THE BEST TRAVEL JOBS- But first, let me tell you a bit about me. Back in January 2010, I returned to Germany after a 14 months trip around the world. It took me only a couple days until I knew that there was no way I'd go back to the cubicle and work again from 9-5. If you travel long enough, your priorities will change.
Fast forward, I've been living abroad for more than seven years now. I was able to finance my lifestyle with different travel jobs on the road. While I was traveling, I met so many other people who were doing exactly the same: living an independent lifestyle and pursuing their dream of traveling forever. They had creative ideas to make money while traveling. These people became friends, they gave me a ton of inspiration and helped me to write this article for you.
How to make money while traveling?
My dear reader, stranger, friend, I'm thrilled you're reading this right now! This blog post is for you. I want to help you to find jobs that allow you to travel! I want to give you plenty of inspiration and ideas on how to make money on the road. One piece of advice upfront: Create a list with all your skills, talents, interests, hobbies, every kind of knowledge you have. Then go through this list and check what things you can combine with travel, and how you could possibly turn this into a business.
Needless to say, it's easier to make money with something that you truly love to do.
Ready to get inspired? I hope the following 50 travel job ideas will give you some new perspective! I divided all jobs into 2 sections:
Work Abroad
Work Online (location independent)
Let's get started!
Work Abroad
Not everyone is comfortable to travel and find jobs on the road. If you still need the safety of having a permanent job, but you're craving for a life in a different country, then working abroad in a full-time employment position might be the best for you. Sometimes these full-time employment jobs include benefits such as visas, paid flights and often accommodation. A few of the jobs below are freelance gigs.
Here are my top tips for careers that involve traveling.
01 | Teach English Abroad
If you're not a fluent English speaker, skip to the next one. Teaching English abroad is one of the most common ways to earn money and dig into a completely different culture. There are job opportunities almost everywhere, many companies will pay your flights and apartment. South Korea and Japan are well-paid countries for English teachers. My friend Audrey wrote an excellent guide on how she saved US$17,000 teaching in South Korea for one year.
Websites & resources to find English teacher jobs:
Many hostels, hotels, and resorts are looking for staff, either for a short time (during high season) or long-term. Jobs vary from reception staff, housekeeping, a driver for airport pick-ups, etc. Some of these jobs are paid, others are on a voluntary basis. Work in exchange for a free bed and food is quite common. Not ideal if you want to earn money, but at least a way to save money for travel.
Don't pick a job with great vacation time. Pick one that doesn't need escaping from.
03 | Scuba Diving Instructor
If you love diving, you should consider getting a scuba certification! There are incredible places in the world for scuba diving, like Mexico, Maldives, Honduras, Philippines, Hawaii, Egypt and many more where you could apply for scuba diving jobs! Give travelers diving lessons and enjoy a laid-back life by the sea, including free dives. Not too bad, huh?
One of the better jobs for people who like to travel: Work on a ship. A cruise ship is like a massive floating hotel in the sea, with all kinds of entertaining facilities. There are plenty of different jobs on a cruise ship: bartender, shop staff, receptionist, chef, casino staff, DJ, hair stylist, massage therapist, nurse and many more. The list of possible cruise line jobs is endless. Salaries vary between $800-$8000 per month.
Working on a cruise ship is one of the most popular careers that allow you to travel. Food and lodging is provided, you have no expenses during that time. Plus, you get paid to travel to some of the most beautiful places on earth.
Get paid to travel - How to work on Cruise Ships– If you're serious about getting a job on a cruise ship, save your time and get Wandering Earl's Guide. The book includes everything you need to know, all the job positions you can find on cruise ships, sample resumes, plus contacts to pretty much every cruise line on this planet.
05 | Agricultural and Farming Jobs
If you love working outdoors, care for the environment and don't mind getting your hands a little bit dirty, look for agricultural jobs. It's also a great way to escape the big cities and live in rural areas, far off the tourist tracks.
Get paid to travel! Airline jobs like cabin crew are one of the jobs that involve travel,plus it comes with generous perks like 90% discounted flights, cheaper fares for family members and great hotel discounts.
You don't need a doctor's degree to get the job, but it helps to speak at least another language. Dress up in business attire when going to a job interview and make sure to know the key facts about the airline you're applying it.
Picking vegetables, fruits and flowers is a popular job among travelers. It's mostly a seasonal job and often very well paid. If you can imagine picking grapes in Italy, mangos in Australia and kiwis in New Zealand, you should apply for this job before the harvest season begins.
