It's easy to look at some of the statistics generated by YouTube's top channels and believe that YouTube is a license to print money. The YouTube success of the likes of PewDiePie and MrBeast and the headline income that they generate from it are of legendary status.
However, this isn't to say that every channel on the platform is making millions. In fact, the vast majority of YouTube channels struggle to make a significant income from their videos; 0.25% of all YouTube channels are making money.
However, when you include all of the subsidiary forms of income, the top creators are making good money. There's enough incentive for hopeful YouTube creators to persevere and work hard to reach the upper echelons of the creator economy.
Let's take a look at some YouTube money stats and discuss the top creators along with their streams of income.
YouTube Money Stats - Just How Much Do the Top YouTubers Make?:
YouTube Usage Statistics
Let's begin with YouTube usage statistics to give you an idea of the platform's reach and popularity.
YouTube has 2.49 billion monthly active users.
The Digital 2024 Global Overview Report found that YouTube has around 2.49 billion users worldwide. To put things in perspective, that's half the number of total social media users in the world.
Such a high user base makes YouTube the second most popular social media platform after Facebook.
India has the largest number of YouTube users, followed by the United States and Brazil.
Most of the YouTube users (476 million) are from India. Around 238 million users are from the United States, followed by 147 million users from Brazil.
YouTube user base across the world
Other countries with a high number of YouTube users include Indonesia, Mexico, Japan, Pakistan, and Germany.
YouTube is watched in over 100 countries.
YouTube offers localized versions of its site in more than 100 countries across 80 languages.
Over 1 billion hours of YouTube content is watched globally.
Viewers watch more than a billion hours of YouTube content, on average, on their TVs. The viewing duration on mobile phones and tablets is not included in this figure.
YouTube has more male users than female.
As of early 2024, 12.2% of YouTube's audience is made up of males aged between 25 and 34 years. Only 9% of the women in this same age group use the platform.
Another interesting demographic is the male users aged between 35 and 44 years, accounting for 9% of YouTube's user base. On the other hand, women in the age bracket make up 7.9% of the platform's users.
YouTube’s ad revenue reached $8.1 billion in Q1 of 2024.
In the first quarter of 2024, YouTube made $8.1 billion through advertising revenue. The figure is 21% higher than what the platform earned in 2023 during the same quarter.
YouTube advertising revenue
YouTube has 100 million paying subscribers.
Since the release of YouTube's Premium and Music services, the platform now has 100 million paying subscribers. YouTube's internal data shows that there are over 8 million YouTube TV subscribers.
Number of paying YouTube users
YouTube users spend 48.7 minutes on the platform daily.
On average, a YouTube user spends 48.7 minutes on the platform every day. The duration has increased exponentially in the past few years, increasing from just 39.7 minutes in 2019.
Time spent on YouTube
YouTube is the most popular US social media platform.
According to Pew Research, YouTube is the most popular social media platform in the US, followed by Facebook. Nearly 50% of the US adults use Instagram, with smaller shares using X, BeReal, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
Most popular social media platforms in the US
Most YouTube users are between 18 and 49 years old.
Pew Research reports that 93% of people aged between 18 and 29 watch YouTube. Similarly, 92% of those between the ages of 30 and 49 also use the platform.
YouTube Shorts received more monthly logged-in users than Instagram Reels and TikTok.
YouTube Shorts, the platform's rival to TikTok and Instagram Reels, has seen a significant increase in popularity since its beta launch. Google reports that it gets more watches (2 billion) by monthly logged-in users than videos on Instagram Reels and TikTok. The viewership of YouTube Shorts has spiked by nearly 500 million users since 2022.
Baby Shark is the most-watched video on YouTube, with over 13.93 billion views.
The Baby Shark Dance, posted by Pinkfong Kids' Songs & Stories, has become the most-watched video on YouTube, with nearly 14 billion views. The catchy tune and simple dance moves have captured the hearts of children and adults alike, making it a viral sensation.
Most popular YouTube videos based on views
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's ''Despacito'' is in second place. It has a significantly lower number of views compared to Baby Shark, with 8.54 billion views. Other popular videos include ''Wheels on the Bus'' by Cocomelon and ''Shape of You'' by Ed Sheeran.
Vertical videos have a 10% to 20% higher conversion per dollar.
According to Google, vertical creative assets on YouTube deliver 10% to 20% higher conversions per dollar compared to horizontal videos. The figure indicates that marketers need to start making content and ads for mobile viewing since there has been a shift in consumer behaviors and use of devices.
