(Guest post by T. Thema Martin as part of our Side Hustle Series — enjoy! ;))
Over the past few years, my income had steadily decreased because of the effects of the recession. I standardly live a debt-free (except mortgage) and minimalistic (no car) life. However, I lost a lot of income sources in June 2010. Therefore, I was looking for replacement streams of income.
I had previously tended bar at upscale socials, but I couldn’t find any bartending jobs. I then brainstormed to see what jobs I could do from home. Being a “Phone Actress” – the technical term for a Phone Sex Operator – came to mind. I did some research on a Sunday, and applied to 10 companies that same day. The next day, Monday, one company contacted me and on Wednesday, another company contacted me. There began my career as a Phone Sex Operator (PSO).
How To Get Started
You can locate PSO positions on a job board such as SexyJobs.com or you contact companies directly such as LipService.net and ChatRecruit.com. You can also chat with other PSOs at PhoneSex.yuku.com. If you have a corded landline, a headset, a positive attitude about sex, and a sexy voice, you are hired! Also, if you are non-white and/or have an accent, you are in high demand by recruiters.
To apply, you have to complete a standard application and leave a voicemail for the recruiter so that she can judge your voice. It doesn’t matter if you are old or young, black or white, or heavy or skinny; it is the voice that counts the most. If she likes your voice and you pass the standard background check, you are then required to attend a one-hour phone orientation or you are given material to read as your orientation. Then, you are put on the phones to deal with sexually-charged men.
Before you take your first call, you have to think of an alias and background information to use. An easy alias, such as Jennifer, works best so that callers can remember you. If it is too exotic, clients won’t remember it. I suggest using information that you are familiar with. For example, if you say that you are from Miami but you know nothing about the neighborhoods, a problem may occur if you have a caller from Miami. It is okay to say that you have a degree, but I would not suggest stating which college you went to. I suggest stating a college that you are familiar with or say that you got your degree online. You don’t want to give out any information that can be easily traced back to you.
The Ideal Phone Sex Operator
If you live by yourself, that is a plus because you don’t have to worry about other household members making noise while you are on the phone or being uncomfortable with the explicit language that you are using.
You need 4 main skills to be successful as a PSO: listening, organizational, imaginative, and improvisational. You have to listen very carefully to your clients in order to follow their lead. For example, if he says that he loves pulling your “black” hair, you have to remember not to mention your “red” hair if you are a redhead.
I keep a client card for repeat callers. Therefore, when they call, they are impressed that I remember what they like and what they look like. You have to be able to imagine the caller’s fantasy. If he says that the two of you are in a hotel room, you cannot say, “Let’s go out to your backyard.” Finally, you have to be prepared for any call. If the client says, “Tell me an erotic tale,” you have to have one already ready.
The Ideal Client
There are 3 main groups of clients:
- The Pervert (fetishes, strap-ons, BDSM, taboos: bestiality, incest, underage sex)
- The Pornographer (3-ways, complex sexual positions, dirty/nasty talk, rough sex)
- The Professional (doctors, lawyers, executives, straight sex, girlfriend experience)
The majority of clients fall into the first 2 categories: 40% for each category. Around 20% of clients fall under the last category. Of course, I prefer to work with the Professional. However, I will service the Pornographer. If I get the Pervert on the line, I refer him to another PSO, or I will disconnect the call if he wants to discuss a taboo subject, which callers are not supposed to do. However, during every shift, there is always a client who wants to play out a taboo fantasy. (I will spare you the disturbing details.)
Since I work from 4am to 8am ET daily, I tend to get Perverts and Pornographers calling from the west coast who have just gotten off of work or who cannot sleep, and the Professionals from the east coast who are just waking up and getting ready for work. Therefore, clients are either calling me to service them to a pleasurable sleep or a pleasurable awakening.
Perverts and Pornographers tend to hold short calls, less than 10 minutes on average. On the other hand, I have spoken to Professionals for 55 minutes per call discussing everything from the economy, recession, and Ponzi schemes to the eco-system, Russia, and politics. Who knew that PSOs had to stay on top of current events? As you may have already figured out, not every call is about sex. Some people are just calling to talk because they are lonely, like talking to an interesting woman, or are simply playing out a no-sex fantasy. The best client is a repeat client who makes it a routine to call you every morning. Beware of clients who want to give you their phone number so that you can continue the conversation offline. That is a big no-no!
How Much Money You’ll Make As a PSO
Every company has a different pay scale. On average, you should be able to make 25 cents per minute/$15 per hour of live talk time, which means the actual time that you are talking to clients. (When you are not talking to clients, you are not getting paid.) However, if you work from 10pm to 6am, some companies will pay you more per minute. Another way to make more per minute is to work at least 30 hours a week for an additional few cents per minute.
For example, if you worked from 10pm to 3am everyday, you could make over 30 cents per minute/$18+ an hour, on average. If you talked live to your clients for a total of 200 minutes of the 5-hour shift, you would make $60+ for that shift. That is not a lot of money, but keep in mind that I multi-task while I am waiting for calls. I blog, read a book, fold clothes, answer emails, watch a movie, etc. That $60+ a day equals $1,800+ monthly, which is not bad for just talking on the phone while being productive doing other things.
How My First Day Went
I didn’t know what to expect. My first client, John (not real name), wanted me to greet him at my “imaginary” house door and then take it from there. During my 4-hour shift, I took 24 calls from men and a woman. The shortest call lasted 1 minute and the longest lasted 18 minutes. I talked a total of 90 minutes to callers on my first day.
Benefits of Being a “Phone Actress”
- Job security. The sex industry really doesn’t experience a recession. As long as there are men (and a few women) on the planet, I will have a job.
- Flexible hours. Some companies allow you to work as little as 10 hours a week, and you can log on at will. At the other end, some companies require you to work fulltime with a set schedule.
- You are a 1099 employee, so you are your own boss in a lot of ways.
- You get to meet a lot of interesting people.
- You can work in your PJs.
