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45 Great Jobs You Can Do While Traveling The World And How To Get Them

Looking for the best travel jobs? If you think that you can’t afford to travel the world, finding a job on the road may be just the ticket. Travel’s wonderful, sure, but little things like food and a place to sleep are good too.

The Best Travel Jobs

We’ve found some of the best ideas to get paid as you travel the world , with some help on how to land each job.

Tip! While house sitting may not pay all of your travel bills, it can take a huge bite out of accommodation costs. Trusted Housesitters  is a great place to start.  Check Trusted H ousesitters job listings here.

You should know the basics of sailing for this gig, although some jobs only require a keen willingness to learn and a great attitude. Check out Find a Crew or Crew Seekers  online or ask directly at a local yacht club. Well known jumping off points include Darwin, Phuket, San Diego and Panama. We volunteered as yacht crew for evening cruises at the yacht club in Brisbane and found the club and captains to be friendly and open to our help.

Freelance Travel Writing

Traditional freelance travel writing is a tough gig. The competition is stiff, and the life of a freelance travel writer usually doesn’t pay well (or reliably). Even if you’ve got stellar contacts, don’t expect to get much pay in the first year or so. Even irritatingly talented writers struggle as travel writers.

One of the best places to start looking for freelance writing jobs, and that includes freelance travel writing, is FlexJobs .

FlexJobs screens employers for you. FlexJobs comes with a small, flat monthly fee, but they also vet all of the job opportunities, meaning that there’s a lot less spam to wade through.

FlexJobs is one of the top job boards for remote work, but there is a monthly fee (about $14.95 USD a month).

Check out FlexJobs here.

Check out Virtual Vocations job listings here for freelance writing and plenty of other online jobs. You can try it out for free, but there’s also a paid version.

Looking for help with your resume or CV? Check out a top resume review .

Cruise Ship Work

Cruise ships hire all sorts of folks, from entertainers to waiters to cooks. This type of gig is best for those without kids or a spouse. It may also not be great long term for a digital nomad who needs reliable internet access, since WiFi at sea can be spotty.

Earl from Wandering Earl has used cruise ship work to fund a large part of his 12 years on the road, and wrote a book called How to Get a Job on a Cruise Ship .

Click here check out his book on getting a job on a cruise line .

Royal Caribbean even hires horticulturalists and cupcake supervisors (now that’s a job I could handle). Check out careers at Royal Caribbean  or Carnival Cruise Lines .

Travel Blogging

If you’re the enterprising sort, you can start your own travel blog. You’ll be putting in a lot of work (trust us on this) as you build your blog. Even if your blog becomes well known, you’ll need great business sense and a way to stand out from the crowd before you start bringing in any income. We’d estimate it takes about a year of hard work blogging before you can start to make any real income here (and by real, we mean around $1,000 per month).

Tip: To really enjoy the combination of work and travel, don’t forget about your safety. Here’s when a reliable VPN service may come in handy to protect your online presence and unlock geo-restricted content.

While volunteer jobs by nature don’t pay, some will provide (often very basic) accommodation or meals, or both. Conservation Volunteers  provides basic accommodation, but not meals, in exchange for help on conservation projects. Be careful with this strategy, as many voluntourism placements charge you a significant amount of money to volunteer. This helpful article from Wisebread will point you in the right direction.

If you’ve ever been interested in volunteering on an organic farm, this might be the gig for you. WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) brings together volunteers and farmers. You’ll work a set number of hours in exchange for room and board.

No previous farming experience is required, so all you need to do is check into visa requirements first an you could find yourself on a flight to Europe to work on an organic farm!

Flight Attendant

This is one of those jobs that require travel as part of the career. Flight attendants wages vary depending on the airline, and new employees don’t have a great choice of shifts or destinations. That said, you can still score some great flights while being paid. Airline employees often get substantial discounts on airfare for themselves and their family. Some airlines even allow you to pass on discounts to specified friends.

We always get travel insurance when we travel.

SafetyWing Nomad Insurance covers nearly every country on the planet.

While this is out of the reach of most of us, those with flight experience can score great flights. To become a pilot , you’ll need over 250 hours of flight experience, decent vision, a clear criminal record and good health.

Technical Writer or Editor

If you’re technically (or scientifically) inclined, and have great writing skills, technical writing and editing can be a great gig on the road. Technical writers write everything from website text to software user manuals to detailed computer hardware specifications. I’ve worked as technical writer for the past ten years, both remotely and in cubicle nation. I’d suggest getting a certificate in technical writing and a few clients under your belt before you hit the road. Starting pay is about $25/hour for North American gigs for native English speakers, but experienced writers and editors can earn $60 an hour or more.

Academic Editor or Writer

Academic editors and writers are often in big demand. English is a second language for plenty of students, so

Academic editors and writers are often in big demand. English is a second language for plenty of students, so getting an editor to proofread academic papers is common.

Editors can work on articles all the way from high school to PhD level, depending on their experience. Writers are also in demand with paper writing and editing services, which offer work in fields as diverse as English, biology, and physics.

Busking can be great if you have a skill in some sort of performance art, from singing to drumming or juggling. Pick a busy area to maximize your tips, and be careful not to run afoul of local city ordinances for street performers. Check out the video below of talented electric violinist Ed Alleyne-Johnson doing some busking work to get you motivated. Amazingly, all the music you hear is coming from his violin!

Bartender or Waiter

Depending on the country you’re visiting, you may be able to score a job waiting tables under the table. As you’ll be working illegally, you face a few risks, including being nabbed by the tax man, or even deported. That said, if you’re looking to work in a restaurant or bar, try to find a place where tips are good, as most of your income will come in the form of tips. There’s some helpful info here on traveling and working as a bartender .

Work for Your Accommodation

Many hostels will let you stay for free in exchange for light work around the hostel. While we were in Adelaide, Australia, we exchanged a couple of hours cleaning the hostel each day for a comfy double room with shared bath. All in all, it wasn’t a bad deal, as rooms were going for about $50. You research hostels before you leave on sites like Hostelworld.com .

Peace Corps Volunteer

The Peace Corps is serious business. Only apply if you’re able to commit to a long engagement in what might be a difficult environment. The application process is stringent, and usually includes an interview. The Peace Corps doesn’t pay a lot, but does cover health insurance and deferrals of student loans (for US Citizens), plus a bonus at the end of your term.

Run an Import/Export Business

The premise is simple: Find a product in one country, and sell it for a tidy profit somewhere else. This is perfect if you have a strong entrepreneurial bent, as you’ll have to dig up the product, the market and the suppliers all on your own.

Interpreter or Translator

You’ll need to be fluent in either written (a translator) or spoken (interpreter) two languages or more, and many employers want a university degree in linguistics.

If you can herd groups of confused people, and enjoy talking about the sights, this job might be for you. Tour guides don’t just schlep people around museums; you might even score a job as a wilderness guide. Speaking multiple languages isn’t a must but would be a definite asset.

Tour Organizer

If you can build trip itineraries, plan visas and stay arrangements, group tour organizing might be for you.

Seasonal Fruit or Vegetable Picker

The work is long and hard, but demand is often high for seasonal farm labor in Australia and many other countries in the world. If you’re staying in a New Zealand or Australian city with outlying farms, you should be able to find some work picking crops or shearing sheep.

Because the jobs depend on the harvest, timing can be a bit tricky. Here’s a tip from a backpacker we met in Cairns: Don’t pick watermelons, they weigh a ton and you’ll be exhausted within the first hour.  Anywork Anywhere is a good place to start looking for jobs.

Ethnomusicologist

I have to admit to being a little skeptical when I first ran across this job . Ethnomusicologists are involved in the anthropology of music and study how music and culture relate. The Society for Ethnomusicology  is a good place to start. Grant competition is fierce, and an academic background is highly recommended.

Online Poker Player

While this requires mad poker skills (obviously), the good news is that it’s open to anyone with a good internet connection and a small bankroll to start. According to the FBI, online gambling is illegal in the United States .

Day traders buy and sell stocks and other financial securities online, usually within the space of a day. A word of warning: You really need to know what you’re doing here, as this is a risky job for those without solid experience and knowledge. The large majority of day traders actually lose money .

Scuba Instructor

You’ll need a minimum of a PADI Open Water Scuba instructor course (or a similar accreditation). The more qualifications and specialized courses you take, the more marketable you’ll become. Instructors don’t make a lot of money, but the great perk of this job is that you get to teach in some of the world’s most beautiful locations.

Massage Therapist

While you don’t technically need an accreditation to be a massage therapist in certain countries, it may help you land clients and gigs. There are probably hundreds of styles of massage, ranging from deep tissue to Thai. Pay depends on the country you’re in, but the job can extremely flexible if you work as a freelance massage therapist.

Skiing Instructor

In most parts of the world, ski instructors must take courses and become accredited. Canadian ski instructors earn about $12 an hour to start.

Freelance Photographer

With the advent of digital cameras and the Internet, freelance photography has gotten a lot more competitive. That said, if you have great photography skills and a keen business sense, you may be able to sell some of your travel photos.

Travel Agent

Years ago, being a travel agent was one of the dream jobs for would-be travelers, who dreamed of perks and discounted fares. Today, travel agents are a rarer breed, as commissions have been cut and the internet has allowed consumers to book more of their own trips. You can work as a home based travel agent through a web-based travel agency. Successful travel agents today often offer specialized services that don’t compete with discounted web fares. Commissions and wages these days are low and perks are hard to come by.

An au pair is a nanny who may also be expected to do light housework. A large proportion of au pairs are female, and tend to work in Europe, the US and Canada, and Australia and New Zealand. If you’re looking to cover a lot of ground, this arrangement may not work well, as au pair contracts range from six months and up. Check out the  International Au Pair Organization  to start.

House Sitter

While house sitting may not pay all of your travel bills, it can take a huge bite out of accommodation costs. Trusted Housesitters  is a great places to start.

Check Trusted H ousesitters job listings here.

Also check for caretaking jobs, which generally involve a longer time commitment and increased responsibilities (like taking care of someone’s motel while they’re on vacation). Caretaking jobs often pay a stipend in addition to free accommodation. You can find caretaker jobs through the Caretaker Gazette . There’s a small membership fee for most sites.

Check Caretaker jobs listings here.

If you own an apartment or house, consider swapping for a place at your destination. You can save a fortune in accommodation costs, and often live much better than you would in a hotel.

International Resort Worker

International resorts like Club Med hire a wide variety of people, from electricians to bakers to activities coordinators. Check out Club Med jobs for information.

Time Share Salesperson

The bane of resort goers everywhere, time share salespeople make a commission by convincing vacationers to purchase a partial ownership of a vacation property (or multiple properties). For a set amount of money, the vacationer gets access to a vacation property for one or two weeks per year. Timeshares have taken a beating in the press for scamming vacationers out of their money. Even timeshares on the up and up are often sold with restrictive dates for access, hidden fees and taxes. Check out RCI.com  to get an idea of what kind of time shares are available worldwide.

Work at a Campsite

If you’re the outdoorsy type, you may be able to combine camping and work in Canada and the US. Work camping involves either hooking up your own RV or on-site housing and working as a camp host, desk clerk or even a tour guide. Private campgrounds and national parks like Yellowstone offer seasonal employees RV hookups or onsite housing.

Real Estate Agent

You’ll need to pick a specific area, become knowledgeable in the local real estate market, but many expats make good money as real estate agents, especially specializing in selling to other expats.

Location Independent Businesses

You can take many businesses with you on the road. These are usually computer-based business like website development or computer programming. All you’ll need is a laptop, internet connection, and a mad set of skills and you can work anywhere in the world. Sites like Freelancer.com  let you bid on jobs from all over the globe, while Fiverr gigs are set at a $5 (though you can add on extra services for extra $$).

Check out our article on the best online jobs for travelers for some ideas.

Deckhand on a Cargo Ship

While not as glamorous as working on a luxury cruise liner, working on a container ship can be a more leisurely way to see the world. Workers often acts as lookouts and perform maintenance like painting and maintaining containers. You’ll need a high school diploma and many deckhands have training through industry or labor union schools.

Back in the day, legit international businesses would pay couriers to fly packages as carry on between select destinations. Cheaper and faster international shipping, increased security and transporting docs electronically have made these jobs almost non-existent. Use a lot of caution with courier sites, as most seem to be trying to sell a membership, a supposedly discounted airfare or an outdated e-book written 10 years ago. Courier List, once one of the biggest names in the business, suspended subscriptions because of decreased opportunities.

Transport a Car or RV

Car and RV dealerships or car rental companies sometimes hire people to drive cars to a different destination. Car rental companies sometimes find themselves with too many cars in one destination and want to move them to an area where rentals are more in demand. Car dealerships may need a specific car, with specific options or colors that they arrange to get from another dealer. While most companies work with full time, professional drivers, there may be some opportunities for one time trips. The trick with these jobs is getting a car that’s going where you want to go at the right time. You’ll need a clean driver’s license and may need a specialty license to drive RVs. Transport companies like DAS Auto Shippers and RV Transport  hire drivers. HitTheRoad.ca  is a well known Canadian company that offers mostly long distance, one way, one trip driving contracts for cars, while AutoDriveAway  has listings for the USA.

Camp Counselor

Countries as diverse as Canada, the USA, Croatia and even Russia hire camp counselors. Check out Bitten By the Travel Bug’s helpful  articles on camp counseling .

ESL Teacher

Teaching English as a second language is a well worn staple for travelers, and for good reason. Some countries, like Japan, China and Korea are well traversed by ESL teachers, though there are opportunities around the world. Japan and Korea pay reasonably well, while countries in South and Central America generally pay less. Depending on the country, accommodation may be included in your pay. Many teachers also tutor after hours for extra cash. An English as a Second Language (ESL) Certificate  helps, as does a Bachelor’s degree, though with persistence it’s possible to get a job without either if you have the right connections. If you can figure out a way to break into the field, teaching business English to adults is reputed to pay better. There’s a helpful guide to teaching English abroad here .

Online Teacher or Tutor

Many universities and colleges are moving to online learning. While this is great for students, it’s also a fantastic perk for teachers or tutors, who can work from almost anywhere to teach their online students. An advanced degree is helpful for teaching, but it is possible to teach for a trade or technology school with experience and good connections.

Check out  Teaching Traveling  for a profile of a web and mobile design instructor who worked remotely for nine months while traveling from US to Argentina. The best part of this gig? You’re paid as well as if you were working at home. To find work, browse the teaching listings at university like the University of Phoenix , community colleges, and even technology and trade schools.

Geologists often travel as a requirement of their work. They can work in fields as diverse as oil and gas exploration, climate change and mining. You’ll need a minimum of a four year undergraduate degree .

Join the Military

Joining the military simply to travel seems like a bad idea, given the chance that you could be permanently stationed in your home town, or … well… killed. That said, military service can lead to opportunities to work overseas, though there may be little time for recreation.

Personal or Virtual Assistant

A personal assistant wears a thousand hats, depending on the needs of their employer. Personal connections seem to be critical.

Virtual Assistants offer administrative services to clients from a remote location. Virtual assistant services include scheduling appointments, managing email accounts, managing social media accounts, and more.

Marine or Wildlife Biologist

For nature lovers, the great perk of working as a marine or wildlife biologist can be location. Marine biologists can be stationed in fantastic locations like Hawaii and Costa Rica, while wildlife biologists can be found anywhere on the globe. Biologists need a minimum of a four year undergraduate degree, though researchers who work with universities usually require a PhD.

Internet Affiliate Marketer

Internet affiliate marketers create websites that sell other people’s products and then take a percentage of the sales. While the industry has a smarmy reputation, it is possible to make money through affiliate programs. No formal education is required, but a strong entrepreneurial bent and tech savvy is needed.

Working Holiday and other Visas

If you’re under 35, see if your destination country offers a youth working holiday visa. Many countries have agreements that allow youth to work on a working holiday visa for up to one year. Check out Wikipedia’s list of working holiday visa programs .

When planning to work in a foreign country, check into visa requirements first. In many countries it’s possible to work illegally (under the table), but be aware that there can be consequences that include immediate deportation. Receiving lodging or a stipend for volunteering may fall within the category of working under the table, depending on the country.

We hope we’ve inspired you that there are a lot of ways to make money on your travels . Now get out there and get one of these best travel jobs!

There’s always options if you really want to travel! 🙂

My boyfriend is a programmer on the go. He wrote a post to share some inspiration with other programmers, if anyone is interested or seeking an excuse to hit the road while still working as a programmer.

Hi Zara, Some helpful tips, there! Charles is a programmer, too, coincidentally enough. We’ve found that sites like oDesk and Guru tend to pay less than if we can manage to take our work for existing clients on the road.

Same here, a programmer… who is willing to be on the go….

Great list…hope to put some to use full time one day:)

Hi D.J., These days, I really favor jobs that I can take along with me – the whole digital nomad thing. It’s not quite as glamorous as everyone thinks, but honestly, it beats working in a cubicle 9-5 every day (been there!)

Fantastic list – very inspirational! I’ll send people this way – what a great resource!

Thanks! I know that we struggled with how to find a job when we were traveling, so I hope this can help someone out… 🙂

Quite an extensive list! I’ve looked into more than a few of these in the past (and am even considering a couple of them right now) and they’re all very viable options!

I tried to make a list of jobs that were possible for most folks. I honestly wouldn’t have thought working as yacht crew was viable if Charles and I hadn’t spent time at the yacht club and met a few people. Who knew? Now that we have kids, yacht crew may be out for a few years :), but then again, maybe we’ll get our own catamaran when they’re a bit older and be our own crew. 🙂

Anyone know if it’s necessary to have an ESL teaching certificate? I do not have a degree so thought maybe TESL cert might be helpful but many friends say not so much? Would love some feedback… Great article. Thanks!

Nice to see you here! I’m going to copy my answer from our chat on our Facebook page , in case someone else reading this would like to know.

“From what I’ve read, if you have a Bachelor’s degree, the TESL certificate isn’t necessary for most overseas teaching jobs (it depends very much on what the specific school you’re approaching wants, of course). Some schools will hire a teacher who doesn’t have a bachelors or TESL, but you need to have a connection (like knowing someone in the school who’ll vouch for you), or experience. Since you have experience, I’d say that trumps an TESL certificate for most schools. I’d try contacting one of the schools you’re interested in and asking – you never know, right? Hope that helps a bit… ”

Another good place to start is Nomadic Matt article on TESL certificates .

TEFL cert not that important, but you pretty much have to have a BA/BS in anything unless you have contacts and connections.

Many great ideas and a great single source of links! I can vouch that travel blogging requires a lot more time than the writing time! I would say that my preferred would be one job not mentioned: husband to a high-flying career (business, diplomat, etc.) spouse stationed in a well-located country 😉

Wow Raul, this was Micki’s post however I have to interject my thoughts on what you just wrote. I’m 100% in favor of that and will toss the idea to Micki. If she questions it I’m going to refer her back to you, okay. 😉

Nice article!

That’s a whole lotof jobs to consider! 🙂

Thanks, Tommy. Hopefully, the tips should keep someone well funded for a while 🙂

Fantastic Tips!

I never know we can exchange a hostel stay with cleaning and home Swap!

Opened my eyes really!

Hi Lex, Nice to see you here! I was surprised how many hostels were interested trading light housekeeping for a room. I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard of people building a small website for a hostel in exchange for a short stay. I’d imagine any kind of barter might work, really, anything from cleaning to carpentry to gardening.

A terrific post jam-packed with great ideas! In short, there’s no reason to stay home.

Hi Terry, So true. I spent a lot of my 20’s working crappy jobs, and barely getting by. Honestly, I could have been traveling and working at the same time, and been just as far ahead financially.

This is a great list of ideas for people looking to travel long-term and work. Thanks very much for sharing!

Hi Emma, you’re welcome. Hope it provides some inspiration.

This is fantastic list and an inspiration for those who are considering travelling indefinitely but wondering how they can continue their journey. I know a lot of friends doing scuba dive instruction in Thailand and the Maldives.

Hi Samuel, Scuba diving in Thailand or the Maldives sounds like a great way to earn money on the road! We took our Open Water PADI course in Ko Tao. Thailand, and loved every second of it.

Great list! Very inspiring to those who may not have realized all the options out there. I’ve been going the digital nomad route myself, but I also love the idea of taking on seasonal jobs in different places. Especially things like campground host would be really fun, I think!

Great tips. But they really fall into two categories, don’t they? The jobs that you can do anywhere in the world which will fund your travels – and those which will also get you actively involved in the local community. I hope people will consider the latter and really see the world while they’re making some cash on the side!

That’s a really great way of thinking about work. Not only can it make you some cash, but working somewhere can help you connect with the local culture and people.

Great list! Some of these are really great suggestions, though some might not work out so well if the end goal is to travel. Getting a pilot’s license is extremely expensive, and it’s a very low paying job for several years when you first start. But picking up jobs along the way, teaching ESL and staring your own location independent business are solid choices. I always thought the different cruise types of jobs sounded interesting, but I don’t think I could handle the seasickness!

Yep, I won’t be taking up flying as a commercial pilot any time soon, either. I’ve had a couple of friends who put in some serious time flying in Northern Canada (mostly for oil and gas companies and flying firefighters up North). They really put in their dues for a lot of years, that’s for sure.

A lot of people are choosing the location independent work route, whether it’s working a regular job remotely, or starting their own business. The idea of sitting under a palm tree with a laptop while getting paid to work is a pretty powerful draw. Though it’s not all it’s made out to be – sand’s pretty tough on keyboards and there’s a lot of glare on the screen 🙂

Hi, What can i do for getting a job the above mentioned 45 list.I am interested to travel the worldwide.So please give the suggestion to get a job in the above mentioned list.

Don, some of these jobs require degrees or certifications. Some are as simple as showing up at the place you want to work. Others require that you apply for the position just as you would in your home country.

It really depends on the job you want, what you’re qualified to do, where in the world you happen to be and whether you want to work for cash only or after filling in the proper paperwork and getting a work visa.

The rest is up to you. Good luck!

Nice article also its nice to date airhostess so you keep getting cheap tickets…. Rest is everyone knows… 🙂

Ah, now that’s the SMART way to go about travel. Ren, I think you’ve got it all figured out 🙂

Very nice post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I’ve truly loved surfing around your blog posts. After this I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I am hoping you write more often!

Roccia, we’re so glad you stopped by! If you every have any questions, or need any help, give us a shout!

Great list! The best job Ive seen someone have that allowed them to travel with ease was as a hairdresser. They would rock up into a city – put up a sign in the hostel saying $30 a cut and would have queues of people getting a trim – just how they liked it back home. Then they would cash out and move onto the next city.

Peter, now that’s a fantastic idea! Love how enterprising that is – and at $30 a cut, they could make some decent money!

I wrote this article really just to get people thinking about all the options that there are to make money traveling. In my 20’s I worked a LOT of crappy jobs trying to save money to travel, when it would have been just as easy to work on the road.

What a great list! I’ve done a Work & Holiday in Australia and was able to get a couple “real” jobs in marketing that paid well enough to fund my travels (in such an expensive country), but some of these sound really tempting!