Users watch a billion hours of YouTube content daily.
YouTube reports that its global viewers watch 1 billion hours of content daily on their TVs. The figure makes sense since YouTube has also become a popular streaming service of choice for many households.
Global YouTube viewership on TV
YouTube Shorts average 70 billion daily views.
According to official data, YouTube Shorts get 70 billion views every day. The number of YouTube channels that have started uploading Shorts has also increased by 50% year-over-year.
The platform is investing heavily in promoting Shorts, and the results have shown promising growth. Marketers who want to boost the chances of their content showing up organically should tap into the Shorts feature and create engaging short-form content.
YouTube is the top platform for viewing live content.
eMarketer reports that 52% of US social media viewers use YouTube to watch live content, followed by 42.6% of Facebook. If you want to add live video into your marketing strategy, you must not forget to use YouTube's live streaming feature.
Platforms for live video viewing
78% of marketers believe YouTube is an effective marketing channel.
In a survey conducted late in 2023, 78% of marketers said that YouTube is an effective video marketing channel. YouTube was followed by Facebook, with 71% of respondents vouching for it, and Instagram, which was cited by 64% of the marketers.
36% of users find YouTube influencer content to be beneficial.
In an agency research, 36% of respondents said that they find the most authentic and beneficial influencer content on YouTube. Brands that want to incorporate influencer marketing into their strategy should not overlook the potential of YouTube, especially since a significant number of users trust influencer content on this platform.
33% of brands use YouTube for influencer marketing.
According to our Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report, 33% of the surveyed brands said that they have used YouTube for influencer marketing. The platform stood third, after TikTok and Instagram.
Over 50% of US viewers find YouTube ads to be more relevant than TV ads.
Google reports that over half of the viewers in the US find YouTube ads to be more relevant than the ads they see on streaming apps and traditional TV. If you want to reach your audience with targeted and relevant ads, YouTube is a platform that you cannot ignore.
The platform's highly sophisticated targeting options allow brands to reach their desired demographics and interests to make the most out of their ad spend.
Larger YouTube channels have better engagement than their smaller counterparts.
Unlike other platforms like Instagram and TikTok, larger YouTube channels have a higher engagement rate than small ones. Accounts with 100k to 1 million followers have an engagement rate of 3.47%, compared to 1.90% of those with 1k to 5k followers.
YouTube channel engagement rates
YouTube receives over 8 billion visits monthly through organic searches.
Semrush Domain Overview shows that YouTube has over 8 billion visits from search engines every month. Since the platform is so widely used for searching and discovering new content, it presents a great opportunity for brands to reach their target audience organically.
YouTube domain overview
The US is the top traffic source for YouTube.
Semrush data also shows that the US is the top traffic source to YouTube, with 250+ billion visits in 2023.
AI-powered video reach campaigns boost sales.
In a recent NCSolutions research, it was found that AI optimization helps boost incremental sales for YouTube video ad campaigns by 111% compared to manually optimized campaigns. With AI now being more accessible, this is a great opportunity for brands to explore their full potential for ad optimization, predictive analysis, personalization, and pinpoint audience targeting.
YouTube Ads reach 2.53 billion people worldwide.
The total potential reach of YouTube Ads is 2.53 billion globally, which is 31.5% of the world’s total population. That’s a considerable figure to be sure that YouTube Ads will reach your target audience.
YouTube global advertising audience
Viral YouTube videos can reach 100 million views in a day.
Time and again, videos on YouTube have gone viral, reaching millions of views in a day and becoming an internet sensation. The BTS single ''Butter'' is the fastest video that reached 100 million views, achieving the feat in under a day.
89% of people with an average income of over $100,000 use YouTube.
While lower-income groups use just as much, brands will be delighted to know that YouTube is popular among affluent customers, too. A Pew Research study found that 89% of people who have an annual income of over $100,000 use YouTube.
Even if you're targeting a high-income audience, YouTube is still the place to be.
Estimating YouTube Earnings: YouTube Revenue per 10K views
Our YouTube Earnings Calculator can give you an estimate of how much money a YouTuber makes based on daily video views and average engagement rate.
Let's say a YouTuber gets 808 views on their videos daily and has an engagement rate of 50%; they can expect to earn $1.48 to $2.47 per day, with a project yearly earning of $542 to $903.
YouTube earnings calculator
However, mid-level YouTubers get way more daily views. Suppose a YouTuber has an engagement rate of 50% and gets 50,200 views a day. Their annual earnings can be anywhere from $33,669 to $56,114.