This is mainly for hard working people. To be honest, I have no experience in construction work and do not desire to get some anytime soon. I tried to find some websites that would focus on construction jobs around the world, however, it seems this is a typical job that's paid under the table. A quick way to make money, but also risky. I do not recommend to work illegally.
09 | Au Pair
Au Pair positions are usually offered to women, and it's a great job if you love kids! Working as an au pair is a way to get a taste of living in a foreign country. What is an au pair doing? Mostly helping a family with their housework and taking care of the children. Au pairs usually live with the host family, they receive free accommodation, meals and often a payment on top.
Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.
– Confucius –
10 | Surf Instructor
Similar to a scuba dive instructor, the job of a surf instructor comes with a great location near the sea. It's not very well paid, but definitely a fun and adventurous job! If you have a passion for surfing and the skills to teach people how to ride waves, go for it!
Finding a bartending job is actually quite easy if you stick to touristy areas during the high season. Rather than applying online, just show up at bars and cafés and ask if they are hiring. Your chances are even better if there is a new bar opening. Arrive before the peak season starts and you might be able to score a job for the entire season.
Are you a certified massage therapist? If not you can easily obtain a massage certificate while you travel. Fellow blogger friend Kach did a comprehensive training in Rishikesh (India) and paid around US$200 to become an Ayurveda massage therapist. She, later on, offered massage therapy to clients while traveling in Peru. Alternatively, you could reach out to spas and resorts in order to get a job for a season.
Websites and resources to find massage therapist jobs
You have been doing yoga for some time and it became an important part of your life? Why not teach yoga and inspire others to do so? Yoga is more popular than ever and studios are all around the world. You could teach at a yoga retreat (so many of them in Bali!) or just apply for a yoga teacher job at a resort.
You love to prepare dishes? How about cooking your way around the world? There is a high demand for season workers in resorts, restaurants, cruise ships and more. You can use the resources below to find jobs, or you just visit nearby resorts and restaurants while you travel and ask for job openings.
How to travel and make money? Work as a tour guide! I worked a couple of times as a tour guide and it was a lot of fun. This is a great example of a job where you get paid to travel and share your favorite places.
You can apply as a (freelance) guide at travel agencies that sell tours to travelers. Especially during high season, there is always a higher demand for tour guides. Sometimes they require a license, however, I was able to get a few tour guide jobs without having a license. If you show your passion for travel and have a great knowledge about the history of the region, it shouldn't be too hard to find a tour guide job.
Tip: A much better and more effective way is to advertise yourself online as an independent local tour guide. Offer your own tours in a place you love and know very well. This can be your home or a place you have lived for a while. If you're passionate about your city, sign up as a guide, it's one of the easy ways to make money. You don't have to be an expert, just share the passion and show travelers what and why you love the city you're living in.
Websites where you can register yourself as a local/tour guide:
If you love getting attention and have the skills to impress people, this can be a fun way to make quick money! No matter if it's singing, playing guitar, juggling, breakdance or funny weird body performances – just try your luck and do whatever you can do best! At the right place, like a busy public square or in front of train stations, you can make good cash by entertaining people who pass by...
On a side note, this isn't legal everywhere, please check the local laws before you start performing!
17 | Crew on a yacht or sailboat
How about a sailing trip through the Caribbean, the Pacific or the Mediterranean sea? If you don't suffer from sea sickness (like me) you should consider working on a yacht or sailboat. There are websites for boat owners who are looking for crew members to sail around the world with them (or wherever the wind takes them...)
Crew assignments are not always paid, but it's one of the jobs where you travel a lot. Working on a sailboat or yacht is definitely a unique experience, you'll get to explore some of the most remote places in the world.
I have actually met many travelers who worked as hair stylists before they hit the road. Once they travel, they carry their basic equipment with them and advertise their services in Facebook groups (search for expat pages in your destination.) You could also hang fliers in busy hostels or advertise your services on Craigslist.
The goal isn't more money. The goal is living life on your terms.
– Chris Brogan –
19 | Model
If you look different than the rest of the country's citizens, consider yourself exotic. My boyfriend got approached in Tokyo for a model shoot but also did a shoot in the Philippines (uhm yes, he's quite handsome, haha).
If you're confident and consider yourself good looking, search online for the nearest model agency in your location, go there and introduce yourself!
