Do you dream of seeing the world and making money at the same time?
If you have wanderlust, make your dream a reality by pursuing a job that involves travel and pays well. Finding such a job will provide you a means to be self-sufficient while also granting you the freedom to change your location at will.
Read on to find out about the four different styles of travel jobs and learn about the top 10 options if you’re looking to earn a living while traveling.
4 Different Types of Travel Jobs
Depending on your desired lifestyle, you can choose between becoming either an expat, a digital nomad, a backpacker, or finding a job in the travel industry.
Some questions to consider when deciding on the best travel jobs for you personally include:
- How long will you want to stay in a particular place?
- How long will you want to stay in a particular job?
- Will you want to work remotely?
- Are you a service-oriented person?
Type 1: Expat Jobs
An expat, or expatriate, is someone living and working abroad. Since expat jobs are for people who’ve relocated from their country of origin, they’re long term (usually 6 months to 1 year or longer), and so aren’t subject to much change. Expat jobs are great for people who desire stability in their lives while abroad.
Type 2: Digital Nomad Jobs
A digital nomad is someone who works remotely over the internet. As a digital nomad, you’ll be free to travel, since you won’t be tied down to a particular place. You won’t necessarily work from home. Instead, you’ll work from cafes or co-working spaces, where a fast internet connection and a productive environment will allow you to work remotely.
Type 3: Backpacker Jobs
A backpacker travels with few belongings. If you’re looking for backpacking jobs, you need to be creative about where you find them: these jobs don’t depend on computers to the same extent as digital nomad jobs. Instead, they’re associated with manual or seasonal labor. Backpackers often use these jobs to pay their way on their travels.
Type 4: Travel Industry Jobs
Another way to earn money while traveling is to work directly in the travel industry. This includes jobs in hospitality, travel agencies, or airlines. Travel industry jobs tend to fall on the service side of the occupation spectrum, so you’ll need to use your interpersonal skills and enjoy helping people.
10 Best Travel Jobs for Travel Lovers
1. Freelance Writer
Travel Job Type:
Digital nomad
Income Range:
What to Expect:
As a freelance writer, you’re free to explore:
- Blogging for yourself
- Writing content for other sites
- Delving into the world of SEO writing
- Exercising those copywriting muscles
If you love communicating via the written word, freelance writing is a great travel job. Since freelance writing is a digital nomad job where the work is flexible, this kind of job lets you write from anywhere, leaving you able to move on whenever you want.
2. English Teacher
Travel Job Type
Expat/Digital nomad
Income Range
What to Expect
If you’re a native English speaker, consider teaching English abroad or online. There’s a high demand for English teachers across the globe, so these jobs are among the surest ways to gain employment in a foreign country.
Before teaching abroad, remember to:
- Research potential ESL teacher salaries, since they vary widely by country
- Make sure the living expenses are affordable on your expected salary to make sure you can survive (and even save)
- Check to see if the country you want to teach in requires a TEFL certification or at least a bachelor’s degree from foreign English teachers
- Write an effective teacher resume sample
3. Virtual Assistant
Travel Job Type
Digital nomad
Income Range
What to Expect
Similar to a personal assistant, a virtual assistant’s duties include:
- Managing correspondence
- Booking business trips
- Planning meetings
- Handling sensitive information
Since this job depends solely on a stable internet connection, virtual assistants find it easy to travel while also handling the mundane tasks that keep the business running. So, if you enjoy being the remote, trustworthy helper behind the scenes whose administrative work allows your boss to focus on big-picture tasks, consider becoming a virtual assistant.
4. Flight Attendant
Travel Job Type
Travel industry
Income Range
What to Expect
If you can provide excellent service to customers and love planes, then why not consider becoming a flight attendant? Key perks of this job include getting to travel the world on your airline and having plenty of flexible time off.
However, while on the job, you’re in charge of your customers’ safety and comfort, meaning that patience is essential. But if you’re willing to use your customer service skills to handle difficult customers (not to mention spending plenty of time on planes), this is the job for you.
5. Bartender
Travel Job Type
Backpacker
Income Range
What to Expect
If you have good people skills and know how to mix drinks, consider working as a bartender. Since bartending jobs come up pretty much everywhere, they’re easy to land if you ask around and have prior experience. You’ll be hired in no time if you can prove that you provide excellent company.
6. Travel Nurse
Travel Job Type
Expat
Income Range
What to Expect
Help people around the world while making a living by being a travel nurse. You can expect plenty of benefits and housing. A travel nurse assignment lasts anywhere “between 8 and 26 weeks, with the majority of the positions being offered for 13-week terms,” making travel nursing a flexible job choice that allows you to switch locations as long as you keep your nursing resume and qualifications up to date.
7. Tour Guide
Travel Job Type
Backpacker/Travel industry
Income Range
What to Expect
If you fell in love with a certain area or country and want to share it, become a tour guide.
Some options include:
- Taking people on a walking tour
- Guiding them through an exhibition
- Touring your favorite spots to eat, drink, surf, etc.
A tour guide must be comfortable around people, and personable toward customers from all walks of life, even when they’re being difficult. The best part of the job is that when you want to change locations, you can pick up and go become a tour guide somewhere else. Just make sure you do plenty of research before you start.
8. Hostel Front Desk Agent
Travel Job Type
Backpacker
Income Range
What to Expect
One of the easiest types of work for backpackers is as a hostel front desk agent. Ask about this position at the hostels you’re staying at as a way to pay for your journey.
If you find work like this, you can expect similar duties as someone working a hotel front desk position, where you have to help customers check-in and out and address any concerns they have during their stay.
9. Cruise Ship Work
Travel Job Type
Travel industry
Income Range
Varies depending on the position
What to Expect
Cruise ship jobs include:
- Cruise director
- Shipmate
- Waiter/waitress
- Musicians/performers
- And many, many more
If you’re a fan of traveling by sea, consider cruise ship work. Though your time spent on the ship will be labor intensive, your efforts will be rewarded. Because when the ship is docked, you’ll be free to explore just like the passengers. And best of all, you’ll get to see the world with your room and board completely paid for.
10. Software Engineer
Travel Job Type
Digital nomad
Income Range
What to Expect
If you like solving problems and don’t mind learning a programming language or two, become traveling software engineer.
It definitely helps to have a background as a software engineer first, but there may still be options available if you’re willing to work hard.
Benefits include:
- Working an in-demand job
- Earning a good salary
- Exploring the world while working remotely
As long as you have the right computer skills and can find somewhere to focus that has a strong internet connection, you’ll be able to start working wherever you want in no time.
Final Takeaway
Balancing your love of travel with the stability needed to hold down a job can seem unachievable. However, if you explore the possibilities, you’ll find plenty of sustainable options that can make your wanderlust dreams come true.
To land better travel work opportunities, learn how to find work from home jobs and how to write an effective resume. And then bon courage and bon voyage!
