Do you dream of learning how to get paid to travel? Your dream doesn’t have to seem like a fantasy — there are many people who turned their dreams of globe-trotting adventures into an attainable reality.
For me, I love being able to travel and work at the same time. I have been able to visit many new places and really learn about the areas I’m visiting because I get to spend more time in each place I visit. Plus, I am still able to pay all of my expenses and save fully for retirement with no worries.
Whether you want to learn how to get paid to travel for a few months at a time or become a full-time digital nomad, there are many ways to make your dream a reality.
The biggest things holding people back from traveling are money and travel expenses, but this is something that many people can work around. There are many different types of income streams that you may be able to start.
Over the years, I’ve met people who have learned how to get paid to travel and have made it their life. There have been people who have saved up to travel for an extended amount of time, those who are retired, those who find odd jobs on the road, those who have found paid travel opportunities (like the ones I’m about to tell you about), and more.
You’re probably thinking to yourself: “You have to be a professional travel blogger in order to get paid to travel.”
But that’s not true at all!
If you want to learn how to get paid to travel, there are many other excellent ways to make your dreams happen.
In fact, the majority of people I have met while traveling are not travel bloggers, on TikTok, or have a Youtube channel. I know you see a lot of that online, but the reality is that most people hold normal jobs that allow them to travel.
In today’s article, I will be highlighting the many different excellent ways to learn how to get paid to travel the world.
Related content on how to get paid to travel:
- 25 Best Travel Jobs
- 15 Outdoor Jobs For People Who Love Being Outside
- 24 Best Ways To Vacation On A Budget
- How We Travel Full-Time On $1,400 Per Month
- Want To Be A Full-Time Traveler? 13 Ways To Make It Happen
How to get paid to travel the world
1. Create a travel blog
A travel blog, or any type of blog or Youtube channel, may allow you to get paid to travel the world.
I know this because my blog, Making Sense of Cents, allows me to travel!
Blogging means I have a flexible schedule, allowing me to enjoy many of the places I visit.
There are several ways to earn money blogging, including:
- Affiliate marketing – I recommend signing up for Affiliate Marketing Tips For Bloggers – Free eBook to learn more
- Blog sponsorships
- Display advertising, such as with Google Adsense
- Product sales
- Staff writing
You can learn more in How To Earn Money Blogging: Your Top Questions Answered, where I give in-depth explanations of each monetization method.
You can create your own blog here with my easy and quick tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $2.75 per month, plus you get a free domain name when signing up through my guide.
Related content: How To Start a Blog Free Course
Want to see how I built a $5,000,000 blog?
In this free course, I show you how to create a blog, from the technical side to earning your first income and attracting readers.
2. Teach English as a foreign language
Teaching English is a very popular way to get paid to travel. Whether you’re teaching English online or if you find a school in a foreign country (such as China, South Korea, or United Arab Emirates), teaching English is one of the best ways to make money while traveling because it’s very in demand.
You do not need to be a teacher to teach English online or speak another language, which is great. You only need to speak English. You are often asked to be a native English speaker and have a bachelor’s degree (in any subject).
Typically, you can earn around $15 to $25 per hour. However, pay varies based on the country, and some places pay more than others, such as South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
ESL teachers occasionally have their housing paid for or free food when working in other countries.
Another option would be to become a teacher overseas. You can learn more at How We Made Over $100,000 Teaching Overseas.
3. Become an au pair
Au pairs are like nannies, but they live abroad with a family in a foreign country so they can learn the language, experience the culture, and travel. Au pairs don’t usually get paid a salary, but their host family pays for food and stay and gives the au pair some spending money.
If you enjoy working with kids and want to learn how to get paid to travel, working as an au pair or travel nanny can be a fun option for younger adults.
My sister was an au pair in Italy a few years ago. It was an interesting experience, and she had both positives and negatives from it.
In the blog post linked below, my sister writes about:
- How much an au pair can earn
- How to get paid to travel to Europe as an au pair
- The positives and negatives of being an au pair
- Tips to find a host family to work for
- Questions to ask your host family
You can read more at How To Become An Au Pair And Travel The World.
