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If you’re dreaming of the digital nomad lifestyle, one of the first steps is figuring out what you’ll do online. To help you get started, I’ve compiled this list of the best remote jobs for travelers.
There have always been lots of different ways to make money while you are traveling, from bar jobs to working as an au pair or giving lessons in ski resorts. This sort of job will allow you to earn money in one location so that you can afford to pay for the stage of your travels.
But now that we’re all so used to working online, there is a whole new range of work-from-anywhere jobs and careers that allow you to work remotely, giving you the freedom to carry out your work anywhere. Hooray, gone are the days of the traditional office!
Remote workers can earn money while they’re working from apartments or hotels, bars or coffee shops, or co-working spaces. And if they decide to go back to their home country, they can carry on working there as well.
Remote work takes passion, time, and commitment, and it will often be hard work. But that freedom to travel and set your own schedule makes it all worthwhile.
Here are the best digital nomad jobs to get you started.
Best Remote Jobs For Travelers
Graphic Designer
If you have a passion for graphic design, you could use your skills to fund your digital nomad lifestyle.
Graphic designers can work remotely with clients around the world, on projects ranging from company logos and business cards to Pinterest pins and social media graphics.
It’s easy to find graphic design work on sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and Dribbble. It’s also a great idea to set up your own portfolio website where you can display samples of your best work to potential clients.
You may find that you have to set your hourly rate a little lower when you’re just starting out. But as you build your design portfolio and add more names to your client list, you’ll soon be able to raise your prices.
Web Developer
Pretty much every business and solopreneur needs their own website, even if they don’t actually sell products or services on the Internet.
So if you’re good at design and experienced in setting up WordPress installations or developing websites, being a website designer could be one of the best ways to earn money while traveling.
You’ll need access to a laptop and the Internet, and you might also need to be able to use software packages like Illustrator or Photoshop to create graphics.
You don’t need to be able to code websites from scratch, thanks to page builders like Wix and Squarespace and content management systems like WordPress. But being able to write and understand code can still be useful, so if you don’t have previous experience in HTML, PHP and CSS, you might want to take some online courses from sites like Codecademy.
It’s easy to build your own portfolio of work by creating sample websites or building sites for your friends. You can then find work on sites like Upwork and Fiverr.
Onine English Teacher
If you are a native English speaker, then you could find remote work teaching English online. There is high demand from individuals in countries such as South Korea looking to learn English as a second language.
Online English teachers often work with tutor services to deliver lessons to students over video chat. The students are often young kids or teenagers who use additional conversation practice with online English teachers to supplement their formal English lessons.
Classes tend to be fairly short, around 30 minutes, and there’s no testing or exam preparation involved.
Your students are likely to be in different time zones but as long as you can be flexible with timing, you can offer English lessons from anywhere. You will need to have access to a reliable Internet connection, a headset, and a fairly quiet location to carry out your lesson.
Online English teachers generally need to have a college degree, but this doesn’t necessarily have to be a Bachelor’s degree in English Language or Education.
You may also need a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualification but many tutor services can help you to organize this if you don’t already have one.
Freelance Translator
Freelance translation is one of the best jobs for anyone fluent in a foreign language. All sorts of companies need translations for their websites, brochures, books, and much more.
Being a translator is a great job for travelers, and this type of job also tends to pay pretty well. While you’re traveling, you could offer translation services for local restaurants, tour providers, and visitor attractions.
As well as working locally, you can also provide online translation services, which can be a convenient way to work. The best places to find translation jobs are freelancing websites like Fiverr and Upwork, as well as other websites like Translators Base, which are specifically aimed at matching translators with clients.
Yoga Instructor
If you’re a qualified yoga instructor, you could use your skills to earn money by providing yoga classes. This can work well as a way of earning money remotely if you provide online yoga classes on Zoom or Skype, or you could upload videos to YouTube or Instagram.
Some freelance yoga instructors also make arrangements with hostels, gyms, or resorts which allow them to deliver classes for their guests in return for free accommodation.
This type of arrangement would also work well if you are qualified to teach other classes like pilates and Zumba or you could even offer online personal trainer services.
Of course, digital nomad jobs like this are only a good option if you have the qualifications and prior experience needed to be an instructor. But if you do, this is a cool way to earn money while you travel the world.
Travel Agent
Online travel agents sell vacations and tours to customers who don’t want to plan and book their own trips. You can work for a large travel agency or work for yourself as an independent travel agent, which is one of the best ways to work remotely as a digital nomad.
