YouTube RPM by niche, measured β not guessed
Most βhighest RPM nicheβ lists recycle the same claims with no data behind them. This page aggregates the Market Intelligence Dashboard from 98 faceless-niche audits published on this blog β each built from public channel and video evidence β into one comparable table.
Headline numbers: average RPM $11.10, median $10.10, ranging from $2.20 to $23.10 β a 10x spread between the lowest and highest niches.
Top 15 niches by average RPM
| Niche | Avg RPM | Opportunity | Saturation | Channels audited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance | $23.1 | 7.81 | Medium | 10 |
| Money | $21.8 | 7.41 | Medium | 8 |
| Technology | $21.2 | 7.41 | Medium | 5 |
| Ai News | $21.0 | 8.21 | Medium | 5 |
| Investing | $20.8 | 7.71 | Medium | 10 |
| Politics | $19.4 | 6.91 | Medium | 8 |
| Youtube Automation | $19.2 | 6.51 | High | 6 |
| Physics | $19.1 | 7.01 | Low | 7 |
| Economics | $17.7 | 7.31 | Medium | 15 |
| Lifestyle | $17.5 | 8.31 | Medium | 6 |
| Nutrition | $17.2 | 7.81 | Medium | 5 |
| Tutorial | $17.0 | 5.41 | High | 5 |
| Data Visualization | $16.3 | 7.81 | Medium | 6 |
| 3D Animation | $16.2 | 8.11 | Low | 9 |
| Deep Dives | $16.0 | 7.31 | Medium | 7 |
Money topics dominate the top: finance, investing-adjacent, and technology niches pay several multiples of entertainment niches. AI news ($21.00) shows new technical topics can price near finance when advertiser demand is hot.
Bottom 10 niches by average RPM
| Niche | Avg RPM | Opportunity | Saturation | Channels audited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roblox | $2.2 | 5.21 | High | 5 |
| Short Stories | $4.0 | 6.71 | Medium | 6 |
| Listicles | $4.8 | 6.61 | High | 5 |
| Ai Stories | $5.0 | 7.61 | Medium | 5 |
| Wildlife | $5.7 | 7.61 | Medium | 9 |
| Biology | $6.0 | 7.71 | Medium | 6 |
| Gaming | $6.0 | 5.11 | High | 15 |
| Disasters | $6.3 | 7.01 | Medium | 6 |
| English Learning | $6.6 | 7.71 | Medium | 9 |
| Storytelling | $6.6 | 7.61 | Medium | 19 |
Kids and gaming-adjacent content pays the least per thousand views. That does not make these niches bad β volume and production cost matter more than RPM alone, which is exactly why several low-RPM niches still carry solid opportunity scores.
Why RPM alone misleads (read this before picking)
- RPM is only paid on views you actually get. A $23 niche you cannot break into pays $0. Contestability β whether small channels are currently breaking out β matters more. Check our free niche finder for demand gaps instead of RPM charts alone.
- These are directional estimates from public data, not private YouTube Studio figures. Use them to compare niches, not to forecast revenue.
- Production cost changes the math. A $7 relaxation niche with cheap, fast production can beat a $20 finance niche that needs research, scripting, and credibility.
- RPM moves. Advertiser demand is seasonal and trend-driven. For the economics behind the numbers, read RPM economics by niche.
Methodology
Each niche audit examines public channels in the niche (counts in the table), scores opportunity on demand-vs-competition signals, and records saturation qualitatively. RPM figures are estimates triangulated from public monetization disclosures, niche-level reporting, and advertiser-demand proxies β directional snapshots, not audited financials. Table generated 2026-09-07 from the published audits; individual niche pages carry their own dated evidence.
