Why Shorts and long-form are calculated separately
Long-form videos earn from ads that play on your own video. Shorts earn a share of a pool of ads shown between Shorts in the feed, divided by views. The result is a very different rate: Shorts typically earn $0.03 to $0.10 per 1,000 views, while long-form usually earns between $1 and $30. Blending the two into one number hides that gap. This calculator keeps them apart.
RPM (revenue per mille) is what you actually receive per 1,000 views after YouTube's share. Don't confuse it with CPM, which is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions before YouTube's cut and before views without ads are counted.
Where the niche figures come from
YouTube doesn't publish RPM by niche. The defaults here are measured medians and middle ranges from a 2026 study by AIR Media-Tech of about 300 monetized channels:
| Niche | Median RPM | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Education and science | $10.22 | $2.31 to $19.50 |
| Entertainment | $2.43 | $0.88 to $5.02 |
| Gadgets and tech | $2.33 | $0.70 to $3.71 |
| Gaming | $2.05 | $0.70 to $3.62 |
| Business and finance | $2.01 | $0.73 to $5.17 |
| Kids and teens | $0.33 | $0.16 to $0.88 |
| Other or mixed | $2.30 | – |
Other published tables put finance much higher, often $15 or more, especially for U.S. audiences. Your audience's country, video length (8 minutes or more allows mid-roll ads) and time of year all move your RPM, and ad rates are usually highest from October to December. The most accurate figure is always the RPM in your own YouTube Studio.
Next steps
Live streams earn differently: compare memberships, Super Chat and other platforms with the streamer earnings calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views?
For long-form videos, typically $1 to $10 per 1,000 views, with a median around $2.30 across niches. Shorts typically pay $0.03 to $0.10 per 1,000 views.
How much does 1 million views pay?
As long-form, roughly $2,000 to $10,000 depending on niche and audience. As Shorts, roughly $30 to $100.
Why is my RPM lower than my CPM?
CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions. RPM is your share per 1,000 views, after YouTube keeps its portion and including views that showed no ads.
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