What is a good YouTube RPM?
Short answer
A 'good' YouTube RPM is $4–$8 for most creators. Above $12 is excellent (tech, education, finance). Below $2 typically means Shorts-heavy mix, Tier-3 audience, or sub-8-minute videos.
RPM is your take-home per 1,000 total video views (including unmonetized views). It's the most honest single metric for comparing channels.
The strongest lever is video length: crossing 8 minutes unlocks mid-roll ads and typically lifts RPM by 60–150%.
| Segment | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shorts-only channels | $0.04 | $0.08 | $0.30 |
| Entertainment / vlog (long-form) | $1.50 | $4 | $8 |
| Tech / how-to (long-form) | $6 | $12 | $22 |
| Finance / B2B (long-form) | $12 | $25 | $40 |
Caveats
- RPM in YouTube Studio lags 24–48 hours.
- Blended channel RPM drops sharply when Shorts views dominate the total.