Are you curious to know how much YouTubers make in 2026?
Want to discover the top YouTubers from India and around the world and understand how they earn money? You are in the right place.
YouTube is the second biggest search engine after Google. Every single day, billions of people watch videos on YouTube, making it one of the largest content platforms in the world.
Today, millions of creators earn money from YouTube. Some make a small side income, while top YouTubers earn millions of dollars every month. If you are wondering how YouTubers make money and how much they actually earn, let’s break it down step by step.
How Much Money Do YouTubers Make From Ad Revenue?
Most YouTubers earn money through ads that appear on their videos. This is called YouTube ad revenue, which mainly comes from Google Ads advertising through the YouTube Partner Program.
Typical YouTube Ad Earnings
On average, YouTubers earn:
- $1 to $4 per 1,000 monetized views
This amount depends on several factors, including the video niche, the audience country, the season, and advertiser demand.
It is also important to understand that not all views are monetized. Usually, only about 40 to 60 percent of total views show ads.
Simple Example:
If a video gets 100,000 views, the estimated earnings look like this:
- 100,000 ÷ 1,000 × $1 to $4
- Estimated earnings: $100 to $400 from ads
This is why two videos with the same number of views can earn very different amounts.
Most Viewed YouTube Videos and Their Estimated Earnings
Below is a list of the most popular YouTube videos based on total global views, along with their estimated lifetime ad earnings.
| Rank | Video Name | Uploader | Views (Billions) | Avg Earnings |
| 1 | Baby Shark Dance | Pinkfong Baby Shark – Kids’ Songs & Stories | 16.47 | $23.06M |
| 2 | Despacito | Luis Fonsi | 8.88 | $12.43M |
| 3 | Wheels on the Bus | Cocomelon – Nursery Rhymes | 8.29 | $11.61M |
| 4 | Bath Song | Cocomelon – Nursery Rhymes | 7.31 | $10.23M |
| 5 | Johny Johny Yes Papa | LooLoo Kids – Nursery Rhymes & Children’s Songs | 7.13 | $9.98M |
| 6 | See You Again | Wiz Khalifa | 6.86 | $9.60M |
| 7 | Phonics Song with Two Words | ChuChu TV Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs | 6.81 | $9.53M |
| 8 | Shape of You | Ed Sheeran | 6.62 | $9.27M |
| 9 | Gangnam Style | PSY | 5.78 | $8.09M |
| 10 | Uptown Funk | Mark Ronson | 5.71 | $7.99M |
What These Numbers Tell Us
As you can see above, Baby Shark Dance is currently the most viewed video on YouTube, with over 16.47 billion lifetime views. Based on average ad revenue estimates, this single video may have generated more than $23 million in ad earnings.
It is followed by Despacito, which has crossed 8.88 billion views and has earned an estimated $12 million on average from ads.
These examples clearly show the massive earning potential of YouTube when videos attract global audiences over time.
Popular YouTubers Ranked by Average YouTube Ad Earnings (2026)
| Rank | YouTuber | Subscribers | Total Videos | Total Views | Avg Earnings (USD) |
| 1 | MrBeast | 459M | 941 | 106,866,302,629 | $149.61M |
| 2 | PewDiePie | 110M | 4.6K | 29,451,145,064 | $41.23M |
| 3 | Markiplier | 38.1M | 5.7K | 23,117,213,794 | $32.36M |
| 4 | DanTDM | 29.2M | 3.7K | 20,297,774,660 | $28.42M |
| 5 | jacksepticeye | 38.1M | 5.7K | 17,447,945,593 | $24.43M |
| 6 | Jake Paul | 20.9M | 1.5K | 7,934,585,764 | $11.11M |
Here’s a list of the top 6 YouTube earners earning millions of dollars from YouTube. We’re also going to update this section of the highest-paid YouTubers regularly.
1. Mr. Beast
| Metric | Details |
| YouTuber | MrBeast |
| Subscribers | 459M |
| Total Videos | 941 |
| Total Views | 106,866,302,629 |
| Avg Earnings (USD) | $149.61M |
| Total Net Worth | $700M |
Jimmy Donaldson (popularly known as MrBeast) is the most popular YouTuber and also has the most subscribed YouTube channel in the world, with 459+ million subscribers.
MrBeast is known for creating binge-worthy videos such as giving away $1 million, donating an island, donating millions to charity, and more.
Almost every single video on his channel is worth watching. He’s known for spending millions of dollars to create each video. If you’re looking for a YouTube channel for fun and excitement, you shouldn’t miss out on MrBeast’s channel.
2. PewDiePie
| Metric | Details |
| YouTuber | PewDiePie |
| Subscribers | 110M |
| Total Videos | 4.6K |
| Total Views | 29,451,145,064 |
| Avg Earnings (USD) | $41.23M |
| Total Net Worth | $60 |
If you’ve been watching YouTube videos for a while, you might have already heard about PewDiePie.