Rachael, the working holiday visas are a fantastic way to travel.

Some countries are starting to increase the holiday visas age to 35 for specific visitors (for example, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand residents up to age 35 can visit Italy on a working holiday visa).

Most folks think that the working holiday visas are only for jobs like fruit picking and waiting tables, but you can actually end up with some good jobs (like your marketing jobs) that give some great work experience and pay reasonably well.

Really great list! Thank you, Micky

What an awesome resource for people looking to travel but worried about income! This a great page to bookmark and share around. Thanks for putting this together.

Thanks so much Aloyna and JRinAsia! Glad we helped out.

I took your advice and recently became on online tutor… I started sharing this as well with kids that I tutor who are looking for a job.

Ralph, That’s so wonderful to hear! I tutored for a couple of years as well (though not online), and think it would be a great travel job. Thanks for sharing!

Great list of jobs here. I’ve done / still do many of these. Writing, photography, tour guiding, car delivery, working for accommodation. The only negative experience I’ve had was with hittheroad.ca so I can not recommend that service, but the more skills you have, the better, right?? I’ve travelled with a few geologists…and they get to go to some remote, crazy places…wish I knew that when I was in school.

Some great ideas, travel blogging is a challenge but rewarding.

Great post, great site. We’re a travelling family so always great to read about others. Looking for inspiration to find a new travelling career ideas and help us stay on the road for longer so this is great! Thanks!

Great ideas. This is the dream of all of us to finance our travel with work during our trip.

If you’re a certified teacher, you can easily travel by working in an international school! They pay your flights each year, give you a house or housing allowance, and the salary is usually good enough to travel every glorious school holiday! I’ve been doing it for 6 years now, and I will never go back to Canada to teach… No jobs! I can live in paradise, or a couple hours flight to it. You can’t go wrong! 🙂

Meg – overseas lifer

What an awesome list! It just goes to show that you can do anything if you are creative enough to figure out a niche that aligns with your destination. This is a much harder lifestyle to maintain when you have kids so I always recommend younger travellers go far while they are single:)

Some of these ideas seem really great. The list really is extensive!

I would have never thought to work while traveling, usually that’s my vacation time away from work. Though that could greatly extend your vacation and/or allow you do more if you are constricted by money and expenses. Having some cash inflow allows you to do a lot more than otherwise. Though as an Austin mover I have been lucky enough to travel and see a lot of places while working.

Myself a pilot, I would love to see the entry regarding traveling on a pilot’s wages changed. There is no need to have perfect vision innately. It simply needs to be correctable to perfect. Most contacts and glasses have no problem with this issue.

Andrew, yes it is a common misconception about perfect eyesight and pilots. Contacts and glasses are fine for most airlines if you can see 20/20 with them on. Most fighter pilots need perfect vision (whether naturally or via lasik) however I’m guessing the average traveler doesn’t fall in that category. 😉

Thanks for the comment.

Charles/Micki,

Thank God, I stumbled upon this site, this list is a terrific resource guys, I love traveling and this will help tremedously! In fact, I am in Europe right now, lol. 😉

Always like to stumble blogs I read by accident! I’ve done so many of these – most noteably, teacing English and summer camp work, with a dabbling in blogging, translating, tour guiding, etc. Definitely helps ease the blow!

Great share and post!

Tour guide is a very good way to make extra money while traveling. There are even some people who actually travel TO a country, work as a guide for a few days and vacation a few days.

Ha. Pretty good list. I have actually had a fair few of these. Timeshares was definitely an interesting experience.

I have yet to bartend. Australia maybe on my horizon.

This is great! Thanks for writing it 🙂 I plan to go work and travel Europe in 2014!

easy in theory…..1st: for how many of those jobs do you require a specific specialization? and also the percentage of employer happy to give a job, even if small or temporary,to a stranger traveller and very often from another country?…I’d say not very high,I aqm italian and have constantly travelled for the last twentyfive years (travelling is my life), and my opinion is,that,if it wasn’t for busking,probably, I would’t have never gone all the way I did,nice your ideas though,inspiring.thanks

Amazing post. So far we have been working as English teachers in China and web designers in Cambodia, but there are more job opportunities, as you say, we would like to go for in the future. Greetings from Macau!

Very nice tips. Thank for this. Travel Blogging is the best for me!

Fantastic post! Very useful info! Gave me some ideas of jobs I didnt know you could do!

Excellent list! yardandgroom.com has taken me around the world (before responsibilities & a real job!) It’s great for horsey types who don’t mind serious hard work.

Complete List..but in 2013 and so on, I think Internet Marketing will be a great job. Just traveling worldwide and sit relax in front of your laptop

Wow … A lot of different opportunities listed. Making income from Blogging is tough, but if you have the time, one day it can pay off. I also like the idea of a campground host in the near future. Thanks for sharing!

Great article, so many job apportunities , who would have thought so?? dont stop writting 🙂

Thanks for sharing this wonderful list – so many jobs here I hadn’t even thought of! Ethnomusicologist ;-D

When I was in Australia a girl came into my hostel about every other week and would cut everyones hair and within a few hours would walk out with $200-$300. She didn’t charge much (maybe 10-15 for guys and 20-25 for girls) but most people needed one. She would then head out and party till she ran out of money and start over again. I on the other hand utilized my skills as an entertainment coordinator for hostels and got free accommodation from them and would put on tournaments for money where winner takes all except for the organizing fee i took.

Great list. The working online options are better for persons like myself who don’t travel on a US/Canada/UK passport. Working holiday visas and sometimes just tourist visas can be such a nightmare.

Nice article. There are lots of jobs to do while traveling, I like to work in camp site while traveling to Australia. My main concern is the working permit.

I love walking bare foot on the grass in winter morning.. ahh.. feels so awesome..

I’d love to have more than one of the jobs on the list. This is a comprehensive post!

I was really enjoying your article and stopped at the campground picture because it looked so much like home to me. Imagine my surprise to see it WAS! Paul Lake is basically the closest campground to my hometown of Kamloops, BC, Canada. It was really cool to stumble on this. I am a relatively new single at 42. I am hoping after a few more years of work in a steady well-paying job I will have some freedom to travel extensively. I think you have listed a lot of great ideas and resources. I wonder, do you think a lot of them will apply to me at this stage in my life with no real formal education beyond high school? I am going to send this to my young adult children too. I think travel when you are young is a great idea!

Thanks for the list.

Very useful tips. I wish to use few of these some day.

Great article . Very informative

Hey what about looking after Elephants, or other animals abroad? Is the pay good enough to feed and let you have accommodation? I would be very interested in this type of work…..Let me know….Someone!!

Hi Dianne. There are a lot of places in the world where you can work for room and board however I’m not sure about looking after elephants specifically. I suppose you could get a job abroad in a zoo or perhaps work for a lodge in Africa or India.

There are lots of animal sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers around the world as well so that’s always a possibility however there’s usually a fee involved so it will actually cost you money rather than the other way around. Here are a few sites of that nature: Globalteer , Go Eco or Conservation Volunteers

Most places operate on small grants and donations so being paid to do a job where thousands of people are willing to pay their own way makes it hard to find. That’s not to say it’s impossible however you would have an easier time tracking down a privately owned animal reserve or animal rehab center if you want to actually make money looking after animals abroad.

If you’re lucky enough to have a background in animal biology or animal behavior, you might be able to join an expedition on a grant that would cover your expenses however that level of detail lies far outside the scope of this article.

Dianne, we wish you good luck finding something of this nature and if you do, please come back here and share your findings!

This all sounds pretty amazing….I always wish I had all this info in my early 20’s! Now, I’m more interested in how you guys keep up the travelling with 2 kids! I know from experience that it’s really expensive to travel on poor currency as the Commonwealth countries are 10 – 12 times more expensive!!Currently my husband’s job takes him away from us for 2 months at a time…it would be really great to be able to be a family unit again and still see the world 🙂

It’s always a bit of fun juggling work and travel with our two little ones :).

Wow, and we were trying to think of things we could do when we hit the road. Great list this will come in very useful! Great blog by the way!

Great list! Hope to use that list some day 🙂 Thanks for your post 🙂

Thank you so much for the brilliant as well as comprehensive list !

Fantastic list! I just wish that there were more options eligible for members on non-EU states as for instance House Sitting and House Swamping request you to be from a certain country. Moreover, there’s always visa issues to solve.

WOw its a great combination of two sites including traveling and job information. love your this informative blog…

thanks to share!!!!

Wow, that list is great. I never realized how many different opportunities there were for travelers. I especially like the tour guides. Always thought that would be fun.

Thanks for putting this together, some great ideas I hadn’t thought of! We’ve done a fair bit of volunteering along the way, which saves us money but certainly doesn’t make us any. I’d soooooooo love to volunteer on a sailing yacht for a long trip!

What an awesome list! Thank you so much for sharing!

Are you aware of any online opportunities which require extensive excell/analytical skills which can be done from remote locations? I am fully qualified accountant and auditor but not a huge fan of working in the profession. I really want to travel and try use the skills I have from remote locations…just not sure if those opportunities exist?

Hi Ant. The best way to work online is to try to find a local company that is willing to let you work remotely before you even start traveling. It will be steadier income and if you’re from a wealthier nation then the pay will be more than you’d make in a lot of countries with lower living costs. If you know you’ll be staying someplace that costs less, you can also offer your services for lower than the going rate to help guarantee your position. Because you’re also a local, you speak the same language, have similar views and can meet them in person. A lot of companies have no problem hiring remote workers however a lot of them have trouble outsourcing to employees in foreign companies.

In terms of your skillset, I can think of tons of industries where it would be in demand. Of course anything financial like banks, accounting firms, tax preparers, market analysis experts or any large company’s payroll and HR department need people with analytical skills. You can also browse the jobs on Monster or Workopolis to give you some ideas.

Other than that, there are numerous sites where you can bid on jobs or offer your services on a smaller scale. Odesk, Elance, Guru and Fiverr are 4 that quickly come to mind. You likely won’t be making the same money you could earn with a dedicated position however there are plenty of people that do just as well taking on numerous small contracts and they can pick and choose as they go.

Good luck on your search!

“While you don’t technically need an accreditation to be a massage therapist, it may help you land clients and gigs. There are probably hundreds of styles of massage, ranging from deep tissue to Thai. Pay depends on the country you’re in, but the job can extremely flexible if you work as a freelance massage therapist.”

Please change this horrible piece of information. It’s called a Massage License, and it is absolutely required to legally practice massage therapy in most countries. Here in the US, a MINIMUM of 500 hours from an accredited massage school is required. Upon completion of school, you are then required to pass a state licensing examination. And every state has their own licensing requirements. You cannot just simply start massaging for the hell of it anywhere you want. It is against the law and fairly strictly enforced.

Hi Robbie. Yes, a message license is required in the US and in 3 provinces in Canada it actually falls under the governmental health care service so you are right that in these countries it is illegal to practice without a license. The same holds true for a good portion of Europe and scattered first world countries around the world.

That being said, it’s not governed in a good portion of Asia, South America, Africa and many tropical islands around the world. So like we said, a license helps however we’ve seen many people offering massages in hostels we’ve stayed around the world and I’m pretty sure they weren’t licensed in that country. They all seemed to be making money doing it so obviously it’s a viable business.

In regards to your comment I’ve modified the line to clarify it more. Thanks for pointing that out.

It seems very useful for everyone. Nice info

Great list Micki! As a pilot myself, I can attest to the amazing flight benefits! The sad part is that most pilots probably travel only slightly more on their personal time than non-pilots. Many of my colleges tell me that the last thing they feel like doing after flying at work for 4 or 5 days is hopping on another airplane. It’s sad to see them lose the love for travel. After all, I think that’s why we all got into it.

Add travel nursing to the list! My husband and I started traveling in 2011 and LOVE it. Traveling abroad is a little more difficult but possible. We have stayed in the states but there is plenty to see in this great country. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for adventure and excellent pay.

Flight Attendant…..I’m glad you listed this as people rarely realize how much “perk” travel is associated with being one. I took a “gap year” between my undergrad college & next one to pursue this. It was the best choice I ever made. In the span of one year, I had opportunities to explore US (home base), Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Carribbean (over 15 islands!, often more than 3’xs each!) and this position was held almost 20 years ago. I am now fully into another career but this is always the job employers ask me about first in my interviews. They are very curious about how I became one, where did I go, how did I live out of a suitcase, etc. It was really quite easy. I answered a newspaper ad (yes, I’m that old :-)) and showed up for an open call. From that, about 450+ people were eventually narrowed down to 25 selected for training. My best asset was having a outgoing personality and decent work ethic. After waiting tables in highschool and having a Associates degree, they were happy to have me join. On my days off, I’d jumpseat to other locations and split bills w/ fellow crew members to say, spend 4 days in the Keys to go snorkeling or take 3 days and go explore New Mexico. I think it sounds so daunting and courageous to follow travel dreams by reading blogs but truthfully, once you’re out there doing it, it’s so fun you forget why you had any fears holding you back. Cheers. Here’s to just going for it. We only *know* that we’ve got this 1 life. Right now.

WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for travel jobs

Everyone loves what you guys are up too. This kind of clever wokrk and reporting! Keep up the terrific works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to our blogroll.

I’m a Freelance Photographer and capturing amazing sights to places where I spent my vacation. I even collect photos. Will probably sell my photos nest time. Thanks to your ideas.

That’s a very cool list. Love to explore the world. I am going to try this. Even-thought I have been traveling for the last 5 years with my wife. It helped me a lot since she is a travel nurse and willing to travel 3 months at a time.

Great article. Many choices. What this shows is that you can really put yourself in a no excuse position if travel is your main focus. I have a family of 5. We sold everything and went from a 4700 sq ft house to a 40 sq ft cargo trailer and SUV. For my revenue, I do consulting on 2 fronts: personal and professional. I do business strategy and tactics consulting for businesses and personal accountability and objective acquisition and completion consulting for individuals. Consulting is a great revenue stream as long as you actually know what you are talking about and can adequately relay advice. Anyway, great article. Thanks for sharing and have safe travels and a prosperous future!

Regarding the military option, I can tell you from experience that you would have time for recreational activities. I was stationed in Mannheim, Germany during my time in the Army and I got the chance to travel to surrounding countries during my time there. We had a lot of three or four day weekends that would come up plus all of the holidays. I had a great time during my time in Europe. Unless you’re a barracks rat or a natural homebody, you will more than likely go many places while stationed overseas. Deployment is about the only time you wouldn’t have much in recreation.

WOW! I pinned this for future reference! Very extensive and complete list and many I have never heard of or thought of!

The younger or older you are the more attractive this life style may be. As they say, where there’s a will there’s a way. Of course the more money you can make the better the travel (I’m for that). Thanks for the insight!

I love traveling and these are great ideas. We always stucked and can’t due to jobs issues but now i feel i really travel 🙂 thnx alot!!!

We no longer have any excuses…

Great list, really thorough! I know a lot of my friends think that you’ve gotta be some sort of millionaire to travel, but this serves as proof that it’s not so. There are so many ways to make money on the road. Great job.

Awesome post.

HI Micki, thank you for this extensive list. You provide great information and resources! There really are countless options when you want to finance your travels. When there’s a will, there’s a way!

Thanks to this site i got my job due to this sit i am enjoying

Great list ! And very Wise to recommend checking for the visa situation too…. been there done that and unfortunately it’s not that easy… 🙂

I want to travel the world. What kind of jobs should i take if i start. Can someone help me . I am from India and want to travel the world and get paid while i travel as travelling is my life.

Thanks for sharing such a detailed list!

Thank you so much for such a detailed article. It’s becoming easier and easier to work remotely while travelling and being able to pick up freelance work by advertising on websites like Elance and Upwork (formerly Odesk). If your dream is to travel and visit new places, you can find a way. There’s still plenty of places where it’s very cheap to live and get by, and half decent internet is available in most. It’s how I’ve been living my life for most of the last 15 years and hopefully will continue for many more 🙂

All the best

Working at a campsite, lol it reminds me of Regular Show even though they work at a park.

Well, it caught my interest and would definitely be one of the jobs that I would look for if I would travel the world. TV shows can be super inspiring :U

Thanks for sharing these jobs, these are very useful to me. When I go for travelling, I definitely try some of these.

I came across your website while searching for articles about tolls in Portugal (btw, thanks for sharing your experiences) which led me to continue reading your posts in your travel blogs and tips . I enjoyed reading them especially this one which gave me possibilities to travel without having 9-5 job.

Great stuff guys! Keep up the good work…

Web Design is a great idea too! Can do that sort of thing anywhere with a laptop and internet connection. You meet tones of people and potential clients while travelling meaning you could be doing work for people all over the world!

Hi Micki !! Great ideas, I admire your style of writing and can definitely feel the sense of adventure in each. Good reads !! 🙂

Great post – lots of jobs on there that don’t appear on most lists! You’ve given me a few great ideas!!! Thanks heaps!

Thats a great resource shared.

Wow great list, you thought of almost everything and I totally agree with you that blogging is not easy, it is a real job and you have to take it seriously!

Great list, as always…hope to put some to use full time one day:)

Thanks for sharing!

I really like your post. It’s a great resource for traveler that need extra income. May I suggest a company named VIPKid? VIPKid is a great place to work if you are looking for a job while traveling. I have been with the company for a year now and it’s so rewarding teaching English to students in China. You are able to make between $14 and $22 an hour as well as set your own work schedule. This job affords you the opportunity to earn extra income from anywhere with internet connection. All you need is a Bachelor’s degree, be a native speaker of English and have some teaching experience (formal or informal).

hi, I am currently 17 and a senior in high school, and I am confused I have no idea what I want to do with this life of mine after highschool I want to go to collage that’s for sure but I have no idea for what kind of career I want something that is a high salary and I like traveling a lot so I hope my future career would require that, but most of all I want a career that I like something I would have a passion for I want to do something I love, not just sit at a desk doing paperwork all day, no offence too anyone who does that but my point is I just need some advice here

Fantastic list! Thank you so much for the brilliant as well as comprehensive list !

Traveling with family is the best and most enjoyable

I started travelling by teaching English and that served me really for 5 years until I got into travel blogging! With the list you have though, you’re proving that there are a ton of ways to make your dreams come true these days <3 I recommend to just ask yourself what your passion is, and then work out how you can make money from it 🙂 Then you're laughing 😀

I really love the idea of work for accommodation. It offers an opportunity into the the lives of the locals. Got familiarized with the term recently on Hippohelp. Have you ever used it?

I do online marketing, with blog review, so it is very convenient to travel. I take advantage of these to make money and develop blogs stronger. The work you propose is also good, I will refer and try it!

Great list! Hope to use that list some day 🙂 Thanks for your post

If we enjoy working on cars and are looking for a new career path, consider enrolling in a career training program to become an automotive technician. There are many types of programs in the field.

Nice tips and work mention are really helpful. I definitely use some in my life.

Great tips for those who want to take advantage of their time even travel but I think he needs to have relations with the local people or know people there what do you think?

Such a beautiful blog. its really worthful. thanks for writing this.

Very helpful and motivating article. Thank you!

Great article! It really helps us think about our work opportunities on our 18 month around the world

I like your tip to work for your accommodation when you’re traveling abroad. My brother wants to travel to Canada to work while he’s taking a break from school. I wonder if there is a program that he could go through to get work.

This is such an informative article. Thanks for sharing 🙂

This is an outstanding post that’s filled with so many useful nuggets. Thank you for being so detailed on great Jobs you can do while travelling the world.

Ever since the covid 19 pandemics started, many people have lost their jobs. And just now I was thinking that what are those people doing now whose jobs have been lost. The importance of this post of yours has increased, even more, I have also read it, it is really very factual, that how we can move again along with travel.

Great list, really thorough! I know a lot of my friends think that you’ve gotta be some sort of millionaire to travel

You have post brilliant list of jobs.. I like this article.

Thank You! It’s actually a cool and useful piece of information. I’m satisfied that you simply shared this helpful information with us.

Thanks for these impressive ides. I have already chosen travel blogging to survive for a bike tour but after reading this, I am confident that I can do may other things to fulfill my worldwide bike tour dream

Working whilst travelling the world sounds like an absolute dream! I hope one day I have the guts to take a leap of faith and give it a go!

Thanks for providing these amazing suggestions about the great jobs in which we can travel the world such as pilot, travel blogging, trader, etc. as they will help a lot of people who like to travel and by reading this blog, they will get know about some fabulous opportunities.

Absolutely wonderful article!!! How I would love to travel the world while traveling, But alas I can’t. But I would definitely keep this article in mind, for future references. You never know when you might get the spark to leave all aside and live.

You posted a fantastic list of jobs. This article is good.

Amazing article! In my opinion, this is the best job in the world and everyone wants to travel and get paid for it. See the world without spending money on it and besides being free, this is something worth living for.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that there are a few jobs listed that don’t require a college degree, such as au pair and travel blogger. This is great news for people who might not have the financial resources to go to college but still want to travel and work at the same time.

Great post, thanks for the tips!

I can’t express how much I appreciate you for producing this list of fantastic employment for travellers! There are numerous opportunities. Have you or a loved one worked one of these occupations while on the road?

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Home » Work and Travel » 35 BEST Travel Jobs to Make Money While Travelling

35 BEST Travel Jobs to Make Money While Travelling

Do you wish you could travel more but don’t have enough money?

Then this guide is for you! It will tell you all about the types of epic travel jobs that you can do. Ultimately, this post will help you find work and travel the world… FOREVER.

There are a surprising number of jobs that involve travelling, a few canny ways to make money travelling abroad, and even some jobs where you actually get paid to travel… (The best kind!)

From freelancing to affiliate marketing, travel blogging, tending the bar at a hip hostel–there are seriously all kinds of awesome – and some terrible – travel jobs you can get to make ends meet and prolong your travels.

The life of a working traveller is varied and complex: there are countless tools in your arsenal! In today’s post, I’m giving you the lowdown on some of the best travel jobs for backpackers, expats, and aspiring digital nomads. And realistically, for nearly all of them, you don’t need no tertiary education.

Ditch your desk, amigos: the world is waiting and the only thing you need to SUCCEED is  grit.

• Making Money Travelling the World:Types of Travel Work

The 35 Best Travel Jobs in 2024

Did you find your dream travel job, making money travelling the world: types of travel work.

There are lots of different types of travel jobs out there, and they can roughly be broken down into three categories. Let’s take a look at them before we delve into the jobs themselves…

There are some jobs that will pay you to travel the world. This might sound very glamorous at first, but you have to bear in mind you may not get as much of a chance to actually explore as you will be working. These could be travel jobs or potentially even travel careers , but they still generally require the level of input from you that any regular ol’ boring job would.

Jobs that require travel and pay well, such as being an airline pilot or foreign service travel jobs, will offer you a chance to save up mega-cashola and to hopefully see parts of the world during your downtime. But to be honest (and in my opinion) these travel careers don’t have the same kind of freedom as being a digital nomad.

