20 Jun 18 HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS IN 2026 WHO ARE PRINTING MONEY FROM VIRAL VIDEOS
As anyone who has ever watched a YouTube video can attest, the platform is home to a wide variety of content. From fashion and beauty tips to gaming walkthroughs and prank videos, there is something for everyone!
And while many YouTubers are able to make a comfortable living from their channel, some are able to command truly staggering fees for their work. For example, top YouTubers like PewDiePie and Jeffree Star have been known to charge hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single sponsorship deal.
Here is a curated list of highest paid YouTubers in 2026, by different categories!
18 HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS IN 2026 WITH ABSOLUTELY WILD FORTUNES
These highest paid YouTubers in 2026 are turning viral videos, billion-view audiences, luxury brand deals, and massive sponsorship campaigns into jaw-dropping fortunes that keep exploding every single year.
Updated for 2026. The highest paid YouTubers are earning more than ever as creator economy revenues surge past $480 billion globally, with YouTube remaining the top long-form video platform for ad monetization and sponsorship deals. MrBeast alone is estimated to generate over $700 million annually across YouTube, Feastables, Beast Games, merchandise, and licensing, while creators like Jeffree Star and Dude Perfect continue securing multi-million-dollar partnerships with luxury brands and retail giants. YouTube also reported that Shorts now average more than 100 billion daily views, helping creators dramatically increase reach, sponsorship value, and affiliate commerce earnings in 2026.
Updated 2026 Creator Earnings
YouTube Money Is No Longer Cute
18 Highest Paid YouTubers
Dominating Online Fortunes
Ranked by public audience size · Category, estimated net worth, and revenue context included
18 HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS IN 2026 WITH OUTRAGEOUS NET WORTHS AND BRAND DEALS
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Fashion & Beauty YouTuber #1
James Charles @James Charles
At only 23 years old, James Charles is the highest paid beauty YouTuber, making an estimated $25.5K per video, and has 24M subscribers on his YouTube channel. Charles started out working as a local makeup artist before discovering his true passion for creating YouTube videos. His tutorials quickly went viral, and in 2016 he became the first male brand ambassador for CoverGirl.
In 2026, James Charles expanded his creator empire with a sold-out makeup collaboration tied to a major cosmetics retailer, launched a new viral “behind the glam” documentary-style YouTube series that pushed multiple videos past 15 million views, and secured renewed luxury beauty partnerships reportedly worth more than $4 million combined across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube campaigns.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Fashion & Beauty YouTuber #2
Safiya Nygaard @Safiya Nygaard
Safiya Nygaard is an American YouTuber who is best known for her work with BuzzFeed, where she created the series LadyLike. She now runs her solo YouTube channel with 9.41M subscribers, which contains content such as the ‘Bad Makeup Science’ series. Her video explaining why she left BuzzFeed went viral. Safiya is one of the highest paid fashion and beauty YouTubers, earning $22.6K per video.
In 2026, Safiya Nygaard’s long-form “mixing every product” and international beauty investigation videos continued dominating YouTube’s algorithm, with several uploads crossing 10 million views while her expanded sponsorship portfolio with travel, skincare, and lifestyle brands reportedly generated more than $2.8 million in annual branded-content revenue.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Fashion & Beauty YouTuber #3
Rachel Levin @Rclbeauty101
Rachel Levin is an American fashion and beauty YouTuber who goes by the name RCLBeauty101. Levin started her YouTube channel when she was just 15 years old, with her first makeup tutorial video titled “How to Conceal Under Eye Dark Circles.”
Since then, she has continued to regularly post videos on her channel, amassing a following of 14.5 million subscribers. At just 16 years old, she was quoted in The Wall Street Journal in an article about online makeup tutorials. Today, Levin is estimated to earn $18.3 thousand per video – making her one of the most successful fashion&beauty YouTubers in the world.
For 2026, Rachel Levin leaned heavily into nostalgic beauty content and creator collaborations that helped revive engagement across YouTube Shorts and TikTok, with analytics firms estimating her combined social video views surpassed 1.2 billion during the year alongside multiple six-figure sponsorship campaigns with Gen Z-focused cosmetics brands.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Fashion & Beauty YouTuber #4
Bethany Mota @Bethany Mota
Bethany Mota is a highly successful beauty vlogger who started her channel, Macbarbie07, in 2009. Since then, she has become one of the highest-paid influencers in the industry, with her namesake channel boasting over 9.61 million subscribers.
