Top 10 Most Profitable YouTube Niches Ranked by CPM: Earn More by Targeting These High-Paying Categories

While there are a million reasons to get into content creation, one reason that entices a lot of creators looking to launch a YouTube channel, in particular, is simply how lucrative it can be. Whether you’re looking for a small side hustle or potentially making content creation your full-time job, it’s possible to make some serious money in video content with the way YouTube pays.

Now, with that being said, it’s not necessarily easy per se. There’s a lot to learn about content creation. However, while knowing the right writing, filming, and editing tricks might be helpful, the most important factor for finding YouTube success is the subject matter.

If you’re looking to launch a YouTube channel for the first time and want to know the most popular and profitable niches, then we have you covered. Let’s explore how YouTube works for monetization and give you a list of the most profitable niches you can use when deciding what type of content you want to make when launching your own YouTube channel.

How does YouTube monetization work?

So, before we go into a ranked list of niches, let’s do a bit of homework first. How does YouTube monetization work? In the world of content creation, YouTube stands tall as one of the most lucrative social video platforms in the world. This is because YouTube does it bigger, better, and more streamlined than anyone else.

If you just look at the sheer amount of traffic the site gets and the staggering amount of money it sends back to creators (plus other built-in benefits like access to its huge audience), it practically starts and ends with YouTube.

Suppose you’re looking into YouTube monetization for the first time. In that case, it’s important to note that you must meet certain standards with your channel to be eligible to join the YouTube Partner Program and monetize your content. Here are the steps to follow:

Follow YouTube’s monetization policies, which should be easy if that’s your goal.
Live in a country where the Partner Program is available. That's a pretty long list, so we doubt you’ll have anything to worry about.
Get your watch time for YouTube monetization up to more than 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months. It might seem like a lot, but remember: Users watch a combined 5 billion videos every day. You just need to find the right audience for your content.
Having more than 1,000 subscribers can seem like an impossible goal for new channels. Just remind yourself that people always end up finding great content, so you’ll need to keep creating awesome videos that attract people.
Set up an AdSense account, which gives Google permission to manage ad content, track statistics, and pay you for it.

You can read a lot more about YouTube monetization in our complete guide to video monetization.

Understanding CPM vs RPM

Another metric we should explain is the difference between terms like “CPM” and “RPM.” These numerical metrics can give you an idea of how revenue a video generates compared to watches or clicks, your chief metrics for deciding how successful (and ultimately lucrative) a video is.

CPM stands for “Cost Per Mille” and is a measurement that tells creators how much advertisers will pay for 1,000 (a mille) ad impressions on one of their videos. RPM, on the other hand, stands for “Revenue Per Mille” and covers the full amount of revenue a creator receives for every 1,000 views.

Of course, YouTube takes its cut, too, for all of the above, but if you can understand these metrics and terms, you can start to make educated decisions about which of the most lucrative YouTube niches and genres to choose.

The most profitable YouTube niches

Now that we’ve covered some basic information about YouTube monetization and metrics let’s give you the list that you came here to review. Here’s a ranked list of the most profitable YouTube niches, along with more info about what they are and why you might want to consider them.

How to make money online: The most profitable YouTube niche is one focused on helping people make money online. These videos can range from “get rich quick”-style content to more sophisticated guides to starting a small business, growing side hustles, how to make money on social media, or—yes, even—launching a YouTube channel.
Digital marketing: The second most profitable YouTube niche is focused on digital marketing. These videos are guides to learning digital marketing, growing a digital brand, or providing news and updates about the latest trends in this space.
Investing and personal finance: Similar to the “how to make money online” niche, finance and investing channels are very popular on YouTube, and many beginner investors turn to YouTube to find advice on how to grow their personal and retirement accounts.
Technology: As you can see, with accounts like Marques Brownlee, covering all of the latest tech innovations is a huge YouTube niche. There’s an endless stream of new announcements and products from the likes of Apple, Tesla, and others that require updates, insights, and reviews.
Education: YouTube has also become one of the top spots for those looking for basic or advanced education over the years, as there are tons of great channels dedicated to teaching viewers about whatever they’d like to learn.
Fashion: YouTube is also a great spot for those looking to make content about fashion. These videos range from general fashion announcements and news to try-on videos or reviews of clothes so that viewers can decide whether to purchase them.
Beauty and makeup: Another YouTube classic, makeup and beauty tutorials have been on YouTube since the beginning and represent a major industry and online presence.
Video games: While Twitch might be the most popular app for video game streaming, YouTube is still king for all other types of video game-related content, from reviews to play-through guides.
Fitness and bodybuilding: As more people opt out of personal trainers and gyms, home workouts have become much more popular thanks to a rise in YouTube fitness channels that can provide full workouts and guides for all types of fitness goals.
ASMR: Perhaps one of the most unique niches of YouTube in particular, ASMR and other relaxation videos have become very popular as a way for viewers to unwind and destress from their busy schedules.

(It’s important to remember that YouTube does not share these numbers directly, so these highest CPM niches on YouTube were decided based on numbers compiled on social tracking site Social Blade, but they give a general idea of profitability.)

Tips for monetizing your YouTube channel

Overall, though, your best bet for finding the right niche for your YouTube channel isn’t going to come down to reviewing profitability metrics. You’d be much more likely to find success (and not get burned out) if you focus on finding a niche that resonates with you and your passion and interests.

That said, if you have a passion for any of the most profitable YouTube channel ideas listed above, it would be a great idea to focus on these popular niches as they do return more on your time investments. They can also be more competitive, though, simply because others can figure out they are popular.

If you find yourself ready to launch a channel and start creating, here are more articles and resources to help you on your YouTube content creation journey.