Average CPM Rates by Niche (2026)
High CPM ($10-$30)
- • Finance & Insurance
- • Legal Services
- • B2B Software
- • Health & Medical
Medium CPM ($3-$10)
- • Technology & Gadgets
- • Business & Marketing
- • Education & Courses
- • Home & Garden
Standard CPM ($1-$3)
- • Entertainment & Gaming
- • General Lifestyle
- • Food & Recipes
- • Travel & Tourism
How to Calculate Ad Revenue
Ad Revenue Formula
Monthly Revenue = (Page Views × CPM) ÷ 1,000Example: 100,000 page views × $5 CPM ÷ 1,000 = $500/month
What Affects Your Ad Revenue?
- Traffic quality: US/UK traffic typically pays 3-5x more than other regions
- Niche: Finance, legal, and B2B niches have the highest CPMs
- Ad placement: Above-the-fold ads earn more than sidebar ads
- Ad density: More ads = more revenue, but hurts user experience
- Seasonality: Q4 (Oct-Dec) CPMs are typically 20-50% higher
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CPM?
CPM stands for "Cost Per Mille" (cost per 1,000 impressions). If your CPM is $5, you earn $5 for every 1,000 ad views on your site.
How much can I realistically earn from ads?
With Google AdSense, most sites earn $1-$5 per 1,000 page views. Premium ad networks like Mediavine (100k+ sessions) or AdThrive (100k+ page views) can pay $15-$30+ CPM for quality content sites.
When should I switch to premium ad networks?
Mediavine requires 50,000 sessions/month. AdThrive requires 100,000 page views/month. Once you hit these thresholds, premium networks typically pay 2-4x more than AdSense.
Why are my actual earnings lower than the calculator shows?
Calculator estimates assume 100% ad fill rate and average CPMs. Real earnings vary based on ad blockers (15-30% of users), geographic distribution, seasonality, and your specific ad setup.
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