Personally, I’m a big believer in making money through a digital nomad job as these jobs allow you to work from literally anywhere in the world, on your own schedule, and often as your own boss.

It takes time to set up a career as a digital nomad career… But it’s easy to get started now and to begin your journey!

All you need is a laptop plus a few other of the digital nomad essentials , and idea of WHAT you want to do, and a place in the world that you’re content to get some work done from. Well, that and playlist that gets you in the zone!

Beccoming a digital nomad changes how you travel , so for backpackers that want to retain their backpacker-roots, you need a job for backpacker. These travel jobs are job-jobs.

They could be wicked jobs, they could be shitkicker jobs. They could, potentially, also progress into careers, but they wouldn’t be travel careers. You’d just be an expat with a regular ol’ job.

Many of the best travelling jobs for backpackers are super casual affairs – seasonal work or temporary labour gigs. I’ve found paying work on goat farms, behind bars, in hostels, on construction sites, on beaches, and in many other places whilst backpacking around the world. It’s usually very easy to find some casual work as a backpacker.

All you need is a good smile, good work ethic, and maybe the willingess to be paid under the table for less than minimum wage! (Oops, did I say that? You do you.) 😉

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Let’s look at how to work and travel like a BOSS (or self-employed hustler). Ideas range from online trading to teaching yoga to consulting. Don’t Work Another Day ; we have something for every CV!

1. Make Money Blogging

Starting a blog is one of the best travel jobs out there. You can travel whenever you want and make money out of your adventures to keep you going! However, blogging is not easy and it’s not one of those jobs to make money quickly.

Blogging offers a great introduction to many different digital nomad careers. You’ll learn more about SEO, copywriting, web design, social media management, marketing and PR… the list goes on! All you need to get started is a decent laptop for travel blogging and loads of patience!

If you want to get a taste of blogging before launching your own, you can look into becoming a virtual assistant or if writing is more your thing becoming a freelance service provider , like Sofie Couwenbergh is also a viable option. Working for a blogger is the best way to learn the tricks of the trade!

Full disclosure: The travel blogging industry is competitive, cutthroat, and, honestly, oversaturated. DO expect a long road to the top.

How Much Can You Earn?

• From $0 – $50,000 per month!

Finding a work-friendly atmosphere is important – check out Tribal Bali …

Having a job is one thing, but being able to sit down and get some work in is a whole other story. Luckily there are amazing coworking spaces all over the globe. But what if you could combine working and a place to live? Say no more…

Introducing the best Coworking Hostel in the World – Tribal Bali!

A unique coworking and co-living hostel for those that want to travel the world while working from their laptops. Make use of the massive open-air coworking spaces and sip on delicious coffee. If you need a quick screen break, just take a refreshing dip in the infinity pool or grab a drink at the bar. Need more work inspiration?

Staying at a digital nomad-friendly hostel is a really smart way to get more done whilst still enjoying the social life of travelling… Mingle, share ideas, brainstorm, make connections and find your tribe at Tribal Bali!

2. Teach English Abroad

For backpackers looking to settle somewhere for a year or more to save up some serious cash, teaching English abroad is one of the best jobs for nomads.

These days, you can teach English in most countries in the world while seeing all the goods they got to offer at the same time! This is probably one of the best travel careers out there: there’s a low barrier to entry and most native speakers can get a travel job teaching English.

Being a native speaker gives you an obvious advantage, but it’s also possible for non-native speakers to get work teaching English too.  You don’t even really need a degree to teach English in many countries, however, nabbing a TEFL certificate through an online course first will help you hit the ground running. (And hopefully will mean you won’t be a crap teacher too ?)

It’s a small investment that will help you score more gigs AND better-paying gigs in the long run. Plus, think of the children! Won’t somebody think of the children!?!?

• $1500 – $3000 depending on the country.

3. Teach English Online

Thanks to the power of the internet, the world of teaching English online has opened doors to English speakers everywhere! You can work from anywhere! (Provided you have a solid internet connection.)

What’s the best part? Depending on the company you work for, you can choose your own schedule and commitment level. Whatever works for you!

Teaching English online is fast becoming one of the best ways for backpackers to make money online without a doubt. Online teaching platforms connect prospective teachers with keen students. Set your pricing, choose your hours, and market yourself to potential clients.

The money isn’t impressive, particularly in the early days, but this is a job that you can grow and literally do anywhere. Nothing beats a location independent gig!

• About $1500 per month.

4. Dropshipping

Dropshipping is when you ship products to customers, usually in Europe or the USA, from somewhere cheap (usually China). Essentially, you manage the online storefront while a third party handles the logistics of storing and shipping products.

Now, dropshipping CAN be profitable. It can also be a major headache: you have been warned.

5. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is very simple. It means that you recommend a product or service to your audience, and if someone on your website uses or buys that product or service, you get a commission!

Affiliate marketing is basically being a middle man and is one of the most popular, proven, and sustainable ways to create income online.

If you are interested in online jobs travellers can easily utilise, learning effective affiliate marketing strategies is the holy grail. Passive income is fucking POWERFUL.

• Oodles but you need the traffic to earn it. But then, it all flows in passively. 😉

6. Crytocurrency and Day Trading

The exciting world of cryptocurrency investment has come a long way. You can HODL, stake, mine, generate interest (yup – totally a thing now!), and, of course, trade.

Day trading is a really exciting – but very nerve-wracking – way to make money while travelling. I have no experience trading stocks, but a lot of people I know have been trading cryptocurrency for a while now and have seen rather delectables return on their investments (with some losses along the way).

If you have money that you can afford to lose (seriously, this shit carries risk), then day trading is one of the most exciting travel jobs out there right now.

• The sky’s the limit!

7. Volunteering

Okiedoke – volunteering! Now, clearly, volunteering ISN’T a travel job, however, it’s functionally the same. You work (hard), you greatly reduce your travel costs, plus you’ll have some life-changing experiences while you’re at it. So it fits the bill!

Now, while voluntourism has received some flak over the years (and the trade has only become stickier in the COVID-times ), volunteering still remains one of the most meaningful ways to travel. A free feed and bed is certainly a win, but it’s the experience and the knowledge that you’re actually making a difference is what makes it, honestly, one of the best travel jobs for backpackers.

You have a lot of good options for volunteering abroad:

• WWOOF – An organisation primarily concerned with connecting working travellers with volunteering gigs on organic farms and agricultural projects.
• Workaway (and its numerous alternatives ) – As well as agricultural projects, these guys tend to also connect you to volunteering gigs around the board. Hostel work, translation and copywriting, building skate ramps, building backyard dunnies: it’s a wide net.
• Worldpackers – Our personal fave platform for this bizz.

Worldpackers is a smashing organisation. They’ve got more of a community focus than many of the alternatives and they run a tight ship too!

We sent one of our tried and true broke backpackers on a volunteering mission to Vietnam and the results were stellar. So stellar, in fact, that we happily partnered with them to bring Broke Backpacker readers a discount on the signup fee!

Just enter the code BROKEBACKPACKER at the checkout when signing up or do the clicky-click below!

Worldpackers: connecting travellers with  meaningful travel experiences.

We’ve also got a review of Workaway you can peruse if Worldpackers doesn’t float your boat. They’re a bit more stuffy (a natural caveat for being the lead of the pack), but they have volunteering gigs coming out of the ears!

And as one brief little sidenote, it’s worth noting the skills you pick up volunteering can go a LONG way to aiding you in your career as a working traveller. The more you know, the more backpacker jobs open up to you.

8. Become A Freelance Travel Photographer

If you love taking pictures, why don’t you make the most of your skills and be paid for it? Breaking into freelance photography is no easy, feat but it’s totally possible if you have perseverance and work at honing your craft every day.

You can travel the world forever by snapping away… If you get really good at your craft, you can even land a job that pays you to travel as a professional photographer for either the media or, the dream, National Geographic.

• $0 – $5000
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9. Teach Yoga

Yoga continues to grow in popularity around the world, and yoga instructors are in high demand. While not the highest paying job for travellers, finding work as a yoga instructor is one of the more assured ways to work and travel.

Travellers love yoga and are keen on lessons just about anywhere in the world. Combine that with hostels, cafes, and community centres (among a million other venues) always being on the lookout

Getting a yoga certification CERTAINLY helps you stand out from the crowd but it necessarily isn’t needed. Talk to other guests at your hostel, or people around any beach, hippy, or traveller town and see what you can rustle up. Start off with a sesh at a world-class yoga retreat to learn a few Asanas and limber up first and the rest will be easy.

Alternatively, head over to Yoga Travel Jobs Directory and see if there are any worthwhile postings. The beauty of this one is that the informality allows you to find work on the road in most places without the added red tape.

• $5/hour or even less in developing nations. Bounce on over to the northern beaches of Sydney though, and activewear soccer mums eat that shit up for $50+ a pop!

10. Fitness Instructor

Similar to yoga, if you’re in shape and know how to break a sweat, you can get paid to help others do the same! I love finding creative ways to stay in shape while travelling and you’ll find plenty of other travellers who will share this interest.

See if your hostel wants to organise any activities or events which you can market by word of mouth or by putting a flyer up. Head to a park or the beach and BOOM! You’re a certified fitness instructor… sort of.

Certifications are for losers without glorious, rippling muscles.

11. Tour Director

Directors accompany a tour group for the entirety of the itinerary and basically make sure people are having a good time. If it’s a twenty-one-day culture tour through Central America, the tour director is there the entire time, leading the group, answering questions, communicating with the bus driver, and, most importantly, creating solutions when shit goes wrong.

This is one of the travel industry careers that require the most work, but if you think you possess the qualities, there are thousands of amazing adventure tour companies looking for new leaders worldwide.

This industry is very competitive, but once you get your foot in the door you’ll be offered work left and right. I’ve got some experience leading adventure tours myself and this is a solid choice of job that involves travelling… You just need to have endless amounts of energy.

These are maybe the best jobs for travel and adventure for those that seek the high life and the pay ain’t too shabby either!.

• $1000 – $3000

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12. Travel Tour Guide

As opposed to a tour director, a tour guide usually does shorter tours (think three-hour walking tours). Ideally, tour guides are experts in their niche, but sometimes just a bit more knowledge than the average Joe will suffice

If you have experience or certification, getting tour guide work will be easy. If you travelling in the EU , you can also find tour guide work within Europe relatively easy (free walking tours, etc.) without certification.

Otherwise, there are lots of people on the web tapping into their entrepreneurial spirit and starting their own tour jobs while on the road.

• $500 – $1500

13. Work on A Boat

Unfortunately, the days of being a pirate are kinda over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still work and live on a boat!

A traveller’s job on a boat is certainly easier to get with experience, but sometimes it’s as easy as just walking onto a dock and asking around. Teach yourself to tie knots first and you’ll be golden.

Want to significantly increase your chances of getting hired on a superyacht or boat? Consider taking a course at the Super Yacht School – an online training company that educates people on everything they need to know regarding how to land a job on a superyacht as a crew member.

Alternatively, become a cruise ship worker and live the party-working-travelling-life on the high seas. Drugs, booze, and nights of wanton hedonism – excellent!

• $1200 – $2500

14. Boat Delivery

More boats! This one is a bit difficult to get into as a newbie, but if you have some experience working on the high seas, boat delivery has some serious work and travel potential. Typically the pay won’t be very high (if at all) but you’ll get your experience up and get to sail the seven seas for free!

Getting into this travel career could lead to more lucrative gigs in the future too, so it’s worth considering if the goal is simply finding jobs that let you travel.

Head over to Crewseekers.net or cruisersforum.com for some killer job leads!

15. Making and Selling Jewellery

Screw travel jobs – be a travel entrepreneur! While you can make and sell anything, jewellery is certainly the backpacker artisans staple, and I’ve met lots of people who make and sell jewellery whilst travelling .

Some critics of budget backpacking might have a go at you for – ahem – “begpacking” , but to those critics I say… get a job, ya hippy! If you’re wheeling, dealing, and hustling on the road, you are the literal opposite of a begpacker. It’s fun too!

The materials can be cheap and light to carry, it’s an artsy and fun thing to do, and you can set up shop (busking-style) in most places in the world that are kind to street merchants (i.e. not Malaysia). Selling handmade jewellery on the street isn’t the path to becoming a billionaire, but if you can make a decent product, it’s a great way to bring in enough to cover a day of gallivanting.

It isn’t strictly one of the easiest travel jobs out there if you genuinely care about your craft. Sourcing ethical materials, making the jewellery, and haggling for a fair price can all be a real battle. But damn you’ll have some ten-outta-ten adventures along the way!

• $300 – $1000 per month

16. Importing Stuff to Sell

A personal favourite of mine, this is what I sometimes refer to as the ‘ stuff your backpack’ method. It’s an easy w ay to make some money back after quitting your job to travel .

When in exotic countries, you will find awesome trinkets and doodads that people back home will go crazy over! Think hippy stuff: chillums, trousers, jewellery, festival belts, etc. These items will be authentic and dirt cheap.

Then, when you are outside that country and back in the good ol’ inflationary West, you can sell the authentic handcrafted Indian peace pipe that you paid $.75 cents for in Mumbai for $15 at festivals or online! It’s a great way to make 1,000% or more on your investments.

To make the most money though, you’ll have to frequently hit the road and stuff your backpack (a big hiking backpack is good for this) as well as have a good eye for stuff to take back home. If you can somehow inject something about chakras into the marketing spiel you’ll give to sell it, it’s a winner.

• $500 – $2000 per month

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17. Busking

Another of the world’s oldest professions that now catches some flak from the world’s newest crybabies: busking. If you have a talent, you can flaunt it for some cash in the street AND – better yet – make a bunch of people smile too!

You doen’t have to be a wandering musician with a travel-sized guitar either; magic, acrobatics, juggling, flow, dance – anything that’s impressive enough to score a tip is worth the shot, and you can score some mean tips! (Believe it or not.)

If the artisti di strada chooses the right location and is talented (or smiley) enough, there’s a pretty good chance they are making some dough! Enough to cover a day’s cost at least… You just need to know how to busk !

Also, if you are a musician, you should look into giving lessons for work while travelling or even playing some low-key gigs at bars or hostels. It’s a good way to score a feed, and it’s certainly not a bad payoff for a few hours of jammin’!

The resident in-house dirtbag busker on The Broke Backpacker team had this to say:

“I’ve had $5/hour days, I’ve had $50/hour days; busking is large part luck, however, there is a hidden art and science to the craft.”

18. Scuba Diving Instructor

Get paid for adventure. Underwater adventures no less!

Becoming a certified scuba diver and instructor takes a bit of investment, but it can be one of the most fun ways to work and travel the world simultaneously. You need a handful of courses and certifications, as well as having logged in a certain amount of hours underwater yourself, and then the world is your… oyster. (Huehuehue.)

If you are already certified, get excited! If you aren’t, you can do it at home, or take advantage of many (significantly cheaper) programs that exist in countries like Thailand and the Philippines. Hands down this is one of the best ways to get paid to travel PLUS you can pick up paying work in lots of different countries around the world.

Plus, y’know, dive for a living. Not bad, ‘ey?

• $1000 – $4000 per month.

19. Surf Instructor

Similar to a scuba instructor but without all of the need for certifications. You just need to be a badass surfer! Surfing instructors can do well for themselves by travelling, surfing, meeting people who are interested and want to learn, and then offering their services.

Plus, let’s be real… you’ll get laid. A lot.

You won’t earn as much as a scuba instructor, but you’ll be getting paid to surf and travel at the same time which is probably the coolest thing ever! I’m a big fan of surfing and hoping to spend a year or two getting a hell of a lot better in the future. If you are looking for cool jobs you can do while travelling, this may be for you.

There are lots of resources for finding potential gigs. Surf Travel Jobs is an excellent starting point.

• $500 – $1500 per month.

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20. Buy A Place and Rent It

If you have been working for a while, you may have some savings. Rather than blowing it all on a couple of fast-paced years of travel, invest it into buying a property at home and renting it out whilst you travel (thus living off the rent money).

You can advertise your place on lots of different websites including Airbnb or one of the many excellent sites like Airbnb , and it can very easily turn into big bucks! Pretty soon, you’ll be making money while travelling; so much so that some of my friends don’t even stay at their own place when they return to their hometown.

• $600 – $2000 per month.

21. Housesitting

Sort of a work-exchange-meets-job, housesitting while travelling is HAWT right now. Typically you pet-sit for an extended amount of time, and in return, you are given free rein over an entire house. Housesitting gigs rarely pay, but you can’t really complain as their still jobs that allow you to travel near-indefinitely.

You’ll be getting free accommodation, a big ass kitchen, and the privacy of your own house! This is one of the best ways to travel!

As with all good things, it’s challenging to crack into, but once you gain experience and a resume, you’ll have your choice of gigs. As far as travel work goes, this one comes highly recommended – it barely counts as working!

• A free house!

22. Work as an Au Pair

Au-pairing is one of the oldest travel careers around and is still a great option to save some money and see the world. Personally, kids ain’t for me, but if you are bubbly, happy, smiley and don’t mind cleaning up the misdirected poopoos, then there are plenty of little ones who need a lovely person like you to help take care of them.

It doesn’t always pay… and if it does pay it’s not always much. But you can earn up to 5k a month if you’re happy to travel for work (which, you should be) to teach in some more far-flung lands.

You’ll get free lodging and food and likely some pocket change for the weekend if you’re volunteering in Europe. Being an au-pair is a pretty solid way to get paid to travel and live in a new country.

• $0 – $5000 per month.

23. Hostel Work

Hostel work is one of the best-kept not-so-secret-secrets of the budget backpacking trade . Once upon a time, it was hush-hush, but now not so much. So let me tell you – finding hostel gigs is SUPER simple and hostel work is one of the best travel jobs for backpackers.

Hostel work is one of the easiest travel jobs to get – just ask the hostels you are staying at if they are looking for any help. They will know exactly what this means. “Help” means manning the front desk graveyard shift, sweeping the floors, or most likely minding the bar, all in exchange for free accommodation.

If they are looking for any “help” , they miiight pay a bit of cash, but more likely, you’ll get a free bed and some food out of it. Hostels are one of the staples for travel work and are a phenomenal way to save money while travelling – not to mention free entry into the hostel life shenanigans is a pretty sweet dealer for a lone ranger looking for some buds.

…And bud. 😉

• Usually just a free stay. Maybe some weed money (or weed) if you’re lucky.

24. Bar Work

Similar to hostel work, bar jobs have kept the backpacker going since basically the dawn of time. Often the bar work will be in a hostel bar (mentioned above) but just as legit is finding work at standalone bars.

This is particularly true in seasonal European cities (but I’ve seen it in South America, Australia, Asia… basically everywhere). Alcoholics are everywhere and they need a charming face with a winning smile to pour their drinks dammit!

The best way to find a bar job is just to walk around and ask if the bars are looking for any help. Or, if you’re having a pint somewhere, strike up a conversation with the bartender and get the scoop. A simple inquisition can lead to a lot of opportunities.

Full disclosure though: the booze and babes of the graveyard shift are fun for a while, but a few too many staffies a few too many months later and you’ll find yourself stuck right in a classic backpacker trap. And hungover.

• $800 – $2000 per month

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25. Become a Party Promoter/Brand Ambassador

If you are a fun-loving party animal with some social media/writing/promoting skills, then you could be a candidate to score a job as a brand ambassador for a tour business specializing in party-based tours. I’ve met someone who did this for a period; while the money wasn’t always hella tight, the nights of debauchery sure were!

A good option to break into this field is Stoke Travel . Every year, Stoke Travel gives 100+ regular travellers the opportunity to work and travel by volunteering at events or doing internships in their Barcelona and Byron Bay Office.

That’s right. Three square meals per day and unlimited booze. You’re basically travelling for free !

For the right individual, this job promises to be helluva of a lot of fun. (Possibly, too much fun…? )

• Free drinks – $1200

26. Seasonal Jobs

This is a large category that encompasses many different travel jobs. Restaurants, construction, hotels, cruise ship jobs, ski resorts, mining, deep-sea Alaskan fishing gigs, the list goes on! While a lot of these jobs are covered elsewhere in this post, seasonal jobs are worth noting.

You can literally travel the world working, chasing the season (which by the way usually equates to amazingly beautiful weather) and making money when jobs are in demand and at their highest paying…

Depending on the industry, you can end up both in some pretty off the beaten path destinations as well as touristed ones. Or both! The ski resorts in the summer trekking season is usually a much more peaceful vibe once all the loquacious Aussies have packed up shop.

• $1000 – $5000 per month

27. Construction

You can find construction work basically anywhere in the world, however, the right destinations (eg. Australia and New Zealand) pay a mean wage. If you’re operating above board that is.

Otherwise, asking around for something more informal is usually the way to go. If you have construction experience, jump on those work exchange platforms for some cheap volunteering gigs .

Many hostels, farms, and everything in between will advertise their needs in hopes of finding a qualified working traveller. You’ll get food, lodging, and (depending on the project) a bit of money as well. It’ll get you networked too – word of mouth carries!

If you have experience as a plumber or electrician, you can make bank and even land a job where you are paid to travel to and from different world projects. Also, insider tip: traffic controllers Down Under get paid an ungodly amount for literally doing nothing. They usually pick the cutest girl to man the stop sign though – yay, sexism!

• $1200 – $3000 per month but hugely variable depending on your trade and skillset,

28. Transport a Car or RV

Car and RV dealerships or car rental companies sometimes hire people to drive cars to different destinations. Rental companies often find themselves with too many cars in one destination and want to move them to an area where rentals are more in demand. Car dealerships may need a specific car, with specific options or colours, that they arrange to get from another dealer.

While most companies work with full-time professional drivers, there may be some opportunities for one-time trips. The trick with these jobs is getting a car that’s going where you want to go at the right time. You’ll need a clean driver’s license and may need a specialty license to drive RVs, but it’s worth it for a free and rocking RV road trip !

Some transport companies that you may be able to score some delivery gigs with include:

• Imoova is one of the biggest search platforms for relocations.
• Jucy has some nice opportunities on RVs.
• Cars Arrive Auto Relocation is USA based and has some good options.
• HitTheRoad.ca is a well-known Canadian company that offers mostly long-distance, one way, one trip driving contracts for cars.
• A free road trip!

29. Professional Chef

If you have some cooking abilities or some legitimate kitchen experience, you can find a job by asking around at kitchens in hotels, cruise ships, boats, or retreats. Also, take a look into Worldpackers and Workaway as you can certainly find some cook-work opportunities for a free place to stay.

The downside is that you’ll have to work in close proximity to chefs. Chefs are primadonnas. Get in and out of the hospo industry as quick as possible, amigos.

If thou gaze too long into an abyss…

• $1500 – $3000 per month

30. Travel Nurse

Stop right now and listen to me. If you are a nurse, or if you are thinking about becoming a nurse, becoming a travel nurse is one of the single most amazing careers you can get into.

Travelling nurses are usually hired for thirteen to twenty-six weeks in whatever location they choose and all of your travel expenses are usually paid. Housing is usually covered, and due to the high demand and urgency, travelling nurses are paid more than regular nurses. It’s one of the best ways to travel, work and save a stupid amount of money.