Your travel experience will put you in a good position to give people personalized advice on popular destinations, transport, and accommodation options. Clients will feel that they can trust your first-hand experience and that you will be able to offer more tailored advice.
Another benefit of working as an online travel agent is that you may be able to access familiarization (FAM) trips. These will allow you to get to know the tours and destinations that you are recommending to your clients and provide a great opportunity for free travel.
Virtual Assistant
A lot of small businesses and solo entrepreneurs keep their admin costs down by hiring freelance administrative assistants instead of employing in-house staff.
These Virtual Assistants carry out administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, sending emails, and providing customer support.
There is high demand for virtual assistant services and the work can easily be carried out over the Internet from any location in the world.
As a virtual administrative assistant, you can choose the services that you offer, which could include social media management, data entry, Search Engine Optimization, or even basic project manager services.
If this type of remote work interests you, you could advertise your Virtual Assistant services on sites like Upwork or look on Facebook for groups aimed at Virtual Assistants.
Virtual Travel Assistant
Combining the services of a travel agent and a Virtual Assistant, a Virtual Travel Assistant works with digital nomads to take care of the less interesting tasks associated with an independent location lifestyle.
Employing a Virtual Travel assistant means that a digital nomad can hand over the more monotonous tasks like searching for the cheapest flights or booking Airbnb accommodation. This then frees up their own time to concentrate on their core business.
As an experienced traveler, working as a Virtual Travel Assistant could be your perfect side hustle or remote job. You can work closely with a few clients to take care of everything from researching visa requirements to planning a custom itinerary for their next trip.
It may take you a while to build up a client base, as many digital nomads hire Virtual Travel Assistants based on personal recommendation. But once you build up your client list, this could be a good remote job that you can carry out from any location.
Travel Blogger
Of course, I had to include travel blogging in my list of remote jobs you can do from anywhere.
If you don’t already run your own travel blog, then this is a great way to build extra income while you are traveling.
Many people now turn to travel blogs and content creators rather than big travel sites to provide the information that they need.
They feel that they can trust the personal experiences and opinions of a travel blogger and by writing authentic blog posts based on your own travels, you can help them to plan their visit.
Travel bloggers can earn money through various avenues, such as joining ad networks, affiliate marketing, and publishing sponsored content. But, don’t assume that running a travel blog is an easy way to earn a living.
As well as writing blog posts, you’ll also need to learn many additional skills like search engine optimization if you want to actually make money.
If you’re starting out, the best way to fast-track your success is by taking travel blogging courses and attending travel blogger conferences. Networking is key to success in the industry.
A great course to start with is Travel Blog Prosperity; you can read my full review through that link.
Blogging is one of the best travel jobs, but it takes a lot of hard work to build and maintain an audience, so you will need to be very persistent. Many bloggers combine blogging with other digital nomad jobs like freelance writing or working as a social media manager to provide a steady income.
Affiliate Marketing
When you have established your blog and it is ranking well on search engines, affiliate marketing can be one of the best remote jobs for travelers.
Whatever sort of blog posts you write, you are sure to find relevant companies that offer affiliate partner programs for their products. Amazon has a very popular affiliate program, but it’s also worth checking out affiliate networks like Awin and Impact, which combine many programs all on one platform.
Once you have selected and been accepted into the affiliate program, you simply add the affiliate links to your blog posts or social media content.
Then whenever a reader clicks through and buys a product or service, you will earn a commission. The amount can vary greatly depending on the value of the sale, but this can be one of the best ways to cover your travel expenses.
You will need to learn how to select the best affiliate programs and how to create content that attracts readers and converts the sale. So it would be a great idea to invest in a good affiliate sales training course if you would like to earn money through affiliate marketing.
Digital Marketing
This type of work isn’t something that would suit all travelers, but if you have prior experience in marketing, you can provide digital marketing services from any location. You can work online with individuals, brands, and businesses to give them greater exposure and increase their sales.
You could choose to focus on marketing for the travel industry, working with national tourist boards, DMCs, or travel brands. The combination of your marketing experience and your personal experience as a traveler will help you to provide services that are a great match for their marketing needs.
Digital marketing isn’t something that you can pick up overnight, but if you need to hone your skills, you’ll find plenty of online courses and resources to help you set up a digital marketing business.
Freelance Travel writer
If you have a talent for travel writing, writing for travel publications could be a dream job for you.
