How To Make Money On The Road - 50 Best Travel Jobs

Last Updated on 29th February 2024

This post about how to make money on the road contains affiliate links.

Getting paid to travel the world had been one of my biggest dreams for so many years before I actually made it happen. I always wanted to travel, but the reality of being able to be paid to do so seemed like such a far-off, distant dream – surely it wouldn’t actually be possible to find a job that paid you to travel?

However, when I realised that I could take my travel blog and freelance writing endeavours full time, it felt like all the stars had aligned and provided me with this incredible opportunity to go out and explore the world, while still getting a (semi-regular) paycheque (freelance life 🙄 ).

I’ve now been making money while I travel full-time since April 2019 when I quit my job in digital marketing to pursue my dreams of getting paid to travel. Since then, I’ve worked remotely from over 50 countries (at the time of updating this post in February 2023), and I’ve spent several months living in different countries (including New York for one month, Croatia for one month and Paphos for one month).

I’ve also been paid to travel while on the road in my self-converted campervan, as well as on a 3-month cross-country road trip in America. Essentially, if you’re wondering how to make money on the road, I’m just the right person to answer that question!

If your dream is to make money travelling, then I’ve got just the post for you. In this guide on how to make money on the road and get paid to travel, you’ll find an extensive list of all the best travel jobs to make money travelling. I hope it inspires you to go out into the world, get creative, make money and most of all, travel the world while earning money!

1. Freelance writer

It seemed only right that I started with one of the best travel jobs (in my opinion) as it’s one of the main ways that I get paid to travel the world.

Becoming a freelance writer is one of the best things I’ve ever done and it’s enabled me to work with and write for companies all over the world including Culture Trip, Bookaway, In Chief, Rough Maps, and it even got me featured in the BBC Business section thanks to my digital nomad freelancing endeavours.

Freelance writing is a great travel job to pursue as you can do it from pretty much anywhere in the world, providing that you’ve got a decent Wi-Fi connection and a laptop.

2. Blogger – how to make money on the road

When I started my blog in October 2016, there was always a part of me that thought I could maybe one day turn it into a full-time gig. After all, I’d read blogs since the very early days of Zoella and Sprinkle of Glitter (Louise Pentland) and I was obsessed with every single post that they published.

When I realised that people were actually making money from writing online, I knew I could do it too, I just didn’t have a bloody clue how! So, over the next few months and years (and I’m still learning something new every single day now!), I spent hours on end researching how to create a blog and how to make it profitable.

It goes without saying that making money from blogging is not an easy feat and there is so much hard work that goes on behind the scenes that you’d probably never even realise. However, if you are wanting an income source that enables you to travel wherever you want, blogging, whether that’s as a beauty blogger, travel blogger or craft blogger, for example, can be an incredible way to go.

3. Scuba diving instructor

Moving on to a much more adventurous travel job now and that’s a scuba diving instructor! If you’ve completed your scuba diving training and you think you might be an excellent teacher of the incredible activity, then there are several courses and qualifications you can undertake in order to become a fully qualified scuba instructor.

This job will enable you to travel to some of the most amazing destinations in the world. From Australia to Indonesia to the Philippines and so much more, teaching people how to scuba dive will give you an unbelievable life as a traveller.

4. Teach English abroad

Getting a TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) qualification can do wonders for your CV as a traveller. There are so many places all over the world where you can find work teaching English in schools.

Places such as China, Japan, Cambodia, Brazil, Costa Rica and dozens more countries are all places that you can travel to and become an English teacher. Of course, you will have to have the appropriate credentials and qualifications in order to do this, and there are so many TEFL course providers out there.

I’ve worked with The TEFL Org in the past who is one of the UK’s leading providers of TEFL courses and they’re a great place to start if you want to become qualified to teach English abroad.

(This post isn’t sponsored in any way, although I have worked with The TEFL Org on sponsored content in the past).

5. Teach English online

Teaching English online is another one of the best ways to get paid to travel, especially as it can be done remotely from almost anywhere in the world.