Full table: all 98 niches by RPM
| Niche | Avg RPM | Opportunity | Saturation | Channels audited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance | $23.1 | 7.81 | Medium | 10 |
| Money | $21.8 | 7.41 | Medium | 8 |
| Technology | $21.2 | 7.41 | Medium | 5 |
| Ai News | $21.0 | 8.21 | Medium | 5 |
| Investing | $20.8 | 7.71 | Medium | 10 |
| Politics | $19.4 | 6.91 | Medium | 8 |
| Youtube Automation | $19.2 | 6.51 | High | 6 |
| Physics | $19.1 | 7.01 | Low | 7 |
| Economics | $17.7 | 7.31 | Medium | 15 |
| Lifestyle | $17.5 | 8.31 | Medium | 6 |
| Nutrition | $17.2 | 7.81 | Medium | 5 |
| Tutorial | $17.0 | 5.41 | High | 5 |
| Data Visualization | $16.3 | 7.81 | Medium | 6 |
| 3D Animation | $16.2 | 8.11 | Low | 9 |
| Deep Dives | $16.0 | 7.31 | Medium | 7 |
| Crime | $15.2 | 7.81 | Medium | 5 |
| Film Analysis | $14.8 | 6.21 | High | 5 |
| Pop Culture | $14.2 | 5.41 | High | 5 |
| Education | $14.1 | 6.41 | High | 14 |
| Astronomy | $14.0 | 7.81 | Medium | 5 |
| Aviation | $13.6 | 6.61 | Medium | 11 |
| Ai Tools | $13.1 | 7.81 | Medium | 8 |
| Relationships | $13.0 | 7.01 | Medium | 5 |
| Psychology | $12.9 | 7.31 | Medium | 35 |
| Documentary | $12.6 | 6.81 | Medium | 31 |
| Mindset | $12.5 | 7.11 | High | 19 |
| Engineering | $12.5 | 8.21 | Medium | 11 |
| Survival | $12.4 | 6.81 | Low | 5 |
| Nostalgia | $12.2 | 6.61 | Medium | 5 |
| Video Games | $12.2 | 6.41 | High | 5 |
| Dark History | $12.2 | 6.91 | Medium | 8 |
| Philosophy | $12.1 | 6.81 | Medium | 27 |
| Asmr | $12.0 | 8.41 | Low | 7 |
| Geography | $12.0 | 7.61 | Medium | 8 |
| Self Improvement | $11.9 | 7.91 | Medium | 8 |
| Internet Mysteries | $11.6 | 7.81 | Low | 5 |
| Mythology | $11.6 | 7.61 | Medium | 5 |
| Cats | $11.4 | 8.61 | Medium | 5 |
| Military | $11.2 | 7.21 | Medium | 5 |
| Medieval History | $11.2 | 7.81 | Medium | 5 |
| Ai Storytelling | $11.2 | 8.81 | Medium | 6 |
| Self Improvement | $10.9 | 7.21 | Medium | 32 |
| Geopolitics | $10.6 | 7.01 | Medium | 18 |
| Personal Stories | $10.6 | 6.61 | Medium | 5 |
| Life Advice | $10.6 | 6.41 | High | 5 |
| Animal Facts | $10.2 | 7.41 | Medium | 7 |
| Motivation | $10.2 | 7.01 | Medium | 20 |
| True Crime | $10.1 | 7.21 | Medium | 24 |
| Space | $10.1 | 7.51 | Medium | 8 |
| Explained | $10.0 | 6.61 | High | 5 |
| Self Help | $10.0 | 7.01 | Medium | 7 |
| Discipline | $9.9 | 6.61 | High | 10 |
| History | $9.9 | 7.11 | Medium | 50 |
| Game Development | $9.8 | 7.71 | Medium | 6 |
| Life Lessons | $9.8 | 7.31 | Medium | 12 |
| Society | $9.8 | 8.21 | Medium | 5 |
| Space Exploration | $9.8 | 7.21 | Medium | 5 |
| Investigation | $9.7 | 7.21 | High | 6 |
| Productivity | $9.6 | 7.21 | Medium | 27 |
| Masculinity | $9.5 | 6.61 | Medium | 8 |
| Ww2 | $9.4 | 7.01 | Medium | 5 |
| Ancient History | $9.3 | 6.61 | Medium | 10 |
| Sleep | $9.2 | 6.51 | Low | 6 |
| Personal Growth | $9.2 | 6.81 | Medium | 5 |
| Video Essays | $9.2 | 6.81 | High | 5 |
| Sports Analysis | $9.2 | 7.41 | High | 5 |
| Emotional | $9.0 | 8.71 | Medium | 6 |
| Storytime | $9.0 | 7.81 | Medium | 5 |
| Mental Health | $8.9 | 7.01 | Medium | 7 |
| Habits | $8.9 | 6.61 | High | 9 |
| Fitness | $8.7 | 7.11 | High | 8 |
| Animals | $8.7 | 7.61 | Medium | 10 |
| Humor | $8.6 | 6.41 | Medium | 7 |
| Paleontology | $8.6 | 7.41 | Medium | 5 |
| Educational | $8.6 | 7.31 | Medium | 7 |
| Stoicism | $8.5 | 6.51 | High | 19 |
| Internet Culture | $8.4 | 7.41 | High | 7 |
| Culture | $7.7 | 6.61 | Medium | 7 |
| Ai Art | $7.7 | 6.81 | Medium | 5 |
| Military History | $7.7 | 6.11 | Medium | 9 |
| Nature | $7.5 | 7.31 | Medium | 7 |
| Animation | $7.4 | 6.91 | Medium | 43 |
| Dinosaurs | $7.3 | 8.21 | Medium | 6 |
| Animal Rescue | $7.3 | 8.11 | Medium | 10 |
| Comedy | $7.2 | 6.91 | Medium | 20 |
| Relaxation | $7.0 | 7.01 | Medium | 7 |
| Esl | $7.0 | 8.01 | Medium | 8 |
| Pets | $6.8 | 7.61 | Medium | 5 |
| English Learning | $6.6 | 7.71 | Medium | 9 |
| Storytelling | $6.6 | 7.61 | Medium | 19 |
| Disasters | $6.3 | 7.01 | Medium | 6 |
| Biology | $6.0 | 7.71 | Medium | 6 |
| Gaming | $6.0 | 5.11 | High | 15 |
| Wildlife | $5.7 | 7.61 | Medium | 9 |
| Ai Stories | $5.0 | 7.61 | Medium | 5 |
| Listicles | $4.8 | 6.61 | High | 5 |
| Short Stories | $4.0 | 6.71 | Medium | 6 |
| Roblox | $2.2 | 5.21 | High | 5 |
