How much do YouTube streamers actually keep from Super Chats? This free Super Chat calculator shows your exact take‑home per livestream, per month and per year — broken down by YouTube's 7 official Super Chat tiers ($2 to $500), with the platform's 30% cut already deducted. No signup, instant results, updated for 2026.
YouTube takes 30% of every Super Chat — full stop. That makes it one of the most expensive creator monetization channels on the internet (Twitch Bits = ~30%, Patreon Pro = 8%, Ko‑fi = 0%). On a single $50 Super Chat, $15 goes to YouTube and $35 lands in your AdSense balance before tax. Most streamers underestimate this until they see their first payout.
There are 7 official Super Chat tiers, each unlocking longer pinned visibility on the live chat: Tier 1 ($2, blue, no pin), Tier 2 ($5, teal, 2 min pin), Tier 3 ($10, green, 5 min), Tier 4 ($20, orange, 10 min), Tier 5 ($50, magenta, 30 min), Tier 6 ($100, red, 1 hr), and Tier 7 ($500, dark red, 5 hr pin). Higher tiers convert better because viewers want their message seen — design your stream layout to reward big chats with on‑camera shoutouts.
Real example: a mid‑size streamer averaging 10×$2 + 5×$5 + 3×$10 + 1×$20 = $95 gross per stream → YouTube takes $28.50, you net $66.50/stream. Run 8 streams/month and you net $532/month, or $6,384/year before tax. Add a 25% effective tax rate and your real take‑home is roughly $4,788/year from Super Chats alone. Use that number to decide whether to push for channel memberships ($4.99/mo, 70% to you) or merch instead.
YouTube takes 30% of every Super Chat. Creators keep 70%, paid out via AdSense once you hit the $100 payout threshold. The 30% applies to every tier, from $2 to $500.
$70 — YouTube takes $30 (30%). Before tax. After a 25% tax rate, the streamer keeps roughly $52.50 of every $100 Super Chat.
Seven tiers: $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 and $500. Higher tiers unlock longer pinned messages (up to 5 hours at $500) and brighter colors in chat.
Median active streamer earns ~$300/month net. Top 10% earn $8,000+/month, top 1% earn $150,000+/month. Big gaming, K‑pop and talk channels regularly bank $50k+ per single stream.
Yes. In the US it's self‑employment income (Form 1099‑K issued at $5,000+ in 2026). Expect 15.3% self‑employment tax on top of your federal/state income bracket. Set aside 25–35% per payout.
Yes — YouTube Studio shows gross Super Chat revenue. The 30% cut is applied automatically before the amount lands in your AdSense balance.
Same 30% YouTube cut for all three. Super Chat = paid pinned message during livestream. Super Stickers = paid animated stickers during livestream. Super Thanks = tip on uploaded videos (not live).