Monetized! How Much YouTube Paid Me

Back in January I decided to start taking YouTube seriously. I’d had my channel for nine years, but rarely uploaded videos (there was that one time a video I uploaded about the harm of courage culture and Brene Brown DID go viral). So when I suddenly found myself without a job and no real source of income, I figured, “what do I have to lose,” and I went on a quest to conquer YouTube.

Laser focused, after 6 short weeks I became monetized! A month after becoming monetized I received my first Adsense payment from YouTube in the amount of $468.01.

So How Did I Become Monetized?

The first video I posted in January after deciding to take the platform seriously went viral with over 50K views. This helped me to inch closer to the 1,000 watch hours I was still missing (you need 4,000 in one calendar year to become monetized).

I continued to post consistently for the entire month of January, and in February another video went viral! This one had over 113,000 views. This was the video that pushed me over the edge!

In addition to becoming monetized, I also gained an additional 2.9K subscribers in February. The first quarter of 2025 I’ve gained 4.2K subscribers.

Although I became monetized in February, I didn’t receive my first payment from YouTube until March 22nd.

Work, Work, Work, Work, Work…

So far, what I’ve learned about becoming monetized on YouTube is that it’s more than creating videos and uploading them to the platform, thinking everyone will watch.

For each video I’ve created I have spent at least 6-8 hours editing, designing an appealing thumbnail, and coming up with a catchy title that would make people want to click on the video and watch it. This does not include the many hours spent planning out a video, doing research, and creating b-roll footage.

And did I mention the countless times you hit record and then hit stop because you think you sound horrible?! There is an actual science that goes into creating a good video.

And let me remind you…none of this happens overnight, so becoming discouraged isn’t an option if you are serious about making YouTube work for you.

Conclusion

Since creating my first four videos, my channel focus has shifted, due in part to the negative feedback and hateful comments I received after the 2nd Target video went viral. When a complete stranger made a horrible comment about my deceased son that was it for me. That was when I drew the line and said y’all can have current events.

So instead of talking about current events, my focus is going to be lifestyle: surviving while unemployed, being a midlife YouTube creator, and living on a budget. Because hey - that’s literally my life and 32.6% of my viewers between the ages of 55-64 can probably relate!

Am I glad I took a chance on myself and hit record - Yes!

Am I glad I didn’t listen to all of the nasty comments that were left on some of my videos - most definitely, yes! Although I could talk about current events, there are enough people out there who are doing a fabulous job. I’ll leave that to the Marc Lamont Hills, Don Lemon’s, and Joy Reid’s of the world.

Do I plan to continue to create content for YouTube - Hell Yes!!!!!

Now if you haven’t checked out my most recent video where I go more in-depth about becoming monetized, you can watch it here:

And if you’re interested in starting a YouTube channel, but don’t know where to start or would like to revitalize your current channel. Click here and schedule a 1-on-1 strategy session with me.