YouTube earnings calculator
However, if we take it a step further and analyze the top 1% of YouTubers, with millions of subscribers and billions of views, their earnings can reach up to millions of dollars annually.
YouTube earnings calculator
The important thing to understand here is that YouTube does not pay per video view. Rather, the platform pays per ad view.
While video views are the number of times a video has been watched, ad views refer to the number of times an ad has been viewed. So, if your video has 10 million views but not a single ad, it will not make any money.
According to most sources, YouTubers in the US make $0.01 to $0.03 per view. That's around $10 to $30 per 1,000 views.
Hootsuite created a table based on this data.
Source: blog.hootsuite.com
Earnings Based on Niches
The amount of money YouTubers make also depends on the niche or genre of their content. Some of the highest-paid niches on YouTube are:
- Money-making
- Digital marketing
- Personal finance
- Technology
- Family
Let's take Kaz Sawyer as an example. With 7.8 million subscribers, the YouTuber posts challenges and stunts. His revenue per million (RPM) is $1.61, which means he gets $1.61 for every 1,000 video views or $1,610 for every 1 million views.
On the other hand, Reni Odetoyinbo, a financial literacy and career development YouTuber with 31.9k subscribers, gets $10,590 per million views. That's an RPM of $10.59.
So, even with a massive difference in the number of subscribers, Reni Odetoyinbo makes more money per million views than Kaz Sawyer because of the ad rates and placement on their videos. Technology and finance-related ads pay higher compared to entertainment or lifestyle ads.
How Much Do YouTubers Make? [YouTube Money Stats for the Top Channels]
When calculating the total income for a YouTuber, we must also consider their additional sources of revenue. Many top channels on YouTube don't only earn from ads. They also run brand sponsorships and generate revenue from affiliate marketing.
Based on these factors, here's a breakdown of the annual income for some of the top channels on YouTube.
1. Jimmy Donaldson (Mr Beast)
With over 279 million subscribers, Mr Beast is one of the highest-earning YouTubers. In 2022, Forbes reported that Mr Beast has an estimated net worth of $50 million, with most of his income coming from sponsored content, ads, and merch sales.
In 2021, he also started a new venture called MrBeast Burger, an app that lets fans buy branded meals from MrBeast from 1,600 restaurants across the US. The project ended up being a success, selling 5 million sandwiches nationwide.
Mr Beast Burger
Since then, Mr Best has grown his brand significantly with the release of Mr Beast chocolates, too.
He makes around $1,872,000 per post per post, entertaining his viewers with outlandish stunts, challenges, and giveaways. For example, in a video, he showed himself being stranded on an island for seven days.
He's also known to spend a lot of money on his videos and give away even more to his viewers. For example, he made a video in which participants had to face their biggest fear to win $800,000. In another video, he built Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, garnering 298 million views, but also spending a ton of money on production costs and prizes for his audience.
2. Kids Diana Show
Eva Diana Kidisyuk, a Ukrainian-American YouTuber, runs the Kids Diana Show channel with her brother and parents. The channel has 123 million subscribers and is among the top-rated kids'YouTube channels for kids.
Their content mainly revolves around roleplay-pretend play, games, unboxing toys, and fun challenges. For example, the siblings made a video about Barbie House vs. Spiderman House.
Besides Kids Diana Show, the family also has other channels, including Diana and Roma ESP, Kids Roma Show, Diana and Roma HIN, and Diana and Roma ARA.
3. Like Nastya Official
With 116 million subscribers on YouTube, Like Nastya is a popular kid YouTube channel featuring Anastasia Radzinskaya, a Russian child YouTuber who makes content with her parents.
Her content is a mix of challenges and vlogs. She also does fictional and role-playing videos, like learning lessons in politeness from a magician and a story for kids about detectives.
Besides YouTube, she also has a lot of other deals that bring her money. For example, in 2019, Nastya made a deal with Spotter. Her old videos' monetization rights were sold to Spotter for upfront cash.
In addition to the Spotter deal, she also has a merchandise line. Her parents have also created an NFT collection for her brand.
4. Fernanfloo
Luis Alvarado, the name and face behind Fernanfloo, is a Salvadorian YouTuber with over 47.5 million subscribers.
His content mainly revolves around gaming, vlogs, skits, and comedy. With just over 500 videos, he has gained more than 10 billion views, making him one of the most-watched Latin American YouTubers.
He is also the most subscribed YouTuber in his country.
