James began her career in the porn industry as an assistant to transsexual performer Gia Darling, and later made her film debut in Transsexual Babysitters 4. In 2008, she became the first transsexual performer to sign with the agency LA Direct Models. In June 2009, she performed with a cisgender female for the first time, in a scene with Angelina Valentine. In May 2010 she appeared in Maxim.
Until 2012, Kimber was a pre-operative transsexual in that she had undergone hormone treatment and multiple feminising surgeries including facial surgeries and breast implants but had not yet undergone full sex reassignment surgery, thus retaining her genitalia. This was in contrast with other t-girl porn stars such as Mandy Mitchell, etc. undergoing an orchiectomy and Danielle Foxxx who chose to undergo a full sex change and continue in the industry. In 2012 James underwent the surgery to fully transition.
After taking time off for a medical procedure in 2012, James returned to the industry at the helm of her own studio, Kimber James Productions. The studio is backed exclusively by Pulse Distribution with her first release on July 30, 2013 called Kimber James' Busty Adventures: Amsterdam.
In July 2014 James appeared on the E! channel series Botched which features doctors Terry Dubrow and Paul Nassif who attempt to improve unsuccessful cosmetic procedures.