- You learn a lot of new sexual concepts. I had no clue that Icing is a fetish where the man wants to be a Sugar Daddy. The first time a client mentioned Icing, I thought he wanted me to take a piece of ice and tease him with it.
- It gives you pointers to use in your own sex life to keep it hot, if you have one.
- You work from home.
- You have the opportunity to work 24/7 since phone sex companies never close.
In Summary
When I received my graduate degree years ago, I thought of job opportunities such as teaching college, writing mysteries, hosting parties, personal training, and blogging. Even though I am doing all of those things, I like being a PSO because I never have to take a call that I don’t want to take, and I can multi-task while working. Also, this job has given me some unique insight as I am putting the finishing touches on a cozy mystery I have written, which has the amateur sleuth moonlighting as a Phone Actress.
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T. Thema Martin is the publisher and editor of Savionaire.com, a Top 20 Luxury Blog about living a luxury green lifestyle. If you have any questions on being a Phone Actress, ask away!
EDITOR’S NOTE: This may or may not be my all-time fave hustle yet ;) Think you could ever do this? HAVE you ever done this? What do you think morally/ethically? Let us know! And if you, too, have an interesting side hustle, give me a shout and we’ll consider posting it.
(Hot Lips Phone from Amazon — Only $19!)
{ 92 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for this J, I needed a laugh this morning.
I can see another spin off website starting “BudgetsAfterDark”
Hilarious!
This post was informative. I have never thought of this profession as a side hustle. Kudos to the writer for taking on this job. It seems like a great way to make some cash.
What proportion of people would you say call just to chat? I read that escorts in Nevada have lots of “chat-only” encounters because a lot of people just want to talk.
How did you get the idea to apply? Was it just, “There are no bar-tending jobs, how about becoming a phone actress?”.
Thanks for the fascinating piece!
I once had an employee that was raised in the sex business. Her dad owns adult video stores and her mom was a PSO. Once she told me that she was 12 or 13 before she spent the night a a friends house and realized that not everyone’s parents had a credit card machine next to their beds….LOL
Matt, that is a catchy title!
Dana, being a PSO is a great way for me to make cash while completing other duties simultaneously. When my friends call me, I never just stop, sit down, and talk to them. I am always multi-tasking. I do the same with my callers.
PKamp3, I would say that 10% want to “just chat.” I had a 54-year male caller who talked with me for 55 minutes (maximum time limit per call, but caller can hang up and call right back). The profile for callers who want to just chat is a white male over 50. The oldest client I ever had was 70. We also talked for 55 minutes. I remember reading a book about a high end escort. She said the #1 thing her clients and her colleagues’ clients looked for was companionship. During a one-hour session, they would have sex for only 10 minutes; the other 50 minutes would be devoted to him just talking to her.
PKamp3, 10% of callers call for no-sex chatting. Also, I would say that another 10% of callers chat the majority of the call, while sex is just secondary. I learned quickly that part of my job is to act like a therapist who has excellent listening skills because callers want you to just listen to their problems. Most have no one to talk to or they are ashamed to talk to others about certain issues.
PKamp3, I made the majority of my income from teaching college. Even though I taught college part time, I was making a full time salary from it. However, once the recession started, combined with more and more people not seeing value in a college degree, I went from teaching 8 classes at a time in 2009 to just 1 to 3 right now. Therefore, I had to come up with replacement income. I remember a few years ago, a publisher had sent me a book about the escort industry to review for my blog. The book gave non-escort women advice on how to spice up their sex lives. One tip was to engage in phone sex with their lover. She also noted how people do that for a living from home. When I started brainstorming about jobs that I could do from home or within walking distance of my home (I have no car), I remembered what the book had said. I also considered becoming an online Web researcher, which is doing research for companies from your home.
Man, I should TOTALLY do this! Shoot, I used to for free with my then husband when he was in the Marine Corps and deployed!
I love the title “phone actress”. That alone made this post worth reading.
Wow, what an awesome article! Great insight to a discreet line of work lol, I had no idea
After reading this, I asked one of my coworkers if she would ever consider doing this part time. Her response? “I was for two months, made good money.” Their office was right down the hall from her other job, she after she got of work she’d put in a few hours there. Mind blown.
Nicole, you are a pro at it! :-) You already have experience. Go for it! Also, we have something in common because I do service enlisted men and officers.
Sandy, the part that makes me an “actress” is I have to be able to quickly improvise. Once that phone rings and the caller wants me to act like a dominatrix, even though I just got off of the phone acting like a very shy insurance agent, I have to quickly go into Mistress Sandy mode and tell him to “Bow before your Goddess.”
Crystal, most people have no idea about the ins and outs of the business. I didn’t before I started. The only true downside to this business is when the business executive calls and wants you to act like his biologically little girl who is still in grade school. I get too many of those types of calls. Of course, I disconnect and flag the call.
What happens if you have a cold? Can’t imagine a nasally voice and nose blowing would be a turn on. :)
Husband has a co-worker that is a Dominatrix, she makes tons of money, she works in IT for the health insurance. Not sure if her payments are “under the whip” so to speak LOL.
She has quite the wig collection that she wears to the office. If I didn’t have a job with the police dept that makes you list all extra jobs and they research them! I would do it.
She doesn’t have sex with her clients, just whips them etc…and listens to them too. She does outcalls only so she has a security guy (her boyfriend ) go with her. Some enterprising person could do a webinar “How To Make Extra Money in the Sex Industry.” and charge for it, anyone anyone?? LOL
I once “interviewed” for a company and sat in as a few other PSO worked. It was an major learning experience but also really odd since they were all walking around the same room (there were some small, closet like places to go for more privacy). I think doing it at home would be much easier.
Not sure I could do it though.
Steve, this recession is causing a lot of people to do things that they wouldn’t normally think about doing. As Nicole pointed out, women are already unpaid phone sex operators. Therefore, it is easier for them to take that leap to the paid world. There are more people doing this job than you think. T It is just hard to go to an office job and say, “Hey guys, guess what I do as a side hustle once I get off of work?” There are male PSO’s for gay men, too.