Plus, you know, saving lives and all that jazz.

• $1500 – $4000 per month.

31. Flight Attendant

An oldie but a goodie, being a flight attendant isn’t as glamorous as it once was, but in terms of travel friendly jobs , this is a fantastic travel career. It’s really the OG travel job (right after busker AKA a wandering minstrel).

Free flights, long stopovers to explore, and the ability to tweak your schedule to have a few weeks off a month – there’s a lot to like! This is one of the best careers that involve travelling, and if you get hired by a quality airline, this is a job that not only requires travel but can also pay well.

• $1800 – $2500 per month

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32. New Zealand/Australia Work Visa

Not strictly a top travel job so much as a top place to find a job. Yes, the rumours you’ve heard are true: Australia does have an obscenely high minimum wage (as does New Zealand, albeit not as high).

Depending on where you are from and if you are able, New Zealand and Australia are two excellent countries to get work visas for. The visa allows you to be employed in most industries, but you’ll most likely find jobs in the hospitality, tourism, and agricultural fields. Come Down Under where you can travel and work for a year or maybe two!

However, both New Zealand and Australia’s cost of living is high, so finding a job that provides you with both a room and food will net you some huge savings. The more remote you go, the better you will earn too. (Sheep shearers make BANK… and then blow it all on cocaine and meth…)

Watch out though: not all Ozzies and Kiwis subscribe to the “mateship and fair go for all” mentality they’re known for. It’s not uncommon to get paid a fraction of that obscenely high minimum wage.

• $1800 – $3500 per month
• Backpacking Australia Travel Guide
• Where to Stay in Australia
• Backpacking New Zealand Travel Guide
• Where to Stay in New Zealand

33. Ski Resort Jobs

While I mentioned resorts and seasonal gigs before, skiing deserves its own holler(back girl). Ski resorts are notorious for hiring travellers and often under the table. Ski resort gigs can be the best seasonal jobs for travelling.

As an “unofficial” ski resort worker, you won’t get paid much (and you will likely be overworked), but it’s a great way to work hard, play hard, and make some travel friends along the way! Plus, there will always be the skiing/snowboarding perks which are obviously EPIC.

You don’t have to be an instructor though. Many seasonal jobs in lodges or working the lifts are widely available. Oh, and the snowbum life is pretty hedonistic – it’s basically working, partying, and picking up Insta-brand vacayers between your shifts.

• $1000 – $2000 per month.

34. Tattoo Artist

Backpackers love to get tattoos on the road , so there is always a demand for talented artists. And I’ve met some amazing tattoo artists travelling the world and paying their way through freelance work in hostels and backpacker hangouts. Talk about a creative travel job!

The better you get at your craft, the more doors that will open up to you. You don’t even need a gun! I’ve met and befriended some phenomenal stick-and-poke artists who earn money working while they travel.

Plus getting paid by people to inflict large amounts of bodily harm on them really isn’t too bad either!

• $500 – $15000 per month (be prepared to adjust your rates to reflect the country you’re in – ain’t nobody stupid enough to pay $100+ an hour in Mexico).

35. Join the Peace Corps

This is certainly one of the noblest travel jobs on this list and it deserves a mention! Providing a different work and travel experience, the Peace Corps is no joke and essentially makes you an international aid worker in a foreign country.

It’s a two-year commitment, you have very little influence on where you are stationed, and you only get two days off per month.

You don’t get paid much but, hell, you will be earning and you will get paid to travel to somewhere new. And what’s more, is relevant work experience can take the place of a college degree.

Check out:  This Peace Corps volunteer’s blog all about her experiences volunteering in Vanuatu.

Do You Need Insurance as a Working Traveller?

If you are going to be living and working outside of your home country, you really do need to think about getting health insurance. If you have an accident or get sick, then those hospital bills are going to completely nullify any money you’ve earned and saved.

For long term cover, we recommend SafetyWing . They specialise in covering digital nomads and those working outside of their home country. It’s basically a subscription model – month to month payments – on international health insurance without the need to provide an itinerary.

Month to month payments, no lock-in contracts, and no itineraries required: that’s the exact kind of insurance digital nomads and long-term traveller types need. Cover yo’ pretty little self while you live the DREAM!

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to work! Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

There are so many ways to work and travel; sometimes you just gotta get a bit creative! As long as you are cutting the costs of travel and picking up a job where and when needed, you’ll find a way.

Not every traveling job needs to be a career. Covering your living costs is a fantastic start, and all the skills and confidence will take you soooo much further in life than one simple job ever could.

Taking a leap of faith on a new vocation on the road is fantastic. It’s a step outside of your comfort zone and right into the growth of travel. In many ways, that’s what it means to BE a broke backpacker .

You don’t have to be broke to be a broke backpacker. Nay, being resourceful, willing, and kind-hearted with a good work ethic – that makes you more of a broke backpacker than holes in your undies and lack of consistent showering ever will.

So get out there and work on the road! Start with a shit-kicker job. Then once you’ve levelled up appropriately (and with some ingenuity), you’ll find a job that involves travelling and where you get paid to travel and live in a new country. Maybe you’ll even live in a mini-campervan conversion and start rockin’ the super nomad life. Then, you’re not just hunting for the best travel jobs anymore.

No, that’s a travel career: a whole new adventure!

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Elina Mattila

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48 of the Best Work Abroad Programs Around the World

Earn money from the road by enrolling in work abroad programs. Whether you choose to teach, work as a ski instructor, au pair, or something else entirely, you can see the world while making money at the same time.

What if you could make money, or at least not spend too much of it, traveling the world. What if you could call a farm in South America or a campground in some wooded oasis home around the world, and build your resume while you lived there?

The fact is, you can. One of the best ways to see the world is to work abroad. Rather than just spending a weekend somewhere checking out the sights, you get to fully immerse yourself in the place.

It’s a dream come true for people interested in long-term travel. So, how do you turn that dream into a reality?

People often shy away from the idea of working and traveling because it sounds difficult. Images of expensive visas and painfully slow bureaucracy are conjured up. But, it’s much easier than you think—especially if you go abroad with an established program—because many let you work abroad without experience .

Some will pay you, some won’t, and some will make you pay them—so make sure you exhaust all your options and know what you can afford before you start applying.

Teaching English Programs Abroad

Teaching English abroad is the most popular and one of the best travel jobs for people who want to work abroad. All you need to be is a native English speaker and you already qualify for a bunch of jobs around the world.

Got a degree or a TEFL qualification ? Or both? Even better, you’ll be qualified to get the top-tier jobs that pay the best and have sweet perks. Even if you have no experience teaching English abroad, there are still plenty of places around the world that will take you on.

Maximo Nivel (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru)

Maximo Nivel offers a range of different TEFL programs for people who want to work abroad. If you get a job teaching with Maximo Nivel you will be paid to teach English and you’ll get the chance to learn or improve your Spanish.

You won’t be making buckets of cash with this job, but it’s a great way to immerse yourself in a foreign culture as you will be teaching English alongside working with a local project and mingling with native volunteers and staff members.

JET (Japan)

JET presents an amazing opportunity for young professionals to spend a year living and teaching English abroad in Japan . The vast majority of participants will work as Assistant Language Teachers in Japanese schools teaching children from elementary school up to high school.

Be aware that as a JET participant, you will be expected to work hard—35 hours a week, plus lesson-planning time. However, first-year teachers make a starting salary of around $30,000 and your flights out to Japan are covered.

TEFL.org (International)

This is not technically a work abroad program in and of itself, but TEFL.org has an amazing job board with a huge number of teaching opportunities around the world. Think teaching english in China , Colombia, Russia, India and more.

In order to use the TEFL job board, you will need to have a TEFL qualification . Fortunately, this can be done really easily either online or in person. Once you’re armed with a TEFL you’ll be ready to go.

All of the positions are paid but some are better remunerated than others. The general rule is that the fancier the school, the bigger the paychecks.

If you find that you’re not making enough from your TEFL job, consider doing some private tutoring on the side.

Language House TEFL (Czech Republic)

Situated in the heart of gorgeous Prague, the Language House is a one-stop shop for people who want to work abroad. The first thing you will do upon arrival is get trained up by one of the house’s TEFL teachers. Once you’ve completed the course you’re all ready to go and the Language House will set you up with a local, paid job.

For those looking to discover Europe, Prague is a fantastic springboard for exploring the rest of the continent. It is right in the heart of the continent and has trains to all of the bordering countries as well as flights to those a little further afield. Plus, it’s super cheap to live there if you’re coming from the USA.

Seriously, beer is a dollar.

Hearts for Change (Colombia)

Hearts for Change welcomes anyone who can speak English to come and teach in Colombia. Individuals are selected after a (very easy) Skype interview and are then placed in a city or town in Colombia that fits, as far as possible, within the preferences they laid out in their application form.

This means you could be in Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, Cali or one of Colombia’s other amazing regions.

Hearts for Change recruits volunteers but offers each of its teachers a stipend towards living costs.

Disney English (China)

Is there anything Disney can’t do?

Its huge network of English schools across China shows a side of Disney I bet you didn’t even know existed. Disney English in China allows individuals to work abroad with the safety net of such a distinguished brand underneath them.

The positions are well compensated, with teachers making between $1,500 and $2,000 per month. The age range is two-to-12 years old, so this is ideal for people looking to work with younger children.

The classes take place in Disney’s special language learning centers and teachers adhere to a specially designed Disney curriculum—this means lots of Disney songs and story times!

Berlitz Language School (International)

The Berlitz Language School focuses on teaching English and other languages to business professionals around the world. The school is always on the lookout for talented language instructors to work in their offices spread across 70 different countries, including Paraguay, Qatar, Gabon, Philippines, Pakistan, Finland, and Greece.

Corporate teaching is very different to teaching young people in a classroom though. Some people love interacting with children whereas others prefer the calm and discipline that comes with a room full of professional adults. Make sure you know what you want to do before applying.

Greenheart Travel (International)

The major thing that makes Greenheart Travel stand out is the fact that participants live in a homestay. This gives you the chance to have a truly authentic and immersive experience while you are teaching abroad.

If you don’t want to teach, the organization also has a number of volunteer experiences on offer, including environmental conservation, community development, and animal rescue.

InterExchange (International)

Among the various opportunities available with InterExchange are several options to teach English or be a conversation coach abroad. Those interested in working abroad can choose from 12 different countries, including France, Italy, and Thailand.

In addition to English teaching positions, there are au-pairing positions available.

US-China Educational Exchange: Teach in China (China)

The Teach in China program offered by the US-China Educational Exchange facilitates the transfer of young people to China to teach English. The working week is around 15 hours and participants benefit from free housing and health care and a salary of around $800 per month.

You can choose between teaching for a whole year or for just a semester. Previous teaching experience is great but not essential.

Summer Camp Work Abroad Programs

If you love kids and being outdoors then a summer camp is the dream job. You spend your days doing activities with the campers, singing around the campfire and making s’mores. It’s a great way to relive your childhood and make some life-long friends.

Of course, it’s not all fun and games 24/7. Camp leaders will be responsible for the safety and well-being of their campers. This means making sure everyone comes back to the cabins in one piece at the end of the day.

The following are work abroad programs that place individuals into summer camps around the world.

AmeriCamp (International)

AmeriCamp has been a huge hit with young Brits who want to travel to the United States. However, campers are now no longer confined to traveling to the US.

AmeriCamp is part of the Invasion family, which has branched out and now offers camps all over the world. The following countries are are now also available:

• South Africa

Although Invasion Travel is UK based, these cam

ACLE (Italy)

ACLE is an incredible opportunity for native English speakers to get a real taste of Italy.

Camp leaders spend their day teaching English and playing games with Italian campers before heading home to their Italian host families or out for drinks with their fellow tutors.

Tutors receive between 200€ and 300€ per week depending on experience and are given free accommodation, three meals a day and have their travel expenses covered.

CCUSA (Russia, Croatia and Canada)

This organization has a number of work abroad programs, but its main focus is on international summer camps. It currently offers camp positions in Russia, Croatia and Canada.

The camps require a one-off payment of between $1,525 and $1,695, depending on the duration of your camp. This payment covers flights, full board accommodation, airport transfers, pocket money and more.

Note that the CCUSA camps are only for American and Canadian citizens.

TECS (Spain)

TECS runs summer camps in Spain and is available for people with either first or second EU nationality. The jobs range from hands-on work in the camps to office-based admin roles.

You don’t need to speak any Spanish and, if you don’t want to teach English in the camp, then you camp apply for a number of other different roles including driver, caterer and manager.

iCamp Thailand

iCamp Thailand is an American-style camp in Thailand for young people between eight and 16 years old. The camps are the very definition of fun with day after day spent in the sunshine playing games and doing sports. The camp leaders also come from all over the world, including Russia, Italy, Australia, Hungary, Mexico and the USA

The camp provides transportation from Bangkok to the camp and back again, room and board, and a salary dependent upon experience.

Abbey Road (International)

Abbey Road offers qualified individuals the chance to help run their summer language camps. The recruitment process is pretty rigorous and applicants will be expected to have a working proficiency in the language of their chosen destination. Previous experience working, studying or traveling in that destination is also required.

It’s not an easy gig to get because they set the bar pretty high. You will need qualifications, experience and language skills. But, if you’re up for the challenge, you’ll reap the benefits.

Business & Internship Work Abroad Programs

One fantastic benefit of working abroad is the chance to spice up your resume. Showing you are capable of working with people from different backgrounds and navigating cultural differences are impressive and make you stand out from that pile of other resumes.

If you’re interested in developing your career while you travel, you might want to consider an internship abroad. Whether it is in business, hospitality, tourism or some other industry, the experience will be invaluable.

China Internship Placements (China)

The internships available with China Internship Placements (CIP) don’t come cheap. The packages can run up in the thousands of dollars. However, if you’ve got some cash to burn and want to seriously enhance your resume then you might want to consider doing one.

Many of the packages include visas, accommodation, mentoring, Chinese language lessons and other benefits.

IAESTE Internship Placement Program (International)

Strictly for U.S. citizens, the IAESTE Internship Placement Program pairs up science and engineering students with paid work placements abroad. The network spans 80 different countries and is a great way for students in the technical field to develop their skills and get a taste of working abroad.

Competition for these placements is fierce, but those who manage to land one are in for one incredible experience.

Fulbright Program (International)

One of the best-known work abroad programs in the United States, Fulbright , is open to students, graduates, professionals, and artists. The aim is to promote positive relations between the U.S. and other countries.

Successful applicants to Fulbright will be given a grant, which permits them to conduct research, teach or work abroad.

United Nations Internships (International)

This is the golden goose of international internships. An internship with the United Nations will not only give you an insight into the world of global politics but it will set you up for life. Choose from one of the numerous programs on offer, including the Children’s Fund, Refugee Agency, and Environmental Program, and make sure your application is airtight.

These internships are highly coveted so they aren’t easy to get. Also, bear in mind that the internships are unpaid, so you will need to cover all of your own costs.

Masa Israel (Israel)

Masa Israel sets up young people from all over the world with internships in Israel. From tech startups in Tel Aviv to fancy hotels in Eilat, there are loads of options available. The internships come with Hebrew lessons, accommodation, and some other perks and are moderately priced for what you get.

You also get a discount if you’re Jewish.

IES Abroad (International)

Not the best option for those looking to make money, IES offers internships all over the world in almost any industry, but they come with a pretty hefty price tag. Fortunately, the organization has a number of financial aid and scholarship schemes to help those who might not have the budget to afford one of its internships.

The internships usually last one semester and the program provides language tuition, homestay accommodation and valuable work experience.

Leave UR Mark (India)

India is one of the most prominent emerging markets and an internship here can really boost your career development. Leave UR Mark places individuals in companies all over the country.

Fancy trying out an internship in journalism? What about finance? Or marketing? Or event management? Leave UR Mark offers internships in all of these industries and more.

NGO & Volunteering Programs Abroad

Looking for a way to give back to the communities you visit while you travel? Volunteering opportunities are prolific all over the world—NGOs can never have too many hands on deck. While you won’t get paid for volunteering, you will learn a lot about your destination country and be able to make a valuable contribution to it.

Volunteering opportunities come in all shapes and sizes. You might do one day a week in a dog shelter, or you might spend Monday to Friday analyzing spreadsheets in an office. Whether you want to work hands-on or in management, indoors or outside, as part of a team or solo, there are thousands of options available.

If you’re on the fence about volunteering abroad, it might help to know that employers love seeing some volunteering on a resume. It shows that you are a self-starter and are motivated (because you worked on something important for free). Throw in the fact that it’s excellent exposure to stark cultural differences and is good for the soul, and that should be enough to convince you to give it a go.

Below are some excellent organizations that can help you get set up with an NGO so you can volunteer abroad. However, if you are looking for free volunteering opportunities then you may need to contact charities and organizations directly rather than applying through one of these established programs. The benefit of a program, however, is the assistance and support you are provided with, as well as a secure position within the project.

Worldpackers

Worldpackers has more than 10,000 volunteering opportunities available all over the world at hostels, farms, homestays, eco-lodges, NGOs, schools, and plenty more.

Since their inception in 2014, they’ve helped to facilitate over 100,000 volunteer and work exchange trips across the globe. As a member of this global community of hosts and travelers, you can connect with both travelers and locals, and find free accommodation options around the globe (in exchange for a few hours of work, of course!).

It’s true that some work exchange experiences can be…less than satisfactory. But all the hosts on Worldpackers go through a screening process and are highly vetted. This means it’s a great option for both long-term and short-term travelers alike.

Click here to snag a $10 discount when you become a Worldpackers member!

Workaway (International)

By far one of the most popular work abroad programs and a great place to find volunteer opportunities, Workaway has revolutionized the way young people travel. The way it works is simple: you search on the website either by location or by type of work you’re interested in. Once you find something you like, you apply for the position. That’s it.

If you are accepted you are usually offered board in exchange for your time. This means you can live for virtually nothing while you’re volunteering, making it an excellent way to see the world on a budget. Workaway is by far the easiest way to work abroad.

Popular Workaways include eco-lodges, orphanages, farms, yoga retreats and conservation projects.

GVI (International)

GVI is an established company that sends volunteers off to all corners of the globe to work abroad on meaningful projects. There are programs with a focus on just about everything, from female empowerment to elephant conservation . The volunteer projects are offered as packages, which can be quite pricey and don’t include flights, visas, or insurance.

Globalteer (Peru & Cambodia)

With dozens of projects in Peru, Cambodia and a handful of other countries in Latin America and Southeast Asia, Globalteer is a fantastic organization that works with loads of international NGOs. Projects include teaching English, working with disadvantaged children, helping in elephant sanctuaries and community development.

IVHQ (International)

The work abroad programs and volunteer placements with IVHQ are diverse and, even better, affordable. Whatever your interest, you will undoubtedly find a program that is in line with what you’re after.

IVHQ has partnerships with programs all over the world from Ghana to Romania so there’s very little geographic limitation.

VolSol (International)

VolSol (Volunteer Solutions) has over 100 projects in 20 different countries. While they have the standard volunteer projects available, such as teaching and community work, there are also some more specialized options.

Medical internships, sports coaching, women’s empowerment curriculums and work with disabled children are just some of the worthwhile projects on VolSol’s roster.

Love Volunteers (International)

If you are looking for quality volunteer and work abroad opportunities with delightfully low program fees, check out Love Volunteers (LV). Smaller than some of the other organizations in this list, but no less worthy of your time, LV has projects all over Africa, Asia and Latin America as well as a couple in Europe and the Middle East.

One thing that really stands out about LV is how simple the application process is—it’s great for those who hate lengthy bureaucracy (a.k.a. everyone in the world).

Fronteering (International)

The main focus of Fronteering is sending volunteers out to remote places in the world. Volunteers get the chance to help out with indigenous communities, wildlife conservation projectsfound a and food banks among other options.

The volunteer experiences aren’t the cheapest on offer but the company offers guidance and assistance with fundraising.

ICS (UK citizens only)

The International Citizen Service (ICS) is an organization that pairs young Brits with projects in the developing world. The company works with a number of social enterprise and community development programs in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Volunteer placements are open to 18- to 25-year-olds, and team leader positions are available for those aged 23 to 35.

Fundraising is required before departure and the amount you need to raise is dependent upon your financial position.

A Broader View (International)

A Broader View offers 245 placements in 25 different countries. Volunteers can choose from medical, teaching, and conservation programs as well as numerous others.

The price of the program varies depending on the length of time you wish to spend with the project, where you decide to go, and which program you want to do.

Farm & Agricultural Work Abroad Programs

If you’ve spent your adult life so far cooped up in an office then you might want to get involved with a work abroad program that allows you to work outdoors. Fortunately, farm and agricultural work is usually in high demand around the world.

For many positions, it is enough to simply walk over to a farm one day and ask if they have any work available. However, if you’d rather do something with a little more job security, then you should consider using one of the following.

These programs offer you a comforting level of job security, which in turn will quash any worries you might have about packing up and jetting off.

Be aware that working outside usually means manual labor, and while this is good for the soul, it can be tough on your body. Make sure you know what you are capable of before you commit to work that you might not actually be able to do.

WWOOFing (International)

This is the go-to website for most people seeing farm work abroad. WWOOF stands for a number of different things, but the acronym normally translates as Worldwide Working Opportunities on Organic Farms.

The way it works is reasonably simple. People can apply to live and work on organic farms all over the world and in exchange for four to six hours of labor per day, they are given meals and accommodation. WWOOFers don’t work every day so on your days off you will be able to explore the surrounding area.

WWOOFing is a fantastic way to see the world and the manual labor is great exercise. Just pick where you want to go and then start exploring which opportunities are available.

Picking Jobs (International)

Picking Jobs is a neat little website that recruits seasonal workers for farms in 18 different countries. You could end up picking grapes on a vineyard in France or helping with the harvest in Australia. If you’re looking for work abroad, this is an easy way to find a job that doesn’t require any experience.

Those interested in a picking job have two options—either email one of the farms that have a profile on the website; or create your own profile and let the farms come to you. Pay and benefits depend on where you go so check with the farm when you are negotiating your place.

Au Pair Programs Abroad

Working abroad as an au pair is one of the most comfortable jobs you can get. For the most part, you spend your days doing arts and crafts and playing games with the children for whom you are caring.

Occasionally, you will find host families that want an au pair who can also cook and clean. If you are happy to do this then you will have more jobs to choose from. If you only want to look after children and nothing else, there are still plenty of jobs available.

Au pairs generally receive ‘pocket money’ from the families they work for. This isn’t usually buckets of money but it is more than enough to fund a weekend excursion every now and then and a few evenings out on the town.

Working hours for au pairs are usually whenever the host parents are at work. This means you will normally be expected to be on hand Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Of course, every family will have its own needs and requirements, and these should be discussed before you are expected to confirm your position.

If you’re looking for complete cultural immersion while you work abroad, then being an au pair will be right up your street. You will be spending all of your time with a local family and will undoubtedly learn a lot about their customs and language.

