Cambly is one of the websites that come to mind when you need to make some extra cash online in a flexible manner. It offers tutoring services with minimum or no official teaching qualifications required, as well as making a payment on a per-minute basis. But is it worth taking up your time? I am going to include it all in this deep-dive: how it works, what has recently changed, how much you are likely to make (realistically), who it is suitable for, and who is not good at it, and a few tips to help you earn as much as possible.
Table of Contents
What is Cambly, and What Is new in 2025?
Cambly is an online school that matches tutors (mostly native or native-level English speakers) with students around the world seeking a chance to practice a conversation, work on pronunciation, or improve English speaking and understanding. It even has a kid branch (Cambly Kids), which offers somewhat different prices. You can enter when you desire, take on priority hours where you may offer yourself, or accept reservations made ahead.
Recent/updated features in 2025:
- The official rates of pay: US$0.17/minute (about $10.20/ hour) when using regular Cambly sessions and US$0.20/minute (about $$12/ hour) when using Cambly Kids sessions.
- The choices of the means of payment are more extensive: PayPal is one of the major ones; direct deposit, wire transfer, ACH/eCheck, and prepaid debit are also accepted in certain states.
- The payments are weekly, but there is also a reference in some sources to minimum payout requirements (depending on the region) or non-payment until a specific minimum is achieved.
- The demand for tutors remains highly variable; no one can have certainty of consistent booking without gaining visibility/rating.
How Cambly functions: Booking, Tutoring, and Your Role
Below is a list of what you will literally do in case you become a tutor with Cambly:
Application & Profile Setup
You complete a registration form (1015 minutes), film a brief intro-video, and check your internet, webcam, and microphone. It does not have a live demo or interview. This is only to check that you will be able to talk and make presentations intelligently.
Booking Options
Bookings: The students make reservations. You meet them at the set time.
Priority hours: You reserve time slots and promise to be available; in case no one calls, then you occasionally receive a small guarantee minimum (but again, you have to depend on the area/conditions).
Go-visible / On-demand calls: The availability is shown in real time; students can call just in time (when someone is available). Good to pick up spontaneous sessions.
Tutoring Session
Tutoring is largely informal. You can assist with speaking, pronunciation, minor corrections, reading, and exam preparation (invited) a few times. Cambly offers specific resources; lots of students prefer a free-flowing conversation. You will require a quiet place, a good internet connection, a webcam, and a microphone.
Ratings & Visibility
Student ratings matter. More reviews and higher ratings will help increase the appearance of your profile. Tutors who have high performance (or are called Supertutors) can receive more priority bookings or have greater visibility.
Cambly Pay & Earning Potential
The official rates of Cambly are simple. In adult sessions, you earn approximately $0.17 per minute, which amounts to roughly $ 10.20 per hour when tutoring nonstop. In the case of Cambly Kids, it is slightly higher at approximately 0.20 minutes per minute or 12 dollars per hour. These numbers are an approximation of what you would earn in the case that a whole hour of the time you have booked was spent on active tutoring.
The reality, however, is that most tutors are earning less than the proclaimed rates per hour. This is because there are usually a few minutes between classes, students can cancel periodically, and when there are no students at all who would call you during your predetermined priority scheduling. Wasted time lowers your productive working salary. Many tutors state they make much less than that when all this dead air is taken into account; between $6 and $9 per hour is their actual mean income.
Cambly provides payments every week, and that is why it suits those who need their funds easily. The most popular payment option is PayPal, which you will find in much of the world, but in certain areas, you can also select the direct deposit option or any other form of digital payment. Most minimum payout is not set, and thus, small weekly earnings are processed. With that said, it can be a small regional minimum or a delay occasionally, depending on your location.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Barrier to entry is very low: there is no degree or a formal certificate that has to be fulfilled. You can apply if you have a good command of the English language.
- Extremely flexible: work wherever you desire, whenever you desire, at whatever time you want. It will work well for those who have other jobs, obligations, or who wish to work on a part-time basis.
- Weekly (most cases) payments and various ways of payment.
- Beneficial to practice experience in case you are a beginner in the field of ESL tutoring: you will meet numerous learners, develop your conversation teaching abilities, and grasp the needs of learners.
Cons
- Low wages in comparison with particular positions in other ESL sites or private tutoring, particularly considering idle/” waiting time or cancellations.
- Lack of predictability in the demand: you can have numerous quiet days. Peak hours (high-traffic periods) or review stockpiles will have to be maximized to produce the most products.
- No control in terms of per-lesson pricing (can you not fix your own charges). Cambly sets your rate of earnings per minute.
- Reviews are critical: negative reviews or just irregular attendance may negatively affect your popularity and reservations.
- Tutors have reported support problems and delays in some payouts.
Who do you think should join Cambly, and who do you think can skip?
Cambly probably fits with you if:
✅ You will not be working full-time, but rather on a part-time basis, occasionally.
✅ You are good at speaking English, and you are not scared to talk.
✅ And you want to work at your convenience, at home (or anywhere), and decide when you are going to tutor.
✅ You have just entered the world of online tutoring and desire to gain experience.
Cambly might not be ideal if:
❌ You require clear and consistent full-time earnings.
❌ You demand a high wage per hour (some websites offer higher salaries, in case of any specific skills or more advanced qualifications).
❌ You may lack feedback or a small number of ratings, making an appearance can be slow.
❌ Your region (time zone, location) is not ideally positioned to attract high student traffic (a low number of students during the off-peak time may be extremely slow).
Helpful Hints to Maximize Cambly earnings.
Maximize your availability times. Conduct research when the most significant number of students are at home (usually evenings in Asia, mornings in the Americas). Priority hours during such times.
Get good reviews/ratings. famiable, time-sensitive, audio/video clear-minded, tolerant. Such minor details as the proper lighting, appropriate framing, and sound quality are essential.
Specialize where possible. In case you could assist in exam preparation (TOEFL, IELTS) and business-related English, or children’s lessons, you could get more bookings.
Maintain consistency. The greater the number of hours you spend regularly, the more students can be aware of you, rebook, or refer.
Use all tools offered. You can make use of your own resources, or you can make use of Cambly as lesson materials. Be active in involving students.
Diversify income streams. Combine Cambly with other tutoring services, freelance, or content generation to even out the highs and lows of revenues.
Final Verdict
Cambly is a valid business that has definite strengths and weaknesses. When you do it with realistic expectations, it might be a good opportunity to gain some additional money, practice conversation-teaching, and on your own schedule. However, it may be frustrating to you if you are seeking high-paying jobs, a steady source of full-time income, or pricing power.
Cambly is worth the side hustle, but not something you can rely on as a regular income source (it is, unless you are outstanding, pick up reviews quickly, and find high demand). Either supplement, learn, or get started with it, but also have other income sources or platforms as an alternative.