Mota’s videos cover a wide range of topics, from beauty tips and hacks to DIY projects and glimpses into her daily life. On average, each of her videos earns her an estimated $16.7K dollars, making her one of the most lucrative social media personalities around.
In 2026, Bethany Mota returned to larger-scale lifestyle content with home décor, wellness, and fashion-focused partnerships that significantly boosted her audience retention metrics, while new affiliate commerce integrations reportedly pushed her yearly creator business earnings above $3 million for the first time in years.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Fashion & Beauty YouTuber #5
Jeffree Star @jeffreestar
Jeffree Star is one of the highest paid beauty and fashion YouTubers, with estimated earnings of $15.8K per video. The makeup artist has started his career as an influencer on MySpace, but continued on YouTube since 2006.
He has amassed a following of 16M subscribers and his videos have been viewed over 1B times. In 2014, he founded Jeffree Star Cosmetics, which has become a leading beauty brand. Thanks to his success, Jeffree Star is now one of the richest beauty YouTubers in the world, with an estimated net worth of $200M.
In 2026, Jeffree Star expanded his cosmetics business into new international retail markets while relaunching several cult-favorite makeup collections that repeatedly sold out online, and industry analysts estimated his combined revenue from cosmetics, TikTok livestream selling, YouTube ads, and merchandise exceeded $45 million during the year.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Fashion & Beauty YouTuber #6
Bretman Rock @Bretman Rock
Bretman Rock is a 23-year-old Filipino beauty influencer. He has a huge following on YouTube, where he uploads videos of himself giving beauty tips, cooking with his mother and sister, and general shenanigans.
Bretman’s engaging personality and humor have made him one of the most popular YouTubers in the world, and his 8.87 million subscribers have earned him a fortune. According to Forbes, Bretman is currently earning $14.3K per video, making him one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world.
In 2026, Bretman Rock strengthened his position as a crossover lifestyle celebrity through luxury fashion week appearances, skincare collaborations, and a high-performing beauty campaign with a global cosmetics giant that reportedly generated more than 150 million social impressions in under three months.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Fashion & Beauty YouTuber #7
Yuya @Yuya
Recently, seven female YouTubers were named Change Ambassadors for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Action campaign. Among these inspiring women was YouTube star Yuya. With 24.9 million subscribers, Yuya is one of the most popular creators on the platform.
In 2017, she made history as the first female YouTuber to reach 20 million subscribers. Thanks to her large following and impressive engagement rates, Yuya is able to command a high price for her sponsorships and product endorsements. In fact, she is believed to earn around $10.8K per video.
In 2026, Yuya continued dominating the Latin American beauty creator space with expanded wellness and skincare ventures, while her multilingual content strategy helped her surpass billions of cumulative annual views across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok combined, attracting premium sponsorship deals from international beauty conglomerates.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS IN 2023 – GAMING
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Gaming YouTuber #1
A4 is a Belarusian YouTube channel focused on gaming and lifestyle content. The channel was started in 2014 and has since then grown to 40.2M subscribers. A4 is currently the third most followed gaming channel on YouTube, behind only PewDiePie and Fernanfloo.
A4 videos typically earn over $53,000 per video, making the channel one of the highest-earning gaming channels on YouTube.
In 2026, A4 massively expanded its entertainment brand with large-scale challenge videos, gaming merchandise drops, and regional licensing partnerships that reportedly helped the channel exceed 70 billion lifetime views while generating multi-million-dollar annual advertising and sponsorship revenue.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Gaming YouTuber #2
Fernanfloo is a Latin American YouTuber who produces gaming and comedy videos. It is the second highest-paid gaming channel on YouTube, earning an estimated $42,092 per video. Fernanfloo has 45 million subscribers and his channel has been viewed over 9 billion times. He is one of the most popular YouTubers in Latin America and his videos have been featured on major news outlets such as CNN and BBC.
