Travel Jobs for People Who Like To Travel
First a little disclaimer travel jobs to make money. If all travel-friendly jobs were easy to get, everyone would have one! Many of these professions require passion, specialized training, time commitment, and talent. For those that don’t, the pay isn’t always great. The truth about becoming a location independent nomad is that it takes years of hard work and sacrifice behind the scenes — something too many people conveniently ignore.
That said, it’s not impossible to work and travel either. The people I interviewed for this article below have invested their time to learn how to make these jobs work for them — which means you can do the same if you make it a priority travel jobs to make money.
1. Make Money Blogging
Starting a blog was the best decision I ever made and is, in my opinion, the best travel job out there – I can travel whenever I want and make money out of my adventures to keep me going. However, blogging is not easy and it’s not especially quick to start making money. Blogging offers a great introduction to many different digital nomad careers – you’ll learn a bit more about SEO, about copywriting, web design, social media management and travel jobs to make.
If you’re looking for a career that involves traveling, a successful travel blog really is the golden ticket.
2. 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$13,000 teaching in South Korea for one year.
3. Work in Hostels and Hotels
Many hostels, hotels and resorts are looking for staff, either for short time (during high season) or long-term. Jobs vary from reception staff, house keeping, 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.
4. Teach English Online
Teaching English online is a consistent, very accessible way for backpackers and nomads to earn an online income. You don’t need any special coding, tech, writing, or photography skills to become a digital nomad these days. Thanks to the power of the internet, the world of teaching English online has opened new doors to native English speakers wanting to work from—well— anywhere with a solid internet connection. The best part? Depending on the company you work for, you can choose your own schedule and commitment level that aligns with your own needs.
Point being, teaching English online is a bloody dream job for native English (in some cases non-native speakers too) speakers looking to make extra cash, whether they are on the road or not.
5. Yacht Sailing Jobs
Can you imagine sailing around the world working on some rich guy’s private sailing yacht? This is an awesome job that requires travel! It’s a fun way to see some exotic locations. Your food and accommodation are covered too, which is great for saving money.
It’s ok if you’ve never worked on a yacht before because the job of deckhand or steward(ess) are entry-level positions that pay really well. All you need to do is take a short course beforehand and spend time in a beautiful yachting destination while looking for work.
6. Scuba Diving Instructor
If you love diving, you should consider to get 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.
7. Dropshipping
Dropshipping is when you ship products to customers, usually in Europe or the USA, from somewhere cheap, usually China. I began dropshipping my own products in late 2017 as I had been selling products through the Amazon affiliate program for over two years and I spotted an opportunity to make more money by producing my own versions of the products I sold the most of and shipping them from China to an Amazon FBA warehouse.
8. Bartending Jobs Abroad
Bars, nightclubs and restaurants are located worldwide and the job description is pretty much the same everywhere for travel jobs to make money. It helps to speak the language, so you may need to invest in a few weeks of language classes.
Touristy places will be easier to find work in this industry and there’s no minimum or maximum time requirement. Plus the more experience you gain as a bartender, the more job opportunities will open up, with a potential for higher income.
9. Cruise Ship Jobs
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.
10. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is very simple. It means that you recommend a product or service to your audience, and if someone on your website uses that product or service, you get a commission! Affiliate marketing is basically being a middle man, and is one of the most popular, proven, and sustainable ways to create income online. I’d say that over 75% of my personal income comes from affiliate marketing. If you are interested in making money online – affiliate marketing is the holy grail.
11. Become A Local Tour Guide
You could consider working as a local tour guide or assistant for an international tour company, either at a single popular location or for multi-destination tours. Another option is to become a travel entrepreneur and create your very own custom tours!
Maybe it’s the best un-marked surf spots, an awesome local hiking trip, or showing people the coolest bars and restaurants in town. Becoming a tour guide is a great way to earn money in the travel industry while sharing your love of traveling.
12. 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.
13. Day Trading
Day trading is a really exciting, but also a very nerve wracking, way to make money while traveling. I have no experience trading stocks but I have been trading Cryptocurrency for just over a year now and have made 3800% on my original investment. If you have money that you can afford to lose (seriously, this shit carries risk) then day trading is one of the most exciting digital nomad jobs out there right now.
14. Online Translation Jobs
Obviously, you need to know a second language to be a freelance language translator. But if that’s you, there are all kinds of companies out there who need translations done for websites, product manuals, books, and more.
If you’re just starting out, you could even translate restaurant menus, help run bilingual tours for tourists who speak your language or translate websites and blog posts. The more fluent you are, the more money you can make.
15. Flight Attendant
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 at.