Agent Au Pair (International)

As an accredited member of IAPA (International Au Pair Association), Agent Au Pair is an organization you know you can trust. This organization pairs au pairs from all over the world with host families in the United States.

Every au pair is guaranteed a working week of no more than 45 hours, almost $200 per week pocket money, three meals a day and their own private room. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone hoping to spend time living in the U.S.

AuPair.com (International)

AuPair.com has a huge network of au pairs and families looking for an au pair all over the world. Both families and au pairs can list adverts on the site, which means the recruitment can work both ways.

The website is free to use and there is an option to upgrade regular membership to premium membership to improve your chances of getting hired.

Once you have found a family for whom you’d like to work, simply drop them a message and, if they like you, seal the deal and book your flights!

Seasonal Jobs Abroad

Work abroad programs are not just for the holidays But some of them are! Or spring break, or summer, or fall. There are loads of jobs on offer all over the world that are only available at certain times of the year. Beach resorts tend to hire extra staff to help in the busy summer period, while ski resorts only really need workers during winter.

Taking a seasonal job can be a good way to save money for traveling in the off-season. Lots of people who work abroad adopt a six month on/six month off policy, which means they can spend half of every year traveling or working somewhere else.

Check out the following work abroad programs and see if they can help you land a highly coveted seasonal job somewhere beautiful.

Club Med (Europe, Africa and the Middle East)

French-owned Club Med has positions in resorts all over Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Jobs fall into four categories: hospitality & catering, sports & leisure, sales & support and the luxury area.

The recruitment process emphasizes the importance of language skills because of the international clientele that visit the resorts. French is a requirement for a lot of jobs, but other languages will also stand out on an application.

Work a Season (International)

Work a Season is the recruitment platform for Inghams, Esprit Ski, and Ski Total—three specialist ski companies. The website recruits both summer and winter workers to work in front of house, catering and rep roles at their various chalets and hotels.

There are loads of different jobs advertised on the website so take a look and see what stands out for you.

Ski Japan (Japan)

Ski Japan has resorts all over Japan, many of which have some of the best snow on the planet. Every year the company recruits workers from all over the world to take up roles as instructors, sales consultants, housekeepers and more.

Perks of working for Ski Japan include a free ski pass and gear rental, free transport, discounted tours and other perks and benefits.

Via Monde (Switzerland)

Based in Switzerland, Via Monde runs exciting ski initiatives for schools and, of course, needs an array of international helpers to assist it. Jobs include ski and snowboard instructors, catering staff, and medical professionals, such as paramedics and physiotherapists.

Applicants will need to be good with children and willing to work hard and in return, they will return a decent salary and some great perks.This is one of the better snow-related work abroad programs on offer.

EA Ski & Snowboard (International)

EA Ski & Snowboard train up young people to become ski and snowboard instructors before sending them on their merry way to work in the world’s top resorts. Every individual who takes part in one of the school’s training courses is guaranteed a job afterwards—how’s that for job security?

Training and employment opportunities are available in the USA, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Switzerland.

Tour Leader Work Abroad Programs

Tour leader jobs are the ultimate jackpot for travel aficionados who want to work abroad. Not only do you get to travel as your job and go on adventures on a daily basis, but you also get to share your passion with others.

Leading a tour group means spending lots of time outdoors and seeing some of the most exciting parts of the world. You will also develop an in-depth knowledge of whichever area in which you decide to work.

If you enjoy being active, meeting new people and traveling then being a tour leader will be one of the most fun and enjoyable jobs on offer. However, there are certain challenges associated with this job, such as dealing with picky customers or navigating cultural differences. So, bear them in mind!

Tucan Travel (International)

Tucan Travel is a well-established tour company that operates all over the world. They periodically look for tour guides and driver to assist with their tours but take not that this is a long-term commitment.

Generally, tour guides are expected to commit to 18 months of tours—usually in the same region. This is brilliant for those looking for stability, less ideal for people who only want to work abroad in little stints while they travel.

G Adventures (International)

There’s never any shortage of jobs available with G Adventures . This company has a huge roster of positions all over the world, which include skippers in Greece, trekking assistants in Peru and naturalists in the Galapagos

The tours are pretty incredible and you get paid to do them. It seems like a win-win situation as far as I’m concerned.

Intrepid Travel (International)

A global company with a vast number of opportunities, Intrepid Travel is well worth checking out if you want to go down the tour guide route.

The company has positions all over the world and adventures range from cycling trips in the mountains to cultural excursions in remote communities. There are also travel specialist roles, which are office-based positions that involve advising people on travel and planning itineraries.

Wildlife Programs Abroad

Not everyone wants to work with people—and I don’t blame you. People can suck. If you’d rather avoid other humans then may I suggest a work abroad program with a focus on animals?

There are work and volunteer opportunities in sanctuaries, rescue programs and conservation projects in some of the world’s most beautiful regions.

Naturally, being partial to animals is a prerequisite if you want to work abroad with a wildlife program. Some curriculums will also require a certain level of expertise or knowledge about animals.

This doesn’t mean that every job will require a degree in veterinary science; there are plenty of positions that simply want you to have a positive attitude.

Project Biodiversity (Cape Verde)

This project is based in Cape Verde, also known as Cabo Verde, and focuses on rescuing the Loggerhead turtles that live there. Project Biodiversity enlists field assistants, interns and volunteers to help protect the dwindling number of turtles on the island.

Volunteers can either help out during the nesting season or the hatchling season. Duties include beach patrolling, data collection and monitoring the turtles.

Go Eco (International)

Go Eco offers a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the most impressive creatures on earth. Whether you want to work with lemurs in Madagascar or sharks in South Africa, you’re bound to find a program that catches your eye.

The experiences aren’t cheap but are well worth it for the chance to do something worthwhile and out of the ordinary.

Greenforce (International)

Greenforce has all kinds of different conservation projects on offer, but the spotlight tends to be on its marine expeditions.

Fancy spending some time studying and protecting the coral reef in the Bahamas? Greenforce could be the answer. This program is also great for budding wildlife experts looking to get some experience on their resume.

New work abroad programs crop up all the time, left and right. That’s because new experiences are created and developed every day, giving you more opportunity than ever.

A work abroad program will not only earn you money to fund your travels, it will also be one of the most enriching experiences of your life—I guarantee it.

Do any of these work abroad programs speak to you? Which one would you do? Let us know in the comments!

Work Abroad Program FAQs

What is the best way to get a job overseas.

Getting a TEFL certification and teaching English is one of the best ways to get a job overseas.

Which is the best country to work abroad?

New Zealand, Australia, China, and South Korea are some of the best countries for working abroad.

How can I get a chance to work abroad?

Some of the best ways to get a chance to work abroad are to teach English, work at summer camps, or look for internship opportunities.

Which country is easiest to get a job?

New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore are all relatively easy countries to find a job and get a working visa.

Is it easy to teach English abroad?

If you have a 4-year degree, earning a TEFL certification is an easy way to teach English abroad.

Jeremy Scott Foster

Not to mention the teaching programs in Spain – both private and thru the government. There are something like 5K positions for English speakers in the public government system, and the private have 60-hundreds depending on which. I did the North American Language Assistants program from 2007-10.

WOW. There is so much opportunity out there—it’s almost hard to believe!

I am happy to provide links if you’d like to add them.

Cracking list. Another couple of teaching options are Chile’s English Open Doors and Speak Italy. Speak also have a teen programmer. I guess from your point of view working in the USA isn’t abroad but Brits and other nationals can use CCUSA to be placed in summer camps in the USA, as well as the other destinations you mention (those from outside the US are given the option of selecting country specific websites when visiting the url you give).

Another idea for Brits, and a few other commonwealth countries, is the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

And, lastly, I edit the Jobs Abroad Bulletin which lists new vacancies around the world very week (or two): https://www.jobsabroadbulletin.co.uk/latestjobs/

Great resources here. One correction I might add is that Club Med is Chinese owned now as of 2019. Fosum finally managed to take them over which should be a positive inflow of cash. Fosum also recently bought defunct Thomas Cook.

How do I find these opportunities?

Thank you SO much for all the links here! It’s amazing and truly inspiring – knowing that we have a choice and a chance to get out of the shell and explore our beautiful world, helping society as well.

Anyone can give me advice how to get work in Cuba?

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Working Traveller specialises in helping you gain work references in your chosen skills as you work and travel around the world. If you are a seasoned pro or just starting out, add  Skills to your profile that you have or want to learn.  Become a full member – it’s €10.00 a year and contact 100s of hosts directly that need your skills at the time you will be travelling to their country. Have work booked up before you leave and save on hostels by  becoming a Working Traveller .

Build references through work placements

You have heard it many times. Employers want to hire people with work experience. All those years of getting your degree seem to suddenly count for nothing. How do you get the work experience if no one will give you a job?  References from your Working Traveller work placements will show future employers you have the work ethic, or even better, the skills they need. Your references show how you use your skills: how punctual you are: if you have a good work ethic and if you can make decisions. If you take a picture with your host doing the WT hand sign, it 100% proves you were there.  To find work placements from hosts that need your skills, check the work search section.

Be smarter than the herd – plan ahead

I hear you say ” I have no idea where I will be travelling to next – so how can I book work 3 months in advance?” That’s fine, you can apply for last-minute cleaning and harvest work and some times hosts will need even skilled people at short notice. If getting references on your profile for your chosen skills is more important than getting that selfy at Machu Picchu – then it pays to have your availability literally mapped out on your profile. Hosts who are organised plan ahead searching the WT database months in advance to see when the skills they need are coming to their country. Be organised, be a Working Traveller and make your trip a meaningful experience.

Hosts – looking for motivated volunteers and professionals?

Need experienced hospitality professionals for the up and coming high season? Help with your social media, solar power or surfing school?  Thought of having a mural painted on that ugly wall?  Working Traveller is not about finding you just people to help with the harvest or cleaning. Look at the 100s of skills travellers have added to their profiles that you can invite to come and work for you once you have set up your profile.

The skills you need – when you need them

Working Traveller matches the skills you need with the travellers who have them and are on their way to your country when you need them. It’s 100% free to post your work needs and always will be if you are a host. All we ask in return is you leave a reference for every traveller that comes to stay with you. To find out more, see the hosts section. Start posting your work needs today and within 24 hours they will be seen by potentiality 100,000+ travellers. It’s free to advertise and to build up your references. Sign up now   and start to fill your skilled volunteer and paid needs today.

Agree what they will do/what you provide – before they arrive

Working Traveller is not like other volunteer sites that offer one package fits all – 5 hours a day for 3 meals and a bed. A skilled carpenter working 10 hours a day will not work for the same as someone who does a few hours of apple collecting a day. With every work placement you arrange on the Working Traveller site, you agree whatever you want with each traveller on the site so you have a record, before they arrive.  You then have them all sitting around your table for dinner in the evening, all happy with their individual agreement made with you.

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Where in the world is it best to Work & Travel?

Visit the ‘Work and Travel Country Guides’ to find out about work and volunteer visas and what kind of work you will find in the places you want to travel to. We have a long way to go with the wiki, but there are 100s of updates from travellers and hosts from all corners of the world. So do your bit and add in what you know once you have signed up and logged in.

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Is there yoga opportunities in Goa? Can I get work with the camel herders in Rajastain? Does the Indian six month business visa let you work and travel there?

You wont get work as a vampire stand in - but what about helping out with the harvest or working in a hostel? Do they need foreigners? Or do they have it all covered?

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Volunteering in the Congo - great idea or... need my head testing? Is it possible? Is it safe? Does any one do it? Visas - is it in the too hard to do basket?

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Work abroad programs are a great way to earn more than just money. The list of advantages is practically endless: broadened horizons, new skills, improved independence, new friendships (and business relations), a new language added to your repertoire, and a boost to take your career dreams to the next level. You’ll be having so much fun overcoming new challenges and having new experiences that your job abroad won’t even feel like work; rather, it’ll be like one crazy (paid!) adventure.

So how do you even get a job abroad ? Well, you’ll want to start by finding the destinations where you can legally work abroad and then start your job search. Or, you can find a job that allows you to work abroad, and they will often sponsor your work visa.

You can also get a job overseas with no experience ! In fact, teaching English abroad is the perfect job in that particular scenario. However, if teaching isn’t your true calling, you can either apply for international positions while still at home, or apply for a work visa abroad and figure things out once you arrive.

Here’s how to get a job abroad:

• Choose a destination. Places like Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland grant Working Holiday Visas to citizens of certain countries and who meet an age requirement. If you want to work abroad for a year or permanently, then you’ll want to secure a job offer prior to applying for work visas abroad.
• Choose your field. Sometimes, it’s easier to figure out what kind of job you want prior to choosing the destination. The demand for certain positions is higher in some countries than others, which will make your job search a lot easier (or more challenging).
• Apply to open job opportunities. Once you know where you want to go and what kind of job you want overseas, then it’s time to start applying to work abroad programs! The length of this process will vary depending on your qualifications and prior experience, and perhaps even your proficiency in the local language. 
• Apply for a work visa. Once you find your job, then you can apply for a work visa. Most likely, you’ll need to show proof of a job offer in order to qualify. There should be someone at your new workplace who is in charge of assisting you with planning your trip abroad.

The best types of jobs abroad depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for. Do you want to only work for room and board? WWOOFING is for you. Are you okay with working odd jobs here and there in order to fund your travels around the world? You can find short term and seasonal work on orchards, vineyards, and farms in countries like Australia and New Zealand. Or, if you want to start a permanent career abroad, nurses, program developers, software engineers, marketers, and teachers are needed all over the world.

Your options for working abroad will depend on your nationality. You’ll want to find the easiest countries to get a work visa for citizens of your home country, since the process of applying for work visas can be drawn out and complicated. For Americans, it’s exceptionally easy to get short term work visas in New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland. However, as previously mentioned, you can get sponsored for work visas almost anywhere as long as you have a valid job offer beforehand.

There are lots of reasons for working overseas ! Perhaps the earning potential is much higher in a country abroad than at home. Or maybe there are better job opportunities overseas in your chosen field. Or maybe, like so many of us, you just really want to be able to live abroad sustainably! Being able to work abroad means being able to travel and immerse in new cultures indefinitely—and that sounds like a dream come true to us.

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How to travel and work abroad

To travel and work abroad for a year or short term, you'll need to qualify for a work visa in your destination. Some places, like Australia and New Zealand , make this easy even without a degree or sponsorship. Teaching English is also a good way to work abroad.

• 7 Best Ways to Work Abroad
• 11 Countries Where It’s Easy to Get a Work Visa

Where to find jobs abroad

The easiest places to find jobs abroad (without needing special skills) are New Zealand , Australia , and Ireland , due to the availability of working holiday visas. There is also demand for English teachers in Korea , China , and Vietnam .

• 10 Best Countries to Work in the World in 2023

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Why work abroad.

Reasons to work abroad include sustainable long term travel, networking opportunities, language learning opportunities, and a unique way to build your resume/CV for your future career or academics.

• Why Work Abroad? 9 Legit Reasons

What are the best types of jobs abroad?

The best types of jobs abroad include teaching English , hospitality (especially hotels and restaurants), nursing , and agriculture . Successfully finding jobs in these fields involves a varying degree of skill and qualifications.

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How to travel and work remotely? A guide for location independence

Do you want to travel and work at the same time and get to see the world for cheap? Read this beginner's guide and start planning your location independent journey.

Lauren Worldpackers Community

Feb 10, 2024

There's this misconception that you need a ton of money to be able to travel. Truth is, you don't. Although working and travelling requires some effort and courage to start, the world has never been so full of opportunities and flexibility - it's time we make use of this! Almost anyone is able to travel and work at the same time, living a "location independent" life.

I know how hard it can be, sitting at home or at work, browsing through social media seeing so many others living their best lives travelling across the globe . It seems like you could never live this life as, after all, you have bills to pay! 

Well, some of these people do have lots of money. But for most of them, it is possible because they learned to earn money in their own ways. Today I'm going to tell you how to work and travel  and make you realise this is possible for you.

How to travel and work at the same time? 

A lot of us are already pretty used to working from home by now, and working abroad wouldn't be much different. Working whilst travelling allows you to learn new skills, languages, improve confidence and of course, immerse yourself in a new culture. 

There are so many benefits to it, and it's also great to have on your resume. 

It can be scary to leave a job you're comfortable in , in a home town you know, going into the unexpected. There can be a lot of uncertainty and it can be stressful, but it can also be one of the best things you can do in life!

So what opportunities are out there? Here are 9 alternative ways to travel and work. The first ones are focused on jobs that you need to do in person, but later on I'll also talk about alternatives for those who want to work online from anywhere in the world.

How to travel and work in person?

1. you can be a volunteer and exchange skills for accommodation.

It goes without saying that volunteering is one of the easier ways to travel and work at the same time . At platforms such as Worldpackers  there's a huge variety of volunteer opportunities, so you can choose what type of work is right for you. 

Perhaps it's helping out at an eco lodge , learning about sustainability and nature. Maybe it's learning how to farm or  helping to cook . It could even be helping a hostel boost their social media presence by showing off your digital skillset. Whatever it is you're good at, there's something out there for you. 

What's great about volunteering is that you can improve the skills you already have, but you can also  learn something new . A lot of hosts are willing to teach volunteers, so they can go on to spread the knowledge elsewhere. 

One of the downsides to volunteering is that you obviously don't get paid, hence the name. This doesn't mean that you get nothing in return though. If you volunteer through Worldpackers, which is based on work exchangges, you just get paid in other ways . 

This may include a place to sleep, meals, free washing and certain places will offer free trips, classes or experiences. It all comes down to where you volunteer, so make sure to do your research! It's very easy to see the benefits offered and tasks required by each host at the Worldpackers website.

And if you have a job that you can do remotely (read more about that below), you'll realise that in many work exchange opportunities there's the possibility to do your own tasks once you're done with the volunteering hours. 

That way you save money on accommodation, meet people and live amazing experiences while maintaining an income source of your own. And since you won't be spending on rent and maybe even food, you'll get to set money aside for travelling even more.

2. You can share your passion for tourism by working as a tour guide

This is a super fun and interactive way to get to know others. Tour guiding is for those who have charm, charisma, and love to get out and about, sharing their passion for the place they live in.

What's better is that you can make it completely your own. It could be walking tours, bike tours, scooter tours, running tours - you name it. You can also make the tours themed - perhaps a general day tour, a nightlife tour, a food & drink tour - the possibilities are endless.

This type of job would mean living in a place long enough to know it well, but with every tour, you'll soak up even more knowledge than before, ready to wow your next group of tourists. You'll get to meet new people every day and discover things about your home that you never knew existed.

The best way to get into this industry is to firstly get to know the place you'll be guiding - walk it, cycle it, get the bus, meet the locals... Just make sure you're familiar with your surroundings and whatever it is your theme is (do your research!).

Secondly, seek out a local tour operator or hostel/hotel who are looking for tour guides . From there, you could potentially branch off on your own and start a business - but that's quite a big step, so keep it simple to start with. 

Check out what are the Work and Travel programs and how do they work.

3. You can share your fitness passion working while travelling

The fitness industry can be a tough gig - there are constant changes, pressures and can be time-consuming, but it can be so rewarding and also, really fun. If you're already a qualified fitness instructor, whether it be personal training, Zumba, Pilates, Yoga, or anything else, it can be quite easy to travel and work.

As long as you have the right qualifications, you can acquire a job in a local gym or fitness centre, or even start your own business.

You could create your own fitness videos for YouTube or another online platform. Online fitness is becoming more and more popular, allowing people to save money and work out from the comfort of their own homes.

It's also easy enough to keep a track of clients when working online, as long as you have good communication. 

4. You can work with translation during your trips

Can you speak multiple languages? Then being a translator could be the ideal job for you to travel and work at the same time. 

Translators help to communicate a message to an audience by deciphering between different languages, whether that be spoken or signed.

A job like this would be very fulfilling as you'd be helping people to connect , and there's no better feeling than that. This could mean working in a school, business or perhaps on TV if you're skilled enough!

How to travel and work as a digital nomad?

Digital nomadism has become very popular in more recent years, and it's only going to keep growing. A digital nomad is someone who travels whilst working remotely. This could be from a hotel, a café, library or anywhere else where they can get good Wi-Fi. 

This lifestyle allows people the freedom of travelling around without the attachment of having a physical workplace to go to. 

So how can you become a digital nomad? Jobs such as marketing and social media are some of the easiest ways to start. You can also travel and work as a designer, web developer, teacher, consultant... You might even be able to turn your current job into a remote one. 

If you're starting a new career or freelancing for the first time, it will take some work, but the rewards will follow. 

5. You can work and travel as a influencer or social media

If you love using social media, consider traveling while working as a digital influencer. You can be a YouTuber, an Instagrammer, a TikToker, or whatever new thing that comes up. 

To start out in those fields, you'll first need to put in a lot of effort into creating quality content that's either helpful or entertaining (or both!). Once you've got an engaged audience, even if it's not huge, you might be able to make money from it.

There are many ways to monetize your online content production. If you're interested in that, do some research on affiliate marketing and consider approaching companies for advertisement. 

These days, many companies want real, genuine people to use their product or service and give a review on it. If you can create a good and trusting relationship with the brand, then you could become a brand ambassador and get paid to create content !

Don't miss out:  How to become a travel influencer with no money: the top tips you need to know .

6. You can become a freelancer and make your own schedules

If you have skills you can share such as editing or photography , you can easily work remotely and promote yourself online. A lot of people have taken this route, and though it can be a difficult one, it's very rewarding. 

Websites like Fiverr and Dribble are a great way to kick off your freelance business and allow you to connect with other like-minded people in the community. There are many people choosing to travel and work like this.

However, freelancing isn't just for creatives, it's for everyone - it just means you offer your services to others, on your own terms allowing you so much more freedom and control over your work.

7. You can be inspired by your trips and become a travel writer 

Love travelling and sharing your experiences? Then being a travel writer could be the perfect job for you. There's a lot of people who will pay you to write articles for their websites or that could make advertisement in a blog of your own. 

All you need to do is have a passion for writing, proactively write about your travels to build a portfolio, and learn about SEO (Search Engine Optimization). 

8. You can work as a teacher from anywhere in the globe

Are you good at communicating and love helping others to learn? Why not become a teacher and share your passion? Teaching whilst travelling can come in many different forms - perhaps it's teaching English online to children, helping out at schools, tutoring...

9. You can be a nomad photographer or videomaker

Photographers and videographers are in more demand than ever, creating more job opportunities across the globe. whether it's weddings, parties, couples shoots, family portraits, or landscapes , there's a market out there. this does require expertise but hey, if you're new to it you can still give it a bash you'll need a camera, some editing software, and a way to market yourself.  this could mean creating a social media presence to promote your work or maybe a website. once you start getting customers, make sure to show your work (if given consent) to show others what you have to offer..

So if you didn't know how to travel and work , now you have a start - and these are just some possibilities. There are endless other ways to make money while travelling, whether online or not.

You just have to decide what's best for you and then go out and make it happen. 