Gina, I am a Phone Dominatrix/Mistress/Goddess, too. My 3 specialties are: Mind Control, Tie, Tease & Tickle, and Financial. With the latter, subjects beg to buy me expensive gifts and pay my bills because that is their way of serving me. I had a caller once who was going giving me his credit card number for me to buy some high heeled shoes. I had to command him to stop once he started reading off the number. I know a lot of you are thinking, “It was a fake credit card number.” To the contrary. Men involved in BDSM (bondage/discipline/sadomasochism) take their servitude role seriously because it is a lifestyle for them, not just an act. Trust me, he is not an isolated case.
Jessica, of course, it is not for everyone. However, I am looking at your picture, and I can tell that there is a PSO inside of you ready to call out :-). You just have to find an area to specialize in. For instance, you could be Jessica, The Baby-making Princess. Yes, a caller called me once to role-play that we were making a baby. I always wondered if he was sterile and by role-playing making a baby, that somehow made him feel better. Or, you could be Jessica, The Moaning Princess. A caller once wanted me to just moan, no sex talk, just moan.
I love this. I would absolutely consider doing something like this. That’s for telling me to check out this side hustle today J. It would have never crossed my mind! We’re going to be down to 1 income next year, so this would be a great way to earn some extra cash. My question for T. Thema Martin is…have you ever dealt with calls that have made you very uncomfortable? How do you handle that? Thanks!
Angella, that is an excellent question. You will receive calls from men who want to discuss taboo subjects: rape, torture, bestiality, incest, murder, and underage sex. Once a client says any of those 6 words, I immediately disconnect the call and hit a special code that alarms my employer that a caller discussed a taboo subject. From there, I am not sure what happens because I am off to the next caller.
Whether a man works on Wall Street, No Street or Main Street, he still has the potential to ask you to role play a taboo subject. One trick that a man will use is to say, “Angella, let’s role play playing the game Twister and then we get sexual since we are twisted up together.” That sounds like an innocent request, right? However, at the end of the 10-minute session, he would say, “Thank you, (biological) Mommy.” At that point, you can still disconnect the call and report him. However, he already tricked you into role playing a mother-son scenario with him. The good news is 99% of men who are into taboo subjects will tell you upfront, as opposed to tricking you.
Keep in mind that it is just not the taboo calls that are disturbing or uncomfortable. Remember, you don’t have to take any call that you are uncomfortable with. When a man calls and says that he wants me to strap on ‘a device’ and do a, b, an c to him, I simply say, “Caller, what you are requesting is not taboo; it is just not my specialty. I am a different type of Dominatrix. However, there are women online who would love to take your call.” The caller then goes back into que. However, he is grateful that I denied him because no caller wants to role play with a woman who is not into what he wants her to do, especially if he is paying $1 or $2 a minute to talk to you.
Eeewww… hahaha.. It’s all good. I wonder how long people last at this kind of job. Does a PSO keep working for years and years? It sounds like a good side job. How much do you really make in a 4 hours shift? It sounds like maybe $40 or so…
Wow awesome sex-positive attitude everyone! It’s great that you feel so comfortable doing this kind of work – and that you have so much control over the clientele and the hours. I don’t think that is true in most sex work. Does anyone in your real life know about your work and how have they reacted? Has doing this made you feel any different about those who work in the sex industry?
I am really confused…who the hell would pay for phone sex in the day of free porn on the internet? Webcams has to have killed this business
Retire by 40, I am back online. I had to take some international phone sex calls from London. I work that segment, too. I don’t know what the turnover rate is. I do know the person who hired me is a married woman who has been doing it for 6 years. It is a good side job. Realistically, I have seen companies pay $100 for a 4-hour shift. However, I make on average, like you said, like $40 (for middle of the night shift), unless I work the evening shift, which would equal $60. However, you have to keep 2 things in mind, I decline 80% of my calls because I really try to concentrate on the Professional calls and I work the late night/early morning shift that attracts mostly Pornographers and Perverts. Now, when I jump on the after work/5pm shift (when the company needs help), that is when I can accept 80% of the calls because that is the Professional crowd, so I could make $60 during that shift. Also, the weekends are the busiest time when people call.
Once again, your income is going to based on 2 factors: what kind of calls are you willing to take and which shift you work. If you are willing to take almost any type of call without being selective, then you are going to make more regardless of which shift you work. Also, if you are online during a good shift, such as when men are getting off of work or if they aren’t many PSOs online, then you will receive more calls, which means more money.
Change On A Budget, I don’t hide what I do, so my friends and family know. They just laugh about it. I am sure my neighbors know since I am sure that they hear me taking calls. :-) You make a good point, even though I am a sex worker, it is different from forced prostitution and white slavery. Therefore, that is why I have freedom of when I work and who I choose to talk to. My attitude about the voluntary sex industry has not changed because I have always felt that prostitution should be legal. The only true physical difference between me and international high end escorts is they are actually in the same room with the client and I am not, but yet what I do is legal and what they do is not.
Change On A Budget, I have a positive attitude about s*x because I used to be a S*x Educator. I worked the S*x Hotline where the majority of calls involved straight men calling to say that they had s*x with another man and they were worried about being infected with something and how could they avoid having s*x with their wives/girlfriends until their test results were returned or calls where gay men called in stating that they had s*x with straight men who they felt purposely removed the condom during the act. Therefore, being a PSO is not much of a stretch for me because I have heard about just everything concerning s*x. I would say at least 25% of all my current callers are either bi-s*xual or straight but they just want to involve a man in the role playing even though they are straight…um…ok
Evan, millions of men would and do. I promise you, there is not a shortage of callers…never has been…never will be. I take calls from American men and British men (specifically from London). The only difference is the latter show more manners and are less explicit. However, the desired outcome is still the same. Webcams have only changed the business, not killed the business. What you have to understand Evan is most men don’t consider women in porn or a Webcam to be “real’ women as in a real woman who lives next door to them or works with them in corporate America. As my callers explain to me, “You are more real.” In other words, as Steve put it in post #11, he had no clue that his co-worker was a PSO. However, had she been a porn star or Webcam star, there would have been too much of a risk of someone recognizing her. My callers cannot recognize me since they only hear my voice. Look at it this way, it is easier to pick out a stripper, porn star, and streetwalker than it is a PSO and high end escort. Now with that being said, I am in no way putting down the first set of women or making a judgment call. What I am saying is it is easier for PSOs and high end escorts to blend in with society. I could be sitting in a room full of my clients, and not one of them would recognize me.