5. Ryan Kaji (Ryan's World)
Ryan Kaji is another kids' YouTuber who shot to fame with his unboxing and reviewing videos of toys. His channel has 37.1 million subscribers with 2.7k videos till date.
According to the channel's bio,
"Ryan loves doing lots of fun things like pretend play, science experiments, music videos, skits, challenges, DIY arts and crafts, and more!!!"
So, that's what his content is all about.
Forbes reported his earnings to be $35 million, with an engagement rate of 0.75%. It's also not the first time that he's been regarded as one of the highest-paid creators on the platform.
In 2018, 2019, and 2020, Forbes listed him as the top-earning YouTuber. To put it into perspective, in 2018, Forbes estimated his earnings to be $22 million. So, in just a couple of years, he managed to grow his income significantly.
In addition to YouTube, he also has his own show on Nickelodeon, called Ryan's Mystery Playdate, and his own line of branded toys that are stocked at Walmart. He was even turned into a balloon for the yearly Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (and not once, but twice).
Since he has grown up quite a lot since he first started his channel, his content has now shifted from unboxing videos to pretend play and experiments. He also makes DIY videos that other kids can follow.
6. Vlad and Niki
Vlad and Niki are two brothers who have gained popularity on YouTube with their fun and imaginative videos. Their channel has more than 220 billion views and has been translated into 18 languages.
At the time of writing, they have 117 million subscribers and earn around $243,000 per post. Earlier in 2021, they were making an estimated $312,000 per video.
A ban on their channel sent them down the charts last year, but they have since made a comeback to the top spot. Their recent videos are doing quite well, getting millions of views.
The brothers' content is mainly geared toward early elementary school kids. They can speak multiple languages, including French, German, and Spanish.
The channel also has a deal with an Australian licensing agency, Haven Global, to create consumer products and new content under their brand. Haven Global also creates licenses for mobile apps and merchandise.
7. Dude Perfect
Based on their success on YouTube, it looks like Dude Perfect found the perfect recipe – trick shots and silly stunts. If you're searching for an example of how to build a brand by means of social media, look no further.
The group consists of five friends: Tyler Toney, Garrett Hilbert, Cody Jones, and the twin brothers, Coby and Cory Cotton. They're only one of two collectives to have made this list, proving that influencers can work together.
Their channel has 60.2 million subscribers. They also have a website where people can shop for their merchandise.
Dude Perfect also go on Tour, where they travel across the nation, hosting meet-and-greets with fans, and setting up live versions of their famous trick shots and stunts. Plus, they've released their own mobile games, launched a very successful merch store, and started their own TV series, The Dude Perfect Show that airs on CMT.
8. A4a4a4a4
Vladislav Bumaga started his YouTube channel in 2014 and has gained 54.1 million subscribers since then. He is one of the most followed Russian YouTubers and is known for his comedy sketches, parodies, skits, and challenges on his channel.
One of his first videos was called "24 hours in a trampoline center," taking him from 200k subscribers to a million. Since then, he has created vlogs, pranks, life hacks, and challenges to grow his channel.
Besides YouTube ad revenue, he also earns from his brand partnerships with Razer, Hyper X, MSI, JBL, and LG.
9. Mark Edward Fischbach (Markiplier)
Markiplier is one of the top gaming influencers on YouTube and the highest-paid creators on the platform. Born in Hawaii, the American YouTuber also tries his hand at acting and comedy.
On YouTube, he mostly shares Let's Play videos that mainly fall in the "survival horror" genre. With just over 36.5 million subscribers, he's also one of the most active YouTubers and uploads new videos almost every day.
He's best known for games like Five Nights at Freddy's, Surgeon Simulator, Happy Wheels, and Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
In May 2021, he also turned to podcasting. His new podcast Distractible , which focuses on discussions about funny and interesting stories from everyday life, even boasted the top position on Spotify for a while.
The podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and is described as "a space to have thoughtful discussions about funny, out there, or otherwise interesting stories from everyday life."
10. Logan Paul
Having 23.5 million subscribers, Logan Paul is known for his YouTube channel and controversial boxing career. He made his debut as a professional boxer in 2019 and had an exhibition match against Floyd Mayweather in June 2021 that generated an estimated 1 million pay-per-view buys, according to Sportico.
Before this exhibition match, he had only one official fight against a fellow YouTube star, Olajide, aka KSI, a British boxer and actor. In 2023, he resigned a deal with WWE, where he will be a wrestler.
In addition to being a boxer and YouTuber, he also added a podcaster to his list of titles. His podcast Impaulsive is one of the most popular influencer-hosted podcasts and takes a more serious approach.