Some other articles about travel and work that you might like to read:

• How to balance working and traveling the world
• What is location independence and how can you get it?

If you have any other suggestions or tips on how to travel and work, let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear them. 

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Lauren Mclachlan

Worldpackers Community

Hey I’m Lauren! I’m from a small town in sunny (I wish) Scotland and took on my first solo travelling trip after graduating in 2019 My experience was way better than I could’ve imagined – meeting wonderful people, seeing amazing things, great experiences and even teaching weekly yoga! I couldn’t have done all this without Worldpackers, I’m so grateful I came across the website. I think everyone should get to experience travelling at some point in their lives – wherever and whatever it may be! My advice if you’re thinking about it is – don’t think too much! Just do, you won’t regret it. Also, if you want 10% off your Worldpackers memberships you can use the code LAUREN10

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Write here your questions and greetings to the author

Jan 29, 2022

Great introduction! I also loved your article listing the safest countries to explore. Thanks!

Lauren (Author)

Jan 31, 2022

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed them!

Feb 24, 2022

Feb 25, 2022

Cinta Nereida

Apr 27, 2022

Awesome!! 😍😊👍

May 04, 2022

Thanks so much! 😀

Mar 23, 2023

it's y dream to work and travel. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to do it

Apr 03, 2023

I hope so too for you!

Apr 15, 2023

same hear to worke love thank you dear

Apr 24, 2023

thank you for reading!

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The Best Ways To Work And Travel The World

• November 9, 2020

If you love to travel and work at the same time, you’ll be glad to know that there are numerous opportunities to choose from. With an increasing population of travelers worldwide, more career options are opening up each year. Some companies and businesses hire people to work while in a convenient location, and you can be one of them.

Travel is a great way to visit interesting places and meet new people . Whether you want to travel to the next town or a getaway for a week, there are types of jobs that suits your personality and skills. The best thing about working while traveling is you get to earn while having a great time! 

Do note that working and traveling is not without challenges. To succeed in your endeavors, it comes down to making the most out of your skills or talents. Traveling while earning money also works best when you have the following traits and skills:

• Communication Skills: When traveling and working, you should express yourself well. Thus, communication skills are very important. While you don’t have to be an expert, it’ll help if you had good verbal, writing, and listening skills. You may also be inspired to learn a new language while working abroad, which can add to your roster of competencies.
• Sense Of Responsibility: It doesn’t matter if you’re working full-time when traveling to a foreign country or getting a side job to help make ends meet, you still need to convince potential employers that you can get the work done.
• Adaptability: When you work and travel at the same time, you’ll encounter challenges and setbacks. If you wish to get a job while traveling, you should be open-minded and flexible. Getting hired while traveling isn’t easy, but if you do, consider yourself lucky.
• Integrity: When traveling to a foreign land, no one knows who you are, but it’s pertinent to convince a potential employer that you’re worthy of being hired. Character is crucial when applying for a job, so you must prove that you’re honest and trustworthy.
• Money Management: You should learn to handle money well, not for your work, but as a traveler working to finance their needs and wants. Be careful in managing your money and always have a budget to refer to.

The Best Ways To Earn While Traveling The World

Travel opens up your life to new possibilities, including employment or a career. If you love traveling, why not travel and work at the same time? Fortunately, there are many ways you can earn while traveling all over the world. Some of these opportunities include: 

• Yacht Sailing Jobs

If you love the idea of working within the vicinity of the ocean, you should try applying for sailing jobs. To qualify, you may need to enroll in an STCW Basic Safety Training Course . 

When it comes to the ocean, the most sought-after jobs are always those that involve yachting and sailing. Abandoned beaches, deserted ports, beautiful, scenic beaches, and a peaceful environment are just some factors that make working on a yacht something special.

There are many companies, both private and corporate, offering yachting jobs all over the world. However, some yachting companies are better than others; many companies are not as reputable as others. The problem with yacht jobs is that you’re working in dangerous waters and may result in illness and injury. If you consider taking up yachting jobs, make sure that the company you’re working for is fully authorized by the State authorities to work in this type of environment.

• Freelance Writer Jobs

Freelance writing jobs are popular for those who have embraced the nomadic lifestyle. As a freelance writer, you have the opportunity to work on projects that your time allows you to complete. These projects may come from other sources, such as magazines, newspapers, companies, or individuals who need content but would like to pay someone to write about their project.

Travel writer jobs are a great choice for people who like to travel a lot. These types of jobs allow you to travel around the world while getting paid for it. Your work is onsite, and you can be in a place where people talk about what’s going on around them. 

Finding a company that hires writers to write about their trips is another great way to make money traveling the world.

• Telecommuting Jobs

The new nomadic lifestyle is characterized by flexibility and relies on a different working environment than the traditional employment model. In contrast to the traditional office environment, which can be extremely restrictive and unappealing, digital nomadism is a relatively stable, non-confrontational work arrangement. The primary difference is a significant reduction in an employer’s physical presence in favor of a network of freelance worker partners whose activities include, but are not limited to, consultancy, data entry, marketing, research, sales, social media promotion, and web development.

Just like other people, you may have considered the possibility of traveling when you’re working. However, if you decide to travel, you have to be ready to handle your work duties and responsibilities. The only thing that you’ll need to do is find a company that’ll allow you to telecommute so you can enjoy a flexible working environment that lets you travel around the globe while enjoying your career, too.

• Teaching Jobs

Some travelers apply for tutoring jobs to earn extra money while out and about. When you travel abroad, it’s possible to stay there for a few months or a year or two. One example of a travel and work program that may offer jobs for people is a school program. 

Perhaps you’re a teacher and teach English as a second language. You can also teach English in a school or orphanage or a mission in Asia. You can volunteer to work at an elementary school and learn how to speak English as a second language. Basically, there are numerous possibilities for teachers and tutors who want to travel and make a living simultaneously.

Take advantage of travel jobs, which let you earn a reasonable income while exploring new places. Travel gives you the chance to appreciate new places and experiences. But why not make money while you travel the globe? There are several opportunities that allow you to earn money while enjoying interesting locations and meeting new people. Start looking for the right travel job now! 

Many people have found success in making money while traveling the world. The trick is to discover something that interests you and then pursue it by finding a way to bring it into your life.

Related Topics

• travel and earn money
• travel and work
• travel blogging
• travel jobs

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How to Work Remotely While Traveling or Living Abroad in 2024: Digital Nomad Guide

Cloudwards.net may earn a small commission from some purchases made through our site. However, any earnings do not affect how we review services. Learn more about our editorial integrity and research process .

Becoming a digital nomad and working remotely while traveling is a dream that many share. However, it can be a daunting lifestyle to get into. It’s one that we have some experience with, though, so we’ve put together this guide to help you get started and get the most out of living nomadically.

Last Updated: 07 Feb'24 2024-02-07T18:31:00+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

If you’ve always wanted to travel the world and explore exciting locations without having to worry about returning home to your job or your hard-saved money running out, you might want to take advantage of the explosion of remote work opportunities since the start of the pandemic. Keep reading for some pointers on how to travel and work remotely at the same time.

Whether you’re looking to take a remote year traveling around the world or wanting to create a permanent work-and-travel lifestyle, you might be at a bit of a loss for where to begin. Although becoming a digital nomad is easier than you might think, there are a few things you should consider before you book your ticket and set off to see the world.

Key Takeaways:

• If you want to travel, becoming a digital nomad and working remotely from anywhere in the world is one of the best ways to do so long term.
• There are many different jobs you can do while traveling, either as a freelancer working for clients or full time for remote-friendly companies.
• Working remotely while traveling can be challenging, but as long as you maintain a healthy work routine and ensure that you have solid accommodation and WiFi, it should be smooth sailing.

If you’re not looking to move around but rather just work from home, make sure to check out our more general work from home tips . Also, if you like statistics and trends, we have a remote work statistics roundup for you to enjoy.

How to Travel and Work Remotely at the Same Time

There’s no one right way to live as a digital nomad. However, there are certainly some things that anyone considering the lifestyle should take into account, as well as some best practices that we recommend.

Finding Location-Independent Remote Work

The first step to becoming a digital nomad is actually finding work that you can do while traveling the world. Although this might sound intimidating, it’s actually a lot easier than it sounds. There are literally hundreds of different remote job boards and platforms, ranging from all-purpose ones like Upwork and Hubstaff to more field-specific ones like ProBlogger .

Exactly where you’ll want to look for work depends a lot on what your skills are and what kind of job you want to do. However, if you’re totally new to looking for remote work and you have marketable skills and/or a portfolio of work to refer to, Upwork is a decent place to start. The platform hosts every kind of remote job you can imagine, but it’s a bit more selective than other platforms, so you’ll need to put some effort into your resume and portfolio before signing up.

The other big downside to Upwork is that once you reach a certain threshold of earnings (currently $500), the platform starts taking a 10 percent cut from every payment you make through the site. That said, a common tactic to get around this is to use the platform to make contact with employers and perform an initial job, after which you can continue the relationship outside of the site.

Besides these examples, there are far too many remote job boards to create an exhaustive list here, but others include fiverr.com , remoteok.io , workingnomads.co and many more. We recommend doing some Googling to find the ones best suited to the kind of work that you want to do remotely.

Types of Remote Work

There are a ton of different fields that offer remote work, especially since the start of 2020. Some of these require little to no formal training to get started, such as transcription and tutoring/teaching (provided you understand the subject).

Others have a low barrier to entry, provided you’re willing to spend a little time teaching yourself how to do them, such as search engine optimization (also known as SEO) and online marketing. Creative work — such as writing, photography, design and editing — also rarely requires a formal degree, though it does require competence in the field.

Finally, there are jobs with a much higher barrier to entry, often requiring actual degrees in the field to get into, such as software engineering, computer science, architecture and accounting. These jobs are also easily done remotely, but you’ll probably need education in the field and experience working in them before you can take them on the road.

Important Things to Consider Before Becoming a Digital Nomad

Before we get to our list of tips and tricks for being a successful (and happy) digital nomad, let’s talk about some of the things you should take some time to consider before you hop on a plane to fly to the other side of the globe.

What Schedule Does Your Work Demand

The most important thing to consider before taking your remote job on the road is what kind of schedule it demands. Many office jobs that have switched to a work-from-home model still maintain the traditional nine-to-five business hours, which can be a challenge when you’re moving around a lot.

That’s not to say it rules out traveling. However, it does change what you’ll be able to do and when and can pose some scheduling problems if your employer is in a different time zone.

What Are Your WiFi Needs

Certain jobs require much faster and more stable WiFi than others. If you spend all day in video calls or meetings or need to upload large video files or the like, you’ll likely need much better WiFi than someone who’s just working in a Google Doc.

Figuring out exactly how fast and reliable your internet connection needs to be is crucial before you do anything, as this will be a major factor in deciding where you can go on your travels.

Tax & Immigration Laws

Just because you’re in a different country doesn’t mean you’re not liable for taxes. Generally, as long as you’re in a different country on a tourist visa, you remain a resident of your home country. Meaning, as far as the government is concerned, you’re still working there and not wherever you may find yourself physically.

If you’re a U.S. resident, even getting legal residency in another country won’t absolve you from paying U.S. taxes, though there are programs like Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) that can help you get around this.

With that said, we’re not experts on tax law here, so make sure to do thorough research on your country’s laws and regulations regarding this issue and consider consulting an expert if you’re not sure how it works.

19 Tips for Working Remotely While Traveling

Now that we’ve covered some of the things you need to put some thought into before you even get started, let’s dive into our list of 19 tips for working remotely while traveling.

1. Get Your Affairs in Order

If you’re going to spend an extended time traveling, it’s a good idea to make sure you have everything you’ll need from the administrative side of things, as well as getting everything in order on the homefront. 

Make sure you have multiple debit cards in case one gets lost or broken so that you don’t find yourself in a foreign country without the ability to get cash. A credit card is also useful for booking flights and housing due to cancellation policies .

Another crucial thing to have is some type of insurance. Travel insurance for extended trips can be incredibly expensive, so consider getting international health insurance instead. While this won’t cover things like stolen belongings or canceled flights, making sure you can get health care in case of an accident is far more important.

2. Be Aware of WiFi Availability

Not everywhere has great WiFi. So whenever you’re considering a place to visit, do some research to find out what kind of connectivity you’ll have there. For example, you probably don’t want to set up shop in a small village on a remote island or up in the Himalayan Mountains if you need to be available for video calls.

3. Get the Right Hardware & Equipment

The most obvious equipment you’ll need to work remotely while traveling is a laptop with the required specifications. A portable monitor (like the ASUS ZenScreen ) is also a great idea, as it’s surprisingly cheap and doesn’t take up a lot of space in your luggage. Speaking of luggage, find a good backpack and/or suitcase that can fit all of your stuff and is easy to lug around.

If you’re a lightweight traveler who prefers to only bring a carry-on, then the Osprey Farpoint 40 (here’s the version for women ) is an excellent choice. 

On the other hand, if you have a bit more stuff and don’t mind checking a bag for your flights, then it doesn’t get much better than the slightly bigger Osprey Farpoint 70 (here’s the version for women ), which comes with a smaller backpack that clips onto the main one for easy carrying. 

If you want to avoid carrying a backpack the entire time and want the flexibility of wheels, the Osprey Sojourn 45L is an excellent choice, as it meets carry-on requirements and can easily swap between a backpack and wheeled luggage. 

Obviously there are a ton of other great options in whatever style you prefer, but we’re not going to dwell.

4. Have Backups for Connection and Hardware Failures

Having your laptop break down or the internet go out while you’re traveling and working can be disastrous, so it’s best to prepare. Get a SIM card when you arrive in a new country to make sure you can connect through mobile data and consider bringing an extra (preferably cheap and lightweight) laptop like a Chromebook to tide you over if your main laptop fails.

5. Get the Right Software Tools

There’s a good chance your equipment is more vulnerable when you’re traveling around compared to sitting at home, so it’s important to protect your digital belongings. Don’t ever store something that matters on local storage, as even external drives are more exposed when you’re traveling.

Storing your data in the cloud is the only way to make sure you can access it from wherever you are, on any device. This is easier for some professions than others, so think about how much data your job generates and figure out how much cloud storage you’d need .

Other valuable software tools include project management solutions like Trello or Asana , especially if you’re working as a freelancer. A good VPN is crucial for security and might even be a requirement for your job. There are also many browser extensions for both security and productivity that can be useful to nomads.

6. Find Opportunities for Social Interaction…

When you’re away from home and your existing social support network, finding people to spend time with can sometimes be difficult. For this reason, many digital nomads report loneliness as the number one challenge they encounter.

A good way to get around this is to spend some time in hostels or use social networks like Facebook to find social events, expat groups and other like-minded digital nomads wherever you find yourself.

7. … But Don’t Get Too Distracted

On the flip side, it’s easy to get distracted by all the exciting things and new environments that you’re surrounded by when traveling. Make sure that you don’t let it all go to your head and remember to set aside time to actually get work done. Enjoying your time abroad is important, but you have to avoid letting it keep you from your responsibilities for too long.

8. Locate Places With Other Digital Nomads

When you’re traveling, chances are that most people you meet will come and go rather quickly, as most of them will be on a shorter-term trip or vacation. It’s a good idea, then, to find digital nomad hotspots, such as co-working spaces, so that you can form longer-term relationships and a sense of community with other remote workers not strapped for time.

9. Stay On Top of Time Zones

If your job involves doing tasks at specific times, such as meetings or deadlines, make sure you’re aware of the time difference between where you are and where your job is. 

For example, if you work in EST but are traveling somewhere like Japan, your co-workers’ 8 a.m. will be 9 p.m. for you. Daylight saving time can make this even more complicated, so keeping one of your devices on “office time” is a good idea to avoid confusion.

10. Find Good Work Environments

Unless you’re staying in places explicitly designed for digital nomads, chances are your accommodation won’t be all that well-suited as a workplace. Luckily, dedicated coworking spaces are easy to find, so it’s a good idea to look for one when you explore a new place.

11. Establish a Healthy Work Routine

It’s easy to get swept away with all the exciting new things to see and do when you reach a new destination, so establishing a firm routine for your work — and sticking to it — is crucial to ensure you maintain a healthy balance between travel and work. One way to do this is to keep a regular workweek and weekend, even if your work doesn’t require it.

12. Communicate With Your Team & Employer

If your boss or employer is OK with you traveling around while working, chances are that they’ll have some level of understanding for the things that can go wrong when you’re on the road. The key here is clear communication, so make sure to let your employer know when you’re planning on making a move or if something unexpected happens.

13. Figure Out Your Accommodation Needs

There are many different kinds of accommodation to choose from when you’re traveling, and choosing the right type for you will depend entirely on what makes you comfortable. If having your own personal space isn’t something you care about, booking dorms in hostels is a great way to save money. However, for many, this isn’t a comfortable way to live long term. 

If sharing a room with a bunch of other people sounds like a nightmare to you, you’re probably better off looking at hostel private rooms, hotels or Airbnbs. Also, if you know you’re going to spend an extended period of time in a location, the cheapest way to find your own place is usually by going through local rental agencies or Facebook groups for housing.

14. Don’t Travel Too Fast…

You might want to move from place to place quickly to see new things, but arriving in a new city or town every few days can make it difficult to maintain a productive work schedule. In our experience, slowing down and taking the time to get to know the places you go makes for a better time and makes it easier to get work done. This is highly personal, though, so your mileage may vary.

15. …But Be Careful Not to Get Stuck

On the flip side, it’s easy to get comfortable in a single location and find yourself staying much longer than you planned or even really wanted. In these cases, remind yourself that the reason you’re doing this in the first place is to travel, not simply work from home in a different country. That said, do what you want and if that means staying in a place long term, who are we to tell you not to do that?

16. Create a Budget and Stick to It

Although chances are you’ll spend a lot of time in places with a relatively low cost of living, it’s still important to keep a budget. Tours, experiences and transportation can quickly become expensive. So if you’re not careful, you can easily end up in a situation where you’re spending more on your travels than you’re bringing in by remote working.

17. Be Flexible…

Unlike most people who travel, you’ll have no set time where you need to leave and go home. This lets you be flexible in what cities and places you go to and when you go, which, in turn, means you can save a lot of money on things like flights and accommodation. If waiting a week to get to a destination means a half-off flight, it’s definitely worth considering.

18. …But Try to Plan Ahead

However, having some idea of what you want to do and where you want to go in the near future can be incredibly helpful. Although having a plan doesn’t necessarily mean you have to follow through on it, it’s good to have a loose framework figured out ahead of time, especially if you need to keep your employer or manager in the loop about your whereabouts.

19. Consider Maintaining a Home Base

Even if you’re working remotely and traveling, it’s not a bad idea to find a spot that you like to keep as a home base. This can be in your home country or somewhere else, but simply having a place to return to when you feel tired of moving and need some peace and quiet can be immensely useful.

Final Thoughts

There you have it: our personal take on the best practices and tools for those who want to travel the world while maintaining an online job. Since most of these are lifestyle advice, your mileage may vary. However, at a minimum, these are all factors you should consider before making the leap, even if you choose not to follow all the tips.

What did you think of our remote working and travel tips? Did we hit the nail on the head, or did we leave out something crucial? Are you already a digital nomad? If so, what’s been your experience with working from abroad? Let us know in the comments below. Thank you for reading.

Yes, with some planning, you can easily take your remote job on the road and work from anywhere you’d like.

Pretty much any job done on a computer — such as writing, programming, accounting, SEO, tutoring — has the potential to be a remote job.

Pretty much anywhere. Popular digital nomad destinations include Southeast Asia and Latin America, but there’s nothing stopping you from going anywhere you’d like.

Yes, as long as your employer is fine with it. Very few countries have any rules about people doing their job while on a tourist visa, so long as they’re not seeking local employment.

Don’t use Dropbox!

My Dropbox account has been disabled without any prior notification on july 15th. Dropbox’s justification is that I violated the terms of service. I’m sure there was some mistake. I have not violated any terms of service or good use. I didn’t do anything illegal.

I tried to resolve it without success with Dropbox support.

I decided to use Dropbox service to preserve my files. I was convinced by the continuous Dropbox advertisements to use Smart Sync and leave most of my files exclusively online. So it’s a big disappointment to trust the Dropbox service and lose very valuable files and photos. I have over 20 years of photos and files in Dropbox. I lost access to all of this.

I have lost access to a lot of important content and disabling my account is causing me immeasurable damage. I don’t want to be a Dropbox subscriber anymore. I don’t want to use Dropbox anymore, but I need to recover my files.

I paid for the service. I have the right to access and recover my files.

What is the best way to take legal action to recover access to my files?

Working remotely while traveling is the dream and is exactly what I’d be looking for if I was looking for a job. Can anyone recommend a job where I can remotely complete work?

A lifestyle like this would be amazing ! I’m European , and I see myself moving between countries staying about 4-6 months at each time. Taxes will be a headache though.

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November 18

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How to work online and travel the world

By   Johannes Völkner

November 18, 2013

Do you do most of your work online and would like to travel more?

Well, with the right preparation you could run your business from anywhere and discover the world’s most amazing destinations at the same time.

Be warned though:  Staying productive and being successful is not easy.

If you’d like to learn the most important things you need to know to make this work for you, continue reading. Don’t have the right skills to work online yet, simply follow the advice I’m sharing  here .

Working while travelling

Working while travelling is an amazing lifestyle, but it’s not a vacation. In fact, taking your business around the world, if it’s for two month or a year, requires good planning and preparation.

During the last few years I’ve made a lot of mistakes of my own as I’ve travelled the world whilst running businesses. I think it’s important to share some ideas on what you are likely to experience if you choose this amazing lifestyle. While most people think we are on an endless vacation, this is not truth.

Technology has allowed us to live and take advantage of this lifestyle. In fact, these days you could even run your office next to the lions of the Serengeti, in the small jungle towns of Bolivia, or from the beautiful islands of Indonesia. You’ll find a decent internet connection almost everywhere where there are tourists.

Here are some essential things to take into consideration when you are thinking about the work and travel lifestyle.

Prepare your trip, don’t just take off

You could easily get on a plane tomorrow and start work in your dream destination but your chances of success would be very slim. You need to prepare so that your trip will be productive and your bank account healthy. Before you leave you need the right gear; a good, light-weight laptop, an e-reader, extension leads, and any other productivity boosters. You need to arrange your bank accounts, be sure of your tax plan, and have the correct insurance. And you need to tell your clients of your plans, keep them on board, and prepare them for the new relationship.

Max 30 hour work-week

What’s the point of moving to the other side of the world if you can’t take the time to get to know a new culture, make friends, and try out new activities? If you have to work more than 30 hours a week then maybe this lifestyle isn’t for you. Remember that a budget of $1000 a month will go a long way in Asia… and if your clients pay you in a strong currency you could live almost anywhere in the world. Obviously, the more money that you make the better, but don’t sacrifice your work-life balance for a few extra dollars. Just organise your work week in a way that will allow you to be productive, produce quality work, and enjoy the lifestyle of work and travel.