16. Scuba Instructor
Being a certified Scuba Diver Instructor takes a bit of investment, but can be one of the most fun ways to work and travel the world. You need a handful of courses and certifications, as well as having logged in a certain amount of hours underwater yourself.
If you are already certified, get excited! If you aren’t, you can do it at home, or take advantage of many programs that exist in countries like Thailand and The Philippines. Hand’s down this is one of the best ways to get paid to travel and you can pick up paying work in lots of different countries around the world.
17. Traveling Yoga Instructor
Another job that allows you to travel the world while making money is working as a freelance yoga instructor. You can teach classes on pilates, yoga, zumba, dance, or provide services as a personal trainer if you have enough experience.
Some yoga instructors make deals with local gyms, backpacker hostels, or fancy all-inclusive resorts in order to use their facilities with clients during trips. You can also be hired as an in-house yoga instructor to lead classes for guests. It’s a cool career for travelers!
18. Surfing Instructor
Similar to a scuba instructor, but without all of the need for certifications. You just need to be a badass surfer! Surfing instructors can do well for themselves by traveling, surfing, meeting people who are interested and want to learn, and then offering their services.
You won’t earn as much as a scuba instructor, but you’ll be getting paid to do surf work and travel which is probably the coolest thing ever. I’m a big fan of surfing and hoping to spend a year or two getting a hell of a lot better in the future. If you are looking for a cool job that involves travelling, this may be for you.
19. Freelance Travel Writer
Writing about travel seems to be a dream job for many, however, it’s not something most people can just jump into. First, you have to be great with words. Next, you need to learn about networking, pitching to editors, and all the other business stuff involved.
Once you have those down, then it’s possible to write for magazines, newspapers, websites, or travel guidebooks and travel the world. Freelance copywriting and other types of writing are also options.
20. Fruit Picking
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 to pick grapes in Italy, mangos in Australia and kiwis in New Zealand, you should apply for this job before the harvest season begins.
21. Buy A Place and Rent It
If you have been working for a while, you may have some savings. Rather than blowing it all on a couple of fast paced years of travel, invest it into buying a property at home and renting it out whilst you travel (living off the rent money).
You can advertise your place on lots of different websites including Airbnb. It can easily turn into big bucks: so much so that some of my friends will not even stay at their own place when they return to their hometown. They’ll keep renting it out and stay somewhere else. Cha-ching!
22. Freelance Massage Therapist
Massage therapy is in demand worldwide as an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain and muscle tension. Trained therapists can offer their skills to weary travelers or expatriates near popular tourist destinations.
Work for a larger company or strike out on your own as an entrepreneur. Find clients by teaming up with hotels and giving them a cut for referring customers. Print flyers to hang up around gyms, coffee shops, etc.
23. 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.
24. Work on A Boat
Unfortunately, the days of being a pirate are kinda over but that doesn’t mean you can’t still be a modern day ‘kind-of pirate’. Still a bit under the radar, it’s very possible to find travel jobs on boats, specifically – yachts and sailboats. Work is certainly easier to get with experience, but sometimes it’s as easy as just walking on to a dock and asking around.
Want to significantly increase your chances of getting hired on a super yacht or boat? Consider taking a course at the Super Yacht School. The Super Yacht School, an online training company that educates people on everything they need to know regarding how to land a job on a super yacht as a crew member. They offer very helpful online webinars as well as full-on in-depth training courses. Check them out if you are serious about landing a job on a badass boat!
25. Website and Graphic Design
One of the most common travel careers for digital nomads is graphics or website design. All you need is your computer, an eye for design, and knowledge of certain software programs and online platforms. Things like Photoshop, Dreamweaver, WordPress, Illustrator, etc.
Talent for writing code helps too — specifically HTML, PHP, and CSS. School is great, but it’s also possible to learn on your own with tutorials. Building websites for others can lead to new clients, no matter where you are in the world.
26. Traveling Street Vendor
Jewelry is the most popular item to sell as a street vendor, but it could also be art, clothing, leather goods… anything where you can source materials locally in bulk to make a product yourself.
Setting up as a vendor requires supplies, possibly meaning a long time in one location, but if you’re going to spend a season in one place it can be worth it. Popular locations with lots of tourist traffic work best.
27. Traveling Festival travel jobs to make
You don’t have to be a big name performer to work at festivals or events around the world. There are side-stage acts, installations, event staff, and food vendors too. Festivals always bring on lots of staff before, during and after the events.
You can time southern hemisphere Australian and New Zealand festivals between Canadian, American and European summer circuits.
28. Local — Tour Guide
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. Specially during high season there is always a higher demand for tour guides. Sometimes they require a licence, however I was able to get a few tour guide jobs without having a licence. 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.
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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. Best way travel jobs to make money.