YouTube RPM benchmarks (2026)
RPM (revenue per 1,000 views) is the number every creator actually cares about — it's what hits your account after YouTube takes 45% and after non-monetized views are stripped out. Below are live medians pulled from anonymous RevenueLab user submissions, plus the inter-quartile range so you can see how spread the data is.
Last updated: 2026-05-15 · Source: RevenueLab community benchmarks · Methodology
| Metric | Median | P25 – P75 | N |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-niche RPMAcross every category in our dataset | $3.50 | — | — |
| RPM (alt key) | $3.20 | — | — |
| Estimated monthly revenue | $1,250 | — | — |
| CPM (advertiser-side)What advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions | $8.00 | — | — |
Run the numbers yourself
Plug your own assumptions into the underlying calculator and compare against the medians above.
Open YouTube Revenue CalculatorMethodology
Each row is a median + inter-quartile range computed across every anonymous submission to the named calculator. We require N≥3 before showing a row. No outlier trimming — treat these as directional ranges, not personalized advice. RPM varies wildly by niche, country, season, watch time, and ad format. Static fallbacks are shown until at least 3 community submissions exist.
Frequently asked
What's a 'good' YouTube RPM in 2026?
There's no single number — finance, B2B, and insurance creators routinely see $15–40 RPM, while gaming, vlog, and entertainment niches sit closer to $1–4. Anything above the all-niche median in your category is healthy.
Why is my RPM lower than the median here?
Three usual suspects: a younger audience (lower CPMs), a high share of Shorts (Shorts pool pays a fraction of long-form), or a lot of non-monetized views. The YouTube Revenue Calculator can help isolate which lever to pull.
Where does this data come from?
Real, anonymous submissions from creators who used the RevenueLab YouTube calculators and opted to share their numbers. We never store names, emails, or IPs alongside benchmark rows.
Related definitions
Cite this stat page
When you quote these numbers, please link back so this dataset stays free to maintain.
RevenueLab. (2026). YouTube RPM benchmarks (2026). Retrieved 2026-05-15 from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/stats/youtube-rpm