Unlike teaching English abroad, you don’t have to be based in one particular location when you’re teaching online, so it gives you so much more freedom to travel wherever you want. If you do decide to teach English online, you will still have to get your qualifications in order to be a fully-fledged teacher.

6. Hostel work – how to make money on the road

If you’re someone who loves staying in hostels while travelling and you’re the kind of person who can get along with anyone, then getting a job in a hostel might be a great option for you.

Hostel work is one of the most popular travel jobs amongst backpackers, especially in places like New Zealand, Australia and many places in Europe. Depending on the hostel itself and the type of work they offer to travellers, you could end up working there properly and earning a decent paycheque, or some hostels may let you stay there and eat for free in exchange for a few hours of work here and there.

7. Yoga instructor

If you’ve got a particular specialist skill that you’re qualified for such as a yoga instructor (or massage therapist – see below), then you can take that skill anywhere in the world and teach while you travel.

You don’t even have to have the qualification before you embark on your adventures, there are many places in the world that offer yoga retreats where you can learn to become a yoga instructor so that you can share your skills with others while you travel, and get paid to do so!

8. Freelance massage therapist

Similarly to being a yoga instructor, becoming a freelance massage therapist is also a great way to get paid to travel.

Again, you will likely have to have a formal qualification prior to beginning a career as a massage therapist, but you could always learn on your travels and take a proper course while travelling.

9. Bar work – how to make money on the road

Bar work is another one of the best travel jobs that can be done in so many places around the world. The great thing about this line of work as a traveller is that you’ll rarely need a lot of experience; many hostel bars and busy backpacking places are always looking for bar workers and as there’s such a high turnover of staff with travellers constantly coming and going, you should find something relatively easy.

This kind of travel job probably won’t make you mega-rich, but it will help to pay towards your travels and if you’re somewhere that offers great tips, you could see huge bonuses from it.

10. Local tour guide

Becoming a local tour guide is an awesome and creative way to make money travelling. Naturally, it’s probably best to start with being a tour guide in your home city as this is where you’ll likely have the most expertise, but if you’ve been travelling for a long time and you’ve learned so much about a particular place, then you should be able to find work as a tour guide relatively easy.

Platforms such as Airbnb are a great place to advertise your guided tours, or you could get a job at an official tourism group where you can be one of their guided tour experts.

11. Online translator – how to make money on the road

If you speak more than one language fluently – first of all, well done to you, that’s a skill that I would love to have one day! And secondly, you could get a job as an online translator in order to pay for your travels.

You can find online translator jobs on platforms such as Fiverr and UpWork where you can pitch your skills to potential customers by setting up your own job advert or portfolio, or you can apply to requests that have been submitted by people looking to hire online translators.

Depending on how much you’re willing to work and how skilled/experienced you are, you could find yourself earning a decent amount of money as a translator while travelling.

12. Virtual Assistant

You can become a virtual assistant in almost any online field nowadays. Carrying out tasks such as answering phone calls, making appointments and managing email accounts are all things that you might do as a VA.

Many big bloggers and vloggers have also taken to hiring virtual assistants to help them with their daily tasks, so if you’re looking for a travel job that allows you to work from almost anywhere and you have the necessary skills to be a VA, this could be a great way for you to make money travelling.

13. Seasonal work – how to make money on the road

Seasonal work is incredibly prevalent in places such as New Zealand and Australia where travellers and backpackers are hired by locals for a few months at a time.

This kind of work can vary from fruit picking to construction work to working in a ski resort. If you’re wanting to get paid to travel, but you don’t want to commit to anything long-term or permanent, seasonal work could be a great choice for you.

It also usually pays pretty well, especially in places like NZ and Australia, where you could earn anywhere from $15 to $40 per hour in some places!

14. Social media manager

If you like to think of yourself as somewhat of a social media whizz, then becoming a social media manager while travelling could be a great idea.

Many companies might require you to have some kind of credited qualification in order to be a social media manager for their business, but if you have some level of experience, but you don’t want to commit to working full-time for just one company, why not consider being a freelance social media manager?

That way, you can choose who you want to work with, as well as your working hours, so you can be very flexible with when and where you work in order to travel and get paid at the same time.

