When Should You Go Full Time on YouTube?

For many content creators, it is their goal to be able to make a full-time income on YouTube. They work hard to build an audience and they create hundreds if not thousands of videos in hopes of turning YouTube into their career. But have you ever wondered- when should you go full time on YouTube?

You should go full time on YouTube when you can support your lifestyle relatively comfortably. It can be tempting to quit your job or drop out of school when you see some success, but this usually isn't a smart move. YouTube success can disappear at any moment, so you need to make sure your monthly YouTube income is somewhat secure.

There are many misconceptions about going full time on YouTube. People believe that more views are needed than are needed, and the same thing goes for subscribers. In reality, certain things matter more than others when it comes to becoming a full-time content creator.

Can YouTube Be a Full Time Job

You might be wondering- can YouTube be a full-time job? The fact of the matter is, there are hundreds of creators who have YouTube as their full-time job. There are also hundreds of thousands of creators who do not. So, while it isn't common, YouTube can be a full-time job and this has been proven in many cases.

Something important to keep in mind is that different people have different lifestyles and costs of living. Some people live with other people and can afford to survive on $2,000 a month. Other people, however, might live alone and need $4,000 a month to be able to survive relatively comfortably.

Any content creator thinking about going full time must calculate their living expenses and make sure their calculations are accurate. While being a full-time YouTuber can be an awesome experience and a great job, the experience will be lessened if bills and expenses cannot be paid comfortably.

Overall, going full time on YouTube is 100% possible. It is important, however, for any creator looking to go full time to calculate their living expenses so they know exactly how much money they need to make each month to survive. The last thing a creator should do is set themself up for financial failure.

How Many Subscribers Do You Need to Go Full Time

How many subscribers do you need to go full time on YouTube? Believe it or not, you only technically need 1,000 subscribers to go full time. You see, when you have 1,000 subscribers (along with 4,000 watch hours) your channel will be eligible to join the YouTube Partner Program. This will allow you to monetize your videos with Google AdSense.

A lot of content creators over-value the importance of subscribers. Sure, having a large number of subscribers can help, but they aren't as important as they used to be. Just because a channel has a large number of subscribers, it doesn't mean the channel will also get a lot of views on its videos.

There are plenty of examples of YouTube channels with a large number of subscribers that get a minimal number of views. On the flip-side, there are many channels with a low number of subscribers that get a lot of views. At the end of the day, content creators aren't paid for the number of subscribers they have.

Before attempting to go full time, a content creator should have 1,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel. After this milestone is reached, subscriber count becomes irrelevant. Channels do not earn money based on how many subscribers they have- they earn money based on how many views they get and their ability to convert viewers into sales.

How Many YouTube Views Do You Need to Make a Living

Okay, so the number of subscribers you have doesn't matter when it comes to making a living on YouTube. But then how many YouTube views do you need to make a living? The answer to this question depends on a few different factors. You see, there are a few factors that impact how much money a channel can earn from the views they receive.

Factors that influence that number of views a channel must receive to make a living are:

• Monetization method

Let's breakdown each of these factors in detail.

Niche

Certain niches offer high CPMs and more affiliate product capabilities. Also, certain niches are more brand-friendly, which will increase the ability to get brand deals. It's often advised by me and many others not to stress niche selection too much, but it is important to note that certain niches are easier to make money in with fewer views.

Monetization Method

Depending on the monetization method used, making a significant amount of money on YouTube with a small number of views is very possible. For example, if you receive $50 for every user you refer to a service, all you need is 10 referrals to earn $500. It could take up to 500,000 views for this to be earned with AdSense.

Geography

Different locations in the world are more monetizable than others. In countries where there is less disposable income available, there will typically be fewer advertisers present. This will cause CPMs to be lower. Also, certain affiliate offers, for example, are only available in certain countries, potentially limiting access to affiliate opportunities.

Conclusion

When should you go full time on YouTube? Ultimately, the answer to this question depends on your situation. If your channel is in a high CPM niche with plenty of affiliate opportunities, you can go full time with a relatively small channel depending on your living expenses. On the other hand, if you're in a low CPM niche, you'll need a fairly large channel to earn a living.