Part 5. Earn $10–$12/Hour (No Degree Required, Work-From-Home, 2025)
Cambly: Get Paid to Chat—No Degree, No Drama
Want a remote gig where you just talk to people in English? Cambly offers exactly that. You hop on video with learners around the world, casually chat, and get paid—no curriculum necessary. It’s real, flexible, and simple.
✅ What Is Cambly?
Cambly is a conversational English tutoring platform where native speakers chat with learners via video. There’s no lesson prep or testing—you log in and students call you in real time. It’s used by adults and sometimes kids (via Cambly Kids
🎯 How to Get Started
- Requirements: Must be a native English speaker (or very fluent), over 18, and have stable internet with mic and webcam. No degree, TEFL certificate, or prior teaching experience needed. Sign-up: Create a profile, upload an intro video (especially needed for Cambly Kids), then wait for approval. Approval can take anywhere from a day to several months, depending on demand.
How You Get Paid
- Rate: $0.17/minute (
$10.20/hour) for adult chats, and $0.20/minute ($12/hour) for Cambly Kids. - Real-world hourly rate: Idle time between students isn’t paid, so realistic earnings often fall between $6–$9/hour.
- Payment schedule: Paid weekly via PayPal once your balance hits $20.
⏳ Scheduling: Reservation vs Priority Hours
- Reservation slots: You can open them; students pre-book sessions. If they cancel, you get no pay.
- Priority Hours: You block time (e.g. 2pm–3pm), and Cambly guarantees pay for at least 15 minutes even if no one joins. Best chance to stay busy. Limit of 10 hours booked ahead.
📊 Realistic Earnings: What Tutors Share
- Typical side hustle earnings: $1000/month if you treat it seriously but don’t expect full-time wages. One user earned ~$1K/month doing Cambly as secondary work. Actual hourly earnings often dip below advertised rate because of downtime.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy signup—no degree or TEFL needed | Very low pay compared to other ESL platforms |
| 24/7 scheduling, work from anywhere | Unpaid waiting time between calls |
| Reserve hours for guaranteed pay | Ratings and cancellations can affect income |
| Priority Hours boost visibility and pay | Support and scheduling issues per reviews |
| Minimal preparation—just chat | Tutors report frequent app glitches |
Tutor Feedback & Issues
- Low pay complaints: Many describe the pay as below minimum wage, especially in countries with higher costs of living. Technical problems: Connection errors in the app often lead to penalties—even when it wasn’t the tutor’s fault. Support is reportedly slow or unhelpful. Rating system issues: A few bad ratings can reduce access to Priority Hours and future bookings, often without clear feedback.
🎯 Who is Cambly For?
- Native English speakers seeking a very flexible side gig.
- Those who just want to chat (no formal teaching).
- People in lower‑cost countries who value any USD income.
- Not suitable if you want predictable pay or are a seasoned teacher.
🏁 Final Verdict
Cambly is legit and good for casual earning—but don’t expect a sustainable income from it. You log in, talk, get paid. If you’re fluent and available on demand, it’s decent pocket money or part-time work. But for professional teachers or full-time pay, there are much better platforms out there.