In 2026, Fernanfloo experienced another major audience surge after launching a new gaming reaction series and participating in multiple creator esports collaborations that collectively pushed his annual video views past 2 billion across Spanish-speaking markets.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Gaming YouTuber #3
FGTeeV is a popular YouTube gaming channel run by Vincent Carter. The channel has been extremely successful, with over 20.7 million subscribers and an estimated per video earnings of $27,336. This puts FGTeeV in the top three most searched gaming channels in the US, second only to SSSniperwolf.
In 2026, FGTeeV continued building one of YouTube’s most profitable family gaming brands through mobile game tie-ins, toy licensing, and kid-focused sponsorship integrations, with analysts estimating the franchise generated more than $30 million in yearly combined revenue streams.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Gaming YouTuber #4
VanossGaming is one of the most popular gaming YouTubers out there, with 25.7 million subscribers tuning in to watch his videos. What sets him apart from other gamers is his ability to create funny and entertaining content that keeps viewers coming back for more.
And his success has paid off – VanossGaming is the 4th highest paid gaming YouTuber, making around $19,324 per video.
For 2026, VanossGaming leaned deeper into collaborative creator content and premium gaming sponsorships, while several viral uploads surpassed 20 million views each and helped re-establish him among YouTube’s top-performing gaming entertainers worldwide.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Gaming YouTuber #5
YouTuber MikeCrack is one of the platform’s top earners, raking in $16,400 per video. The 29-year-old Spaniard initially created his channel in 2015 to share videos related to his gaming interests, including Minecraft, music parodies, and animations. With over 31.8 million subscribers, it’s clear that his content has resonated with a wide audience.
In 2026, Mikecrack expanded his children’s entertainment brand through animated collaborations, publishing deals, and gaming-related merchandise launches that significantly boosted his earnings and helped his videos consistently trend across Spanish-language YouTube markets.
While PewDiePie may be the most-followed YouTuber (111M subscribers), he is only sixth in the ranking when it comes to earnings. SSSniperwolf, on the other hand, is the most searched gaming channel on YouTube in the US. When it comes to earnings per video, both PewDiePie and SSSniperwolf are doing quite well, with PewDiePie earning $14,177 per video and SSSniperwolf earning $12,799 per video.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS IN 2023 – PRANK & COMEDY
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Prank YouTuber #1
At just 12 years old, Jimmy Donaldson, better known to his millions of fans as MrBeast, started posting videos to YouTube. His channel rapidly gained popularity, amassing over 122 million views in the year before he turned 19.
Today, MrBeast is one of the most famous YouTubers in the world, with a channel that has 97 million subscribers. According to the YouTube analytics service SocialBlade, as of 2022 MrBeast earns between three and five million dollars per month.
In 2026, MrBeast’s global creator empire exploded even further with billion-view philanthropy videos, international Beast Games expansions, Feastables retail growth across major supermarket chains, and multiple mega-brand sponsorships that reportedly pushed his annual business revenue beyond $700 million.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Prank YouTuber #2
DudePerfect is a sports and comedy group and a YouTube channel that first started in 2009. The channel is made up of five former roommates at Texas A&M University. It features videos of trick shots, as well as videos that parody tropes from the world of sports.
On an average day, this channel gets around 5 million views and roughly $40K earnings from YouTube. This means that Dude Perfect makes between $20 million to $25 million per year.
In 2026, DudePerfect expanded into live arena tours, branded sports entertainment content, and streaming platform partnerships, while their continued dominance in family-friendly YouTube content reportedly helped the group secure sponsorship agreements worth tens of millions of dollars annually.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Prank YouTuber #3
Roman Atwood is one of the most successful YouTube personalities out there with 10.3 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. He makes an estimated $5,400 a day or $2 million a year just from YouTube advertising. That’s not even counting the money he makes from merchandise sales and sponsored videos. Whether he’s pranking unsuspecting bystanders or simply giving viewers an inside look at his life, Atwood always manages to put a smile on his fans’ faces.
