Cambly offers native speakers the exciting opportunity to teach English online and earn an income at home or anywhere in the world! Here’s what you need to become a Cambly tutor!
Teaching English online is a dream job for native English speakers seeking a flexible income online. And it allows you to make meaningful cultural connections with students from all around the world!
So when I finished my 2.5-year stint teaching English in South Korea and Vietnam, transitioning to teaching English online was a no-brainer.
While I haven’t had the opportunity to teach online with Cambly myself, this U.S.-based company offers an exciting ESL job opp that I had to share! Especially because Cambly is a rare entry-level gig for new teachers without previous experience and teaching qualifications.
Here’s how you can become a tutor with Cambly and all the nitty gritty details you should know when getting started.
Read more: How to Teach English Online and Earn Money Anywhere
Sponsorship disclosure: I received compensation for this post, but all thoughts are my own. Additionally, this post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, if you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Learn more on my disclosure page.
What is Cambly?
Cambly is an online platform that connects students of all ages from over 190 countries with native-speaking tutors. Cambly’s primary goal is to help students achieve their English learning goals via conversational and pre-planned lessons.
Is Cambly legit?
Yes! While it’s essential to vet any online opportunity, Cambly is a trustworthy online tutoring platform that has employed thousands of ESL teachers. I’ll share some of their reviews at the end of this post.
Why teach English with Cambly?
There are many benefits online English teachers enjoy when working with Cambly that make it stand out compared to other online ESL jobs, such as:
The freedom to create your own work schedule: Cambly does not enforce minimum or maximum hours, which means you can sign up for as many tutoring hours as you wish!
The ability to earn an income at home or on the road: You just need a laptop, a strong WiFi connection, and a quiet corner to teach.
No need to worry about lesson planning: Cambly provides teachers with lesson materials when needed, taking out the stress of planning. Tutors are also free to lead free-flowing conversation during lessons.
Flexible payment options: Whether you prefer direct deposit or Paypal, biweekly or monthly payments, you have total control over how Cambly pays you.
Relaxed job requirements: Unlike other ESL jobs, Cambly is an excellent option for those without teaching experience, a degree, or a TEFL certificate.
Read more: 10 Best Companies to Teach English Online Without a Degree
Teaching English Online with Cambly
Teaching English online with Cambly is an opportunity open to almost every native-English speaker!
Cambly Requirements
To become a Cambly tutor, you need to be:
- A native English speaker from the U.S., U.K, New Zealand, Australia, or Canada
- 18+ years old
That’s it! You don’t need to have a TEFL certificate, a college degree, or previous teaching experience.
However, having any of these qualifications, especially an accredited TEFL certification, can help you earn more as an online tutor.
» Read more: 8 Best Cheap TEFL Courses Online
Equipment Needed to Teach with Cambly
To teach English online with Cambly, you’ll also need to have:
- A reliable computer or a laptop with a webcam and Google Chrome
- A strong internet connection
- Headphones with a microphone (can include wired earphones, headphones, or even AirPods!)
- A clean, quiet “classroom” area
Cambly Tutor Job Opportunities: Cambly Classic and Cambly Kids
Cambly offers two primary tutoring opportunities: Cambly Classic and Cambly Kids. When submitting your application, you can choose to apply to just one or both.
Cambly Classic
Cambly Classic tutors work with adults seeking help with business English, IELTS testing, everyday conversational skills, or their general English abilities. Students are free to select their tutors and book calls on a whim or via an advanced reservation on the Cambly platform.
Cambly Classic tutors are responsible for planning conversation topics per the student’s learning goals or can use Cambly’s resource library on the platform.
Tutors are only provided with a pre-planned lesson if the student has specifically booked a Cambly Course. However, if the student decides in the class that they would like to follow a lesson from the Cambly Library, the tutor has full access to pull one up right away!
Because there’s no set “class” length, Cambly tutors don’t earn a typical hourly wage. Instead, Cambly Classic tutors are compensated $0.17 ($10.20/hour) per chat minute, with regular bonuses on the weekends.
Cambly Kids
Cambly Kids is a different program that caters to young language learners. Unlike Cambly Classic, English lessons for kiddos are 30 minutes long, and tutors must use the lessons prepared by Cambly.
As a Cambly Kid tutor, you’re paid a slightly higher hourly rate. Cambly Kids tutors earn $0.20 ($12.00/hour) per chat minute.
To be a Cambly Kids tutor, you must include a filmed demo lesson on your application, where you demonstrate how you’d teach a Cambly Kids course.