15. Truck driver

Truck driving is a great job option for people looking to earn money while travelling. While it might not seem quite as glamorous as being a scuba diving instructor or a tour guide for example, it can be an excellent way to get paid to travel.

Being a truck driver might also fall under seasonal work in places like Canada or America for example, so if you’re thinking about travelling around these places and you’re wanting to earn a bit of cash while you do so, consider looking into part-time driving jobs to fund your adventures.

16. Au pair – how to make money on the road

If you want to earn money while travelling, but you’d prefer to travel on a much slower basis and spend longer periods of time in each place, then an au pair job might be perfectly suited to you.

An au pair can take on many roles, including looking after children while the parents are at work, cooking for the family that’s hosting them, cleaning the house, running errands and much more.

Depending on the type of au pair work that you do and the arrangement that you come to with your employer, you might be paid in actual cash for the duties that you perform, or you may just be hosted at their home free of charge and your meals might be included, in exchange for your work.

17. Working Holiday Visa (WHV)

In theory, a Working Holiday Visa could encompass almost all of the jobs on this list as it’s a visa that you get that enables you to work in another country for a set period of time.

For example, let’s say you got a WHV for Australia for 12 months. In that time, you’ll be able to secure work in Australia across many different jobs such as bar work, hostel work, secretarial work or even in your qualified profession that you obtained at home such as a lawyer or an accountant.

Working Holiday Visas are a great way to get paid to travel as they come with a lot of flexibility to earn money while you travel. Some positions may seem like more of a full-time job, but if you’re not keen on being tied down by a role on your WHV, make sure you choose something that will give you plenty of freedom to travel while working and earning money.

18. Freelance photographer

If you’ve got a keen eye for photography, then you could utilise those skills to earn money while you travel.

Being a freelance photographer is one of the best travel jobs for creative individuals as it’ll let you pursue your passion for photography while travelling and earning money from it.

This type of travel job also comes with plenty of freedom and flexibility as you can do it from almost anywhere in the world. Whether you decide to do it as a one-off job for tourism boards for example, or you agree to work with a company on a longer-term basis whereby you provide content for their brand, freelance photography is a fab travel job.

19. House Sitting

House sitting is another way that I’ve “earned” money while travelling in the past, even though I wasn’t technically paid in cash for my time.

When we were in New Zealand, we spent 6 weeks house-sitting for my old next-door neighbours from when I lived in NZ as a teenager. In exchange for us looking after their house, pets and farmland, we were very kindly provided with free accommodation and some food during our stay.

House sitting can be very popular amongst travellers who would prefer to be provided with “free” things, rather than being paid in cash. Of course, this means you will still need to find a way to earn money to pay for activities and other travelling extras, or you could just use your travel savings and enjoy free stays and food while house-sitting!

20. Pet sitting – how to make money on the road

Following on from the point above, pet sitting is another common way to get paid to travel, whether that’s in physical cash or “gifted” benefits.

Pet sitting is usually synonymous with house sitting, but if the agreement is literally just about looking after people’s pets while they’re away, then you won’t usually have any other obligation other than to ensure the pets are fed and well looked after.

21. Software Developer

If you’ve spent years working in an office with specialist skills such as software development, then you can easily transfer that skill over to remote work in order to make money travelling.

Being a freelance software developer, you could work for yourself using the skills you’ve acquired over the years to sell your services as a freelancer. Alternatively, you could ask your current boss/company if there was any possibility that you could take your role remotely so that you would still work from them, but you’d be able to do so while travelling the world.

22. Cabin crew

As a member of the cabin crew, not only will you get the chance to fly across the world to the most incredible destinations, but you’ll also likely meet some truly wonderful people along the way.

Of course, this job isn’t always quite as glamorous as it seems, and you won’t always get to just travel wherever you want and stay there, but you do get a lot of travel perks as a cabin crew member and if you absolutely love flying, this could really be a great travel job for you.

23. Trading and investing

This method of making money while travelling is actually what Matt does for a living and let me tell you, it’s not an easy thing to get into.

