Is it possible to work and travel at the same time? If yes, how to make money traveling? Here are some ways you can earn money and satisfy your wanderlust at the same time.
If foreign destinations and tourist spots are your callings, but your permanent job holds you back, you’ve landed on the right page.
We won’t tell you to pick up your backpack and get on the next flight out of the country. That’s just impractical.
To enjoy your stay in a foreign country, you’ll need money. And naturally, you cannot make money without a stable job.
That’s why those who love to travel either need to find jobs that pay them to travel or train for the jobs they can find anywhere in the world. That brings us to the ultimate question, how to make money traveling?
Here’s our list of gigs that let you work and travel at the same time.
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How to Make Money Traveling
If you’re wondering how to make money traveling, don’t worry. We’ve scrounged through the internet and rounded up four basic ways you can use to work and travel simultaneously.
Firstly, there are digital nomad jobs where you can work online flexibly. These include jobs like freelance designing, writing, web development, or even blogging.
Secondly, if you want to work and travel, some jobs pay you for traveling across the world. These include jobs like becoming a flight attendant or working on a cruise ship.
Thirdly, you can become an expatriate and work jobs that require traveling abroad. This way, you can visit other countries regularly and experience different cultures and societies worldwide.
Lastly, there are lots of modest backpacking jobs you can try out that keep you employed wherever you travel and help pay your backpacking expenses as well.
Without further ado, let’s get on with our list.
Work and Travel: Become a Digital Nomad
For those wondering how to make side money online while they travel, digital nomad jobs are the best options. They give you the independence you need to move around the world while pursuing your career at the same time.
Here are some options for those looking for how to make money traveling.
1. Participate in Market Research
One of the easiest ways to make money online is by participating in market research. One of our favorite survey sites that pay good money for your opinions is LifePoints.
LifePoints
LifePoints is a legit survey platform known for its high-paying surveys. Founded back in 1946, it is one of the pioneering platforms for online market research.
The website is a merger between My Survey and The Global Test Market and has a widespread reach across more than 70 countries worldwide. This means you can take participate in surveys on the website regardless of your location.
The sign-up process is easy and completely free. Once you’re a member, you can access the surveys available and start earning money.
Each survey takes around 10-20 minutes to complete and pays about $1-$2. Besides that, you can maximize your income by participating in daily challenges, boosters, and sweepstakes.
Although you won’t generate an income to sustain yourself through this site, you can pair it with other online side hustles to work and travel simultaneously.
2. Start Freelancing
Another great way to work and travel at the same time is by taking up freelance jobs. Lots of small businesses are hiring project-based professionals to minimize their expenses these days.
Here are some legit sites where you can find profitable freelance gigs.
SolidGigs
If you’re an accomplished writer, designer, or web developer wondering how to make money traveling, look no further. SolidGigs is a site where you can find regular freelance work without going through any extra hassle.
You see, if you take the conventional route to freelance, you’ll have to go through several phases of pitching clients, providing work samples, and falling into online scams.
SolidGigs makes your work easier by shortlisting the jobs that are worth your attention. You can sign up on their platform for free and fill out your profile.
After that, the website will suggest weekly gig lists for you according to your profession and skills. This means you’ll only have around 14-20 reliable clients to pitch every week, which saves your time and helps you generate a steady workflow.
FlexJobs
FlexJobs is another platform that makes life easier for those wondering how to make money traveling. The website connects professional freelance workers to hundreds of reliable clients.
It offers jobs from more than 50 categories, so you can find a job that fits your skillset to work and travel whenever you want. While many sites let you find freelance jobs, FlexJobs boasts to handpick the ones that fit your needs.
This way, you can save your time and only approach the job options worth your time. Furthermore, the site has many appealing features to make freelancing easy for beginners.
It has many skill tests that help you promote your talents on the platform, combined with resume building tips and career coaching resources.
They do charge a nominal subscription fee for their services, but it’s all worth it when you get to work and travel to your favorite destinations.
Toptal
Graphic designing is the ultimate career option for freelancers looking to work and travel at the same time.
For graphic designers wondering how to make money traveling, Toptal is a go-to platform. Although it does offer freelance jobs from other career fields, the site has made a reliable name for itself in the designing field.
What we love about Toptal is its reputation among employers for providing the best freelance talents on one platform. The website requires multiple screen tests before letting new freelancers join.
This not only attracts legit employers, but it also helps the platform suggest suitable job options to freelancers. The best part is, it lets you work from wherever you want worldwide, so you can efficiently work and travel at the same time.
3. List Your Place for Online Hosting Services
While working online is an excellent option for people asking how to make money traveling, it does diminish the fun factor. That’s because you’ll be carrying the work pressure in your mind all the time.
We have a perfect idea for those wondering how to make money traveling without having to do anything. You can rent your home to someone else while you’re gone and earn a passive income.
