How Much Money Do You Make on YouTube with 1000 Subscribers?

If you've just hit your first 1,000 subscribers on YouTube, congrats. That’s a legit milestone. But now you're probably wondering: Can I make money yet? And if so, how much are we talking?

Let’s break it down with real numbers, current requirements, and actual earnings from creators who’ve been there.

Do YouTubers Get Paid at 1000 Subscribers?

Yes - but only if they meet YouTube’s monetization threshold:

1,000 subscribers
4,000 public watch hours in the past 12 months, or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days
A linked AdSense account

Once you're approved for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), you can earn from:

Ad revenue (in-stream ads, banner ads)
YouTube Premium views
Super Thanks, Super Chat, and Channel Memberships

How Much Does 1000 Subscribers Earn? (On Average)

Here’s the thing - hitting 1,000 subscribers doesn’t mean YouTube hands you a paycheck. What really drives earnings is how many views you're getting, what kind of content you're making, and how engaged your audience is. Subscriber count doesn’t directly generate income - view count and CPM (Cost Per Mille) do.

CPM (Cost Per 1,000 ad impressions) varies by industry. Here’s what some creators report:

Niche	Avg. CPM	Notes
Finance	$12–$25	High-paying keywords + low supply
Tech Reviews	$6–$12	Good demand, mid-tier CPM
Vlogs	$1–$4	Low CPM unless audience is highly engaged
Gaming	$2–$6	Huge volume, lower ad rates
Education/Tutorials	$4–$10	Strong evergreen value

That said, most creators with around 1,000 subs typically make $50 to $100/month, but it depends on a few key things:

Your niche: Some niches just pay more. Finance, tech, and business get better ad rates than lifestyle or gaming.
Where your audience lives: Ads shown to viewers in the US, Canada, or UK pay more than those in countries with lower ad budgets.
How engaged your viewers are: Do they watch your videos all the way through? Do they comment, like, and share? More interaction = better performance.
Video quality: Clean audio, sharp visuals, solid storytelling - it all adds up. Better content = better watch time.
How you make money: Ads are just one stream. Smart creators stack income from affiliate links, merch, or memberships.

It’s not one-size-fits-all. A gaming channel with 5,000 monthly views might make less than a tech channel with 2,000 views if the CPMs are different.

Revenue Type	Monthly Estimate	Notes
Ad Revenue	$1–$20	Based on 1,000–5,000 views/month @ $0.25–$5 CPM
Affiliate Links	$10–$200	Varies wildly depending on niche + trust
Sponsorships	$50–$150	Small brands may pay for niche engagement, test collabs
Merch/Sales	$10–$300+	Depends on your audience's buying intent

So yeah - $1 to $600+ is the real-world range, depending on your grind, strategy, and niche.

Real Examples from Small Channels

Ty Myers (4.8k subs): Earns ~$250/month from Youtube Partner Program videos with ~60k views/month and ads.

Profit Your Knowledge (2.5k subs): Makes ~$80/month with 10k views/month. Plus, he sells $1000/month in courses through YouTube.

Di’s Money Diaries (1.6k subs): Earns ~$100/month from her vlogs with 10K views/month and ads.

Want to Earn More? Here’s What Actually Moves the Needle

So you hit 1,000 subscribers. Now what? If you want to turn this milestone into something more meaningful, here are strategies that actually help:

1. Grow Smarter - Not Just Bigger

Consistent Schedule: Upload regularly so people know when to expect content
Engage Back: Reply to comments, ask questions, post in the Community tab
Collab Up: Partnering with other content creators in your niche can introduce your channel to new audiences.
Better SEO: Use keywords viewers actually search - TubeBuddy or vidIQ can help
Fix Thumbnails: If people don’t click, they don’t watch. Make thumbnails clear and clickable

2. Don’t Just Rely on Ads

Sponsorships: Reach out to small tools or brands in your niche
Affiliate Links: Link gear, courses, tools - just make it relevant
Merch: Even basic shirts or stickers can work if your brand is sticky
Channel Memberships: Offer perks like bloopers, private chats, or early access
Patreon: Encourage fans to support your channel directly through crowdfunding platforms like Patreon.

3. Partnerships

Cross-Promote: Team up with other YouTubers for cross-promotion, expanding your reach
Brand Deals: Partner with brands related to your niche for sponsored content
YouTube Networks: Not for everyone, but they can offer brand connects

4. Test New Formats

Explore Related Niches: Spin-off content works. Teaching Canva from a design channel? Totally fine
Live Streams: Use Super Chats and engage real-time
Longer Videos: Higher watch time often = better ad revenue

5. Keep Optimizing

YouTube Studio: Use analytics to spot what works and double down
A/B Test Titles: Change titles/thumbnails and watch click rates
Stay Updated: YouTube changes fast. Follow creator updates and algorithm news

What Really Matters More Than Sub Count

Watch time: Drives your eligibility and signals value to YouTube
Click-through rate (CTR): More important than subscriber count for reach
Audience retention: Affects how YouTube promotes your video
Search traffic: Evergreen content = passive income

Your first 1000 subscribers are proof of concept. Once you hit that mark, monetization becomes a game of smart content planning, community building, and consistent uploads.