Traveling to foreign countries is a great way to escape the 9 to 5 grind, and the stress of an intense and demanding workday. Unfortunately, traveling is not a cheap activity, and usually, you need thousands of dollars to visit the places you are interested in, as well as to afford accommodation, food, and entertainment. However, have you considered the opportunity of working while traveling, and making more money to extend your vacation?
This might sound stressful, but we assure you that working while traveling is nothing like the busy office life – your jobs can be less demanding, more entertaining, and more rewarding. Of course, it is up to you to decide what type of job you want to practice – our post has the best 12 jobs to do while traveling, and we sincerely hope that it will help you explore more job opportunities on your next trip.
Freelance Writer
Online platforms like Freelancer and Upwork provide millions of people with the opportunity to work remotely for clients from all around the world. Writing articles, blog posts, and other content is one of the most popular freelancer jobs, and it is also one of the best choices if you are looking for side income while traveling. A freelance writer can easily get paid between $20 and $50 an hour, and the best part is that you can only work for assignments that you find interesting – if you love traveling, then maybe writing for different cultures, cuisines, countries, and accommodation options may be a job opportunity that you will find intriguing.
Translation Services
If you are fluent in more than one language, then looking for online translation work is a great way to make some money while taking a rest from your travels. It is up to you to determine whether you will look for a client with a long-term job opportunity, or for short-term projects that will not take too much time to complete. The payment for translation work varies greatly depending on the languages you work with, but typically freelance translators get paid between $20 and $50 an hour.
Social Media Management
If you are keeping up with social media, then you may want to consider a career in social media management. This is a job that can be performed from the comfort of your own home (or hotel room), and it requires nothing more than access to the Internet. Plenty of companies are looking for social media managers, and this is certainly one of the jobs that you can practice while traveling. Of course, keep in mind that to be a successful social media manager, you will need to make yourself familiar with your company’s policies, goals, and audience.
Start a Travel Blog
It is important to mention that you should not expect your travel blog to be a successful business from the very start. At first, it will be a place where you can share your experiences, photos, and stories with a handful of readers. However, if you are good at telling stories and engaging readers, then you are bound to attract more audiences in the near future – if you grow your travel blog enough, you may be able to collect a lot of revenue from advertisements, affiliate links, and paid blog posts.
Become an Airbnb Host
If your travel plans include a very long vacation, then you should not forget that your current place of residence will be empty for a long time. So why don’t you get some money out of it? Register with Airbnb and offer to host guests on your property. Depending on the location and quality of your property, you may end up receiving between $100 to $2-3,000/month.
Offer Online English Lessons
You would be surprised how much money you can make by teaching English to people from all over the world. These services are usually offered via online platforms that aim to connect students and teachers across the globe – the platforms may also provide educational material to help you prepare your lessons. Such a gig may often yield between $20 and $50/hour for just talking to someone in English, and explaining basic concepts of the English language.
Become a Virtual Personal Assistant
If organizing things is your thing, then maybe looking for a virtual assistant gig is a good idea. Usually, this job involves organizing your client’s schedule, handling emails, and sometimes looking for specific documents or data online. Depending on the deal you find, you may end up collecting between $10 and $30/hour.
Photography
Freelance photography is a difficult business venture to get into since you will need some equipment and time to build a portfolio. Last but not least, you will need to work very hard to build connections, promote your work, and build relationships with clients.
Web Development and Programming
While Web development and programming is not an easy career, you only need intermediate skills to sign up for some of the platforms that connect freelance programs and developers with clients. You can look for small projects or long-term ones – often, you may get paid a lot of money for simply reviewing and optimizing code. The opportunities are endless – if you have any programming background, then you should certainly look into this opportunity.
Graphic Design
Web design or graphic design can be a great way to make some money during your travels. There are tons of businesses and individuals looking for such services online, and their projects can easily bring you an extra $20-$50/hour. The best part is that there is an enormous amount of assignments to browse, so you can pick projects and themes that you feel passionate about.
Stock Trading
Trading stocks is not one of the most reliable business opportunities, and you will need to have starting capital. Of course, getting into stock trading or day trading is not easy – you will need to read a lot of educational material to make sure that you will be able to read and predict the market. This is essential because otherwise, you may end up losing your funds in a matter of days. Stock trading is a very advanced business venture, and you should not undertake it unless you are familiar with the risks.
English Teaching
You would be surprised how many expats and travelers in Asian countries make money by offering English lessons to the local population. Plenty of educational centers in Asian countries are eager to hire English tutors who have some basic certifications, which prove that they have a good command of the English language. Such positions are usually well-paid and can net you between $800 to 3,000/month.