Choose your destination carefully

Choosing a new destination is exciting, the world is your oyster, but you have to do so carefully. Think about your budget; living in countries with a lower-cost of living means more free-time and value for money. Think about what you can do; lying on a beach will get boring after a while. Is there good break to learn surfing? Are there lots of amazing walks near-by? You need to think about what you want to be doing in your spare time and then decide on your destination. Is there a big expat scene? Meeting new people is essential to your happiness while you are away. You also need to think about the needs of your clients. Does the time difference make it impossible to talk with your clients within working hours? You need at least 3 hours of overlapping work time.

Don’t be scared – just careful

One thing that puts a lot of people off this lifestyle is safety. But with the right preparation and research you should have no problem, there are so many exotic destinations around the world that are just as safe (if not safer) than the big European cities. Be sure to ask for advice on online forums, expats actually living the area will have a very good idea of what is going on and the levels of danger. Check official sources as well. If your government advises against travel, it would be silly to go. If you are really not sure, go for thirty days, and have a back-up destination. If you feel safe, stay, and if not, try somewhere else. On general piece of advice would be to not be an obvious tourist, just use common sense and be aware of your surroundings.

Start with a vacation

I always advise against arriving in a destination and starting work immediately. You need to find a rhythm in the new destination, find out where you work best, learn about the people, and know the best places to get a lunch-time sandwich. Take 1-2 weeks exploring the tourist sites, learning about the history and culture and you will feel much more comfortable when you get to work. This is also a good time to decide if you want to stay any longer, and if you do – look for longer-term accommodation, co-working spaces, and get mobile internet. Above all, you should socialise and have fun! Take advantage of your situation.

Socialise – Happiness is best when shared

Your first few days in any destination should be spent around other travellers. Hostels are the best places to do this; they often have very social bars where it’s great to meet all kinds of people from all around the world. You should also take advantage of meet-ups which are organised online. Couchsurfing, Internations, and Facebook groups are the best places to find out about these (often) weekly meet-ups. They can prove very helpful to anyone who is looking for more information about workspaces and accommodation. Also throw yourself into any popular activities that the destination has to offer; learn to surf, salsa dance, or cook tradition meals. This way you can meet people who share your interests.

Be aware of the tourists

Travelling brings you into contact with many awesome people from all over the world. However, one problem is that most of them are on a vacation rather than on aworkation. After two weeks of socialising and getting to know a destination you should start to concentrate on work. The most important thing to do is to learn how to say no! If you need to work in the morning, be strong and refuse a night out on the town. Party smart; go out once or twice a week and enjoy it, but remember that it’s good and productive work which will sustain this lifestyle. This is where many people fail with the work and travel lifestyle. You have to be dedicated to your work and clients or it simply won’t work. The best way to deal with this is to move into an apartment and make friends who also work.

Choose your workspaces carefully

When choosing your workspace it’s important to know where you are most productive. Don’t find one café and work there every day, you may be far more productive at the library. Take a walk around your new destination and try and find the perfect workplace or workplaces for you. Don’t be afraid to change your workplace after two or three hours. It will give your mind a rest and give you a break as you travel.

Accommodation Matters

Where you stay is going to be one of the key ingredients to your happiness and comfort in any destination. For short-term accommodation do your research on websites such as hostelworld.com and hostelbookers.com. These sites offer user generated scores in areas such as comfort, safety, and atmosphere. Nook a maximum of three nights and if you like it you can stay longer.

For long-term accommodation you should never book in advance or give over any money without seeing the place first. If the internet is faulty or it’s in a dangerous neighbourhood you will want to move out and lose money. It’s best to arrange once you are in the city. Walk around and find an area that you like.

Travel slow

Travelling in itself is a part-time job. You have to plan and research each destination and then get settled in once you have arrived. You should travel slow, get used to a destination, and really immerse yourself in the culture. Work and travel is a lifestyle that allows you to do this, so take advantage of it. You should also set yourself goals for each destination. Once you have completed them you can allow yourself to move on. However, if you really don’t like a place, or feel in danger move as soon as possible, then settle for longer in the next destination.

Learn something new and create a work life balance

Beginning your work and travel adventure is a huge step to take, so it should have its rewards. And it does, the main one being that this lifestyle gives you an amazing work-life balance. You will have the free time to explore any hobby that you want to – surfing, yoga, swimming, cooking, learning languages, and many more that are unique to a destination. It’s important that you learn a new hobby because it takes the mind off work, having something else to concentrate on will allow you to come back to your work with fresh eyes. It’s also a great way to meet like-minded people.

Meet other digital nomads

Travelling with other nomads is a great way to travel. Everyone will understand that you have to work in the morning or evening and will not bother you. It’s also awesome to have other like-minded people around who understand business and your lifestyle. You can bounce ideas off of each other, co-work on projects, delegate work according to other people’s strengths, and have an awesome time travelling the world at the same time. Digital nomads also travel slow, so it’s a great way to get to know different destinations with a group of people that you know well.

Learn to delegate

If there is one tip that I can give to you to change the way that you work and travel it’s that you should try to master how to delegate and outsource some of your work and get other freelancers to help you. In fact, the most successful digital nomads that I know (with the most free time) are all into outsourcing. Their best skills are not necessarily programming, web design, or writing but they are masters of delegation. They know how to use the skills of others to their advantage.

If you are not doing it already, start small. Think about the little tasks that are not your strengths, give the tasks to people who are good at it and go from there. Outsourcing is not that easy to master but with a bit of practice you should be able to learn it too and streamline your workload as a result.

Go and improve!

As you can see, if you have an online skill and you are dedicated to this amazing lifestyle, you could work and travel. But remember it’s not a vacation, it’s hard work. You have to be prepared before leaving, settle into a destination, and then produce good quality of work and remain productive while keeping your clients happy. I recommend staying in one destination for a while, so that you can be truly comfortable and have a place to work from. Take trips and explore on the weekends, and find yourself a hobby to take your mind off work and give yourself a good work-life balance.

Johannes Völkner

About the author

Founder of WebWorkTravel magazine

This City Is the Fastest-Growing Digital Nomad Hub In 2023

Low taxation for digital nomads in portugal is coming to an end, italian village on the beautiful island offers digital nomads to live there rent-free.

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How to Travel With a Full-Time Job: 6 Creative Ways

By: Author Vanessa M.W.

Posted on Last updated: March 12, 2024

I’ve been living and working abroad since 2013 and I can confirm there are MULTIPLE WAYS to travel with a full-tome job. No, you don’t need to give up your career. Yes, people will actually pay you!

The pandemic truly made us re-evaluate our priorities and I’m 100% here to help. If you’re dreaming of a more flexible work environment that will allow you to travel while working full-time, I have 5 creative ways to make that happen for you.

In this article, I’m going to discuss:

• Choosing the right travel/work balance for you
• 6 ways to travel while working full-time
• My favorite apps to make working while traveling easier
• Important tax considerations when you’re on the road
• Ways to get sh*t done at work while away from your normal set-up

If you think this path is right for you and you want to pick my brain about your specific circumstances, book a one-time 45-minute private coaching session with me.

Is Traveling with a Full-Time Job Right for You?

Not everyone is meant to be on the road 24/7 so you’ll want to figure out what’s the right path for you and your work style. There are a few important questions to consider

• Will I be traveling alone? Or do I have a partner or family members to consider?
• What countries can I currently work in easily? Do I need a work visa?
• What’s my budget for traveling while working full-time? Can I make less in exchange for greater flexibility?
• What are my career goals? Is there a specific timeline I need to be conscious of?

After evaluating these questions, your strategy should become clearer about what sort of circumstances are right for you when it comes to blending your career-travel ambitions.

For example, when it comes to traveling while working full-time, I have a partner I need to consider – but no children – so it’s easy to take off whenever I want to for up to a month without feeling guilty.

For anything longer than a month, I would need to have a conversation with my partners to ensure we’re on the same page.

However, backpacking for a year while being a digital nomad is not really conducive to my professional or personal aspirations.

I don’t want to be apart from my family that long and this becomes a tax nightmare for me.

You’ll need to decide what type of travel you want to do while working full-time (long-term backpacking vs shorter trips) before moving on to my 5 recommended ways.

6 Creative Ways to Travel while Working Full-Time

If you want to work full-time and travel easily in your spare time, here are your best options! I’ve done nearly every single method so you can trust me when I say – it’s totally doable.

1. Transition Your 9-5 Abroad (Indefinite)

No one ever tells us this in America, but if you’re a skilled person, you can take your career overseas!

Whether you’re a teacher or a Product Manager (like me!), there are international companies who are eager to bring you to their offices abroad!

Currently, I work for a global travel tech company as a product manager. I started working for them in London (in 2017) and I was able to negotiate a transfer to their Germany offices in 2020. I’ve been in Germany ever since.

You don’t need to abandon your career ambitions to move abroad if you’re a competitive person. Visa, Facebook, and all the other international companies have global locations that you can transfer to with enough effort.

Read my article about finding a job abroad here.

Once you’re outside of America, travel becomes naturally easier. As I’m writing this blog post, I’m currently waiting in the Berlin Brandenburg business lounge on my way to Rome.

I’m taking my laptop and I’ll be remotely working from Italy for the next week!

When I was living and working in Beijing, I was able to take off to Hong Kong and the Philippines without much money or planning.

Frequent travel while working full-time is much easier once you get out of the United States; trust me.

As Americans, we have an additional tax reporting responsibility when we work abroad, but don’t let that deter you.

You need to understand that it’s really just a reporting responsibility and only under extreme circumstances will you be double taxed.

Read my article about American expat tax requirements here.

2. Negotiate a Remote Contract (1+ year)

If you’re lucky enough to negotiate a remote contract, congratulations! You’ve truly secured a golden ticket that most people would kill for!!

I was able to negotiate a German remote contract in Aug 2021 and that’s how I have so much flexibility.

So what is a remote contract?

Essentially, a remote contract specifically removes any location-dependent clauses from your work contract. However, remote contracts will likely include a country-specific reference because they need to abide by some sort of legal framework.

With a remote contract, you can easily travel while working full-time because there’s no expectation for you to come into a specific office. You only need to get the work done wherever you are in the world.

For example, my remote contract is specifically a German contract. This means I pay tax to the German government and I get to enjoy the social security and healthcare benefits of living in the European Union.

If you’re able to negotiate a remote contract and want to move outside of the country that your contract specifically references, you’ll need to consider how that will affect your tax liability and immigration status.

A good rule of thumb is: if you’ve been in a country longer than 3 months, you should start exploring if that country expects you to pay tax locally and if you’re in violation of your tourist visa.

Some countries and regions (like the UK) have super generous tourist visa allowances, but tourist visas are not work visas so tread carefully.

Furthermore, if you’re paying taxes in the United States, but haven’t been in the country for more than 35 days, you might be entitled to a massive tax refund since you’re not technically a full-time resident.

Set up a consultation with my trusted tax partner – My Expat Taxes – to find out more about tax and reporting responsibilities as a remote US worker.

3. Volunteer Abroad (2-6 months)

If you’re just starting your career or are less concerned about bringing your 9-5 abroad, you should seriously consider volunteering abroad.

There are a variety of websites that match volunteers with hosts in different countries to do a ‘work-exchange.’ In a ‘work-exchange,’ you’d exchange your labor and skills for food, room, and board.

A few things that you can do when volunteering abroad include:

• Organic Farming (WOOFing)
• Working at the front desk of a hostel
• Becoming an Au Pair (in the EU or America)
• Work as a camp counselor (I did this in Morocco!)
• and so much more!

There are endless opportunities if you want to volunteer abroad, but you’ll need to bring some savings with you as you won’t be paid for this work.

My favorite websites are:

• workaway.info
• Worldpackers.com

It’s also important to know that since this is a volunteer opportunity, you’ll need to be extra careful with your tourist visa allowance because there are always time limitations. You cannot get a work visa through a volunteer opportunity.

I‘ve lived abroad for many years and love helping others find work abroad and figure out their “Move Abroad Plan.” Check out my class below to get you started ASAP!

4. Become a Digital Nomad (1 month-2 years)

Becoming a digital nomad can be super exciting!…. but it can be tiring toward the end lol.

Moving from place to place every 30 days to make sure you’re not in violation of your tourist visa gets to you after the 2nd year, but I would still encourage everyone to do this if they have the opportunity.

So what’s the difference between being a digital nomad and having a remote contract?

Not much actually. I think the real difference between the two classifications is probably how stable the income is. A remote worker still has a traditional 9-5 whereas a digital nomad is often an entrepreneur or freelancer.

As a digital nomad, you have two options when it comes to creating a home base.

First, you can choose to bounce across countries every 1-2 months to ensure you can take advantage of all the financial benefits that come with not being tied down to a single location.

Your second option is to take advantage of a digital nomad visa in a foreign country, which will allow you to establish your tax residency there for 1 to 2 years.

There are benefits with both options; it just depends on how comfortable you are with uncertainty and constant movement.

If you choose option 1, not only are you going to need to find clients and establish a consistent cash flow, but you’ll also need to change countries every few months. This might feel overwhelming to some people; I know it was overwhelming for me.

Read this article about easy countries to move to for Americans to start your digital nomad research.

5. Short-Term Contract (2-6 months)

Contract work is often a great way to gain international experience and travel while maintaining a 9 to 5.

Essentially this means that your company sends you to a different country for a brief amount of time to complete a specific project.

These temporary contracts will likely send you abroad for 2-6 months and your company will provide you with an ‘Expat Package.’

This means that they will pay for everything; which includes housing, flights, a food stipend, and more!

I was sent on a short-term contract to Turkey for less than 2 months and it was a wild experience!

I was able to work as an emergency aid worker and was given a company apartment with a spending stipend. I saved every penny of my paycheck!

If you’re interested in doing a short-term contract, it’s important that you focus on getting the best package possible because you are uprooting your entire life to pursue this opportunity.

For example, these are the things that I would absolutely require if I was going to a new country on a short-term contract.

• My accommodation to be found and paid for in full
• Private health insurance and international medical facilities
• A food and living stipend for everyday costs
• My flights to and from paid for

Obviously, if you are volunteering to work on a short-term contract these things are not going to be guaranteed. However, any company that is reputable will likely provide all if not the majority of the following things in addition to your normal salary.

6. Travel Scholarship (3 months -2 years)

Did you know that there are travel scholarships that will pay for you to study and volunteer abroad for a certain amount of time? These are often called paid travel opportunities.

My favorite way of discovering paid travel opportunities is through my friend’s website packslight.com.

Gabby is an absolute master when it comes to applying and finding paid travel opportunities that will get you across the world at no additional cost to you.

What you’ll need to do is send in an application for the various opportunities.

Then, someone will contact you as a finalist or if you are successful in the application you can expect the company to organize and pay for your travel abroad.

My Favorite Digital Nomad Apps for Employees on the Go!

When you’re traveling and working abroad, there are certain apps that will make your life more bearable as you jet-set across the world!

Here are my favorite apps and websites for digital nomads:

Express VPN

If you’re ever wondering how you’re going to watch your favorite American Netflix shows while you’re abroad, then look no further than Express VPN !

They will help you keep in contact with all of your country’s pop culture references no matter where you are in the world.

TransferWise

Because I have multiple clients that are international and have outstanding student loans to pay, I need to send money in different currencies back and forth across the world.

The most affordable way to do that is via TransferWise . You can load all sorts of currencies into your account and then exchange them into different currencies for a fraction of the cost that your bank will charge you.

If you’re interested in setting up a coaching business, look no further than Teachable .

Teachable is an online platform that helps me keep in contact with my customers all over the world and they make taking payments easy with the Stripe integration.

Whenever I’m looking for freelancers, I always start on Upwork.

Upwork allows me to hire people from all over the world and their payment protection plan gives me the confidence I need about the quality of work my freelancers will perform.

I believe in Upwork so much, that I’ve been using it for the last eight years.

When I first moved abroad, I don’t think I truly understood how much emotional stress the move was going to cause me.

That’s why I really enjoy using online therapy services, like BetterHelp , because no matter where I am in the world I can always stay with the therapist I trust and I can do my sessions in my native language.

Opening a bank account as a foreigner abroad is incredibly difficult. I’m so grateful that N26 allows me to spend local money in Europe despite having an American passport.

The flexibility of N26 made it possible for me to sign an apartment lease and to start my life in Germany properly.

Important Tax Considerations for Traveling while Working

Something I wish someone would’ve told me before I moved abroad was the fact that there is no way to avoid taxes, no matter where you are in the world.

Even if you have a company registered outside of the country you’re living in currently.

If you are American or a green card holder, you are expected to report and file taxes every single year no matter where you are in the world.

But reporting and Filene doesn’t necessarily mean paying additional taxes to the United States if you don’t currently live there.

If you stay out of the US for at least 330 days in a full calendar year, you will potentially not need to pay taxes to the United States government.

However, it is likely that you are a tax resident in another country and will owe taxes there instead.

If you are a digital nomad from the United States, and you don’t take up residency in any one country then you could potentially receive a large tax refund from the US government come tax season.

Use Form 2555 to claim the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion.

For more specific information on what forms to file and how to file correctly, head on over to my trusted partner My Expat Taxes .

My Expat Taxes is a wonderful resource and software to ensure you get the maximum refund possible while still remaining budget-friendly.

Ways to Get Sh*t Done while Working and Traveling

It’s definitely not easy to stay focused while traveling and working full-time. Somehow corporate meetings just aren’t as interesting as cenote dives and adventures across the ocean. [LOL]

Here are a few ways I stay focused while working full-time and traveling.

First, be sure you have a good set-up in your new home to do your work. There’s nothing worse than trying to get work done in an awkward sitting position or just on your bed.

Next, some countries are not known for their strong Wi-Fi signal, be sure to inquire before you arrive with your Airbnb host that the Wi-Fi is suitable to conduct meetings and streaming.

Third, check to see if there are any low-cost co-working stations in the city that you’re traveling in.

They often have day passes or short-term agreements so people just like you can come in and work in a normal environment every so often.

Finally, make sure to adjust your work calendar based on the different time zones that you’ll be traveling through.

This is an automatic feature but you have to enable it in order for your meetings to be expressed correctly.

Now You’re Ready to Start Traveling while Working Full-Time

I hope you found this article to be helpful in giving you ideas regarding how to balance a full work schedule with your ambitions to travel.

There are so many opportunities to travel and work full-time, you just need to find the right option for you.

If you want my direct support and feedback on your specific circumstances, schedule a private coaching session with me here.

If you’re interested in learning more about working while traveling abroad, read these additional articles that might be of some help:

• This is how you can find a job in another country
• Here I go into more detail about how to find affordable travel opportunities
• Consider doing a master’s abroad, because you can also work while you study
• Here’s information about how I was able to put it into the tech industry in London

If you want additional support in your move abroad, consider taking my Move Abroad Master Class for everything you might need to know regarding your international relocation.

Thanks so much for reading this post and I hope to see you on Instagram!

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Travel | Sustainability | Living Responsibly

5 Excellent Ways to Travel the World While You Work

Travel the world while you work.

Travel the World While You Work – Traveling around the world during my youth has always been a dream of mine.

However, my other dream is to excel at my job and make a great living at it.

Superficially, these two things may not seem compatible at all.

Luckily, though, there is a solution.

What if you could advance your career while simultaneously traveling from country to country?

In this article, I will present you with five excellent ways to travel the world while you work.

Flight Attendant

If you have a few skills or are willing to acquire them, being a flight attendant is a fantastic way to travel around the world while earning money.

Typically, the job requires you to speak a foreign language, have CPR knowledge and be able to stand on your feet for long periods of time.

Provided that you have what it takes, though, flight attending is a great way to know a variety of locations around the world.

Additionally, the pay is normally very good, and the job tends to have good benefits.

What’s more, this job is a great way to meet new people and new cultures.

Unfortunately, it’s not all fun and games when working as a flight attendant.

The job can be very demanding both physically and mentally.

For example, it will often require you to deal with difficult passengers that will do all types of things to test your patience.

Even worse, being a flight attendant means working at random hours and often being jet-lagged.

However, if your objective is to travel around the world while working, few jobs are as beneficial and satisfying as this one.

Cruise Ship Worker

If the fast pace of flight attending seems like a lot to you, perhaps you would be better off being a cruise ship worker.

Traveling around the world on a cruise ship is a calm and smooth experience that provides a lot of reflexive moments with the open sea as the background.

At the same time, though, it offers the opportunity to arrive at beautiful destinations while getting to know new and exciting cultures.

There are plenty of positions you can take in a cruise ship.

Without a doubt, the majority of them require a lot of hard work and dedication.

However, they often also offer decent pay and great additional benefits.

If working on one of those huge cruise ships seems like a lot, remember that there are luxury cruises on small ships with open positions that you can apply for.

International Aid Worker

If you are looking for a world-traveling job that’s not only fun and well-paid but also spiritually-rewarding, check this out.

Getting a job as an international aid worker entails traveling to different, often remote areas of the world where there are humanitarian problems of some sort.

Despite being troubled, however, these places tend to have unique forms of geographical and cultural beauty.

Of course, the most important aspect of being an international aid worker is helping people.

Without a doubt, that can be incredibly rewarding, and it can help you expand your worldview in an impressive manner.

Because it entails dealing with social problems, this job requires some knowledge in health, social services or social sciences.

Luckily, however, there’s a high demand for international aid workers, meaning that there are good chances of getting hired.

International Personal Assistant

Those who are looking for a glamorous and exciting job should consider the idea of doing work as a personal assistant whilst travelling.

Often, powerful people such as celebrities, successful entrepreneurs and politicians are required to travel to different locations around the globe.

Being their personal assistant implies that you will have to travel with them wherever they go.

What is more, it often implies that you will get many of the same benefits as they do (though not all).

Make no mistake: Being a personal assistant can be very demanding.

More often than not, people that are rich and powerful enough to have a personal assistant are also very intense.

More than that, they tend to want their every need fulfilled quickly and efficiently.

As a result, the hours can be very tough.

However, if you are good at completing tasks quickly and effectively, being an international personal assistant can be a great way to see the world while working.

Travel Writer or Journalist

Creative people who want to travel and see the world as a job may want to consider travel writing.

Reputable publications like The New York Times, Conde Nast and National Geographic are constantly hiring talented writers that can report on touristic travel destinations around the world.

Even better than that, often, publications such as these pay writers for experiencing (and writing about) some of the most coveted tourist attractions in any given place.

Traveling on the company’s dime, travel reporters for large publications move from beautiful location to beautiful location, providing insight into their most important attractions.

Better than that, travel writing requires you to take risks and visit unexpected, exciting destinations while looking for the most memorable experiences possible.

Even if you haven’t been hired by a major publication, you can be a travel blogger and make your money by getting sponsorship’s from media-savvy brands.

5 Ways to Travel the World While You Work

As you can see from this article, there are some very good ways to travel the world while working.

Here, I presented you with 5 of the best ones.

However, there are many others that you can get as long as you think outside the box and have the courage to take a risk.

In the best cases, the job itself entails moving from location to location around the world, effectively paying you for traveling.