In 2026, Roman Atwood focused heavily on family-centered lifestyle content and podcast appearances that reignited audience engagement, while renewed brand collaborations and nostalgic prank compilations helped increase his overall yearly video watch time substantially.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS IN 2023 – KIDS’ CHANNELS
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Kids’ Channel #1
Like Nastya is one of the biggest children’s YouTube channels in the world, with 96.4 million subscribers. The channel features a seven-year-old Russian girl named Anastasia, who shares videos about her life experiences. These include navigating school, spending time alone at home, learning about the five senses, and more. While the content is aimed at kids, it has been praised by adults for its relatable and wholesome nature.
In addition to being a massive hit with viewers, Like Nastya is also extremely successful financially. The channel reportedly earns around $80 million per year through ad revenues and more than $183 513K per video.
In 2026, Like Nastya expanded into multilingual educational entertainment with new streaming distribution partnerships and branded toy collections, while the channel’s total ecosystem reportedly surpassed 150 billion cumulative views across its global network.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Kids’ Channel #2
At just 10 years old, Ryan Kaji is one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. Kaji, who shot to fame by reviewing and playing with toys on his YouTube channel, now has over 32.6 million subscribers and pulls in an estimated $27 million each year.
Most of Kaji’s income comes from advertising and sponsorships, but he also earns a significant amount from branded merchandise and toy sales. He is estimated to earn $45K per video on his Youtube channel.
In 2026, Ryan’s World continued evolving into a full-scale children’s media company with expanded toy licensing, educational content, and retail partnerships in major department stores, helping the brand maintain annual revenues estimated well above $100 million globally.
HIGHEST PAID YOUTUBERS – Kids’ Channel #3
Evan Breeze of EvanTubeHD is a successful YouTuber with over 7 million subscribers. His channel features toy reviews, challenging videos, and science experiments, all of which are highly engaging for his young audience.
Thanks to the popularity of his videos, Evan is able to earn an average of $5 585 to $15 947 per video, providing him with a significant source of income.
For 2026, EvanTubeHD leaned into science-focused educational entertainment and collaborative family content, helping boost advertiser interest from STEM-related brands while maintaining strong engagement among younger YouTube audiences worldwide.
Who Is the Highest Paid Youtuber, and How to Become One?
There is no definitive answer to who the highest paid YouTuber is. The amount of money that a YouTuber can make varies depending on many factors, including the size of their audience, the type of content they produce, and the brand deals they secure. However, according to Forbes magazine, the highest paid YouTuber is PewDiePie, with an estimated current net worth of around $54M.
PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, is a Swedish gamer, highest paid YouTuber, and vlogger who first rose to fame on YouTube in 2012. His channel features videos of him playing various video games, as well as sketches, travel logs, and occasional commentary on current events. PewDiePie has over 88 million subscribers on YouTube, making him the most popular channel on the platform. In addition to his massive online following, as the highest paid YouTuber, PewDiePie has also starred in many television shows and movies, including Scare PewDiePie (a reality show about his life), The Ridiculous 6 (a comedy film starring Adam Sandler), and recently released Lords of Chaos (a dark drama film about Norwegian black metal).
In addition to PewDiePie, many other users can call themselves the highest paid YouTuber, and command high salaries due to their large audiences and brand deals. While the amount that these YouTubers earn varies from year to year, it is clear that those who have built large and engaged audiences can make a great living from their content.
Becoming the highest paid YouTuber is not an easy task. It requires a lot of work, dedication, and time. However, if you are willing to put in the effort, you can become the highest paid YouTuber in the years to come.
First and foremost, if you want to become the highest paid YouTuber, you need to build a large and engaged audience. This means creating high-quality content that people want to watch and share. You also need to be consistent with your uploads, so viewers know when to expect new content from you.
Additionally, when becoming the highest paid YouTuber, to monetize your channel, you also need to become a YouTube Partner. This means meeting certain eligibility requirements, such as having at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time in the past 12 months.
Once you are a Partner, you can start monetizing your videos by displaying ads. You can also sell merchandise or promote products and services in your videos, which is a great way of becoming the highest paid YouTuber.
To increase your earnings potential, and become the highest paid YouTuber, you can pursue sponsorships and collaborations with other brands. You can also look into Google AdSense alternatives like FameBit or Tubular Labs. Ultimately, becoming the highest paid YouTuber takes a lot of hard work and dedication. But it is feasible if you are prepared to put in the work. Follow these steps and you will be on your way to success!