4. Become a digital nomad
With a remote job, you may be able to become a digital nomad and travel the U.S. or even the world.
Remote jobs are far more common these days, and the best remote opportunities allow you to eliminate your commute (which may save you hours each week!), travel more, and sometimes even have a more flexible schedule.
Plus, many times all you need is a laptop and an internet connection.
A remote job is a job you can work from anywhere. You may be able to work from your house, apartment, in an RV, on a sailboat, while in another country, at a co-working office, and so on.
Of course, some companies do have rules regarding travel, so you will want to clarify that before you fly around the world.
Here are some examples of remote jobs:
- Graphic design
- Bookkeeper
- Web design
- Software engineer
- Sleep consultant
- Customer service representative
- Social media manager
- Virtual assistant
- Data analyst
- Proofreader
- Accountant
- Sales representative
- Medical billing and coding
- Facebook ads manager
- Translator
- Freelance writer
- App developer
- Financial analyst
- Ghostwriter
- IT manager
- Medical writer
- Therapist
- Financial advisor
- Technical support representative
You can learn more at How To Find A Remote Job (Best Sites, Tips, & More).
5. Travel photographer
Even since we started traveling, we’ve met some amazing photographers, and I’ve always thought this would be one of the most fun travel jobs.
There are so many different kinds of photographers that make a living traveling the world. These include National Geographic photographers, people who travel around the world chasing crazy races and taking pictures of them, people publishing amazing photos on Instagram, people who take photos of sharks, and so on.
Travel photography is a very creative job that many people dream of.
If you’re interested in this option, you’ll definitely need a camera to start, and you may want to take some courses on photography.
6. Become a park ranger
Choosing to become a park ranger as your travel career choice can allow you to travel across the U.S., transferring from park to park.
The website ParkRangerEdu.Org is a great place to learn more. According to the site, it’s recommended that you have a college degree in a relevant major such as Earth science, forestry, conservation, biology.
Park rangers help protect the park, wildlife, visitors, and more, and they may work at the visitor center, as law enforcement, protecting animals, guiding tours, and so on. It all depends on the position that you fill.
This would be one of the best ways to get paid to travel for people who love to be outdoors and want to help improve the parks that they love.
7. Travel nurse
A travel nurse may be able to earn more than $3,000 per week. They tend to make much more than a nurse who has a permanent job at a hospital or other facility.
Travel nurses are RNs (registered nurses) working short-term positions at healthcare facilities. Whenever there are nursing shortages, which happen often, travel nurses help healthcare facilities fill these roles.
I have had several friends become travel nurses, and I’ve also met a few travel nurses while traveling.
Travel nurse jobs usually last around 3 months and can come with many benefits.
Recommended reading: 27 Best Side Hustles For Nurses
8. Become an Airbnb Experience Host
As an Airbnb Experience Host, you may be able to make money in different areas by hosting tours, classes, etc. This can be a fun way to meet tourists, as well as better get to know an area.
No, you don’t need to own an Airbnb rental in order to become an Airbnb Experience Host. This is completely different!
Whether you want to host cooking classes, guide a walking tour, lead a bike ride in your area, host a pub crawl, or something else, there are many different types of Airbnb experiences you can host.
You could do this as a side gig or even a full-time job. It simply depends on your availability and what your goals are.
If you have questions, such as:
- How much do Airbnb experience hosts make?
- What are some examples of Airbnb experiences that I can host?
- How do I start an Airbnb hosting experience?
- Is hosting an Airbnb experience worth it?
You can learn more at How to Make Money as an Airbnb Experience Host.
9. Campground worker (workamper, campground host, etc.)
Campground workers or workampers are people who work at a campground in exchange for free stay and sometimes pay. There are many campgrounds across the country looking for workampers, and this can be an excellent way to earn more travel money.
You can work at beautiful campgrounds on the beach, in national parks, state parks, forests, and more. I have seen hiring signs in some of the most beautiful campgrounds!
