If you’re considering becoming a performer one of the first questions on your mind is probably "how much money can I make?" The obvious answer is, it depends, but I wanted to take a closer look and look into some of the factors.
This one might seem obvious, but on average women make more. Some women have reported making over $50,000 a month. For a female performer that averages a 40 hour work week, she can make anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 a month. And then of course there are crazy outliers. One popular cam girl on myfreecams, “CrazyM_”, recently received the biggest tip in camming history of 1.2 million tokens, or $60,000. That certainly isn’t the average experience, but camming is unpredictable, and giant tips can happen!
Although male performers don’t make as much I was still surprised to see how much they earned and the different factors contributing to these earnings. A male performer who averages a 40 hour work week makes on average between $650 - $5,600 a month.
The bulk of customers that visit webcam sites are males, both for female and male performers. Men are much more likely to earn money if they perform on gay cam sites or at least cater to a male client base. The number of women searching for male performers is very low.
The top cam girl earners tend to be between the age of 18 and 22 and the top male performers are a little older, between 23 and 29. The most significant drop off in pay happens around the age of 40. This is true for both male and female performers. That being said, the mature category is a niche, and if you can own that niche there's money to be made. Older performers should be sure to sign up on a site which allows users to search by age or includes a “mature” category.
The exact amount each model makes will depend on their appearance, attitude, hustle, and luck. So it’s hard to make many definitive statements about cam model pay. Luckily Reddit has plenty of models speaking up anonymously about their experience and pay. Here’s what some users said:
These users were all casual cam girls doing this as a part time venture. Based on these and other responses it seems like $300 per week for a young female performer is not uncommon. But the best advice about pay came from Viperions: “I would emphasize don't go into it expecting any set amount of money. I really don't know much about it, but I assume it’s like any sales related job - you're going to need to build a clientele and differentiate yourself among all the other competitors.”
There may be some things out of your control when it comes to making more money (sex, age, attractiveness), but there are also things you can control, and it can make a huge difference.
The longer you’re signed in the more money you make - This may seem apparent, but this could be the difference between making $500 a month to making $10,000 a month.
Build a clientele - Most performers make the bulk of their money from their regulars customers. Any customer can find a performer that they are attracted to, but some customers are looking to connect on a different level. These are the customers who will be the most loyal.
Get quality equipment - Your equipment is important. This includes your computer, your internet connection, your lights, and even the area you shoot in.
Hustle, hustle, hustle - Build a great profile, take good photos, look into affiliate marketing, promote on social media, there is always something you can be doing to promote yourself.
Set up different revenue streams - Sell your snapchat info, recorded videos, picture sets, or even used panties. A diverse offering can set you apart from other models and attract customers looking for something unique.
Choose the right site - Different cam sites specialize in different types of models. Your particular looks or performance style may be better suited to some sites over others. You should consider how clients will find you with the site tools - can they find you by searching for your hair color, ethnicity, age, and various acts? Of course you should also consider the revenue sharing model. Some sites give you %30 of what the customer spends and others give you %70.
Share knowledge - There are great communities out there which offer advice and support for cam performers. On these sites models share tips and experiences to help newcomers. Start with the sites below and get involved!
If you’ve worked in any kind of sales industry before then you know at least a little about what it’s like to be a cam model. Your success is affected by many different factors, but the most critical one is within your control: charisma. Enthusiasm is contagious! Being a professional entertainer means being “on” during showtime. It involves making people feel valued and at-ease. The most successful cam girls and cam guys are people who are good at empathizing with others.
This is not easy to maintain day after day. In fact, on some days it can be grueling like any other job. You may not be in the mood to perform, but your success requires you stick to your performance schedule and put on a great show. Because of the demanding nature of this job it might be to your benefit to work less hours, but have those hours be higher in value for your customers. If you find that performing on cam every day is too much, then cut back so that when you do perform you can be at your very best.