In other cases, the job may allow itself to be done from anywhere in the world, providing you with the opportunity to come and go as you please.

Earn Money from Home – 12 Ways to Make Money as a Stay-at-Home Mom

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In any case, it’s all about what works best for you.

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I wanted to make quick money and travel the world — so I moved to Australia and became a FIFO worker

• Cal Mcilwaine gets flown in to Pilbara, Australia to work 12-hour days for three weeks straight.
• So far he's made around $80K before taxes, has no living expenses on-site, and travels on his week off. 
• After a year of working, Mcilwaine plans to use the money he made to go on a 10-month trip.  

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with  Cal Mcilwaine , a 29-year-old FIFO worker in Australia. This essay has been edited for length and clarity. Insider verified his identity, employment, and salary.

I'm the lone wolf of my friend group.

Back in Ireland , all of my friends were getting married, buying houses, and having kids. I wanted to set off on an adventure and travel the world.

I started to research different career opportunities that would allow me to make good money that I could spend on travel . I always had an interest in visiting Australia and I had heard about mining jobs years ago.

I figured if I did that for a couple of months, I would have a piggy bank for traveling. So in June 2023, I left Ireland and moved to Perth, Australia to become a FIFO worker, which stands for "fly in, fly out."

Landing a FIFO job in a new country wasn't easy

FIFO is an industry that largely exists only in mining fields in Australia, Canada, and Alaska. Mining companies in Australia extract iron ore along with other minerals and send it to crushers and refineries. Then, it goes to Port Hedland , which is the main port in Australia, and cargo ships send it to China.

Australia is one of the most mineral-rich countries in the world, so there are a ton of mining projects and FIFO jobs available here.

But that doesn't mean it was easy to land one.

I found some YouTube videos about FIFO work, but there was no how-to guide on what to do if you want to enter the industry from a foreign country.

I had to come up with my own game plan, which included applying for a working Visa. I had no experience in mining and I had never driven a truck or bulldozer — I also didn't have a license in Australia. It wasn't going to be easy moving to another country and landing one of these jobs, but I was determined.

After arriving in Australia, I spent about three days exploring tourist sites before I turned to the job hunt process. In Australia, you need to get tickets, which are like qualifications. I spent two and a half weeks at a training center getting certified in CPR and working on an elevated platform, along with a heavy rigid license to drive big trucks.

Once I did that, I paid a company called W1n W1n to do my résumé and absolutely hammered job pages and applied to as many FIFO jobs as I could for about 10 days. Within a month of arriving in Australia, I secured a FIFO job.

Now, I help others get into the industry with videos on social media and a guide I made for foreign workers interested in FIFO.

I work 12-hour days for three weeks straight

I get flown in from Perth to work in Pilbara, a northwest region of Australia that's rich in iron ore.

Related stories

I wake up around 4 a.m. to get ready for work, which starts at 5:30 a.m., and I spend the next 12 hours in the mining field.

The conditions are physically strenuous and the average temperature during the day is 95 degrees Fahrenheit. In peak summer time, it hits about 113 degrees.

As a serviceman, I maintain a fleet of 45 or 50 machines, including dump trucks, diggers, dozers, scrapers, and other mining equipment. Throughout the day, I fill them up with fuel, grease them up, top up fluids, and blow out their air filters.

Then I pack everything back into my truck and drive to the next machine. I usually end work at 5:30 p.m., and the ride back to the site takes about 40 minutes so I usually get home at 6:10 p.m.

Normally, when I get back I try to shark down food and organize lunch for the next day. I aim to go to bed at 9:30 p.m. so that I can get as much sleep as possible for the next day.

During my week off, I get flown back out to Perth. The flight takes about two hours. Some people go on weekend trips to Bali. I like to go on road trips around Australia.

I also have the flexibility to go on breaks during the year. I took seven weeks off around Christmas and went to Esperance, which is on the southwest coast of Australia.

I've made around $80,000 so far this year pre-tax, and my expenses on-site are paid for

As a FIFO worker, companies pay for employee flights to and from the mining field. They also pay for housing accommodations and offer amenities like a food court and gym at the housing site.

@calmcilwaine What is my FIFO Room like? 👀 This will give everyone an idea of what the typical FIFO room is like. #fifo #FIFO #fifolife #fifoworker #fifoworkers #fifoaustralia #fifojob #fifojobs #fifojobsaustralia #fiforoom #fifocamp #fifocamplife #roomtour #fifomining #fifominingaustralia #flyinflyout #flyinflyoutlife #flyinflyoutjobs #australia #westernaustralia #miningwa #miningaustralia #pilbara #pilbaraliving #pilbaralife #pilbaramining #australiajobs #miningindustry #fifogirls #fifoedition #fifouze #whv #work #worklife #workingholidayvisa #workingholidayvisaaustralia #workingvisa #workvisa #417 #417visa #88days #regionalwork #regionalworkaustralia #miningtok #irishtiktok #irishinoz #irishinoz🇮🇪🇦🇺 #irishinaustralia #irishinaus #irishinperth #irishinsydney #irishinmelbourne #backpacker #backpackers #backpackerjobs #highpayingjobs #highwages #wealth #flyin #movetoaus #movetoaustralia #movetoaustraliawithme #movingtoaus #movingtoaustralia #newtofifo #fifotiktok #fifotips ♬ original sound - Cal McIlwaine

My room is dorm-like and it's nothing special but it has everything I need and I use it for sleep.

There's a big workout culture among FIFO workers and the gym is well-equipped to satisfy those needs. The gym has a strength room, a cardio room, an outdoor gym, a CrossFit room with classes offered, and a female-only gym. I usually walk about 25,000 steps a day on the job but still try to work out about two or three times a week.

As someone completely new to the industry, I make $5,329 Australian Dollars per week before taxes, which is around $3,477 USD — but I also don't work every single week of the month. So far, I've made around $80,000 before taxes working the last nine months, including a seven-week break I took to travel around Australia.

During my week off, I fly back to Perth and either go away for a week or pay a friend to stay with him for the week. My expenses during my week off usually come out to around $1,300 USD.

I'm getting the adventure I was searching for

I originally planned to work this job for three or fourth months at most.

But now I've been here for nine months and I plan to stick it out for the rest of the year. Once I learned about the machines, became a part of the crew, and started making good money, I didn't see a point in leaving.

I'm enjoying learning new skills and my bank account just keeps growing. Once I wrap up the year, I'm going on a 10-month trip to Vietnam, Thailand, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

I won't have to worry about working and I'll get to experience the adventure I've been craving.

Once I'm done, I plan to get right back into FIFO work for my second year and do it all over again.

• Main content

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High-paying jobs that let you travel the world

Posted: February 28, 2024 | Last updated: February 28, 2024

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This Country Is The Happiest In The World For The 7th Time Now

Finland has been the happiest country in the world for seven years in a row. Discover what makes it so special.

• Finland holds the title as the happiest country in the world, with factors like low corruption and trust contributing to high levels of happiness.
• The beautiful natural landscapes in Finland, along with the work-life balance and emphasis on innovation, make it a desirable place for residents.
• With low crime rates, affordable cost of living, and strong social welfare programs, Finland offers a high quality of life and economic security to its citizens.

When choosing to relocate overseas, considering a happy place where the residents are satisfied with their lives is important, and several factors come into play when evaluating overall happiness, including how safe and free the locals feel.

The United Nations just released the International World Happiness Report , with rankings based on life evaluations. The Gallup World Poll is the main source of information for this report and the six key factors considered were corruption, freedom, healthy life expectancy, social support, generosity, and GDP per capita (wealth).

There are plenty of happy cities in the world , but on average, this is the happiest country and has been for seven years in a row.

12 Friendliest Countries In The World, According To Statistics

Finland is the happiest country in the world, happiness score: 7.741.

Located in Northern Europe, Finland is famous for many things, including breathtaking lakes, breathtaking architecture, and amazing outdoor activities. It is also home to Lepland, which is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights around the world .

The latest UN International Happiness Report named Finland, which scored 7.741 , the happiest country in the world for the seventh time. Other Nordic countries in the top 10 include Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway. Finland's high happiness score is mostly due to the existence of trust throughout Finnish society , allowing the citizens to feel safe, free, and relaxed.

There is a high level of transparency and accountability in the government, and while it's true that corruption-free countries do not exist, Finland has one of the lowest levels of corruption in the world. It was recently ranked second-least corrupt country with a score of 87/100 by Transparency International . The Finnish are known to look out for and trust one another.

According to the research findings, this sense of freedom enhances the level of productivity as well as the overall well-being of the citizens.

Finland's Proximity To Nature Makes It A Happy Country

The country is incredibly breathtaking and easily accessible.

From snow-capped peaks to gorgeous lakes to lush forests and meadows, Finland has some of the most diverse landscapes, which offer endless opportunities for outdoor recreation and relaxation. The countryside is beautiful and will have any guest's breath taken away, but generally, the locals and travelers, alike, are never far from natural areas, even in urban locations. The proximity to nature also fosters creativity and innovation among the locals.

One of the interesting facts tourists may not know about Finland is the fact that the environment is a significant focus. When exploring the country, you are unlikely to see litter scattered around, especially in natural areas.

Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is one of the most livable cities in Europe , thanks to its notable efforts towards sustainability and eco-friendliness. The city's locals have collectively adopted this lifestyle and work together to take care of their natural areas. While in Helsinki, vacationers can spend time in many of its beautiful churches .

The Work-Life Balance In Finland Makes It The Happiest Country In The World

Juggling work and life is easier, and employees enjoy plenty of paid time off.

When it comes to work, Finland has one of the highest standards, and it's hard to find employees working for more than 50 hours a week. 50% of the employees in the country work 35–40 hours , usually from Mondays to Fridays, leaving them to socialize, relax, and get lost in the country's world-famous natural beauty, over the weekend.

Unlike other countries across the globe, Finland's employees enjoy multiple paid holidays and vacation days.

Helsinki has consistently been ranked the top place to live for work-life balance, thanks to its supportive work environment, favorable policies, and livability.

Finland's Emphasis On Innovation Also Contributes To Its High Happiness Score

The country boasts plenty of start-ups and a strong tech sector, offering multiple job opportunities.

One of the things many people consider when moving abroad is whether there is a favorable business environment. Fortunately, Finland is incredibly stable, and while there are many prosperous countries to live in , its thriving startup ecosystem and vibrant tech sector make it a great option too.

The strong business scene is fueled by the highly educated and tech-savvy professionals in the country, as well as robust investor support.

What Else Makes Finland The World's Happiest Country?

The country has low crime rates, an affordable cost of living, and an incredible social welfare system.

According to Numbeo, Finland has a crime index of 26.20 , which is among the lowest. This means that residents enjoy high neighborhood safety, and people feel safe there. Its Global Law and Order Index rating of 92 also makes it one of the safest countries to visit in 2024 .

Finland's residents enjoy an affordable cost of living, with a single person spending $1,537 per month (including rent) , on average.

Unlike other countries, Finland's government has robust social welfare programs that ensure citizens enjoy world-class healthcare, quality education, and unemployment benefits. This reduces economic insecurity among the people, resulting in a happy population.

The cost of housing varies widely in Finland, but on average, the residents spend about 20% of their income on housing.

There are plenty of reasons Finland has been the happiest country in the world for seven consecutive years, and choosing to relocate there will definitely be a great decision, whether seeking a change of scenery or to live and work.

• International

March 26, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapses after ship collision

By Helen Regan , Kathleen Magramo , Antoinette Radford, Alisha Ebrahimji , Maureen Chowdhury , Rachel Ramirez , Elise Hammond , Aditi Sangal , Tori B. Powell , Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Kathleen Magramo , CNN

Maryland transportation secretary says contractors were working on bridge at time of collapse

From CNN's Antoinette Radford

Maryland State Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld told reporters there were workers on the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the time of its collapse.

"We know there were individuals on the bridge at the time of the collapse, working on the bridge, contractors for us," he said at a news conference Tuesday morning.

Wiedefeld said the workers were "basically doing some concrete deck repair," but said they did not know how many vehicles were involved.

He added that the transport authority has set up a facility for family members of those who were believed to be on the bridge at the time of its collapse.

Baltimore fire chief: Sonar has detected the presence of vehicles submerged in the water

Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace says authorities have detected vehicles submerged in the water.

“Our sonar has detected the presence of vehicles submerged in the water,” said Wallace at a news conference on the collapse of Francis Scott Key Bridge. “I don't have a count of that yet.”

He said emergency services are using sonar, drones and infrared technology as a part of their search for people and vehicles who may have fallen from the Key Bridge into the Patapsco River.

No indication of "terrorism" or intent in Baltimore bridge collapse, police chief says

From CNN’s Andy Rose

Baltimore Police said there was no evidence that the ship collision that caused the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was intentional.

“There is absolutely no indication that there's any terrorism, that this was done on purpose,” Chief Richard Worley said at a news conference.

The FBI  said  that it was joining the investigation into the cause of the collision.

Rescue crews have determined there are vehicles in the Patapsco River following the bridge collapse.

“Our sonar has detected the presence of vehicles submerged in the water,” said Fire Chief James Wallace. “I don't have a count of that yet.”

Wallace said they are waiting to make sure that the ship is secure and stable before investigators board it.

“Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that,” Mayor Brandon M. Scott said.

Cruises, cars and commodities: What to know about the Port of Baltimore

From CNN's Mark Thompson and Hanna Ziady

The collapse of the   Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River outside the Port of Baltimore threatens to disrupt shipping operations at a major US trade hub for autos, container traffic and commodities. Baltimore also has a cruise terminal.

Closer to the Midwest than any other port on the East Coast, Baltimore ranks first in the United States for autos and light trucks, handling a record 850,000 vehicles last year. It was also the leading port for farming and construction machinery, as well as imported sugar and gypsum. It was second in the country for exporting coal.

Overall, Baltimore ranks as the 9th biggest US port for international cargo, handling a record 52.3 million tons, valued at $80.8 billion in 2023.

“The immediate focus is the rescue operation, but there will clearly be a highly-complex recovery phase and investigation to follow and we don't know what impact this will have on operations at the Port of Baltimore," said Emily Stausbøll, market analyst at Norway-based shipping analytics company Xeneta.

“While Baltimore is not one of the largest US East Coast ports, it still imports and exports more than one million containers each year so there is the potential for this to cause significant disruption to supply chains," she added.

Baltimore's cruise terminal serves ships operated by Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian. Cruises carrying more than 444,000 passengers departed from the port last year.

According to the Maryland state government, the port supports 15,330 direct jobs and 139,180 jobs in related services.

Rescue crews looking for at least seven people in Baltimore bridge collapse

Rescue operations are underway near the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, as crews look for people who fell into the Patapsco River.

“We are still very much in an active search and rescue posture at this point, and we will continue to be for some time,” Wallace added.

Baltimore Fire says two people have been rescued from the river – one who was uninjured, and another in hospitalized “very serious condition.”

“This is an unthinkable tragedy,” Mayor Brandon Scott said. “We have to first and foremost pray for all of those impacted.”

Ship that collided with Baltimore bridge was chartered by Danish shipping company Maersk 

From CNN's Alex Stambaugh in Hong Kong

The container ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday was chartered by Maersk and carrying their customers' cargo, the Danish shipping company told CNN.

"We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected," The company said in its statement.

The company, which has a full name of A.P. Moller - Maersk, said no company crew and personnel were onboard the vessel. It said the ship, DALI, is operated by charter vessel company Synergy Group. 

"We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed," the statement said. 

CNN is attempting to contact the owner and managers of the ship, including Synergy.

FBI Baltimore on the scene at the Key Bridge

FBI Baltimore personnel are on the scene at the Francis Scott Key Bridge, they have said in a post on X.

The agency said it was working "side by side with our local, state and federal partners."

Baltimore fire emergency chief says 2 people saved from water after Key Bridge collapse

The Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace says authorities rescued two people from the water this morning, one without injury and the other who has been transferred to hospital in a serious condition.

Authorities are continuing their search for upwards of seven people, Wallace says. But, he says that number could change as it is a "very large incident." Earlier on Tuesday, an official said as many as 20 people could be in the water.

Wallace added that the crew remains on board the ship, and are communicating with the US Coast Guard. He added that emergency services are looking into reports that there were workers on the bridge at the time of the incident.

Speaking at the press conference, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott also described the incident as an “unthinkable tragedy,” and offered his prayers for all those affected, as well as his thanks to first responders.

Authorities share updates on Baltimore bridge collapse

Authorities are holding a news conference on the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after it was struck by a large ship.

Divers and search and rescue teams are searching for people in the Patapsco River after several vehicles are believed to have fallen into the water, including one as large as a tractor-trailer, said Kevin Cartwright, director of communications of the Baltimore City Fire Department.

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New York Takes Crucial Step Toward Making Congestion Pricing a Reality

The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted to approve a new $15 toll to drive into Manhattan. The plan still faces challenges from six lawsuits before it can begin in June.

By Winnie Hu and Ana Ley

New York City completed a crucial final step on Wednesday in a decades-long effort to become the first American city to roll out a comprehensive congestion pricing program, one that aims to push motorists out of their cars and onto mass transit by charging new tolls to drive into Midtown and Lower Manhattan.

The program could start as early as mid-June after the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that will install and manage the program, voted 11-to-1 to approve the final tolling rates, which will charge most passenger cars $15 a day to enter at 60th Street and below in Manhattan. The program is expected to reduce traffic and raise $1 billion annually for public transit improvements.

It was a historic moment for New York’s leaders and transportation advocates after decades of failed attempts to advance congestion pricing even as other gridlocked cities around the world, including London, Stockholm and Singapore, proved that similar programs could reduce traffic and pollution.

While other American cities have introduced related concepts by establishing toll roads or closing streets to traffic, the plan in New York is unmatched in ambition and scale.

Congestion pricing is expected to reduce the number of vehicles that enter Lower Manhattan by about 17 percent, according to a November study by an advisory committee reporting to the M.T.A. The report also said that the total number of miles driven in 28 counties across the region would be reduced.

“This was the right thing to do,” Janno Lieber, the authority’s chairman and chief executive, said after the vote. “New York has more traffic than any place in the United States, and now we’re doing something about it.”

Congestion pricing has long been a hard sell in New York, where many people commute by car from the boroughs outside of Manhattan and the suburbs, in part because some of them do not have access to public transit.

New York State legislators finally approved congestion pricing in 2019 after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo helped push it through. A series of recent breakdowns in the city’s subway system had underscored the need for billions of dollars to update its aging infrastructure.

It has taken another five years to reach the starting line. Before the tolling program can begin, it must be reviewed by the Federal Highway Administration, which is expected to approve it.

Congestion pricing also faces legal challenges from six lawsuits that have been brought by elected officials and residents from across the New York region. Opponents have increasingly mobilized against the program in recent months, citing the cost of the tolls and the potential environmental effects from shifting traffic and pollution to other areas as drivers avoid the tolls.

A court hearing is scheduled for April 3 and 4 on a lawsuit brought by the State of New Jersey, which is seen as the most serious legal challenge. The mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., Mark J. Sokolich, has filed a related lawsuit.

Four more lawsuits have been brought in New York: by Ed Day, the Rockland County executive; by Vito Fossella, the Staten Island borough president, and the United Federation of Teachers; and by two separate groups of city residents.

Amid the litigation, M.T.A. officials have suspended some capital construction projects that were to be paid for by the program, and they said at a committee meeting on Monday that crucial work to modernize subway signals on the A and C lines had been delayed.

Nearly all the toll readers have been installed, and will automatically charge drivers for entering the designated congestion zone at 60th Street or below. There is no toll for leaving the zone or driving around in it. Through traffic on Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive and the West Side Highway will not be tolled.

Under the final tolling structure, which was based on recommendations by the advisory panel, most passenger vehicles will be charged $15 a day from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. The toll will be $24 for small trucks and charter buses, and will rise to $36 for large trucks and tour buses. It will be $7.50 for motorcycles.

Those tolls will be discounted by 75 percent at night, dropping the cost for a passenger vehicle to $3.75.

Fares will go up by $1.25 for taxis and black car services, and by $2.50 for Uber and Lyft. Passengers will be responsible for paying the new fees, and they will be added to every ride that begins, ends or occurs within the congestion zone. There will be no nighttime discounts. (The new fees come on top of an existing congestion surcharge that was imposed on for-hire vehicles in 2019.)

The tolls will mostly be collected using the E-ZPass system. Electronic detection points have been placed at entrances and exits to the tolling zone. Drivers who do not use an E-ZPass will pay significantly higher fees — for instance, $22.50 instead of $15 during peak hours for passenger vehicles.

Emergency vehicles like fire trucks, ambulances and police cars, as well as vehicles carrying people with disabilities, were exempted from the new tolls under the state’s congestion pricing legislation .

As for discounts, low-income drivers who make less than $50,000 annually can apply to receive half off the daytime toll after their first 10 trips in a calendar month. In addition, low-income residents of the congestion zone who make less than $60,000 a year can apply for a state tax credit.

All drivers entering the zone directly from four tolled tunnels — the Lincoln, Holland, Hugh L. Carey and Queens-Midtown — will receive a “crossing credit” that will be applied against the daytime toll. The credit will be $5 round-trip for passenger vehicles, $12 for small trucks and intercity and charter buses, $20 for large trucks and tour buses, and $2.50 for motorcycles. No credits will be offered at night.

Grace Ashford contributed reporting.

Winnie Hu is a Times reporter covering the people and neighborhoods of New York City. More about Winnie Hu

Ana Ley is a Times reporter covering New York City’s mass transit system and the millions of passengers who use it. More about Ana Ley

Explainer: Why did the Baltimore bridge collapse and what is the death toll?

What is the death toll so far, when did the baltimore bridge collapse, why did the bridge collapse, who will pay for the damage and how much will the bridge cost.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO REBUILD THE BRIDGE?

What ship hit the baltimore bridge, what do we know about the bridge that collapsed.

HOW WILL THE BRIDGE COLLAPSE IMPACT THE BALTIMORE PORT?

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Reporting by Lisa Shumaker; Writing by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Josie Kao and Tom Hogue

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Thomson Reuters

Lisa's journalism career spans two decades, and she currently serves as the Americas Day Editor for the Global News Desk. She played a pivotal role in tracking the COVID pandemic and leading initiatives in speed, headline writing and multimedia. She has worked closely with the finance and company news teams on major stories, such as the departures of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and significant developments at Apple, Alphabet, Facebook and Tesla. Her dedication and hard work have been recognized with the 2010 Desk Editor of the Year award and a Journalist of the Year nomination in 2020. Lisa is passionate about visual and long-form storytelling. She holds a degree in both psychology and journalism from Penn State University.

Niagara region declares state of emergency out of caution ahead of rare eclipse

Canada's Niagara region has proactively declared a state of emergency ahead of a rare total solar eclipse on April 8 that is expected to gather massive crowds to areas in and around the region's popular waterfalls.

Greek authorities have arrested a senior member of an international gang that smuggled Latin American fuel products for illegal sale around the world, raking in an estimated profit of more than $21 billion, police said on Saturday.