Read more: 16 Pros and Cons of Teaching English Online
How much do Cambly Tutors make?
The Cambly base rate is $0.17 ($10.20/hour) per chat minute for Cambly Classic tutors and $0.20 ($12.00/hour) per chat minute for Cambly Kids tutors.
However, you’ll have other opportunities to earn money teaching English online with Cambly.
For example, Cambly also offers a tutor referral bonus. For example, current tutors can earn $30 for any successful applicants accepted to Cambly Kids and another $20 once the referred tutor completes ten tutor hours—a $50 bonus!
Tutors can also earn more during “Priority Hours.” A Priority Hour is a one-hour block where tutors stand ready to take calls from students as they come in.
Tutors are guaranteed pay for at least 15 minutes of chat time, even if you don’t chat with a single student during that hour. Signing up for Priority Hours not only can boost your pay but help you meet new prospective students and fill your schedule.
Plus, Cambly offers regular weekend Priority Hour bonuses where you can earn up to 30% extra on top of the hourly rate! Cambly is also starting to roll Group Lessons (3-4 students) out on the Cambly Classic platform, which will be available in the coming months to all tutors. The pay rate for Cambly Group Lessons is $12.00 per hour.
How are Cambly tutors paid?
As a Cambly tutor, you’re free to choose how and when you’re paid. You can receive payment via direct deposit, wire transfer, Paypal, or even a prepaid debit card.
You can also set your pay schedule to weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Payments are typically made on Tuesdays.
The Cambly Tutor Application: How to Become a Cambly Tutor
Another benefit of tutoring with Cambly is that the application process is pretty straightforward:
Step 1: Create an Account and Fill Out Your Tutor Profile
First, head over to the “Start Tutoring on Cambly” page and create an account.
When you sign up, you’ll be asked to choose which platform to apply to: Cambly Classic or Kids (you can come back and sign up for both later).
You’ll then be asked to set up your Cambly tutor profile and provide:
- Personal information: where you’re from, date of birth, a professional tutor photo, etc.
- A 1-3 min video introduction: highlighting your personality and your teaching style. Make sure your video is high quality, and you record in good lighting!
- A written introduction: sharing more about you (hobbies, education, qualifications, professional experience, teaching style, etc.) to entice new students to sign up for lessons with you.
- Answers to supplemental interview questions: like “Why do you want to tutor on Cambly?”
Step 2: Record a Demo Lesson if Applying to Cambly Kids
Prospective Cambly Kids tutors must also submit a 3-5 minute demo lesson. The demo lesson should be as if you’re leading a class with a 7-8-year-old student.
For example, you could record yourself leading a lesson teaching a young learner vocabulary for fruits or weather.
This is your chance to show off your teaching skills and that you can use TPR, a style of teaching known as Total Physical Response!
Step 3: Complete the Equipment and Connection Test
To be accepted as a tutor, you must have a desktop with the most up-to-date Google Chrome browser. You must also pass Cambly’s internet speed test with a score of 60 or higher. The connection test is completed before you submit your application. They will tell you if anything needs to be improved!
Step 4: Get Hired to Tutor with Cambly
Once submitted, most applications take between 3-4 days to process. And if accepted, you can begin tutoring on Cambly right away!
You can learn more about the process via Cambly’s application guide on the Cambly Tutors YouTube channel.
Cambly Reviews from Real Tutors
Every job has pros and cons, and one way to get a feel for a new opportunity is to read reviews from real people who’ve done it. Here are two stand-outs that offer a general overview of what it’s like being a Cambly teacher.
You can find more Cambly reviews on: Indeed | Glassdoor
» Read more: 18 Best Companies to Teach English Online
A Positive Cambly Review
A Negative Cambly Review
Should you teach English with Cambly?
Although I haven’t tutored with Cambly, I’m well-acquainted with the online teaching industry. In full transparency, whether you should tutor with Cambly depends on your expectations.
In my experience, earning a full-time salary as an online English teacher can be difficult. It takes a lot of time to build up a student base, and even then, you need to have hustle and drive to earn a proper full-time salary. Not only that, but online English teachers do not receive benefits.
However, Cambly and other online ESL jobs are excellent ways to earn supplemental income from home. It’s also a fantastic way to earn money when backpacking or traveling the world and trying to make it as a digital nomad.
And unlike most ESL jobs, Cambly is open to all native English speakers regardless of previous experience, educational background, and TEFL certification.
With the right expectations, Cambly is an excellent option for those seeking job flexibility, an opportunity to earn money online, and to gain professional experience as an English teacher.