Although very few people make money on YouTube, espeically given the number of videos posted each day, some people do give up their day jobs and became full-time YouTubers. Others manage to go a step further and hit the jackpot. YouTube channels and videos that generate a huge buzz and bring huge amounts of traffic make their owners very rich indeed. Not only do these YouTubers create a fan base and multiple money streams, many also forge unique identities for themselves. They are the new generation of celebrity. So how much money do these YouTubers actually make?

Here’s how it works: when you watch a video on YouTube, a commercial is played before the actual video plays. This type of commercial is called a pre-roll. Every 1000 times a pre-roll ad is shown, YouTube is paid. The amount can vary, but usually YouTube receives $20 to $25 per thousand views. This is called CPM (Cost Per Mille).

How Much Money Do YouTubers Make?

Once a YouTube channel has many followers, the account holder can then apply to become a partner in their affiliate program. YouTube associates receive a portion of the CPM from the videos on their YouTube channel. The earnings from CPM can vary quite a bit, but typically a YouTube associate earns about $5 to $7 CPM. This means that for every 1000 times an ad is placed in their channel, the affiliate could earn $7 (and YouTube would earn the remaining $18). Sometimes they earn significantly more, and in certain cases they earn less.

Suppose an affiliate’s video is viewed 1 million times and each person has viewed a pre-roll ad, then the YouTuber would earn $7000. This is a very approximate example. In fact, YouTube may not show a pre-roll ad on YouTube every time you watch a video, for varying reasons. For example, some ads are only targeted at people in the US. In other cases, YouTube may not show a pre-roll ad to someone who has just seen one.

So how much money can you actually make with YouTube? If you are one of the famous stars of YouTube, you can actually earn a ton! It’s a big win for YouTube too, as these affiliates receive millions and even billions of video views and make people come back to visit. Below is a list of over 25 highest earning YouTubers. Their income might make you want to quit your job and start making videos yourself!

Also remember that these counts do not even include additional sources of income such as licenses, sponsorship, affiliate programs and merchandise. These numbers only indicate how much money Youtubers make ONLY with their millions of video views.

Top 25+ Highest Earning YouTubers

It seems that it is much easier and faster to make money than before. If you aspire to become one of the people above, you first need to learn the rules of YouTube, and then be as creative as possible. People love videos with positive emotions, so help them to improve their lives with your skills and one day you will might be on this list of the highest-earning young people!

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