While full-time RVing, I met many happy workampers who enjoy their jobs, and it’s something that I would definitely do myself!
After all, you get to stay for free, and many times you’re even paid to stay in some of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s a great way to make RVing work full-time.
As a work camper you may be:
- Answering questions on the phone
- Making reservations for campers
- Cleaning campsites, bathrooms, community rooms, and more
- Selling firewood
- Making sure campers follow the rules
Workampers can be paid with an RV site to stay in, at an hourly rate, or a mixture of the two.
Many times, campgrounds prefer a couple as well so that the duties can be split amongst two people, so this is a great option if you want to learn how to get paid to travel as a couple.
Related content: How To Make Money While RVing
10. Find items to resell online
If you are a full-time traveler, you may come across items you could sell online.
I’ve met people who travel the country in vans or RVs and pick up items as they travel. They sell their inventory online and ship items out from wherever they’re staying.
Etsy, eBay, Craigslist, and countless others are great places if you decide to sell items online.
You can learn more at How I Made $40,000 In One Year Flipping Items.
11. Find a cruise ship job
Working on a cruise ship means that you will be working while traveling! You can work and travel on a cruise ship through the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and more.
Plus, there are cruise ships that even circumnavigate the globe, which would be really fun.
If you want to learn how to get paid to travel, there are many different types of opportunities to find on a cruise line, including:
- Childcare worker
- Cleaning crew
- Boat crew, such as officers, electricians, and engineers
- Yoga instructor
- Photographer
- Salon/spa workers
- Fitness center jobs
- Restaurant server, cook, or bartender
- Entertainment, such as being in a band, technicians, and more
Those are just a few of the jobs you can find on a cruise ship, and there are over 300 cruise ships in the world, and hundreds of workers on each cruise ship.
With a job on a cruise ship, you would live on the cruise ship and many of your travel expenses, such as room and board, may be paid for by the cruise ship company. You may also make a salary and tips.
To find cruise ship jobs, I recommend heading to cruise ship websites and finding their jobs page. For example, Carnival Cruise Ships has a special job page, which you can find here. On their website, you can even sign up for job alerts so that you can be emailed when a job is added to their website.
Related: How I Went On An Around-The-World Cruise (25+ Countries In 4 Months!)
12. WWOOFer
WWOOF stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, and it’s an organization that connects visitors with organic farms around the world.
WWOOF allows volunteers to choose an area and country to travel to and volunteer in at a farm. The stay can range from a few days to several months, depending on what is agreed upon.
In return for your food and provided accommodations, you are expected to work 4-6 hours a day on the farm.
You may be asked to cut wood, pack items, feed animals, make food, sow seed, make compost, help care for a garden, and more – anything helpful to the farmer.
This is one of the best ways to get paid to travel if you are looking for an affordable way to travel the world. You won’t make a full-time income, but it sounds like a fun way to visit new areas.
In most cases, you will need to be 18 or older in order to start WWOOFing.
13. Outdoor guide or instructor
If you’re the adventurous type, then becoming an outdoor guide or instructor can be a great way to learn how to get paid to travel.
You must be highly skilled to safely do this, of course. And that’s because you’ll be responsible for teaching others skills that may be dangerous.
Outdoor guide or outdoor instructor jobs may include:
- Hiking guide
- Rock climbing guide
- Scuba diving guide
- Wilderness and survival guide
- Kayaking/rafting guide
- Fishing guide
- Surfing instructor
- Hunting guide
- Tour guide
- Travel guide
And more! You may even be able to carve out your own specialty as well.
As a guide or instructor, you may work for yourself, work for a park, a summer camp, or for another company.
Guides may be paid via tips and a flat fee for taking people out on a guided trip.
Recommended reading: 18 Places That Pay You To Live There
14. Sell printables on Etsy
This might surprise you, but you can travel while earning a somewhat passive income stream selling printables online.
Printables are digital files that can be bought and sold nearly indefinitely, and because they are delivered online, you don’t have to ship anything or store physical products.
This can be a great way to earn passive income while you travel for years down the line. You might be able to travel for longer, and you’ll have more free time to enjoy the places you visit.
