Quick outline:
- Who I am and why I tried this work
- What cam modeling was like for me
- How subscriber sites felt different
- What I did on set as a production assistant
- Editing and support work that keeps it all moving
- Real money ranges I saw
- Boundaries, safety, and stress
- Who this fits, and who it doesn’t
- My final take
First, a bit about me
Hey, I’m Kayla. I’m over 21. I’ve tried a few adult industry jobs across three years. Some on-camera. Some behind the scenes. I didn’t jump in all at once. I tested things, made mistakes, and learned. You know what? I learned more about boundaries than I ever did in other jobs. For the long-form version of this journey, you can read my complete break-down of every role I tried.
I’ll share what felt good, what I would skip, and the little things no one tells you—like how a ring light can make your eyes burn by 11 p.m.
Cam modeling: bright lights, slow nights, big moods
I cammed part-time on Chaturbate and MyFreeCams. My gear was simple: a Logitech Brio, a cheap ring light, OBS Studio for scenes, and a laptop that got hot fast. I used a tip menu. I kept playlists clean and light so I could focus. I kept a notebook for regulars and their names, because that matters.
A real night? One Friday, I made $312 in about 4 hours. That felt huge. People were kind. They asked about my cat more than anything. But here’s the flip side: I also had nights with $26 total. And those nights were long. It messes with your head if you let the numbers decide your worth. I had to set a hard stop time. When the timer beeped, I logged off.
The best part: control. I set rules. I kept hard lines. I said no—a lot. The worst part: trolls, copycats stealing my clips, and a payout cut that stung. Sites take a big slice. I used Paxum for payments at times because the banks were fussy.
Gear notes that helped:
- A soft box behind the camera so my eyes didn’t burn
- A second monitor with OBS on one side and chat on the other
- A timer for breaks (5 minutes every hour for water and stretching)
- A stage name, a P.O. box, and a Google Voice number—non-negotiable
Subscriber sites: business in a phone
Then I tried subscriber platforms like OnlyFans and Fansly. This felt less like a stage and more like a small shop. It’s messages, feed posts, pay-per-view content, and a lot of customer care. I tracked requests in Trello. I scheduled posts on Sunday nights. I answered DMs mid-morning with coffee. I break down the specific tools that saved me hours in this deep dive on adult industry marketing tools.
One month during the holidays, I hit $2,100. Then summer came, and it dropped to $430. Chargebacks hurt. Platform bans scared me. I learned to save 30% for taxes and 10% for “oh no” days. I also kept a list called “Lines I do not cross,” right on my desk. It kept me safe when I felt pressure from tips.
I hired a cheap DMCA takedown service for stolen content. It didn’t fix everything, but it helped. Also, two-factor login on every account. Every. Single. One. If you’re a viewer, remember that paying creators directly matters—PayForYourPorn.org explains how ethical purchases keep us safe and paid. For fans who’d rather mingle inside a purpose-built hookup community than lurk on creator feeds, I usually point them toward this in-depth Well Hello review so they can see the site’s real-world pros, cons, and privacy tools before deciding whether to spend money or share personal info. And when someone tells me they’ll be in Southern California and want a verified, in-person experience with a trans companion who respects boundaries, I direct them to this vetted profile for a TS escort in Carson—the listing includes up-to-date photos, screening details, and clear booking instructions so you can plan safely and avoid scams.
On-set production assistant: call sheets and clipboards
I also worked off-camera as a PA on small studio sets in Vegas and LA. Call time was often 6 a.m. I set out snacks and water, checked IDs, handled release forms, and kept track of time. My job: keep things moving and keep folks calm. No drama if we can help it.
Safety mattered. People reviewed boundaries up front. There were consent check-ins before and after scenes. STI testing was verified through a standard industry system. If you’re curious about the exact regulations productions in California follow, Cal/OSHA keeps a detailed breakdown of adult-film workplace standards here.
I didn’t touch the camera much, but I did handle batteries, sandbags, and wiped down lights when they got hot.
My day rate was usually $200 to $350. Long days. Lots of kindness, and also a lot of waiting. Honestly, you spend more time on setup than anything else. Lunch was always the best part because people swapped advice about taxes, social media, and burnout.
Editing and support: the unglam jobs that pay steady
I edited short clips for two mid-size creators. I used Premiere Pro and a simple color preset. I cut dead air, fixed audio, and added captions. It paid $25 to $40 per hour depending on speed. Not flashy, but steady. I wore sweatpants and worked from my couch. Zero trolls. Ten out of ten. Last year I even took a stab at the technical side and built three adult sites from scratch—a whole different learning curve.
For a few months, I also answered customer support tickets for a clip store. “Why won’t my video play?” “Can I change my card?” It sounds dull, but it taught me the tech side. And it made me kinder on the creator side because I saw how messy payments can get.
Money talk: what I actually saw
This is just my experience, not a promise.
- Cam nights: $0 to $350. My average was about $75 per session over time.
- Subscriber sites: $400 to $2,100 per month. Big swings by season and how active I was.
- PA on set: $200 to $350 per day, 8–12 hours.
- Editing: $25–$40 per hour, 5–15 hours per week.
- Extra costs: gear ($150–$600), lighting ($40–$150), DMCA help ($10–$100 per month), payment fees, and a chunk for taxes.
If you’re trying to keep more of each payout, check out my comparison of adult-friendly merchant account providers. I even experimented with diversifying beyond direct work by buying shares in adult-industry companies—spoiler: the returns were spicier than I expected.
I learned to think in quarters, not days. One rough week doesn’t mean the month is done.
Boundaries, safety, and stress
My rules saved me. Here’s what I kept, even when money felt tight:
- Use a stage name and separate accounts for everything
- Keep IDs locked up and watermarked on forms
- A hard “no” list taped to my desk
- A soft “check-in” list—things I might do if I feel okay that day
- A friend who knew my schedule and checked in by text
- No meetups, no gifts to my home, no exceptions
Stigma was real. I lost a brand deal with a non-adult company after they found my alt account. I also had a family member judge me. That hurt. On the other hand, I found a strong group of creators who shared templates, tax tips, and a “block list” spreadsheet. Community saved me more than once. For a different angle on best practice, Australia’s SafeWork SA publishes a clear overview of health and safety duties in the adult-entertainment space, which you can read here.
What helped me stay sane
- Systems: Trello for tasks, Google Drive folders by date, a simple budget sheet
- Health: blue light glasses, water on my desk, quick walks
- Posting cadence: 3 feed posts a day on subs, 1 live cam block a week, and one full day off
- A burn list: things to do when I feel fried—paint nails, call a friend, make soup
- A “win” jar: small notes of good things, like a kind DM or a good edit
Small things matter. A warm hoodie. A