Remember what I said in an earlier post, when men call a high end escort, the majority are looking for companionship and s*x secondary. The high end escort is going to be sophisticated, intelligent, cultured, and educated like them, which is why they sometimes travel to places together. I am no different. When the Professional crowd calls me, they feel a commonality with me. They feel like they could actually come knock on my door and take me on a date, to a company function, to a play, or to a family event. They are not, for the most part, going to say the same about a porn star, Webcam star or streewalker. Once again, there is no judgment here. I am just explaining the mindset of my clients as explained to me by them because I ask them why did they choose my profile over other girls since they have to pay more for me and my other premium colleagues than for regular PSOs.
Sounds gross. Ugh.
J$: What are you wearing right now?
Oh Thelma, I have so many questions for you!
I seriously seriously considered doing this last year, but had no idea where to go for more information. The places that come up during a search wanted me to pay to talk with other “actresses” even if I was considering working for the company.
My first question is: How necessary is it to have a corded landline? I can understand why cordless and cell phones are discouraged, but I live in a roommate situation now where the landline is the landlady’s family phone!
2: What kind of peer support is available? Is there an internet group where you and other PSO discuss how to handle certain scenarios or provide sample scripts to use with callers?
3: You mentioned someone having a cc machine by their bed phone: Do you take the clients information or does the service do it for you before the caller is connected to you?
I may seriously start doing this!
Jerri Lyn,, I am so glad to see that so many woman are interested in becoming a PSO. I believe more women are interested but they are reluctant to say so. That’s totally fine, too. The point of this article was to at least give women who are interested a starting place. You can call me The PSO Expert.
I cannot speak for all PSO companies, but I can tell you that all of the companies that I have come across such as LipService.net and ChatRecruit.com require a plain landline with NO features on it. Some companies run a check on your phone to verify that it is a landline. When you apply for jobs, it should state whether a cell phone is an option.
When I originally applied to 10 companies, I saw where some did give their PSOs scripts and offered online classes. Honestly, Jerri Lyn,, I have never had a class or a script, and that is a good thing. Why? Because callers don’t want to feel like you are reading from a script. They want you to use your imagination. Just go with the flow just like how you would with a spouse/lover/boyfriend.
The Professional crowd wants the “girlfriend experience.” Therefore, I talk to them the same way I would talk to a boyfriend/lover/husband. Nicole in post #11 said she did phone sex with her husband when he was deployed. You would basically do the same thing. For instance, I spoke to a lawyer from London yesterday. We talked about our professions and how our day went, and then we transitioned into “What are you wearing?” Once again, it’s the “girlfriend experience.” If you want to deal with the Professional crowd, the best time to be on the phones is 6am – 9am and 5pm – 8pm…basically during rush hour coming and going.
When you receive a call from a Pervert or a Pornographer, the first thing out of their mouths is, “What they are doing s*xually and what they want you to do s*xually.” That is why I don’t like taking those calls because they are not looking for anything that resembles the ‘girlfriend experience.” If you want to deal with that crowd, the best time to be on the phones is Midnight to 6am, and be ready for some very, very, very, very, very explicit material from them.
Darla mentioned a cc machine. You take NO financial information from the clients. Before they connect with you, they have already input their cc info. If they paid for 10 minutes, then at the end of 10 minutes, the call will automatically drop.
You can locate PSO positions on a job board such as SexyJobs.com. You can also chat with other PSOs at PhoneSex.yuku.com. However, I only went there to find out other information from other PSOs. A lot of the information on that board is old; therefore, I am not sure if the board is really active.
Jerri Lyn, post #29 is for you. I mistakenly addressed it to Donna. Feel free to ask any additional questions.
I just about died reading this post. Thanks for the Friday chuckle.
Edward, anytime you have a cold, mouth problems, nasal problems, etc., you would just take off those days and make up your time later. However, if you are catering to clients who want a she-man, which a lot of them want, then you are good to go.
Loved the article.
I currently work as a PSO. This is my second time undertaking this position; the first time I did it was in the late 90s and in an office environment. It helped me finance my graduate degree in counselling. Ironically enough, I use my counselling skills with the majority of my customers, so that is an added bonus for me.
I took it up again recently because I already work from home on other ventures, but I wanted to boost up my income, and this integrates extremely well with my other ventures.
Being a good PSO is not about panting erratically into your phone set (lol), it is about being a great listener, improviser, having a positive attitude to different sexual practices and being empathetic to your customer needs. Once you have this mindset then you can go really far:) I’ve made some great money out of being a PSO, and fortunately, I have a very supportive husband. I think he loves it because it definitely has put a kick back into our sex life!
A great board that I belong to, which is very active is http://psosupport.com/ I have picked up a lot of tips and advice on this forum.
Thanks so much for spilling the secrets, T. Thema Martin! It was a VERY pleasurable break for me ;) If I were smooth enough, I’d try calling up and getting you just to hear you in action! Haha… And SO FUNNY you were responding to comments while on and off the phone!! Talking abou Sex! I love it! :)
@Matt – Hah! We should totally do a BudgetsAfterDark ;)
@Darla – Wowwww! That’s kinda like when I realized that not every family moves every 2 years (My dad was in the military) though not nearly as scandalous, haha…
@Nicole – Hah! Lucky husband ;)
@Steve – WHAT??? That is crazy? What are the odds? Haha…
@Gina – That reminds me of the show my wife and I watch a lot – The Secret Diary of a Call Girl, it’s pretty interesting!
@Jessica, The Debt Princess – Really?? You HAVE to tell me more the next time we see each other at a conference ;)
@Angella – Anytime! I’m glad you got a lot out of this :) It’s def. different!
