14 of the Best Travel Jobs to Make Money While Travelling

You’ve just returned from a two week holiday, your suitcase isn’t even unpacked yet, but you’re already dreaming of your next trip. Sound familiar?
Then you’ve probably got a bad case of the travel bug. If you’re the type of person who finds it impossible to satiate your wanderlust with just four weeks of holidays every year, you might want to think about switching to a job that allows you to make money while travelling. That way you can mix work and travel, maybe even forever.
Fortunately, you don’t have to be a millionaire in order to enjoy travel as part of your everyday life. Here are 14 of the BEST jobs to make money while travelling:

1. Writing/Blogging

Writers have travelled for as long as the profession has existed. If you have a talent for the written word, there are many ways you can make money from writing. Travel blogging (or any type of blogging) allows you to turn your passion into a career, by writing about your experience, growing an audience and advertising on your blog or getting sponsored by a company.
You can also become a freelance writer and get paid to write for other bloggers or online publications. This is a great way to improve your portfolio, especially when starting out. If you’ve got the gift of the gab and have sales skills, copywriting could be a great option for you. However, if you don’t feel confident, you can always take a course to refine your writing and communications skills before you start.
To stay social whilst you’re on the road, hostels are great place to base yourself and co-working spaces have popped up all over the world. It’s totally possible to have freedom, travel and be the master of your own destiny but enjoy a community feel too. All you need is a laptop and a WiFi connection, and you’re good to go.

2. Allied Health Professional

?@paulabzo
Did you know that an Allied Health qualification is one of the best ways to make money while travelling? There is a growing demand for experienced health care workers all around the world. Australia, for example, is experiencing a real shortage for Allied Health Professionals within the aged care and disability sectors in particular.
The main criteria you must fulfil are being fluent in English, having an Allied Health qualification and at least one year’s work experience. Not only is the job highly rewarding with a great sense of purpose, you have the ability to work worldwide in a range of different opportunities.

3. English Teacher

?@lovelyforliving
This is one of the most popular ways to make money while travelling. It’s an oldie, but a goodie. English teachers are in higher demand than ever before. Often seen as a “backpacker job”, teaching English as a foreign language can actually be very challenging, rewarding and lucrative.
Although qualifications aren’t always needed, it is best to get a TEFL or TESOL certificate. A course can be carried out online or in a classroom setting and usually takes around 4 weeks. Professional training means you will have more confidence to teach a class full of kids or adults, and have an edge over competitors who don’t have a certificate.
Some of the most popular places to teach English are Thailand, Korea, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and China. Wages range drastically from country to country, with many schools offering a free airfare or holiday bonuses for teachers that stay for a whole school year. Whilst English is obviously an extremely popular language to learn, if you can speak another language fluently, such as Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, or other widely spoken languages, you could utilise these skills by advertising at hostels, cafes etc and holding lessons.

4. Beauty Therapist

?@lola.photography
Beauty is universal, meaning that everybody wants to look and feel good. Qualified beauty therapists can find employment all around the world (with the correct work permits, of course). Locations with a high expat population are particularly desirable. Customers there appreciate being treated by someone who speaks their own language and understands their requests and are, therefore, willing to pay a premium for it.
Cruise ships, hotels and spas also often need qualified beauticians and hair stylists.

5. Virtual Assistant

? Jennifer Lachs
The VA sector is currently booming as more and more entrepreneurs and companies outsource their assistants. But, what are VAs and what do they do? Essentially, VAs are personal assistants that help entrepreneurs run their day-to-day business. Tasks can include anything and everything from email admin, to social media management, website maintenance and design, editing, writing, and market research. The job is very diverse and you must be good at organization, planning and research.
Fluent English speakers are usually much sought after and can be very well paid, especially if you have prior experience in an (executive) administration role. Most VAs are freelancers and many work from home.
Therefore, it is easy to take the job on the road; you only need a laptop and a reliable internet and/or phone connection to get started.

6. Bar/Restaurant Work

?@lola.photography
Working in a bar or restaurant is a good way to earn money for a few months, and if you’re in an area rife with backpackers chances are there are many places looking for travellers happy to work, particularly in hostel bars. This can often be done with working holiday visas. Some bars even pay ‘cash in hand’.

7. Fruit Picking

?@coleplay
You may think it doesn’t sound great, but fruit picking can be fun! This is particularly popular in Australia, particularly when travellers want to get their second year visa. Payment can include room and board and is a great way to make friends (and get a tan!).

8. Childcare/Au Pair

?@boscoppa
If you enjoy working with children, and particularly if you have experience, being an au pair could be the perfect solution. There are countless families in countries all over the world that need help with childcare, from richer families who’ll pay a lot, to those who’ll give you a basic room, board and salary. Either way, this allows you look after kids as well as exploring the country.

9. Working In A Hostel

?@lola.photography
This might be an obvious one, but working in a hostel is a fantastic way to save whilst living abroad. You often wont get a salary, but will get free meals and a bed so it’s a great way to save for a few weeks before you move onto your next destination.

10. Working Holiday Visa

?@emy_around_the_world
Working holiday visas can be some of the best ways to see a country while working money at the same time. So many countries offer this, such as Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore – the age limit is generally 18-30 so if you’re a young nomad it could be the perfect choice to make money while travelling. You can stay in the country for up to one year and often get through many jobs whilst travelling at the same time. For some visas though you have to prove you had sufficient funds to support yourself if you weren’t to get a job, so it may entail some saving beforehand! But if you are up for this, its one of the most fun ways to make money AND travel.

11. Housesitting

?@malousmindcom
This is one of the most fun ways to earn money while travelling, and looking after pets is often involved, so if you are an animal lover this could be the deal for you. Housesitters could be placed all over the world, from France to California to England. While you may not always get paid, this is a great choice if you want to experience other countries without having to pay for accommodation.

12. Web Design

If you’re skilled in simple web design, you could offer your services to hostels and restaurants who need their websites updating – offer a fee and in return spice up their website. This is an easy way to make money on the road.

13. Teach Dance, Yoga, Scuba Diving, Surfing etc

?@chance_the_snapper
If you have a talent or qualification, utilise it! Ask around at hostels and community centres, put up signs, and ask restaurants – you never know what could come of it!

14. Work With A Tour Company

Many budget tours need tour escorts – this is a fantastic way to see the world on low pay. Some cruise ships also offer tour escorts, such as sorting out groups and activities, and you may get to live in amazing tropical locations. Also look for work on sailing ships or yachts as a deckhand, chef, etc, which allows you to travel to amazing places while earning.
Jennifer Lachs is a writer for Open Colleges, one of Australia’s leading online education providers. She is a globetrotting writer, blogger and former scientist. Originally from Munich, Germany, she has lived and worked in 5 countries across the world. After finishing her PhD in chemistry in 2013 she went on a round-the-world trip that took her to over 15 countries, including Australia, where she lived for a year. She writes about her travels and her quest to become a digital nomad on her blog Square Hippie.
Are you looking for a way to make money while travelling? Which job would you choose? What other travel jobs are perfect for people with wanderlust?
Please share in the comments ?