Flexible fun job but needs to pay more - ESL Tutor Cambly Employee Review

4.0
May 29, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The hours are 100% up to you. The students are eager to learn and most are SUPER friendly. You get to learn about other cultures. You form friendships with regular students. Most students just want to chat instead of do formal classes. You are not micromanaged.

Cons

There is no live tech support. If a problem occurs you have to send an email and wait for an answer...it sometimes takes DAYS to get a response, this can cause you to miss your Priority Hour and if you miss multiples or cancel multiples your access will be restricted. If the system glitches and says that you've missed calls but you have screenshots to prove that the calls never came through on your end, you will lose your Priority Hour and management will not listen to you or review your evidence. They will insist that you missed the calls anyway. Too many dropped Priority Hours will count against you. There are entirely too many teachers compared to students. When I first started calls came almost back to back. Now I might sit there for 20 minutes with no calls. The general "students waiting for tutors" system almost never rings anymore. If you want lots of Priority Hours you need to book them two weeks ahead of time because there are so many tutors snatching all the hours. You used to be able to sign up for hours the same day or the day before. A manager actually told me that they'd over hired. The pay. Despite loving the job, other ESL platforms pay significantly more. I suppose there's something to be said for the freedom of this job however.

Explore other reviews about Cambly

5.0
Jul 22, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Cool students, fun conversations. Global connections.

Cons

None at this point in time.

4.0
May 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very flexible schedule (you create your own), can easily cancel classes without too much of a penalty (make every student that you like a "regular" student so that if you get penalized...only regulars can book you...you have a huge pool of regulars), Cambly provides lessons, you can use almost any website as long as you don't need to share login information, it's fun and easy, many students become like friends, you can learn about different countries, cultures, and languages

Cons

The pay. It has never increased in the 14 years that Cambly has been in business. They are starting to offer a new program called "Cambly Pro" where you can make $15 an hour, but you have to apply to be a tutor for it and you could be denied. You have to have a 99% rating for 3 months to even be considered. If, like me, you are open to all students (and not just your regular students that you have become friends with), your rating can vary widely. No matter how good of a tutor you are, you will not be everyone's cup of tea. Also, Cambly does not allow tutors to teach in some states in the U.S. due to labor laws.

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