@Evan – It’s still not as “human” I wouldn’t think?
@Donna Freedman – A skeleton shirt and a hoodie. Do I turn you on?? (It’s Halloween, haha…)
@kokotai – Cool! I wonder what my wife would say if I went into the PSO Biz?? :)
****T. Thema Martin — I have a question for you now — Are there many MALES in the industry? Like, if I wanted to try it out for a while, would I have much competition? And secondly, would that mean I’d be talking to women or other dudes? Cuz that would make a huge difference to me ;) Not that the wife would allow it anyways, haha…
J, the only males I have seen are on gay sites. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t male PSOs for women. I guess if a woman wanted to speak to a man, she could call a gay phone sex company because a lot of men who work in the gay sex business are bisexual or straight but just like getting paid by gay companies since they pay more. That is no different than when the woman called me for a session even though my companies are for men calling for women. Also, you can do 3-way calls where a man can call and be online with 2 women at once like a 3-way in real life.
Kokotai, I am so glad that you gave your input. Jeri Lyn, #29, wanted to know about a peer group, so I am glad that stated the board that you visit. Everyone, I just gave my take on being a Phone Actress, but the phone sex world is way bigger that what I have described. Some people don’t work for companies, instead they are independent phone sex operators. They make way more than I do to the tune of $120 to $180 hourly because they are receiving the entire amount a caller pays, whereas I only get a portion.
Good to know! Thanks T. Thema :)
The fact that you are so open about it is AWESOME to me! I have a few point/questions that I would love feedback from you on..
A little background on me:
I’m a current college student. I am employed (retail, I am also thinking of picking up a job as a server because I need the income). I’m managing with my current job, but with rent and other bills, it’s kind of difficult, even though I’m not bad at budgeting. I’ve been seriously considering becoming a PSO or a Text Chat Operator, mainly because it seems like a fun way to make extra money, but also because I am a natural conversationalist and thought that hearing different clients speak on various topics, (sexually and not), would broaden my horizons (again, both sexually and otherwise) and help me to be open minded.
I’ve done a lot of research, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t want to do anything that involves being on camera or “trolling”, even though those types seem to make th emost money.
Again with my rexearch, I’ve found that many of these companies are scams. I know that many sites allow you to work from home, but with any job, you will have to provide personal information (SSN DL numbers, etc). How do you know which companies are legitimate? When is it safe to provide this information? Do you have any experience in th etext chat industry?
My other question was: How do you go about tax information? If one becomes a PSO, will they end up owimg to the government? How much of total income made be put aside for taxes?
Victoria, you may want to check out Universal Talk http://www.chatrecruit.com/. They are UK based, so 99% of your callers will be from the UK, and they are way more reserved than US callers. I think you have to work at least 10 hours weekly with them, but there is no set schedule. You log on at will. The good thing about them is you don’t have to just sit by the phone. Once you log in, you can be doing chores, schoolwork, surfing the net, etc, until the phone rings. You must have a landline with no features on it. You will have to provide your personal information as part of the application.
You know a company is legit pretty much by checking with other PSOs and PSO message boards such as http://psosupport.com/ or http://phonesex.yuku.com/. You may want to also consider bartending. If you find the right club or bar to work at, you can make some good extra money. I bartend at socials that I give, but I was never able to find a job at it even though I went to bartending school, write about spirits, and bartend at socials.
I don’t have experience text chating. However, you will make the most money by being an Independent PSO, who easily make $180 hourly and upwards. I have no problem answering any other questions you may have.
Victoria you will be a contract employee so no taxes are taken out. Right now, I just put half of it aside. When you go to the PSO message boards, ask to see what other PSOs are doing.
Thanks so much!
How do you know when it’s safe to provide personal information? .
I did the webcam model thing for awhile- it sounds a lot like a PSO in terms of what kind of clients you deal with. You get paid more per minute- the company I worked for paid $3/minute plus an extra .50 cents for each additional person spying in on the session. The downsides are you can’t be multitasking since they are watching you, and you typically have to actually perform sex acts for the camera, and it is very common for them to want you to view their camera as well. You can block certain states from seeing your cam, but by being on camera you do sort of lose some of the anonymity that makes being a PSO more appealing.
If you are looking for a work at home job and are comfortable with the idea, being a webcam model can be very lucrative and even kind of fun. I liked working with MyFreeCams (best $ potential, but to really capitalize you have to know what you’re doing and work their system, build a fan base) and Streamate (good starter company- you set your price, log in and go)
Nice!! Yeah it seems that being on video would be a lot MORE money than on the phone, but def. not as good for staying anonymous or doing 2 things at once (no pun intended). Thanks for sharing your experience though! This is all super fascinating to me ;) And probably hundreds of others too…
Happy Holidays!
Ok so i have been thinking about this for over a year now and had some concerns about this type of job. even though i have phone sex with my boyfriend like every night because he is deployed right now. i love doing it with him and i think it would be fun to learn new things. do you ever actually “play” when you take some calls? is there any info you can give me about the independent phone sex operators. how that works, do i need experience first, etc. thank you so much to everyone… i am totally going to do this now… cant wait! :)
WOW! I cannot believe that this topic is still getting hits 2 months later. However, I have no problem answering questions even if it is 2 years later. Missy, Niteflirt http://www.niteflirt.com/ is a place to try for becoming an independent. Also, make sure you frequent the PSO support boards (see comment #41). You already have experience by having phone sex with your deployed boyfriend. “The only difference is you will now be taking calls from men who want you to role play as their boss, next door neighbor, friend’s mother, dominatrix, etc. The message boards are your best bet for networking with women who are already independents to get info.
I don’t “play” while doing it because unlike “playing” with your actual lover, you really have to be focused on the caller and what they are requesting. For example, when a caller calls for femininzation from a dominatrix, I write down what he likes to wear, how he wants to be treated, what he wants to be called, what is the setting, etc. Therefore, once the role play starts, I am very focused on what the caller’s name is, what color stockings and lipstick he wants me to make him put on, how I am going to make him get into position, etc. If you make mistakes while playing with your real-life lover, it is no big deal. However, when you make a mistake with a caller, they can leave a comment online saying how horrible you were. Therefore, I am ALWAYS focused on the caller, not myself.