You have an excellent taste in music, and you know how to make the crowd dance? Awesome – your next DJ gig shouldn't be too far away. Traveling to party destinations will certainly help. Go and check out clubs, that just opened up. They might be looking for new DJs. Network with the club owners, introduce yourself and don't forget to leave your best demo mix.
How to save money for travel? Well, how about a free place to stay? Typically, you won’t get paid for housesitting, but it saves you loads of money you would spend otherwise on accommodation. Some housesitting gigs involve animals, basically, you're taking care of someone else pets while they're away.
Joining websites such a Trusted Housesitters cost a yearly membership of US$99. Is it worth to ask? We did 3 weeks housesitting in Hong Kong last year and it was an incredible experience – check our video above! Now we just got another housesit confirmed in Bangkok, taking care of a kitten while staying 5 weeks rent-free in a fabulous 2 bedroom apartment. For me, this is a fantastic deal and makes the membership totally worth it.
Have a look at the site, you can find anything from romantic farmhouses in Tuscany to luxury apartments in New York, or fantastic beach villas in the Caribbean. There are thousands of housesitting opportunities worldwide!
This is an option if you're skilled to create unique jewelry such as leather bracelets, beaded necklaces, earrings, and other crafts. One of my favorite necklaces is made of seashells and turquoise stones. I bought it from a guy who was traveling the world for years and selling his handmade creations in the islands of Thailand.
23 | Traveling Nurse
Working as a travel nurse can be a lucrative travel job. There is a huge demand, especially in Saudi Arabia. You need at least one-year working experience in your area of specialty. It's a full-time job, and nurses earn around US$30-60/hour. Visas and housing will be provided. The job assignment usually lasts 13 weeks and can often be extended by mutual agreement.
Websites and resources to find a job as a travel nurse
A dream job for many of us: Travel the world and make money taking pictures. While there is a massive competition and many people are willing to work in exchange for free trips, it's hard nowadays to make money as a travel photographer. But... if you're really good, give it a shot! Literally.
Make sure to build a professional portfolio on sites like 500px. Offer your services to companies in the tourism and travel industry. If you have an outstanding portfolio, you might be able to get photo jobs with tourism boards, resorts, tour companies, etc. Additionally, you could offer workshops and photography tours and teach people your best techniques. Websites and resources to find a (travel) photographer job
What it takes to become a professional travel photographer
Seasonal and Holiday Photographer Jobs
25 | Rent your room - Or help others to make money with their spaces
... and take a commission of course. I have a friend who started renting out her room on Airbnb. She told her friends about it, and everyone was impressed with how much extra money she made on the side.
Her friends were busy, they didn't have the time to do it like her. Guess what? My friend is now managing several apartments on Airbnb, including the ones of her friends and taking a commission for every booking. Not a bad deal.
Websites where you can advertise rooms, apartments or houses
Airbnb (world's biggest website with private accommodations)
Welcome to the second part of this article. This is all about how to make money online. The good news: it's actually not that difficult. I've been a freelancer for more than a decade, a long time before I even started my travel blog.
Working as a freelancer has been one of the best decisions in my life. It's risky, yes. No clients, no money. But on the other side, you can start working right now, with zero investment upfront. Pretty awesome, huh? There are tons of ways to make money online. You can start today. Here are some great job ideas you can do from anywhere. Well, a good internet connection is essential. 26 | Graphic Designer
I used to work as a freelance graphic and screen designer for many years. For me, it was one of the best ways to make money online.
If you're creative, skilled in Photoshop, Illustrator etc. and you have a good eye for design and typography, then you should offer your services online. Whether you're a professional designer or a self-taught illustrator, there are numerous job websites for any skill level.You could design websites, banners, infographics, logos, business cards or just simple graphics for social media. The image on the left is a typical visual for Pinterest. Believe it or not, there is a huge demand for people who can create some pretty visuals for social media.
You don't need to be a programmer to build a professional looking website. Thanks to platforms like Jimdo and Wordpress it's nowadays super easy to create a website without having any programming skills. So why would someone hire you then, if it's that simple? Because it takes time – plus many people don't know how easy it is.
Start with the hotels and hostels you're staying at. If they have a terrible website, offer them to build a new page, either for money or demand a free stay for the time it takes you to build the site.
Alternatively, if you're a skilled programmer or web developer, look online for freelance jobs. There are plenty. Building websites are one of the best ways to make money online. It's well paid and the demand is enormous.
