YouTube might seem like it’s all fun and games, but the top vloggers who have built up subscriber bases of millions of people know that it’s more than that. In fact, you could say that the top YouTube vloggers are laughing and having fun all the way to the bank — they earn millions of dollars a year.
So who’s who on YouTube, and what vloggers are getting the most attention, and in turn, the biggest paychecks? Take a look.
Logan Paul
2018 was a “bad” year for handsome and humorous YouTuber Logan Paul. And by bad year, we mean his subscriber count fell to under 19 million and his total earnings were (just) $14.5 million, as Forbes noted. Logan got into some trouble for posting an offensive video, but his fans seemed to say that, at the end of the day, they didn’t care.
PewDiePie
Swedish gamer and YouTuber PewDiePie has more than 84 million subscribers on YouTube. Like Logan Paul, he faced some controversy in 2018 because of offensive things he said. But that didn’t stop him from bringing in more than $15 million last year.
JackSepticEye
JackSepticEye’s subscriber count pales in comparison to PewDiePie, at slightly more than 21 million. But he’s the top YouTuber in Ireland, his home country, and he earned around $16 million last year, vlogging about video games.
Jeffree Star
Jeffree Star is a makeup artist and musician with more than 12 million subscribers. He’s gone on to launch his own cosmetics line. Last year, Forbes reported that he earned $18 million.
Markiplier
Gamer and vlogger Markiplier has racked up more than 23 million subscribers. Along with videos about video games, he makes comedy sketches and animations. His most recent project is launching a line of “atheleisure” targeted at gamers.
Vanoss Gaming
VanossGaming is known for his gaming videos that feature original artwork and creative commentary. He’s managed to get more than 24 million subscribers and has also branched out into a music career and merchandise line.
Dude Perfect
Dude Perfect is a quintet of vloggers whose claim to fame is uploading sports tricks to YouTube. The group has more than 38 million subscribers. According to Forbes, they brought in $20 million last year.
DanTDM
Another gamer, DanTDM has more than 21 million subscribers on YouTube and raked in $18.5 million. His main focus is Minecraft, but a lot of his videos lately have been about Fortnite.
Jake Paul
Logan Paul’s younger brother, Jake Paul has nearly 18 million subscribers to his comedy-music channel. Last year, he earned more than $21 million — more than his big bro — mainly due to his line of merchandise. Do we suspect a bit of sibling rivalry?
Ryan ToysReview
Ryan is 7 years old and earned $22 million in 2018, according to Forbes. His YouTube channel has more than 18 million subscribers, all of whom are tuning in to hear what he has to say about toys.
HolaSoyGerman
Germán Garmendia, a.k.a. HolaSoyGerman, is a top YouTube vlogger with more than 37 million subscribers on his primary channel; he also has a separate channel dedicated to gaming. His videos include funny sketches, advice on getting a job, and songs performed with his band, Ancud.
Lele Pons
Lele Pons has more than 13 million subscribers on YouTube. Her videos include funny sketches and jokey songs, as well as interviews. She’s also worked on creating a sitcom-style video series, Amigos.
Zoella
Zoella, or Zoe Sugg, has around 12 million subscribers. As a teen, she got started by posting haul videos, where she talks about her shopping acquisitions, but has since branched out to other topics, such as pizza and “day in the life.” Along with her videos, she’s also built up an empire of merchandise.
Vegetta777
Vegetta777 is a Spanish gamer with more than 25 million subscribers. His channel is full of game play videos that feature complex story lines and narratives.
Whindersson Nunes
Whindersson Nunes is a Brazilian YouTuber with more than 32 million subscribers. For a few minutes, his channel was the most subscribed YouTube channel in Brazil. Oddly, many of his videos feature him without a shirt.
Sky Does Everything
The vlogger behind Sky Does Everything started out with a focus on Minecraft. But soon enough, his videos were covering other games, so the named had to be changed from “Sky Does Minecraft” to “Sky Does Everything.” He currently has more than 11 million subscribers.
Bethany Mota
Bethany Mota is another young YouTuber who got started on the platform by making haul videos. Today, she has around 11 million subscribers. She still posts haul videos but mixes it a up a bit with decor and morning routine posts too.
5 Minute Crafts
BrightSide, the company behind 5 Minute Crafts, has built up a subscriber base of more than 48 million. The videos on the channel all demonstrate how to do or make simple, quick craft projects. There are also several spin-off channels, such as “5 Minute Crafts GIRLY” and “5 Minute Crafts Men.”
Grav3yardgirl
Grav3yardgirl has more than 8 million subscribers on YouTube. Her videos provide an interesting spin on the typical beauty tutorial. She also posts reviews, OOTDs, and “Does This Really Work?” videos.
Nigahiga
Nigahiga, a.k.a. Ryan Higa, is a comedian on YouTube who also has a podcast. He has more than 21 million subscribers and has made the leap from the web to the big(ish) screen, as he’s appeared in a few movies.
Smosh
The two vloggers behind Smosh, Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox, have been on YouTube pretty much right from the beginning (2005). Today, they have more than 24 million subscribers on their main channel, where they post funny videos and sketches. They’ve also introduced spin-off channels, such as Smosh Games and Shut Up! Cartoons.
Jenna Marbles
Vlogger Jenna Marbles has more than 19 million subscribers on her channel. Her videos range from comedic commentary to beauty tutorials and from videos about her dog to jokey cooking videos.
Shane
Shane Dawson is another YouTuber who’s been on the platform since the beginning and who’s racked up more than 20 million subscribers and more than 4 billion views. Although he got started posting comedic videos, he seems to be into posting conspiracy theories these days, particularly about other famous YouTubers.
Liza Koshy
Liza Koshy started out on Vine back in 2013 and then made the jump over to YouTube, where she has more than 16 million subscribers. She posts funny videos on her channel and also landed a YouTube Originals series, Liza On Demand.