It takes literally years of hard work, perseverance and quite often a fair few mistakes as well to make this kind of job a reality, so it’s not a travel job that I recommend lightheartedly. However, if you are in the trading game and you’ve got a fair bit of experience under your belt, this could be something that you might want to consider as your way of making money while travelling.

24. Pilot – how to make money on the road

Now, of course, you can’t just go out and be a pilot, there’s a substantial amount of training you’ll have to go through and it’ll likely take you many years to qualify, but if you’re serious about travelling for a living, then becoming a pilot could be a very exciting travel profession.

25. Graphic designer

Graphic designing is another job that can pay you to travel, and can quite often be a fairly high-paying travel job, depending on your experience.

While graphic design doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with actually travelling as such, it can give you the freedom to work remotely from anywhere in the world, so as long as you have a decent internet connection and a laptop/computer/tablet that enables you to do your work, it’s an awesome job to get into if you’re looking to get paid to travel.

26. Travel agent – how to make money on the road

Let’s take it back to one of the most obvious types of travel jobs now; a travel agent.

While most travel agents aren’t able to just jet off around the world and visit anywhere they like, similarly to being a cabin crew member, it can come with a lot of perks and bonuses. Not only that, but if you’re planning other people’s trips for a living, it’ll give you first-hand, insider knowledge of the best places to go and things to see, so that you’re well prepared for when you eventually jet off.

27. Rent your apartment/house on Airbnb

If you’re someone who owns their own property but you don’t spend 24/7 living there and instead you prefer to travel the world, why not rent out your apartment/house on Airbnb in order to get a little more cash towards your travels?

Renting out your property on Airbnb can be a great way to make money for travelling, especially if you live in a popular tourist destination. As long as you’re aware of the responsibility that comes with being an Airbnb host, this is a great way to get paid to travel.

28. Travel nurse

If you’re a qualified nurse but you’re not so sure that you want to be based in one location all the time, then you might want to consider becoming a travel nurse.

Instead of being based in just one hospital, this role allows you to work short-term at different healthcare facilities around the world, so that you can always be travelling to somewhere new, while still doing the work that you love.

29. Work on a cruise ship

After our cruise around the Caribbean in 2022, I could definitely see the appeal of working on a cruise ship as a means of getting paid to travel the world.

Similarly to being a cabin crew member, instead of being up in the air travelling the world, you’ll be doing it via seas and oceans. It’s certainly not a job that will appeal to everyone, but if you’re looking for a fun and creative way to travel the world and get paid to do so, I think it’s well worth looking into cruise ship roles.

30. Holiday/party rep – how to make money on the road

I’ve known numerous people who’ve been holiday/party reps and while it’s never been for me, if you’re a people person and you love to party, I’m sure this travel job would be an absolute hoot!

Holiday repping can involve so many different things and it’s highly likely that no two days will ever be exactly the same. One day you might be taking people to a nightclub on holiday, the next you might be doing family games around the hotel pool. If you’re looking for adventure and a challenge while travelling, being a holiday rep might just be for you!

31. WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms)

WWOOFing can be said to fall under the umbrella of seasonal work or even house/petsitting, but it is an actual job that allows you to travel in its own right.

A WWOOFer is someone who travels and visits farms or organic lands to learn about sustainable agriculture and to help out on the land and it gives you the opportunity to learn and live with the hosts in exchange for help on their farms.

Depending on the WWOOF host, your food and accommodation is usually included within the volunteering programme, but the type of accommodation and food that you’re offered will differ between hosts. If farming, agriculture and organic living is something that interests you, then WWOOFing is something that you should consider.

32. Chef roles

If you’ve acquired skills as a chef at your job at home, but you’re looking to take those skills international, then there will be plenty of opportunities for you to find chef roles all over the world.

Whether you’re looking to get a semi-permanent role as a chef in a fancy French restaurant in Paris , or you’re just quite happy flipping burgers at a chain restaurant in Australia, having those kinds of transferable skills should land you some great job opportunities while travelling.

33. Work in a ski resort

Working in a ski resort is usually considered to be seasonal work, however, if you’re someone who just loves to chase the snow and slopes, you could follow ski season all around the world so that you’re essentially living in perpetual winter.