Here are some sites where you can register your place and get some leads today.
Airbnb
Anyone who calls himself a tourist has probably heard of Airbnb. Airbnb has more than hundreds of diverse lodgings listed on its platform.
Hosts who advertise their spaces on the site can earn anywhere from $100-$1000 per month, depending on their location and home condition.
The sign-up process on Airbnb is relatively straightforward. All you have to do is fill in your details and post images of your home.
After that, you can set your price and screen the guests to decide which ones you want to let into your home.
Vrbo
Vrbo is another legit tourist lodging site where you can register your space and earn while traveling.
What we love about Vrbo is that it displays your property on popular tourist sites such as Kayak, Expedia, and Trivago, along with its own website. Furthermore, you can register more than one property on their site and maximize your income.
Besides that, the site offers two payment programs for hosts. According to your projected yearly earnings, you can either go for their pay-per-booking subscription or their annual subscription worth $499.
Get Jobs That Pay to Travel
The second option for those asking how to make money traveling is by working jobs that pay them to travel. Here are some examples of such jobs through which you can work and travel simultaneously.
4. Become a Flight or Cruise Attendant
Working in the hospitality industry is one of the best jobs that pay you to travel worldwide.
Becoming a flight attendant or a cruise ship worker usually requires good interpersonal skills and the ability to be on your feet for long hours. Typically, airlines and cruise organizers post their job offers on their website, so you can easily surf through the internet to find job options.
Similarly, you can quickly get these jobs if you’re trained in foreign languages, first-aid, and traditional hospitality.
Remember, these jobs require you to work odd hours and can become quite demanding at times. However, you’ll get flight and cruise incentives to match your hard work and the chance to make traveling your primary source of income.
5. Become a Photographer
Believe it or not, professional photography is a job that pays you to travel across the world.
Although it is quite challenging to establish yourself in this profession, there are lots of people who succeed in making it big in the industry. All you have to do is practice hard and be consistent.
Additionally, if you want to work and travel simultaneously, make sure you specialize in a niche that caters to traveling. For example, try photographing tourism destinations, wildlife, landscapes, or even destination weddings.
Work as an Expatriate
You can also work and travel at the same time by looking for jobs in another country. By working as an expatriate, you can experience various cultures and traditions worldwide while fulfilling your traveling dream.
Here are some jobs you can take up as an expatriate and earn while traveling.
6. Become an English Teacher
You’ll be surprised at the number of people worldwide who want to learn English as a second language. As a US citizen, you can easily find a job as an English teacher in any country you wish to travel to.
To increase your chances of landing a good job, try getting a TEFL certificate. Although being a native English speaker is enough, investing in this course will get you high-paying jobs that’ll make your portfolio more appealing.
Besides that, if you have TEFL, you can apply in multiple universities, schools, and even as a private tutor all over the world and work while traveling.
7. Enroll for Foreign Service
If you’re looking for jobs that pay you to travel to different countries, you can apply for Foreign Service jobs for the government.
By doing this, you can fulfill your love for traveling while giving back to your home country. However, applying for these jobs might require relevant qualifications.
There are more than 250 US embassies around the world, so if you get selected for the job, you can efficiently work while traveling. If you want to consider this a serious career option, check the US Department of State website for more details.
Find Jobs While Backpacking
For those of you asking how to make extra money on the side while you’re traveling, there are lots of backpacking jobs you can take up at your destination.
These are usually modest jobs that you can easily find anywhere and use the money to pay for your travel expenses.
8. Work as a Bartender
Wherever you travel, you can easily get a job as a bartender and earn some extra money to pay for your traveling expenses.
Start by simply asking around at local pubs and bars in your destination area. If you’re visiting popular tourist destinations during the holiday season, you’ll quickly come across vacancies.
The best part is, you can spend your time socializing with the locals. Also, you can get some cool incentives and free drinks as well.
9. Become a Sports Instructor
If you love to travel to destinations with adventurous attractions like skiing, surfing, or scuba diving, you can become a sports instructor and work while traveling.
Whenever you schedule your next trip abroad, make sure to get some training in adventure sports offered by the country you’re traveling to. This way, you can quickly get a part-time job to pay for your accommodation and travel expenses.
Final Words
That concludes our list of jobs for those asking how to make money traveling. While there are many job options for travelers and backpackers, the ideal way to work and travel is to become a digital nomad.
That’s because, unlike other job opportunities, this one allows you to pursue your career from anywhere in the world.
Also, you don’t have to get any additional training or certification. Simply look for freelance job opportunities online that match your skillset, and work while traveling.
However, working while traveling is not a piece of cake. Make sure you plan to establish yourself on freelance sites and create a substantial workflow before you head out to satisfy your wanderlust.
Related Resources
- 14 Best Travel Jobs: Make Money Traveling the World
- How to Make Extra Money
- Taste Tester Jobs – Make Money Eating Food
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