Many people dream about traveling the world but it’s the money that holds them back. Traveling to faraway countries doesn’t come for free and many of us simply don’t have the budget to travel for weeks, months, or even years in a row. Wouldn’t it be great if you could simply make money while traveling? In this blog post, I’ve collected 16 popular jobs that pay you to travel the world (plus links to companies that offer these jobs!).
Table of Contents
Offline or Online Travel Jobs?
If your goal is to make money while traveling, you have two options:
- Work online from anywhere and make money while you are traveling.
- Work offline and get paid for
You can find more than 100 posts (I’m not even exaggerating here) on this blog about how to make money online. For instance, you can learn how to start working remotely, get examples of popular entry-level remote jobs, learn about companies that offer remote jobs, or get links to the best remote job websites.
Since I’ve already talked so much about online jobs you could do, I want to focus this post on offline jobs. Jobs, that actually send you abroad and jobs that pay you to travel.
Plus, not everybody likes to work online. There are plenty of people out there, who don’t like sitting in front of a computer all day but rather want to go out and work with others.
So this one is for you. I hope it gives you a few good ideas!
By the way: If you want to learn how to find a remote job and make money online, feel free to check out my free Remote Work Webinar! Here, you can learn step by step what you need to do to find work online.
Jobs that Pay You to Travel the World
Let’s start this list with some of the most popular travel jobs:
1. Flight Attendant
Probably the most obvious jobs that pay you to travel: Flight attendants get to travel all around the world and get paid for it. But that’s not all they get. If you work as part of the cabin crew, you usually receive great discounts on flights, better rates on hotels and even your family members can get cheaper flight fares.
Check out websites like Airline Career or All Flying Jobs to find open positions.
2. Working on a Yacht or Sailboat
Another great opportunity to make money while traveling is working on a yacht or sailboat. Jobs usually include positions such as chef or caretaker. Often crewmembers only get free accommodation and food in exchange for their work onboard, but there are also paid opportunities out there.
Have a look at websites such as Find a Crew or YaCrew.
3. Working on a Cruise Ship
If you like the ocean but want something fancier than working on a sailboat, you could also look for jobs on a cruise ship. You could work as an entertainer or animator and make sure passengers have a great time while cruising around the world. Alternatively, you could also get a job as a chef or waiter onboard.
Check out pages like All Cruise Jobs to find open positions.
4. Tour Guide
If the air or the sea isn’t the right place for you to work, how about traveling the world as a tour guide? You could lead a group of tourists or backpackers through Asia or do an overlanding tour through Africa. This can be great fun and you get to see the world.
To find a job, check some of the big tour companies out there like Topdeck or Intrepid or find local ones and ask for open positions. Especially during the high season, there are plenty of opportunities.
5. Travel Writer
Another way to travel the world and get paid for it is as a travel writer. You could write articles and sell them to blogs, websites, or guide books. You may be dreaming about writing for Lonely Planet, but of course, only the best are lucky enough to become a writer for big companies like that.
Start small and publish articles on popular blogs, create a Medium page, or apply for writing jobs on platforms such as Textbroker or ProBlogger.
If you want to learn more about making money as a professional writer, check out this blog post on how to become a freelance writer.
6. Nanny
If you are good with kids, you could also become a traveling Au Pair or nanny. For that job, you’d normally live with a family in their home and take care of the kids at home. But there are also many families out there, who travel a lot for business reasons. They need someone to come with them and look after their kids while they are working.
Other parents like to bring a nanny with them while being on holiday, so they can have a proper break and relax.
Check out websites like My Travelling Nanny or Adventure Nannies to find open positions.
7. Private Teacher
Since we are talking about traveling families: If a family needs to travel for a longer period this can conflict with their kids’ school program. Many parents decide to homeschool their kids in these cases. If they don’t have the time or knowledge to do so while traveling, they need a private teacher to come with them.