Websites for finding website developer and programmer jobs
If you can write and speak more than one language fluently, you could look for translating jobs. Spanish, Chinese, French, and Japanese are very popular right now. Even if you speak another language than the ones I just listed, check out the links below, you might find a translation job for the languages you speak.
Social media is heavily time-consuming, and most companies do not have the time to keep up with it. It's pretty much a full-time job! I can second that. Even just as a blogger, I could spend the whole day just managing my Facebook, Instagram, and all the otheraccounts.
If you're a social media butterfly, work for companies and help them to run their social media accounts.
You're good at expressing yourself in words? You love to tell stories and have a great writing style? There are tons of opportunities to get a paid writing gig. It helps if you already have a blog where you published some of your stories. I got paid writing gigs through my blog, for BBC Travel and other magazines.
Alternatively, you could also work for companies and get paid for writing blog posts, newsletters, brochures, press releases, ebooks, copywriting, or just editing. There are plenty of freelance writing gigs, check out the resources below...
What is an SEO expert? Basically, you help companies and clients to rank better in Google search results. But how do you become an SEO expert? Excellent question. Google itself provides a free SEO Starter Guide, but also the MOZ Beginners Guide to SEO is brilliant and will help you to learn the basic skills. After that, it's learning by doing and trying different techniques until you see results. Once you feel confident with your skills, it's time to hunt for an SEO freelance gig. Websites and resources to SEO jobs
Nowadays, plenty of busy digital nomads and online entrepreneurs hire VA's (virtual assistants). A virtual assistant is managed daily tasks, such as replying to emails, scheduling appointments, research, etc. If you think you can be the perfect virtual secretary, go for it!
How to make money blogging? Let's make one thing clear: Making money as a blogger takes time. A lot of time. Blogging is a full-time job, and in my case, I didn't earn any money within the first six months.
Nowadays I'm earning enough from this blog, but it was a long way to get there. You need to be dedicated, be different than others, and on top, you should write epic, useful and entertaining content.
The quick manual: Set up a blog with Jimdo (like I did – it's super easy because you don't need any knowledge of programming) and start writing about the things you're passionate about. In order to get plenty of traffic, you need to network with the top influential people in your niche and promote your articles on social media. More tips and resources below.
Don't give up, it takes time. Once your blog gains an audience, you can start monetizing your site with advertising, affiliates and brand partnerships.
Most people know how to use a camera and how to record some videos. But also most of them aren't able to put the footage into a well-curated video later. If you have some decent video editing skills, you can easily find some freelance jobs online. If you already created some awesome travel videos yourself, go ahead and sell your videos.
Websites where you can sell your videos or find editing jobs
Depositphotos - A stock website where you can sell your footage
35 | Website and App Tester
Make quick money by testing websites, apps, or interactive content. The payment is between $3-15 per test and takes usually from a couple minutes up to half an hour. The longer the test, the more you get paid. All you need is software to record your screen, a good microphone and the ability to speak fluent English. Websites where you can sign up as a tester
You have extensive knowledge about something and you can provide useful advice? Or you love writing stories to entertain people? You should consider writing an eBook. Needless to say, the demand for info material is huge, making money by selling a "how-to guide" is probably easier than selling a novel. Books that help people to achieve something are selling the best.
Making money with an eBook is easy, because it comes with low investment costs. Once written, it can provide a passive income for a period of time. You can literally start writing now, or even outsource the writing and the research. What are you waiting for?
Websites and resources about writing and selling an eBook
You have tons of pictures from your travels? Why not try to sell them? But forget the major stock image sites, they only pay cents for your photss. The websites below offer a higher payment, on some of them you can even set your own rates.
Make money by filling out surveys. Not necessarily a way to get rich, more like a plan to make some extra cash. There are plenty of survey websites, but only a few of them are trustworthy. Use a new email address if you plan on doing surveys, as you might get tons of spam emails afterwards.
You have some incredible skills and can teach people something useful? Become an instructor and create a video course, possibly on Udemy. My friend Jasper is making money online from his helpful courses on Udemy.
You can create an online course literally everywhere, you just need a laptop, a mic and a camera. Once it's set up, it can be a source of passive income, for a long long time.
Websites and resources on how to create online courses
You're a confident person, love recording yourself and have something interesting to say? Or you have a cute pet that is so entertaining and you can't stop filming it? Or maybe you have incredible skills and love to create tutorial videos that help people? You should become a Vlogger!!
