Learn what it takes to become a professional nanny or au-pair for rich families living overseas, while making up to $100,000 a year. Where to find jobs, qualifications needed, and more.

Looking to change up your job this year? Maybe find one that lets you travel more? Do you enjoy working with children?

What if you could do all of the above, while making great money in the process. Welcome to the world of VIP Nannies & Au-Pairs.

In this guide I’ll explain the best way of finding and getting hired for VIP tutor, au-pair, or nanny jobs, and – in the process – why you might (or might not) want to work in this industry.

Nanny Job Guide For 2022

Childcare For Rich People: VIP Au-Pair

If you’re not yet convinced that this whole thing is doable, get on Google and do a quick search for ‘VIP nanny agency’, or check out the salaries for nanny, governess and tutor jobs.

You’ll see that salaries of £1000 or $1400 per week are fairly commonplace for full-time positions.

But if you want to reach the coveted 6-figure bracket of English teaching, tutoring and nannying jobs, you’ll need to do a little extra research into particular locations, and understand what exactly the work entails.

Nanny, Au Pair, Governess, Tutor

All of these terms are describing a similar role. Getting paid to take care of other people’s kids while also living (and traveling) with the family. These jobs are for both women & men.

The highest paying jobs are usually private, overseas positions tutoring or nannying kids for an UHNW (Ultra High Net Worth) family. It’s a pretty simple concept.

Wealthy families understand that English is a valuable language for their children to learn.

They know their children will have better opportunities to study or work abroad, or simply be more comfortable traveling if they speak English well.

For families that don’t have English as their first language but DO have the financial resources to pay for top-notch education, hiring a private tutor or nanny from the United States, Canada, or United Kingdom is often the answer.

A native-level English nanny or tutor working with their kids on a 40-50 hour per week basis can give these VIP children the kind of immersive experience that gets them fluent fast, and ultimately they are brought up speaking English with a clean accent, like a native.

For many wealthy families overseas, this is quite a prestigious matter.

The Life Of A Professional Nanny

The day-to-day experience for a nanny will include getting the charge (or charges) up in the morning, washed, dressed, fed breakfast and off to kindergarten or nursery, then probably a break.

In the afternoon perhaps walks, games, small trips and then the evening routine of getting the child ready for bed.

A tutor (or ‘governor’) might focus more on after-school sports, games, homework support and reading, whilst speaking English all the while. And, of course, tagging along on all the family’s vacations.

The pros of this type of work include the obvious great salaries (full-time work usually starts at a minimum of £1000 or $1400 per week), worldwide travel to luxury resorts (the Maldives, South of France and Dubai are popular choices for these types of wealthy families) and even occasional bonuses. Sounds pretty good, right?

Where Do Wealthy Families Live?

This is actually a pretty easy one to answer. The highest paying locations for tutors and nannies working for VIP international families are usually:

• Russia (mostly Moscow and St Petersburg)
• The UAE (tends to be Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
• The South of France (Monaco and surrounding areas).

Naturally, this list isn’t exhaustive. Whilst the areas listed above are the most common, more niche locations will include places like London or New York (international families that have moved there but haven’t achieved native-level English yet), Paris, Lagos, and plenty more.

Most large international cities will have some sort of market for VIP nannying or tutoring, it’s just a question of looking in the right place.

The bottom line is; almost all of these types of positions involve travel and relocation. If you want a job like this make sure you really are ready to commit to an overseas contract and prepare yourself accordingly.

OK, so you love travel and adventure and you’re cool with working with kids. What’s the next step?

Qualifications & Relevant Experience

It’s important to be realistic here – it’s very unlikely that you’ll find a wealthy VIP employer ready to pay you $100,000 per year to work with their family if you have zero experience or qualifications.

Time to go and get some! The qualifications to obtain will vary for a nanny or a tutor. A nanny applicant would ideally have a degree in Early Years, Childhood Education or similar to get to a top-level salary.

However it is possible to do shorter nannying courses and certifications. A CACHE certificate would be a good start for nannies based in the UK, but there are a huge variety of options – get on Google to find nanny courses near you.

You would also ideally have some sort of background check done (many agencies will ask for this) and First Aid certification would be helpful too.

For tutors, a couple of years’ tutoring English to your target age group, as well as a TEFL, TOEFL or CELTA certificate is generally enough. You can do these courses either in a school or online. A degree in education, languages or childhood education would be even better.

Full teaching qualifications would allow you to max out your salary potential.

You’ll also need to show at least a couple of years of work experience. The longer-term the better; a year or more in one stable position demonstrates to families or employers that you are reliable and committed and suitable for their family.

Families don’t want a nanny or tutor who leaves after a month or two, unless they are specializing in summer placements.

You’ll need references from previous employers (not necessarily VIP), so check that you have someone ready to speak to the agency or to a potential new boss.