To date, he has more than 300 podcast episodes, which he also shares on YouTube on his Impaulsive channel, which has nearly 4.6 million subscribers.
He is also known for PRIME, his brand that makes energy drinks and sports drinks. Paul promotes his brand, Prime Hydration, with a fellow YouTuber KSI. However, recently, his brand has come under fire for excessive caffeine levels in Canada.
US Senator Chuck Schumer also called for Prime Energy Drink's probe, alleging that the drink is targeted at children and contains ingredients that are not safe for consumption by the age group.
11. Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (PewDiePie)
Anyone who has spent any time on YouTube knows the name PewDiePie. Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg or PewDiePie is a Swedish YouTuber, comedian, and philanthropist. His channel quickly gained popularity with his gaming videos that often featured humorous commentary.
In 2017, though, his success took a bit of a slump. Not only did he lose his number one position for the total video views, but he also attracted a lot of criticism for his controversial comments and racism allegations. That year, Maker Studios and Google dropped him.
However, Forbes still reported him to be one of their highest YouTube earners for the year. According to the publication, he earned $12 million in 2017.
Later, in 2019, he announced that he's taking a break from YouTube because he's "feeling very tired."
However, he has recovered since then, apologizing for his remarks. Today, his channel has over 111 million subscribers. According to our calculations, he was worth $64 million in 2023.
12. Daniel Middleton (DanTDM)
If you're into Roblox, DanTDM has one of the most popular Roblox YouTube channels boasting 28.6 million subscribers. The British YouTuber and gamer uploads new videos regularly in which he likes to cover different games.
In fact, his love for Minecraft inspired the name of this channel. He originally named his main YouTube channel "The Diamond Minecart", but replaced that channel with the current YouTube channel in 2016, hence where the TDM comes from.
Earlier in his career, he posted up to two videos at times. However, since then, he has slowed down his publishing schedule, thanks to his businesses and steady YouTube income. The rest of the time is spent on a different type of gaming – hanging out with his kid.
13. Smosh
Founded by Anthony Padilla and Ian Andrew Hecox, Smosh, a channel that focuses on sketch comedy, has been around since 2005. The founders were originally the main actors, but once they started to generate decent profits in 2015, they could afford to use actors in their videos.
Not only did they manage to hire actors, but in 2021 they also announced that they'll appoint their very first CEO. The new CEO, Daniel Tibbets, expanded Smosh's reach into traditional media that could include live events and digital games.
In 2023, Alessandra Catanese succeeded Tibbets as CEO after the company was reacquired from Mythical Entertainment by Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox.
Smosh now has 26.6 million subscribers and creates roast videos, comedy sketches, commentary videos, and fun interviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who’s Ryan Kaji?
Ryan Kaji is a 12-year-old YouTube star and kid influencer. As a matter of fact, he has been regarded as the highest paid YouTuber for a couple of years. With 37 million YouTube subscribers, his estimated earnings for 2023 are $27 million. In addition to YouTube, he also has his own show on Nickelodeon and his own line of branded toys that are stocked at Walmart. He uploads new videos that include toy reviews and science experiments.
How old is Smosh?
Founded by Anthony Padilla and Ian Andrew Hecox, the Smosh YouTube channel that focuses on sketch comedy has been around since 2005. The founders were originally the main actors, but once they started to generate decent money in 2015 they could afford to use actors in their videos. The channel has grown a lot over the years and has 26.6 million subscribers and boasted an estimated earnings via YouTube of $11 million for the year.
What are some tips for working with YouTube influencers?
When working with a YouTube influencer, it’s important that you identify clear objectives for your campaign, as these goals will impact every video that gets created. It’s also important that you give your influencers autonomy to run their channels as they see fit. After all, they’re the experts on their channel, so you should give them creative control.
How much money can you make via YouTube?
For every million views on your YouTube video, you can expect to make anywhere from $1,200 to $6,000. The amount changes based on your country and niche. A YouTuber with a million subscribers can make $10,000 to $100,000 per year, depending on the frequency of posting and type of content. Apart from ad revenue, YouTube also offers various other ways to monetize content, such as sponsorships and merchandise. These streams can further increase the potential earnings for content creators.
Does Lilly Singh still make YouTube videos?
Ever since she started hosting her own show, A Little Late with Lilly Singh, Lilly Singh put her YouTube career on hold. Even though the show got canceled after two seasons, Lilly did not start posting consistently on YouTube. However, she continues to make occasional videos on her channel, giving life updates every once in a while.