Some examples of travel-related printables include:
- Vacation packing checklists
- Travel planners, such as travel itinerary printables
- Vacation grocery shopping checklists
- Luggage tags
- Bucket lists printables
- Road trip activity printables
- Travel journals
- RV checklists
You can learn more at How I Make Money Selling Printables On Etsy.
15. Flight attendant
A popular way to get paid to travel the world is by becoming a flight attendant.
There are strict requirements for becoming a flight attendant, but you may receive highly discounted flights for you and companions. This can be a great way to travel while you’re working, and when you’re not on duty as a flight attendant, you can explore new cities and countries.
Flight attendants can make a good income, and the benefits can’t be beat if you want to travel more. Flight attendants make anywhere from around $40,000 to over $100,000 a year.
You can learn more at How To Become A Flight Attendant And Make $61,640 Each Year.
16. Boat crew jobs
Working as part of a yacht crew is a fun way to travel the world and experience life on the water. People are always looking for help on their boats, whether it’s a small 30-foot sailboat or a 200-foot mega yacht.
My husband has delivered two sailing catamarans for a total of around 4,000 miles (that doesn’t even include the amount of sailing he’s done on our boat), and we’ve both been offered boat crew jobs on several other occasions as well.
As yacht crew, you may be working as the:
- Captain
- Hostess
- Mechanic or engineer
- Server
- Chef
- Cleaner
- Crew
Working on a boat means you get to travel around the world, to new countries, or you may be staying in one area. It really just depends on the boat and what their itinerary is.
Now, working on a boat is not easy. It’s usually quite hard work, but it can be extremely rewarding.
If you’re interested, a lot of it is about networking. Simply hanging around the docks may help you find work, there are websites that connect crew to boats, and agencies that can help you find yacht crew jobs too.
17. Deliver vehicles
Like the last option, you can get paid to travel around the country delivering vehicles for individuals and dealerships. You might be towing or driving the vehicle depending on the arrangement.
You’ll need to have a clean driving record if you want to learn how to get paid to travel delivering vehicles. Delivery drivers can make $300 to $400 per vehicle.
18. Public speaker or coach
This can be a very lucrative option, but you will need to establish yourself as an expert or authority in a certain topic. Fortunately, there are many options to choose from – health, parenting, fashion, exercise, entrepreneurship, finances, marketing, life coaching, and much more.
You can make in the range of $1,000 to $50,000+ per event as a public speaker.
Are there companies that pay you to travel?
Yes, there are some companies that pay their workers to travel across the country or around the world.
Besides some of the opportunities talked about in this list, jobs in sales, HR, trainers, and more may send you to different cities and countries as part of your job.
How to get paid to travel the world – Summary
As you can see, there are many different ways to get paid to travel the world. There are, of course, positives and negatives to each option.
This is because everyone is different, we all have different skills, different ideas of what travel looks like, and so on. It’s all about finding which way interests you the most.
Again, here are the best ways to can get paid to travel:
- Create a travel blog
- Teach English as a foreign language
- Become an au pair
- Travel photographer
- Become a digital nomad
- Become a park ranger
- Travel nurse
- Become an Airbnb Experience Host
- Campground worker (workamper)
- Find items to resell online
- Find a cruise ship job
- WWOOFer
- Outdoor guide or instructor
- Sell printables on Etsy
- Flight attendant
- Boat crew jobs
- Deliver vehicles
- Public speaker or coach
So, whether you want to travel across the US and visit all 50 states, circumnavigate the world by boat, or fly to many different continents and countries, there are so many different ways to get paid to travel.
Traveling is the best way to see the world, but it can also be expensive. Depending on your situation, there are dozens of ways to get paid to travel, whether you want to travel on a backpacker’s budget or if you want to splurge on fancy resorts.
Whether you are looking for seasonal jobs, you want to become an online freelancer, or if you even want to find a way to make money from your hobby without working long hours, there are many ways to experience a new culture and may even be able to score free travel.
Have fun traveling!
Do you want to get paid to travel the world?
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