Ski resort roles can range from an actual ski instructor to working in a bar or cafe at the slopes, to training beginner skiers.

34. Interpreter – how to make money on the road

An interpreter is similar to a translator, but interpreting is usually done in person. Jobs like these can see you working for/with world leaders as they travel around the world, meeting with other important people.

Of course, you’ll have to be multilingual in order to pursue this role, and more often than not, you’ll probably be required to have a formal degree to authenticate your skills, but if that’s something that appeals to you, then you can start putting the steps in place so that you can use those skills to get paid to travel.

35. Work for an international hotel chain

Working for international hotel chains such as Marriott, Hilton or the Accor group can land you some incredible job opportunities if you’re prepared to work for them.

While it might not always be a regular occurrence, if you work at an international hotel chain in London for example, and you see that they have a job opening at one of their Hong Kong branches, you’ll likely be in an excellent position to go for it.

Working at an international hotel chain also gives you access to see some of the best hotels in the world, and if you have the chance to travel and stay in some of the world’s top hotels for a living, I’d definitely say that you’re on to a winner!

36. Yacht work – how to make money on the road

If working on a cruise ship seems like a bit too much responsibility and hassle for you, then why not consider downsizing somewhat and getting a job on a yacht instead?

Some of the world’s richest people are owners of multi-million-pound yachts and I imagine that they always need staff to help it run smoothly. If the sophisticated high life takes your fancy, take a look at yacht work which will not only pay you to travel the world but will pay you to do it in style.

37. Surfing instructor

Becoming a surfing instructor is another one of the best travel jobs that enables you to work and travel to some of the most insanely beautiful destinations in the world.

As a fully qualified surfing instructor, you’ll be able to head to almost any surfing destination in the world and teach people the skills needed to ride the waves.

38. Vlogger/YouTuber

If you’d prefer to keep your travel work online, then why not consider becoming a vlogger or YouTuber?

There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people who’ve made a career from YouTube and if you’re planning to travel the world anyway, sharing your experience and journey online could see you earning money from your endeavours.

Of course, earning money on YouTube isn’t quite as easy as simply uploading a video once a week and then waiting for the cash to flow in (unfortunately). It requires an awful lot of dedication and hard work to make it a success, but if it’s something that you’re serious about, then you can start looking into ways to monetise your content in order to travel the world for a living.

39. Housekeeping

Housekeepers are always needed wherever you are, so the great thing about this job, is that you’re not limited when it comes to finding work.

You can find housekeeping jobs on platforms such as Indeed that advertise roles all over the world. So whether you’re looking to travel to and work in Las Vegas , Dubai or even just Scotland, there are thousands of job postings looking for housekeepers that will enable you to earn money while you travel.

40. Volunteer work – how to make money on the road

I’ve saved this “job” for last as it’s technically not something that pays you to travel, but it is something that many people consider doing when they’re looking to go out and explore the world.

If you’re wanting to experience a “job” such as marine conservation, community development programmes or teaching children in underdeveloped countries, there’s often not a lot of room for paid work in these fields. However, if it is something that you really want to be a part of, and the money isn’t an incredibly important factor for you, then you can look into volunteering programmes that could see you travelling all over the world to help make a difference.

Bonus ways to make money on the road

There are probably dozens more jobs that I could share with you in this post, but I feel that it’s getting a tad long, so I’m gonna stop it here! If you are still looking for more inspiration on the best travel jobs to make money travelling, check out my ten bonus travel job ideas below!

International aid worker
Journalist
Architect
Festival work
Foreign service travel jobs
Drop shipping
Street performer
Consultancy work
Busking
Freelance bookkeeper

Related posts:

How To Make Money While Travelling With The TEFL Org
The Best Online Jobs That Pay You To Travel
How I Make Money Online While Travelling Full Time
How To Find Clients As A Freelance Writer
How I Quit My Job To Travel The World At 20 Years Old

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The Best Travel Jobs To Make Money Travelling - How To Get Paid To Travel

Do you have any other ideas to add to this list of the best travel jobs? Which one appeals to you the most in order to make money on the road? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.