Of course, it takes more than just good writing skills to be a freelance travel writer; you also need to have networking skills and to be able to pitch your ideas to editors.
But once you have the necessary skills, you can earn money remotely by writing articles for newspapers, magazines, websites and guidebooks.
Of course, freelance writers can cover a whole range of topics as well as travel, and you could also write copy on other topics for websites and blogs. You can find freelance writer jobs on remote job boards like Problogger and FreelanceWriting, or you could also offer your services on blogging Facebook groups.
As with many of the jobs in this list, you may have to offer discounted rates until you become more established. But once you have a few bylines or client testimonials under your belt, you’ll be able to earn more from your writing.
Freelance Travel Photographer
And if your talent lies in photography, selling your travel photos could be a great way to earn money. It takes a lot of hard work but becoming a professional travel photographer would be a dream job for many travelers.
There are a few ways that you can earn money from your travel photos. You can sell individual photographs for use alongside editorial content in magazines or websites or upload your photos to stock photography sites like Shutterstock or DepositPhotos.
You could send examples of your best work to hotels, restaurants, or attractions, which may offer you free accommodation or meals alongside your photography fee. And you could also earn extra money by selling online photography tutorials or running guided photography tours from your current location.
Social Media Manager
You’re probably used to creating social media content and engaging with your community while you’re traveling. So it’s an easy step to start earning money by offering social media management services for personal brands and businesses.
Working as a social media manager involves creating, curating, and posting social media content, helping your clients to grow their engagement and follower numbers, and attracting new clients for their business.
You can manage social media accounts from any location as long as you have an Internet connection. Your own social media accounts can be used as a portfolio to attract your first clients, and you’ll find that this type of remote work can pay a good hourly rate.
Videographer
Another dream job for many travelers is getting paid to make videos while you travel. This is a highly skilled profession that will require you to be able to film and edit videos and have good networking and marketing skills.
Some of the best ways to make money from your videos include running your own YouTube channel, selling stock video footage to sites like Depositphotos and iStockPhoto, and producing marketing videos for tourist boards, hotels, and travel brands.
If you would like to do remote work as a videographer or video editor, you will need to make sure you have the right video and sound equipment, a high-powered laptop, and software for video editing.
You can set up your own website or YouTube channel to showcase your skills, and you might also want to invest in additional equipment or training for skills such as drone flying.
Software Developer
One of the most common ways I’ve seen digital nomads make money in my travels is working as a software developer.
Software developers are responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining software applications. They write and maintain code, troubleshoot programs, and debug software applications.
Given the nature of the job, it’s one that can be done easily online making it a perfect remote job to do while traveling. But to become a software developer, you need to have a solid foundation in computer science, software engineering, and programming.
Product Designer
A product designer is responsible for creating and designing products, from conception to completion. They also create visual designs, including illustrations, logos, and user interfaces, to help bring the product to life.
Product designers must be creative, organized, and able to think outside the box to develop innovative products. These are typically traits found in travelers as well, so it’s no surprise many product designers are also working remotely abroad.
To become a product designer, you should have a degree in design, engineering, or a related field. Having experience various design software, such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as prototyping tools, such as InVision and Sketch, is also helpful.
Should you freelance or work for a remote company?
Working as a freelancer while traveling the world has both pros and cons. One of the main benefits of being a freelancer is the flexibility it provides. You are the master of your own schedule and you can work from anywhere in the world. Plus, it gives you the ability to work on projects you find the most interesting.
However, there are some drawbacks to freelancing while traveling. You may not have access to the same benefits or security that comes with a traditional job, and it can a pain following up with multiple clients to pay you. You may also have to deal with inconsistent income.
Freelancing while traveling can be a great way to make a living and explore the world, but to be successful, you have to be organized and self-motivated.
Best remote job sites to find online jobs
There are many websites where you can look for part of full-time remote work opportunities. These are great places to find remote companies and start your job search as you can filter by category or skill.
If you are a freelancer or starting your own business, these are the best websites to look for clients and freelance work.
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As you can see, there are many great ideas for remote jobs you can do anywhere in the world.
For many of these roles, you will need to have some specific skills or previous experience working in that industry. And whichever option you pick, you will need to invest time and effort into finding customers and building your business.
But all of these job ideas will give you the freedom to combine your work with your passion for travel. It won’t be easy, that’s for sure, but it is definitely possible to live the dream and make money while you travel! I’m living proof of it.
