7 Jobs For People Who Want To Travel

Do you dread the thought of being stuck in the same old office cubicle for the rest of your working life? Better yet, when people ask what you do, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to tell them that you get paid to travel the world? The current American demographic enrolled in college is as millennial and free-spirited as it gets, and more and more of our Gen Y’s and Z’s are looking to trade in their briefcase for a suitcase.

Believe it or not, making a living while experiencing different parts of the world can be a reality. Pursuing a job with travel benefits is also ideal for people who are unsure about their career path but would still like to go abroad. So if you don’t want to wait until you’re sixty to start crossing things off the bucket list, consider these job titles and its pros and cons to best accommodate your nomadic lifestyle wishes:

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1. Flight Attendant

Pros: Working for an airline basically gives you the unofficial license to travel for free (along with many other perks) and easily check off multiple cities at once on your travel CV. Work hours can be quite flexible and time off is possible as long as someone covers for you.

Cons: There are a few misconceptions about life as a flight attendant, such as it being a stress-free job, as you’ll typically be on your feet early mornings and late nights, in addition to inevitable jet lag.

Bottom Line: If you are someone who’d find thrill in an unpredictable work schedule, working holidays and weekends, and having a plane for an office, then catching flights for a living can indeed be fulfilling.

2. Travel Writer/Blogger

Pros: Being a travel writer is truly a job where you get paid to travel and is the perfect opportunity to country hop within a short amount of time. This career is very flexible as a lot of start-up companies are always looking to hire freelance writers with a travel niche and/or experience. Lifestyle-related blog content has currently been in popular demand as well. Freelancing platforms such as Upwork are frequently updated with new travel blogging gigs.

Cons: Because of the high demand and short notice work, the competitiveness of travel writing is one downside. Thus, the pay can be unpromising if you’re unable to pick up frequent clients as a freelancer.

Bottom Line: If you are extremely passionate about writing and traveling and have the samples to show for it, you’ll find yourself easily hired. Running your own travel blog and whipping up as many reviews and/or guides as you can is a practical start, too.

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3. Photographer

Pros: Photography is another career that’s almost always synonymous with freelance work, which means plenty of downtime to travel. And if you go into the travel photography niche or shoot for the tourism industry, you still have ample amount of freedom to choose what kind of work you want to do, whether it be exotic wildlife or luxury travel destinations.

Cons: As with travel writing, the lucrativeness of the photography business usually depends on the amount of work you pick up, so landing a full-time photography position is considered lucky. With many finding it easy to buy a good camera and take pictures, you also need to put in a lot of hustle to stand out and sell yourself.

Bottom Line: The travel opportunities are endless and probably won’t ever get boring. This career involves hands-on assignments to diverse, beautiful places that you either assign yourself or get assigned by publishing clients. The most important thing is building an impressive portfolio and actively promoting it. Many travel photographers actually start out as travel writers or end up becoming one to further their content.

4. ESL Teacher

Pros: According to GoAbroad.com, Spain, Japan, and Morocco are among the top countries to teach English abroad for 2019. As if those countries didn’t sound enticing enough, there are some organizations that hire English language teachers to hold lessons via Skype and other online methods, leaving you with even more leisure time. You won’t need to worry about low job prospects as demand is consistently high. Requirements are minimal and you sometimes don’t even need a college degree to find work, just a certification in TEFL courses that can take as little as 4 weeks to acquire.

Cons: Some ESL teachers mention a lack of support and guidance provided by the hiring company. Most jobs are bound by contracts, in which paid sick leave is not offered.

Bottom Line: Teaching English abroad is seen as a very exciting and rewarding starter job for recent college grads, and definitely one of the popular jobs for travel lovers. You can be a traveling teacher or an expat in one country for a certain period of time. The options within an ESL teaching career are abundant and never short of valuable travel experiences.

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5. International Business Manager 

Pros: If you are currently pursuing or interested in an international business degree, applying to managerial positions at any company with overseas office locations or a strong global presence is a sure-fire way to travel and meet diverse groups of people on the job. Business management is a high paying job for post-grads, especially if you are multilingual.

Cons: It will take hard work and charisma to inch your way up as manager of a business with a global reputation. An international business degree is mandatory and attending grad school is recommended to excel in this field.

Bottom Line: Managers are always moving around from place to place to meet with clients from all over. Analysts and marketing managers are other career options with the same outlook. Though it is a 9 to 5 and sometimes longer due to time zone differences, an international business career is ideal for those who are interested in professionally working in different countries while frequently interacting with new cultures.

6. Travel Nurse

Pros: Yes, travel nurses are a thing and are in constant demand to fill in temp positions at facilities across various states who may experience nursing shortages, usually lasting from 1 to 3 months here in the US. If you choose the international route, assignments can last up to a year. Travel nursing agencies offer very generous salaries as well as benefits, including free quality housing and travel reimbursements.

Cons: Like regular nurses, you need experience and a registered nurse certification to be quickly considered for travel positions.

Bottom Line: If you are an aspiring RN and would like a little more spontaneity in your future career path, this just may be the dream job for you. Being able to help people and travel for free sounds like a pretty good deal in my book.

7. Freelance Anything 

Pros: Last but not least, freelance work deserves it’s own spot on the list because any kind of freelance job will allow you to travel at your leisure. It’s a beautiful time to be your own boss in what’s known as the “gig economy,” where about half of the American working population is expected to be freelancers or temp workers a year from now, according to the Intuit 2020 Report.

Cons: On the downside, with any kind of freelance job comes an unsteady paycheck, at least in contrast to a traditional 9 to 5. On-demand work is not for everyone, so persistence is a major key if you really want to do more of what you want while still being able to pay the bills through freelancing.

Bottom Line: You can be a freelance software developer, bartender, interior designer… you name it. Given the statistics mentioned above in addition to the dynamic increase in remote work, it’s very possible to build your own freelancing career while you globetrot to wherever your heart desires.

Keep in mind that the outlook for each can vary based on what your career goals are. You should factor in if a lower salary is worth experiencing new places and all of the other possible trade-offs. All of these jobs have one thing in common, though – the need for availability and a “pack up and go” mentality.

With that being said, doing what you love is always a worthwhile endeavor. And if that happens to be traveling, now you know that the opportunities are even more tangible than you think. Start exploring your options now so you can start exploring the world.