It is one of the most popular YouTube channels, with over 110 million subscribers. Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, known online as PewDiePie, is a Swedish YouTuber who runs this fantastic YouTube channel.
Felix made his persona, PewDiePie, famous on the platform by making “Let’s Play” videos, where he records himself playing a game and shares footage of the gameplay and his reaction to what is happening around the world.
3. Markiplier
| Metric | Details |
| YouTuber | Markiplier |
| Subscribers | 38.1M |
| Total Videos | 5.7K |
| Total Views | 23,117,213,794 |
| Avg Earnings (USD) | $32.36M |
| Total Net Worth | $45M |
Mark Edward Fischbach, who is popularly known online as Markiplier, is an American YouTuber who has over 38.1 million subscribers on YouTube.
Fischbach specializes in Let’s Play videos, commonly of survival horror video games.
If you’re someone who likes such videos, you should definitely check out and subscribe to his channel.
4. DanTDM
| Metric | Details |
| YouTuber | DanTDM |
| Subscribers | 29.2M |
| Total Videos | 3.7K |
| Total Views | 20,297,774,660 |
| Avg Earnings (USD) | $28.42M |
| Total Networth | $35M |
Daniel Robert Middleton, popularly known online as DanTDM, is a British YouTube professional gamer and author.
He primarily covers a wide range of gaming videos on his channel, which are immensely popular worldwide.
His online video channels cover many video games, mainly Minecraft. He’s also listed as one of the most influential YouTubers in the UK.
If you’re a game addict, you must check out his channel. He currently has over 29.2 million subscribers on YouTube.
5. Jacksepticeye
| Metric | Details |
| YouTuber | jacksepticeye |
| Subscribers | 38.1M |
| Total Videos | 5.7K |
| Total Views | 17,447,945,593 |
| Avg Earnings (USD) | $24.43M |
| Total Networth | $30M |
With over 38.1 million subscribers on YouTube.
Seán William McLoughlin, better known by his online pseudonym Jacksepticeye, is one of the most popular YouTubers.
Sean is known primarily for his comedic Let’s Play series and vlogs.
If you’re looking for comic videos on YouTube, make sure to check out his channel.
6. Jake Paul
| Metric | Details |
| YouTuber | Jake Paul |
| Subscribers | 20.9M |
| Total Videos | 1.5K |
| Total Views | 7,934,585,764 |
| Avg Earnings (USD) | $11.11M |
| Total Networth | $200 (YouTube is not the main source) |
Jake Alexander Paul is a prominent YouTube personality with a subscriber base exceeding 20.9 million and a total of over 79 billion views on his channel.
Additionally, he is a professional boxer and a musical artist who initially gained recognition on Vine before transitioning to YouTube stardom.
Jake Paul’s main target audience is young individuals who enjoy entertainment and adventurous activities. As a result, his videos are consistently centered around fun and excitement.
He frequently creates outrageous videos by performing completely unexpected stunts. For instance, he has crashed cars, jumped off buildings, and faced off against other YouTubers.
Most of his income comes from Professional Boxing. He also earns money from merchandise sales and other ventures.
How to Apply for YouTube Monetization
YouTubers mostly use AdSense to monetize their videos. Whether you’re curious to know the average YouTuber’s income in India or globally, you need to know a few things.
You can apply for YouTube monetization from a computer, Android phone, or iPhone and iPad.
- Sign in to your YouTube account.
- Click your profile picture in the top right corner and open YouTube Studio.
- From the left menu, click Earn.
- Select Apply Now to begin the process.
- Click Start to review and accept the base terms.
- Click Start again to set up an AdSense for YouTube account or link an existing active AdSense account.
After completing these steps, your application status will show In Progress in the “Get Reviewed” section, indicating that YouTube has received your application. Check out the detailed guide here.
5 Steps to Make Money from YouTube in 2026
Do you want to know how to start making money from YouTube just like other YouTubers do? Here’s a simple 5-step tutorial that explains how you can start a YouTube channel from scratch and start making money from it in 2026 and beyond.
Step 1: Set up your YouTube channel
First things first. To be able to monetize your YouTube channel using any of the monetization strategies, including Adsense, sponsorships, collabs, etc, you need a channel. Setting up your YouTube channel is easy, as all you need is a Gmail account, and it’s free to sign up.
If you want to succeed, you need to find the “right category” to start your YouTube channel. Here are a few channel ideas if you want to go viral easily on YouTube.
- Gaming
- Food & Cooking
- Yoga
- Exercise & Training
- Unboxing Products and Tech Reviews
- Travel
- Fashion
The above categories have a lot of audiences worldwide, and you can easily create a loyal audience around your YouTube channel if you’re consistently posting highly informative videos.