Missy, also you need a niche. Yours could be something like, “I Get Soldiers Hot and Bothered,” “I Get Marines to Salute Their Real Gun,” “I Rock The Boat of Sailors,” or whatever. You want to create a persona so that when a man (or woman) calls, they are requesting “that girl who caters to the needs of soldiers.” That will make them feel special because they will feel like you understand them. Plus, they may say some military terms that you may understand. For example, they may say, “Let’s role play that we are in the commissary” or whatever. Then, of course, they will spread the word about you. My other suggestion is to read up on fetishes because there are a million of them out there. I never knew that people had a smoking and drinking fetish. Therefore, a caller will call and want you to pretend as though you are drunk and smoking in a bar, drunk and pulled over by the police, etc.
Hahahaha OMG I love you guys. Branding at its finest! :)
thank you for all your help, T! so when the guys call how do you know who it is? when you pick up the phone are they just there on the line? or is there like an operator to tell you who it is? just wondering cuz i like the idea of writing all the details down and keeping like a book/catalog or something.
I’m so glad I found this site and that you are answering questions! I am seriously giving this some consideration as we need some income right now. How spontaneous do you have to be with thinking up stories? That is what I am concerned about. And do the men from other countries prefer talking to American women?
You are getting hits today because the PSO industry was a topic on the View today. I am in desperate need of a job and this may be the ticket for me at this time. Thank you so much for the very imformative blog and the links for more information. I would never have thought of something like this but now I am very interested.
Missy, it depends on which company you work for. Not all companies are set up the same. For instance XYZ Company may be set up where George goes to XYZ’s website. He scrolls through all of the girls and picks Missy. Then he calls the main number and put in your extension. The phone system automatically routes the call to you. Your phone rings. You say, “Hi, I am Missy.” You don’t know if it is George Clooney on the line or George The Carpenter. He is either going to say, “Hi, I’m George.” or “I’m h*rny; you know what to do.” Therefore, you have to be ready for a call with foreplay or a call which goes directly into s*x once you answer. Some calls are 3-way calls where another PSO is on the line with you and the client. Other companies operate differently where a caller leaves you a voicemail telling you what he wants such as you have to be his submissive and do whatever he tells you to do. Then if you agree to the role-playing, you hit * or # to accept his call.
When I get a call, I take out my log and I write down his name (if he tells me) and the time the call starts and ends. You are paid by how many minutes you have taken calls. You may take a 5-minute call or a 50-minute call. I write down his physical description, what he is requesting, and what he likes. However, some callers give no information and just want s*x only with no small talk.
@Maria, if you learn nothing else from all of this, know this: MEN ONLY PREFER ONE KIND OF WOMAN: THE KIND THEY DON’T HAVE AT HOME. In other words, men aren’t going to pay for what they can get at home because they could simply just rollover and say, “Honey, talk dirty to me” for free. Forget about what is said in Cosmo and Harper’s Bazaar or on The View and Sex and the City. Men like a variety of women. If they have a blonde at home, they are going to want to talk to a redhead. If the men are white, they are going to want to talk to a black, Hispanic or Asian woman. If a man has a reserved woman at home, he is going to want to talk to a dominatrix. You will never receive a call saying, “Act just like my wife or girlfriend.” They are calling you because they don’t have you at home. Once again, MEN ONLY PREFER ONE KIND OF WOMAN: THE KIND THEY DON’T HAVE AT HOME.
You have to be VERY spontaneous because you don’t know what the caller may be calling about. However, don’t worry about it. If you are not sure what to do, always have a fallback line such as “This is all about you. Tell me what to do.” or whatever. Some callers are not sure what they want since they may be a first time caller or they see you as the expert and expect you to control the situation. In your s*x tool chest, have a variety of stories, scenarios, role plays, etc. already made up.
@LaBella make sure to watch Good Morning America on Monday because they are going to run a segment about it. If you decide to do it, just be real. Everything I tell a caller about me is real except for my name. I am real but safe. I tell them I teach college but not where. I tell them that I have no hips instead of saying that I am shaped like Jessica Rabbit. I tell them I am in my 40s instead of 20s or 30s. Be real because no man wants to be treated like a trick. Men are calling to speak to real women, not fake women reading from a script. I read the other day that Men’s Health thinks that Jennifer Aniston is the Sexiest Woman of All Time. Do I agree? No, however, I do agree with what they find s*xy about a woman – a woman who is unmistakably real:
“Funny is s*xy, and Jennifer Aniston is funny. Her down-to-earth persona makes her seem attainable. She rarely plays the airhead, and she seldom overplays a role: she’s funny in a quiet, refreshingly human way. Other s*x symbols drift toward one-dimensionality, becoming flat icons in the process, but throughout her career Aniston has remained s*xy, funny, and unmistakably real. For that reason, she is our all-time s*xiest woman.” ~ Men’s Health, December 2011.
I have been giving phone sex to a handsome Italian gut since we met 11 years ago…he calls from Venice for his fix. Since I have been giving it away for free for years perhaps it is time to make a bit of cash…I am in my late forties but have a young voice which the men in Porttugal loved!
@Canjo, yes, use your experience to make money. Since you are in your late 40s, you can play it both ways. You can use your young-sounding voice to attract OLDER men who want a young co-ed and you can use an older-sounding voice to attract the 20-somethings, who love older women. They are going to want you to be the mother of their best friend who they have a crush on. My profile says 40s so I get a lot of the under 30 crowd and the 50 -70 crowd. Once again MEN ONLY PREFER ONE KIND OF WOMAN: THE KIND THEY DON’T HAVE AT HOME.
Here’s the link to the Good Morning America show about PSOs http://gma.yahoo.com/video/parenting-26594265/mom-s-operate-phone-sex-lines-27637232.html
Also, here’s the site that will send you names of legitimate PSO companies seeking phone actresses http://www.ratracerebellion.com/GMA-PSO.html#axzz1gzvFjzd4
i would love 2 be a pso it sounds fun and exciting!!!!!
