How much does a YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers earn? A realistic analysis of earnings in 2026

If you’ve reached 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, you probably want to know how much you can actually earn. The answer is more encouraging than you might think — but it also depends on how you structure your income sources. A YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers doesn’t earn only from AdSense; there are multiple monetization methods that, when well combined, turn a channel into a steady and scalable income source.

Simplifying monetization: what is the real earning range

A digital creator with 100,000 followers can earn between R$ 5,000 and R$ 20,000 per month, depending on engagement, niche, geographic location of the audience, and revenue diversification.

But before celebrating, it’s important to understand that these values vary quite a bit based on three main factors:

1. Community engagement — A channel with 100,000 subscribers but low engagement earns less than one with 50,000 but high engagement. Click-through rates, shares, and views are what really matter.

2. Content niche — Finance, technology, and education channels generate higher CPM (Cost Per Thousand views). Entertainment and lifestyle channels tend to have lower CPM.

3. Audience location — Viewers from the US, Canada, and the UK pay better than audiences from developing countries. A YouTuber with 100% Brazilian viewers earns less than one with a globally mixed audience.

Beyond AdSense: the highest-paying revenue sources

The truth is, AdSense alone doesn’t make anyone rich. A YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers earns between R$ 2,000 and R$ 5,000 just from ads. The rest comes from other strategies.

Affiliate marketing — The gold mine for 100,000 subscribers

For many creators at this level, affiliate marketing is the biggest income source. Commissions can reach 20%, 30%, even 80% depending on the product.

Real example: a tech YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers can earn R$ 5,000 to R$ 10,000 per month just recommending affiliate products, if they have good relationships with brands and genuine audience engagement.

YouTube Shopping and direct sales

If you sell products or offer digital services, 100,000 subscribers is a solid base. You can earn from R$ 2,000 to R$ 15,000 per month depending on product price and conversion rate.

Partnerships and sponsorships

Brands look for creators with 100,000 subscribers. A sponsored video can earn between R$ 3,000 and R$ 15,000, depending on brand recognition and channel size.

SuperChat, Channel Clubs, and contributions

These sources are more modest (R$ 500 to R$ 2,000 per month), but they contribute to total earnings.

YouTube Premium and Shorts

With the growing importance of Shorts in 2026, creators who master this format earn additional revenue from YouTube Premium distribution. It’s not a fortune, but it adds to the income.

How much does a YouTuber earn per view? (2026)

Global values remain around:

• Per view: approximately R$ 0.09 to R$ 0.18 (USD 0.018 to USD 0.036)
• Per 1,000 views (CPM): R$ 1.25 to R$ 22.50 (USD 0.25 to USD 4.50)
• Per 20,000 views: R$ 250 to R$ 450 (USD 50 to USD 90)

For a YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers averaging 50,000 to 100,000 views per video, this means R$ 625 to R$ 2,250 per video just from AdSense — posting 2 videos a week, that’s already R$ 5,000 to R$ 18,000.

The strategy that works for 100,000 subscribers

Having 100,000 followers isn’t enough. Most creators who really earn well at this level do the following:

1. Primary monetization: AdSense + YouTube Premium (guaranteed base)
2. Secondary monetization: Affiliates (main income lever)
3. Tertiary monetization: Sponsorships, own products, Channel Clubs
4. Platform diversification: Replicating content on Shorts, TikTok, Instagram (amplifies views on YouTube)

How much do you need to start earning

To enable monetization on YouTube, the requirements remain the same:

• 18 years or older
• 1,000 subscribers
• 4,000 hours watched on long videos OR 10 million Shorts views in the last year
• Channel in good standing (no violations)

Payment is released when you reach USD 100 or more — which a YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers can achieve in 1 to 2 weeks.

Essential equipment (without breaking the bank)

Reaching 100,000 subscribers, you should already have the basics:

• Quality camera or smartphone
• Good microphone (USB or XLR)
• Editing software (CapCut, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro)
• Basic LED lighting
• Clean or themed background according to your niche

Most top creators started with just a smartphone and good lighting. Technical quality matters less than engaging content — but bad audio kills any video.

From zero to 100,000: what changes in the journey

With 10,000 subscribers: you earn R$ 100 to R$ 500 per month (mostly AdSense).

With 50,000 subscribers: you already make R$ 2,000 to R$ 5,000 monthly (AdSense + affiliates start to pay off).

With 100,000 subscribers: you have the potential to earn R$ 5,000 to R$ 20,000 per month (multiple sources working together).

The big leap isn’t just about numbers. It’s because with 100,000 subscribers, you have enough credibility to negotiate better sponsorships, partner with bigger brands, and build your own products with a guaranteed audience.

Niches that pay the most with 100,000 subscribers

Finance and investments, technology and gadgets, education (digital courses), health and wellness — these niches generate CPM 5 to 10 times higher than pure entertainment.

A finance YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers easily earns R$ 10,000 to R$ 30,000 per month. A comedy or daily vlog channel might earn R$ 3,000 to R$ 8,000.

Conclusion: 100,000 subscribers = solid foundation for professionalism

Reaching 100,000 subscribers is a real milestone. You move from “hobby” to “significant income.” But the secret isn’t just the number of subscribers — it’s combining direct monetization (AdSense), indirect (affiliates), and strategic (sponsorships, products).

If you have 100,000 subscribers and aren’t earning R$ 10,000 a month, it’s a sign you’re leaving money on the table. You probably haven’t explored affiliates, diversified revenue streams, or negotiated sponsorships properly.

The good news? With 100,000 subscribers, you have the audience. Now it’s about structuring the right monetization.