Step 2: Start creating unique, entertaining, and highly useful videos
The best way to develop stunning ideas for your YouTube channel is to keep an eye on your competitors. Find out how they create videos and what ideas go viral on their channel. You can use similar strategies and ideas to create videos for your channel.
Alternatively, you can talk about your daily schedule, conduct FAQ videos where you can interact with your subscribers live, discuss what your future videos are about, and so on.
Here are a few more ways to get content ideas for your channel.
- Use Quora
- Use tools like Semrush, Buzzsumo
- Watch trending videos to see which types of videos are going viral (so you can consider doing videos around those topics)
The key here is to be consistent. Make sure to produce high-quality videos regularly. Stick to a consistent video posting schedule. For best results, you can post twice or thrice a week, and if you do it for a year, you’ll definitely see thousands of subscribers.
Step 3: Build and grow your audience
One great thing about YouTube is that you can quickly go from 1 million to 2 million or even 5 million subscribers after reaching your first 1 million subscribers.
That simply means getting your initial audience is hard and literally takes years (depending on your content quality, content frequency, the buzz around your videos, etc), but once you get enough traction, the sky’s the limit.
Here are a few quick tips to grow your audience on your YouTube channel in 2026.
- Create custom thumbnails: Make sure your thumbnails are custom-made so you can upload them to YouTube separately. They should be appealing and also enticing for your audience to click on your videos.
- Create compelling titles: Most people first view your thumbnails and read your video titles before clicking on any of your videos. So spend quality time creating magnetic titles for your videos.
- Do collaborations with others: Find other YouTubers who’re doing similar videos and connect with them. Make sure to ask them if they are interested in cross-promoting each other, as it’s the quickest way to get new subscribers and make your channel more popular.
- Don’t forget SEO: If you want to succeed online, you must learn YouTube SEO. Use your title and meta descriptions smartly. Find a primary keyword and use it within your descriptions to rank for your target keywords on YouTube. Just make sure to learn SEO basics, and you’ll be far ahead of your competitors.
Step 4: Set up AdSense
If you want to start making money from YouTube AdSense, here’s one thing you need to remember.
You need at least 4000 hours of watch time and 1000 subscribers to start earning money.
You can monetize your videos by opening your Video Manager and clicking on the “$” sign next to the video that you want to monetize. Check the “Monetize with Ads” box.
You must be 18 years or older to create your own account. If you are younger than that, you will need an adult to help you. You need either a PayPal account or a bank account and a valid mailing address, along with other information, so AdSense can verify who you are and to whom to send the money.
Step 5: Track, improve, and repeat
You should always check and analyze your YouTube channel stats. You can click the Analytics option in your Channel menu, where you can view estimated earnings, ad performance, video views, demographics, and more.
You’ll also find out which types of videos are getting more views, likes, and comments. That way, you can improve your overall channel visibility.
Final Thoughts on How Much YouTubers Earn In 2026
YouTube is an excellent platform for building an online presence and earning a full-time income.
MrBeast is one great example of a YouTuber earning millions from his videos. Similarly, many YouTubers earn thousands of dollars from their channels.
So what are your thoughts on the highest-paid YouTubers? Did you find the top YouTubers’ earnings interesting? Did we miss any of your favourite YouTubers? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments.
FAQs
Here are a few interesting questions about YouTube earnings and how much YouTubers earn in general.
Who are the highest-paid YouTubers?
Here are some of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world;
– MrBeast (approx net worth $700 million)
– Jake Paul (approx net worth $200 million)
– Markiplier (approx net worth $45 million)
How much does YouTube pay per subscriber?
YouTube doesn’t pay per subscriber. While it’s great to have millions of subscribers, it doesn’t directly translate into money. Even if you have a million subscribers on your YouTube channel, YouTube doesn’t pay per subscriber. It simply pays per view (if you monetize).
How much does YouTube pay per view?
On average, monetized videos on YouTube earn $1-$4 per 1000 views. The amount of money you make from YouTube varies based on the region of your viewers, your industry, video watch time, click-through rate, and video category.
How much money do people make from YouTube videos with 1 million views?
If you’re using YouTube Adsense, you’ll make an average of $400. The average CPM is $1-$4 for most YouTube videos (for 1,000 views). It also varies depending on your CPC, CPM, views, user retention, traffic region, and other factors.
Do YouTubers get paid if I skip ads?
No, YouTubers don’t get paid if you skip ads. This is because YouTube doesn’t charge advertisers when their ads are skipped before 5 seconds, unless they’re using non-skippable ads.
How much money do YouTubers make in India?
YouTubers in India usually earn ₹20 to ₹150 per 1,000 monetized views from ads.
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Hello Anil,
You have really created an awesome list of Youtube bloggers. I am a big fan of Nikhil and watching all of his videos. Since I like to travel and his videos are so much informative and enjoying too. Thanks for sharing them under one roof.
Regards,
Vishwajeet Kumar