This sounds like something that would be awesome to help supplement my college funding- but I have one worry- I dislike my voice. I’m a sociable person, sexually open about such things, and imaginative/good on my feet (I worked retail for a while, so listening to people is instinct at this point).
However, I have a deep voice for a woman and tend to talk more like a guy (as far as wording / style) than a sex kitten (having grown up hanging out with more fellows than females). Is there something in this area that would work for me? I just doubt my capability to get a hiring person’s attention and would like to hear your opinion on this (before I bring it up to my boyfriend, whom I’m unsure of standing on this subject).
Thanks for the article, this was really informative & well written! :)
@Karli, it is fun and exciting, especially if you love talking to different kinds of men.
@C.B., you have already answered your own question. Since you have a boyfriend, that means that somebody likes your voice. What’s rule #1? MEN ONLY PREFER ONE KIND OF WOMAN: THE KIND THEY DON’T HAVE AT HOME. Men who have feminine-sounding wives and girlfriends are going to want that deeper voice because it is something different for them. There are plenty of bis*xual men out there who love she-males. There you go. Brand yourself as having a unis*x name like Rob or Jamie. That way you can go either way with it. Men, especially men who want you to feminize them, will wonder if you are transgender. Tease them and keep them guessing.
Let’s not forget that about being a dominatrix: Mistress Rob or Mistress Jamie. Men would go crazy when you tell them, “Shut up,” with that deep voice. When you are looking for a job, tell the people up front that you have a strong voice instead of maybe a sex kitten voice. If they tell you they are not sure how you would fit in, then tell them what I just told you about the crowd you would cater to.
@C.B., I am so glad that the article was useful. If you haven’t signed up for this site http://phonesexsecrets.blogspot.com/2011/12/thoughts-after-good-morning-america.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PhoneSexSecrets+%28Phone+Sex+Secrets%29&utm_content=Yahoo!+Mail, then do because it is a must-read site. The lady who runs the site was on Good Morning America today, and she has made $1,000 A DAY by being a phone s*x operator.
Thanks for mentioning — and linking to — my blog, Phone Sex Secrets :)
I’d like to clarify that I specialize in helping independent phone sex operators, not those employed by a company. That’s why I can make more money in one day — but I also do more work marketing my phone sex characters. It really depends on how you like to work, how much control you want/need over your career.
Best of luck to all of you!
Here’s a chance to be on TV: If you are a PSO MOM living east of the Mississippi, there is a possible TV opportunity for you to be interviewed. Contact me at info@savionaire.com ASAP because this opportunity won’t last long. On the subject line, please put “PSO MOM Opportunity.” Please note that you MUST be a MOM, and preferably living in the eastern half of the US.
If you are a PSO with at least with a bachelor’s degree or hold an equivalent professional position such as running your own company, corporate management, IT pro, etc, then contact me at info@savionaire.com. On the subject line, please put “PSO Professional Opportunity.” Thanks.
I am a veteran PSO and Phone Sex Business Owner. I am a stay at home Mom. I do all types of calls except pedophila.
There is a dark side to this business and it does not include the callers.
Be careful who you work for. There are disreputable PS Business owners who do not pay their operators on time, bounce checks, and take advantage that “most” PSO’s will not persue legal action to collect their money do to fear of losing their anonymity.
As a business owner, it has recently gotten worse finding and hiring dependable operators. Some of the “bad” companies out there are having thier operators apply at other companies to steal proprietary information, client lists… etc
I pay my operators $1.00 – $1.30 per MINUTE of talk time. Yes, that comes out to $60 – $78 per hour.
I have never done 24 calls in one day, ever. But I have had $1,500.00 days. A good return caller who likes to chat, is lonely, can spend hours on the phone.
There are days when you don’t get ANY calls.
I don’t think an operators voice is as important as her attitude and personality.
OLDER operators make more than young operators in my experience.
I don’t ever think of my callers as perverts. Sexuality is healthy. As long as there are no victims, it’s all good. I categorize my clients as either “kinky” or “straight/vanilla”.
Well, I COULD write a book about this subject, lol, but I have to get back to work.
Hello, Ive been trying to become a phone sex operator but I dodnt know what to do or where to go. I only have a cell phone I desperatley need cash right away. Im one semester away from graduating but I dont have enough money to continue going to school. i’m struggling as it is can someone help me out please with finding PSO employment.
Found all this information on this website very useful, I would love to do this! I also own my own adult in home toy party company and love doing it! People come to me all the time and ask questions about sex,toys, etc. I am very open minded and can talk about sex easily. Just need to find the right company to become a PSO, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Shelley and Jen, try http://ratracerebellion.com/GMA-PSO.html#axzz1hmBOC4MK for a listing a reputable companies and http://www.chatrecruit.com/main. However, Shelley, it may be difficult to find a reputable company that allows you to work on a cell phone.
thanks so much for the info. I just contacted a few companies so I hope to hear back from someone. I have always thought about doing this but didnt know where to start. Your website was very informative. I am keeping my fingers crossed!!!! Thanks again
I have been a PSO for over 12 yrs now. This article was interesting but not very factual. I would not jump on this profession just by what was written here,
ymanuelle, if you are so much more experienced then thelma, then why don’t you share your experiences with everyone here.
thanks for all of the info. thelma.
Sorry but I cannot relay 12 years of job experience on a forum. I am just saying to do your homework and really research all the options before just jumping in. This job is not for everyone.
I’m not surprised that stay at home moms have turned to starting their own phone sex business. It’s quite profitable. Great article, thanks for all the info!
What about security through a company?
How exactly do they use your phone and keep your number private?
Why can’t you use a cell phone?
Also, there seems to be a lot of transaction, which worries me (I still am not completely comfortable about online banking and PayPal), but is PayPal primarily used?
What about identification, how can you be sure of a company’s credibility?