YouTube is the biggest platform for Vloggers with over one billion users. Your videos can be about anything, as long as your content is unique and not boring. Make sure to offer something valuable to your followers to keep them coming back. Make them laugh, teach them something or inspire them.
Once you get popular, you can monetize your videos with ads and earn about $1-10 per 1000 views.
My dear friend Anja started her YouTube channela bit over a year ago. She's teaching people how to learn German in a hilarious way. Fast forward, Anja has more than 100,000 subscribers and is by now making a living from her videos, through ads and donations from her followers.
Websites and resources to make money as a Youtuber
You're an artist or designer? You create beautiful things and want to make a living from it? Ever considered to sell your stuff online? There are hundreds of websites where you can showcase your art and designs to a wider audience and sell it.
Why only sell art if you can print your artwork on T-Shirts? The cool thing about selling T-Shirts online is that it's a business that anyone can do without upfront investment. A good friend of mine is making over $5000 a month from selling his T-Shirts online. You don't need to be a designer, the best-selling designs are often just simple, funny or inspiring quotes.
Teespring.com is another great website, based on crowdfunding. You're responsible for promoting your shirts. The easiest way to market your shirts would be through targeted Facebook ads. Teespring offers some great videos that provide valuable insight on how to sell T-Shirts successfully on their platform.
You love performing and have an interesting and unique voice? Doing voice overs is a fun job that can be done anywhere. You could do voice overs for audio books, documentaries, online courses or training videos, or even for bigger productions like TV, radio commercials, video games and more.
Affiliate Marketing is one of the most difficult ways to make money, but also one of the best. Once set up, it generates passive income. You'll earn money online, while you sleep.
But what exactly is Affiliate Marketing? You promote someone's product and receive a commission, every time someone buys the product through your recommendation. Needless to say, you should only promote products you love. If you don't know the product, how can you convince someone else to buy it?
You don't have to be a blogger to do Affiliate Marketing, though it definitely helps if you have a specific niche and recommend relevant products to your readers. If you don't own a blog, you can share affiliate links on social media (Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube), in email newsletters, etc.
CJ– Affiliate network with a great variety of quality advertisers
ShareASale– Another big affiliate network with a long list of partners
E-Junkie – Perfect to promote digital products such as eBooks
46 | Consulting and Tutoring
Another great example of a job that can be done anywhere, and a great way to monetize your expertise. I'm pretty sure you have some awesome skills, that might be useful to someone else.
Before I started my blog, I taught German on Skype to students from all over the world. How did I find clients? I just set up a free ad on Craigslist and offered my services.
Nowadays, there are plenty of sites where teachers and tutors can sign up and offer consulting and lessons to students. No matter if you teach English, algebra, singing, SEO, etc... Just sign up, set your rate per hour and give lessons via Skype to your students.
Websites where you sign up as a consultor or tutor
Dropshipping can be a super lucrative way to make money online. Basically you're selling products online as a middle man, without ever getting in contact with the goods. The positive thing is, you're not buying a large amount of goods yourself –instead you partner up with a company and sell their products on your website.
Whenever someone orders a product from your online shop, you pass the order on to your supplier, who will ship directly to your customer. Your profit is the difference between your product price and the supplier's price. In order to make huge profits from this, you need to study the market extensively, find niche items with high profit margins, and promote these products to the right people.
My friend Johnny FD is doing dropshipping for the past years and publishing every month his detailed income reports. He's running his dropshipping business from anywhere, all he needs is a laptop!
Ever thought of creating and selling an app? The timing couldn't be any better, everyone has a smart phone and people are buying apps more than ever! Needless to say, you need some tech skills and a good feel for the market. If you have a brilliant idea, do it!
If chasing a dream was easy, everyone would do it and the traffic would be miserable.
The roads are empty my friend. DRIVE.
– Jon Acuff –
49 | Finance Professional
You have a background in business management, finance or accounting? Do some freelancing! You could help others with their tax declarations and offer advice for accounting issues. Most people hate dealing with this stuff, give them a helping hand in exchange for money.
The job of a transcriptionist is one of the easier jobs you can do with a laptop and a decent internet connection. Basically, you listen to audio files and simply convert the talk into a written document. This can be recorded interviews, but also recordings in the medical or legal field. If you type fast, you should consider this job!
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