Hiring escorts is an increasingly popular decision among wealthy businessmen, and there are some big and notable differences between the escort industry and prostitution.

Men who use escort services are typically far more discerning than your average john. They look to an escort for accompaniment on an entire evening–for dinner and drinks in addition to and sometimes even in lieu of sex.

Use of paid sexual services is very common in the United States, despite what you may believe. Between 15 and 20% of American men have paid for sex at least once, citing it as both a kink and sometimes even an antidote for sexual frustrations.

If you’ve never looked into the service before and are interested in hiring an escort, there are some basic things to understand about the industry before you take a leap. Some of them may even surprise you. Read on to find out more.

1. Most Escorts Are Smarter Than You Think

A common misconception when it comes to sex workers is that they are uneducated, or only perform sexual services because they have no other choice of employment.

This is simply not true.

Many, if not most, escorts and sex workers are actually university educated and come from highly reputable schools. Women, especially educated women, make a rational decision to enter certain parts of the sex industry.

Many escorts take up the job for the same reasons that many take up more traditional jobs. Escorting offers stability, autonomy, money, and even job satisfaction.

A study conducted by The University of Arkansas found that affluent educated women were more likely to become escorts than uneducated women and that many of these women had learned to operate online through various sites. This intelligence and know-how is a tool escorts can use to engage and influence their clients.

Odds are, the escort that you’re interested in is probably a lot smarter than you think. She’s probably even smarter than you!

2. Different Countries, Different Rules

Depending on where in the world you’ll be needing a little accompaniment, the rules of the escort biz may differ. The legality and status of escort services can vary greatly depending on which country you’re in.

For example, in Canada, all forms of prostitution are legal, but street prostitution is discouraged due to the illegal acts that frequently surround it, such as pimping. Some countries have particularly strict and strange laws surrounding sex work.

In Japan, paying for fellatio is legal, yet it is actually illegal to pay for vaginal sex. In other, typically European countries, escorts and prostitutes are common and well-respected.

In some places in the world, it is considered almost a mainstream occupation–in Amsterdam, for example, escorts and prostitutes are tax paying, unionized professionals.

When you travel, you should make yourself incredibly familiar with the sex work laws in your locality before moving forward with any action. The last thing you want is to end up in hot water because you didn’t do just a little research prior.

3. Prostitutes and Escorts Offer Different Things

Many unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the sex industry tend to lump prostitutes and escorts into the same category. This is not true to the realities of either of those jobs.

For one, escorts tend to have a more glamorous appearance than a prostitute. Makeup, hair treatments, and lingerie are all things a call girl typically will invest in to make herself more attractive to potential clients.

Prostitutes offer a much more straight-forward service. You pay for sex, you have sex, and you leave.

Escorts, on the other hand, offer something much more romantic and sensual. With an escort, a conversation can flow and natural chemistry can build over the course of an evening before leading to eventual intercourse.

Escorts are typically more receptive to adjusting an evening’s mood and tone to a client’s desire. While an escort won’t do anything you request, they tend to be more receptive to playing to a certain ‘type’ that you may be into.

There are many other differences between these two types of sex workers, and you can and should try to learn more if you’re interested in the distinction.

4. Escorts Have a Secret Lingo

In order to avoid prostitution and pimping laws, most escort services are careful not to explicitly mention that sex is being exchanged for money. Instead, different phrasings and abbreviations have been made to indicate what is being offered without outright saying it.

Examples of escort code include BBBJ, which indicates that the client will receive oral sex without a condom, while CBJ would indicate with a condom. GFE is short for girlfriend experience, a common escort term that promises a more affectionate and flirtatious evening as opposed to something more transactional or mechanical.

Other words are meant to obfuscate the transactional aspects of the escort relationship. For example, instead of payment or fee, the word ‘donation’ is frequently used.

5. Escorts Make a Lot of Money

Another common misconception about escorts is that they’re scraping by. For many women, escorting provides access to a higher social class.

Men pay a great deal to spend time with a professional and well-regarded escort, with some women making up to $400 per hour for their time. High-class escorts that work with exclusive clientele may make over $1,000 in a single hour–serious money.

The perception that sex workers are doing escort work to ‘scrape by’ financially is simply untrue. On average, professional escorts make more money than a large majority of the American workforce, which is another reason the line of work proves so attractive to many women.

All You Need to Know When Hiring an Escort

Now that you understand a little bit more about the industry, you’re ready for an illuminating and exciting night that may lie in your future. If you’re planning on hiring an escort, you now know a little bit more about the woman you will be sitting across from.

Knowledge is power, power is life–check out our blog for more stories, tip, and tricks designed to enrich your life and empower you.