June, are you talking about being an Independent PSO? In a lot of ways, an IPSO is no different than a PSO who works for a company. An IPSO usually has callers to call a 800 number that is routed to her phone line. Therefore, the caller only has a 800 number to call. It is no different than when you call a call center and get a customer service rep who works from home. You have no idea what her phone number is.
Most companies don’t want their agents to use cell phones because calls are easier to drop on a cell phone than landline. However, an IPSO can do what she wants to do.
Welcome to the 21st century! Online banking and PayPal are the standard. That is why it is best to go with reputable companies such as the ones list here http://ratracerebellion.com/GMA-PSO.html#axzz1hmBOC4MK and http://www.chatrecruit.com/main.
It’s been fascinating to me to watch and participate in these conversations about being a phone sex operator all over the web since the GMA segment aired.
Some of the comments have been negative, which I expected but I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people supportive of a work at home mom pursuing phone sex as an occupation.
Haha, I love your website name – “Textilicious” – that’s awesome ;)
There are other non-caller Dark Sides to this….
Be prepared to lie about what you do. Half of my family can’t stomach it when I say “I need to start work by 8pm tonight, I have an appointment”, and the only friends who’ve stuck around were the male ones. Despite living in so-called socially liberal states, I’ve been blatantly ostracized for this work. So it may seem edgy and cool and lucrative, but most people will change towards you. Some will even treat you like you’re an actual prostitute.
More than a few women will harass you to get them a job where you work because they’ve talked their boyfriend off or people say they have a sexy voice. That’s fine if you do a .25-.30/min old school just-answer-the-phone kind of job. I don’t. Grossing $4-10/hr on average is not “good money” to me. The kind of PSO work that pays 2-4x that requires a lot more off-phone self-promotion, which takes writing/networking skills, acute perceptiveness and discipline (which most of us lack unless we’re on a BDSM call, heh). An entire back-up set of electronics (phone service, headsets, laptops, wifi, etc) keeps you from having any tech downtime, and guys spending $2-3/min to speak to you for more than 3 minutes value reliability, commitment, professionalism – especially in an industry not known for that. And I value not losing $100-300/day because my headset shoots static :)
PS- pedophilia/underage fantasies break the obscenity laws in most if not all states. Yes, companies and operators do it, but it is illegal and could theoretically get you arrested if there’s ever a crackdown.
Very VERY good points “Jane!” Never even thought about how others would handle your job, and it seems like it’s not that easy to fake your way out of over time, even if initially. Man… this whole profession is incredibly interesting. Thanks so much for your input!
My question is this, I’m not currently employed, so I do not have a cell phone, and because I live with roommates, the land line is well for everyone in the household. So do any of the companies ever give you a phone of some sort before hand? or is it always you have to have a phone already to work in this business? I’m really interested in doing this, It’s hard finding a job, and being able to make some money would be nice.
Samm, I am not aware of any reputable companies that give you a phone. Just to be sure, I suggest contacting all the companies listed here ere http://ratracerebellion.com/GMA-PSO.html#axzz1hmBOC4MK to see if any will give you a phone. Since your phone line is shared, is it possible for you to tell your roommates that you need designated time to use the phone, for example from 6-10am. Keep in mind that calls ONLY come in once you log into the system to say that you are ready to take calls. Therefore, if you say that you will only take calls from 6-10am, then calls will ONLY come in during that timeframe.
I want to become a PSO. Whats the best company to work for.
Katrina, I cannot tell you which company is the best to work for. Some companies pay more but offer no flexible schedule. On the other hand, some companies have no set schedule, but they pay less. Ideally, you want to get to a point where you work for yourself and keep the majority of the money. In the meantime, you can contact some reputable companies here http://ratracerebellion.com/GMA-PSO.html#axzz1hmBOC4MK and http://www.chatrecruit.com/main.
I was a phone sex operator for 5 years. I probably made about $5,000 a week & about half that time I was on vacation. It’s an excellent way to supplement your income so I advise any of you to consider it. Your 3 group stats seem a bit off though. I have worked with several professionals who fall into the fetish category. You’d be surprised how many well educated individuals like to explore a fetish scenario.
I had a client who was a med student from Dayton Ohio. He was a bright one who kept me on the phone for about an hour. He had a submissive side that he wished to explore amongst other things. Anyhow, the conversation revolved around his desire to submit to a woman. The conversation was quite therapeutic for both of us & I actually enjoyed it very much.
I saw scripts mentioned by someone. This is the side that I’m interested in. How might I get involved in writing scripts for PSOs? I’m a freelance writer and always looking for more eggs. If Do you know of any reputable companies that use scripts? Thanks for any info.
Susan, the companies I have worked for, which are reputable, have never provided me with a script. They have stated that scripts make you sound “too scripted,” and men want something that sounds natural. Have you thought about writing erotica in general? I don’t have any leads, but that is just a thought.
I thank you for your insight. I did not read the comments so you may have answered this already but where do i go to apply as a phone actress? I would like to apply asap. Thanks
Also, how do i or how will i know i am ready to work for myself?
Lucky, you can contact some reputable companies here http://ratracerebellion.com/GMA-PSO.html#axzz1hmBOC4MK and http://www.chatrecruit.com/main. When you build a clientele, you can work for yourself. The $1M question is how do you build a clientele? Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for that. I only know that Independent PSO make the most money. Maybe work for a company while you try to build your clientele on the side.
I have a very good friend who has been a telephone actress for 12 years and runs her own website. He recently told me that when she started there were about 10,000 phone sex operators.
Now according to her there are about 1 million. The competition has increased many fold is much tougher today than it was when she started.
Also there was a very large sites that you can use as a collection agent for you and they deduct your costs such as telephone charges, credit card clearing charges and other expenses and give you the balance. However these charges are pretty high. ) Clearing a credit card costs you 25% of the amount. These are offshore clearing businesses because the major banks will not accept adult charges.
So it is getting tougher and tougher to make money.
She also uses nite-flirt which is a very large clearing agency. They advertise, with some extension number for you and perform the necessary services for you. You may set your own rates and they will credit you the net amount.
Good luck to all