For anyone who used to watch Ariana Grande act on Nickelodeon, it's almost shocking to see how far she's come.

Now, the married singer is one of the most well-known celebrities in the world, has toured all across it, and has served as an inspiration to a whole new generation of artists.

She's highly adorable but also has a staggeringly high net worth, which makes Grande all the more intriguing. But it turns out that a lot of her cash flow has nothing to do with her album sales or concert tickets.

So what surprising source of income does Grande have, and how has it boosted her net worth? Let's find out.

How Much Does Ariana Grande Get Paid?

The question of how much Ariana gets paid comes down to what income source fans are thinking about. In the past, Grande earned cash from her role on Nickelodeon's 'Victorious,' and later 'Sam & Cat.'

It wasn't until a few years later that her part-time singing gig on set became her career path. At that point, Ariana began earning money for her music.

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It was a slow start, with tracks that are vastly different than the music Ariana makes today. It wasn't until later on in her career that the singer's four-octave range really showed itself. But her net worth grew fast as the albums started coming, and Ariana now makes an insane amount of money.

In fact, her net worth in 2020 was about $100 million; as of 2021, she's worth $180 million. And, she just signed on as a judge for 'The Voice,' which is likely to pay quite nicely, too.

But even before her new reality series contract, that's an $80 million jump in just one year, meaning Ariana's average yearly income definitely ranges beyond many other musicians' entire net worths.

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Music and TV appearances aren't Ariana's only source of income, though. She's got the aforementioned surprising income source, and who knows just how much that's added to her pocketbook over the years.

Ariana Grande Earns Bank From YouTube

Unsurprisingly, Ariana is a powerhouse on YouTube. With songs and accompanying videos like '7 Rings' and 'Thank U Next,' the songstress has been blowing up the YouTube charts for a while.

In fact, she has almost hit 20 billion views at this point.

And years ago -- back in 2016 -- sources reported on an up-and-coming Ariana's pocketbook. At that point, Ariana had apparently earned a staggering $26 million from the video platform alone.

Youtubers.me claims that Ariana makes around $150K per month on the video site, thanks to her 49 million+ subscribers.

That amount may have increased since sources last reported on it, though; billions of views might well be worth more than $26M.

Overall, Ariana is basically competing with some of the most sought-after streamers, including beauty brands and gaming experts, even though all she really posts nowadays are music videos via Vevo.

But that's not how things started out.

How Did Ariana Grande Get Started On YouTube?

Unlike some of her contemporaries, Ariana Grande was never really known as "a YouTuber."

Though she largely rose to fame through her acting gigs on Nickelodeon (which, surprisingly, paid the least of all her media work), Grande was prolific on YouTube earlier in her career.

In fact, she posted so much content as a young teen that some fans started asking whether Ariana Grande was a child prodigy.

After all, Ariana's earliest videos feature her home-produced songs (literally Ariana singing at home, turning knobs and switches mid-video), covers of Mariah Carey hits, and just some really adorable videos of her with her friends.

Early on, Ariana earned a following that was entirely separate from her Nick gigs.

Though the network really thrust her into the spotlight and literally gave her a stage to stand on in some episodes, it seems like Grande's self-made videos were what ultimately brought her fame.

How Much Money Does Ariana Spend?

Ariana Grande probably earns more on interest on her cash than what the average person makes per year working full time.

But as for how she spends her mega-millions? She's definitely not hoarding it all, and definitely spends in many ways: beauty products, organic (and often vegan) food, multiple mansions, and more.

But it's OK; she and her husband have a huge combined net worth, so it's unlikely their earnings will slow down anytime soon.

Nor will YouTube collapse anytime in the near future, which essentially guarantees Ariana will have that passive income source to rely on as her income continues to rise astronomically.

NEXT: This Is What Fans Really Think About Ariana Grande Before And After Becoming A Pop Star