If you are qualified, have a look at websites such as Educator Overseas to find jobs.
8. Blogger or Vlogger
If you are into travel writing and taking photos while traveling you could start your own travel blog or YouTube channel. With your articles, videos, and photos you can inspire and inform others who want to go to the same places. At the same time, you can make money by placing ads, promoting affiliate products, or getting sponsorships.
Just be aware that it usually takes a while to grow a blog or YouTube channel to the point where it generates a full-time income.
Side note: Check out these blog posts to learn how to start a blog or how to become a content creator and make money with YouTube, TikTok, or other similar platforms.
9. Private Nurse
The same goes for families who are traveling the world, for private or business reasons, with a family member, who needs special care. That could be a child with disabilities or special needs, or maybe an elderly family member who requires permanent care.
If you have a nursing background, look up jobs on websites like Worldwide Travel Staffing.
10. Photographer or Videographer
Do you like being behind the camera? While you are out and about and travel the world, you might as well take beautiful pictures or videos of the breathtaking places you go to and sell these to stock photo websites such as Shutterstock or iStockPhoto.
Just be aware that the competition is massive and you have to be either very professional or lucky to be able to make a full-time income with it.
11. Private Photographer or Videographer
If you don’t want to sell your photos and videos to stock photo websites, you could also work as a private photographer or videographer. Here, you could, for example, work for holiday resorts or tour companies and take photos or videos which they can use for marketing purposes.
To find jobs like that it’s best to either pitch companies directly or have a look at job search websites, such as Freelancer or Upwork.
12. Traveling Artist
Do you have a special talent, like singing, playing the bagpipe, acrobatics, or acting? You could join a traveling circus or theater and make money with your talent while moving from one place to another. Or work as a street performer and breakdance your way through the world.
You might not get rich with this kind of work, but if you are good and perform at busy public squares, you could be able to get along for a while.
13. Presenter for Travel Documentaries
Let’s take the video idea one step further. How about traveling around the world and filming exciting and informative travel documentaries? Getting a job for a giant media company like National Geographic is obviously not that easy.
But check out some general job platforms, such as Indeed. Every once in a while, small productions are looking for presenters. Alternatively, have a look at production websites directly, like Pilotguides.
14. Festival Crew
There is always plenty of work to do when hosting a big event such as a festival or concert. Depending on your skills, you could, for instance, find work as a technician, as security staff, work in catering or marketing, as a travel coordinator, or be part of the operations team.
If you manage to get a job at an event series that takes place at different locations you get to combine traveling and working.
15. Travel Agent
Yes, as a travel agent you usually work from an office or from home and help your clients organize their holidays. However, sometimes travel agents also get to travel for free on so-called familiarization trips. They can then share their experiences with their clients and book even better trips for them. On top of it, travel agents often get huge discounts on flights, hotels, or tours.
16. Seasonal Jobs
More and more countries offer working holiday visas, which allow you to travel to a new country and work in local jobs for a while. That could be working at a ski resort, being a scuba diving instructor, working in a bar, as a school teacher or oil worker, working in construction, or as a fruit-picker on a farm.
Whatever type of work or region you prefer, there is definitely enough demand for seasonal jobs.
Get Paid to Travel the World
As you can see, there are plenty of jobs you could do outside of your home town. Even if you don’t have a degree, much experience, or no budget, there is always a way to make money while traveling to other countries.
If all of these mentioned jobs don’t work for you, you can always look for an online job as well. Here you’d have the advantage that you can start your new career while you’re still at home. Once you have a regular online income, you can quit your day job and start traveling while continuing to work online.
Either way, there are many options and today, there is no need to stay in your home town forever. It is absolutely possible to find a travel job and get paid to travel the world. Have fun!
Well, yes, I am a travel blogger, and it does take some time to generate any income from the blog. You just need to be consistentt.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Hannibal!
Since you mentioned the yacht crew, I had an amazing recruiting experience with lighthouse-careers.