As a general rule of thumb, the better your qualifications and experience, the better chance you have of finding a VIP nanny or tutor position.

Craft An Exceptional Resume/CV

The first thing to put on your CV is your qualifications and experience (as above). Family employers will also usually like a photo to ‘visualize’ how you might fit into their lives, so smile in your CV photo and wear something smart and sensible, clean and professional.

Your CV needs to include some personal information about you (but keep it professional, this isn’t the place for sentimental childhood memories) and information on any extra-curricular skills you possess.

The nannies and tutors getting paid the highest salaries usually have musical or sporting ability, or the ability to speak a second or third language on top of English. Anything you can think of here (piano, yoga, chess, Spanish) that you could theoretically teach to a child is a bonus.

When it’s all been put together, your CV should be a maximum of 2 pages (no longer, cut out information that isn’t relevant). Write a cover letter email introducing yourself, add some photos of you working with (or just spending time with) children, attach your CV, copies of your qualification certificates and your references and your application ‘package’ is good to go.

Where To Find Great Nanny Jobs

Now that you’ve got your application package prepped you need to start shopping for suitable positions.

One of the best places to get started is, as per usual, the internet. Both job sites and agencies can be your friends here. Job sites like Jobs in Childcare have a variety of positions from VIP agencies.

Alternatively, get on Google and use search terms like ‘VIP nanny jobs’ or ‘VIP tutoring’ to access individual agencies. Your best bet is to upload your CV and documents to job sites or to email them as a package to individual agencies.

Have a browse around the job sites and agencies themselves, scoping out what kind of terms are on offer. Look at schedules, responsibilities and pay careful attention to the charge’s ages and the working requirements, and see if you can find any positions that particularly peak your interest.

What Are The Downsides?

We talked about the ‘pros’ above’; this is probably a good moment to mention the dreaded ‘cons’. Working with a family can go either way. You might have a fantastic employer, or a terrible one.

Make sure that:

a) You are comfortable and confident that this is a real job (99% chance it will be, but just in case). Speak to real humans during the process, and do as much background research into the agency/ position as you can.

b) You are ready for what might be a different culture, homesickness, the possibility that people don’t speak good English where you are headed.

c) You are aware of the possibility that the children you nanny or tutor may be badly behaved, badly brought up or just generally unpleasant.

Whilst these are possibilities that you need to be aware of, that’s not to say that working for a family is a bad idea. On the contrary, a good employer with well-brought up children can bring a blissful working life that pays you a fantastic salary, and I personally know lots of people in this situation.

It’s important to be aware of potential pitfalls, to approach this kind of work with an open mind and to be ready to backtrack if the position isn’t quite what you expected. If your interview goes well, try and lock in a fixed trial to give you time to understand if the position is right for you.

The Interview Process

A professional interview is the next step if the agency or employer likes your profile. Your job interview will either be in person (if local) or (much more likely post-COVID) on Skype, Zoom or a similar video-conferencing platform.

Make sure you are on time! It is massively unprofessional to be late for your interview, so don’t make this basic mistake.

You also need to be well dressed and suitably prepared. Make sure your WiFi connection is good and make sure nobody will interrupt you, either on the phone or in person. Have sensible lighting and keep a pen and paper nearby to make notes.

If your interview is for a specific position (rather than a general ‘welcome to our agency’ interview), think of questions you might want to ask to demonstrate a little genuine interest in the role).Oh, and remember to smile!

Nanny Trial Period

So if you have put together a good CV and interviewed successfully, then it’s time for the final step – a trial period.

If you are local then you will typically make your own way there. If it’s a long way (or overseas) a good employer will generally arrange this and pay for it for you, along with any visas you need.

Trial periods should always be paid; discuss this with the agency you work with.Key tips for your trial would include:

a) Do not be late under any circumstances! Better to be there 15 minutes early and take a book.

b) Be prepared – take suitable books and games for your charge or student’s level, as well as outdoor clothes for yourself in case you find yourself outside

c) Dress appropriately, be clean, don’t wear too much perfume or aftershave, and – again – smile!

At the end of your first day, ask your employer for feedback if you get the opportunity. Remember that the trial is as much for you to see if you are comfortable as it is for the employer. So if you don’t like the position, don’t sign up for it – there will be others!

And if you are offered a job, make sure that the agency you work with provides you with a contract and that the terms are clear and concise, particularly with regards to salary, schedule, working hours and holiday conditions.

Good luck!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Travel Jobs

The best travel jobs allow you to earn income while exploring the world. Here are real-life examples of people living the dream – making money traveling abroad. Learn how to land one of these awesome careers!

COVID UPDATE: The worldwide pandemic has been devastating to many people, however it’s also proven that remote work is growing faster than ever. Many of the jobs in this list are remote-work friendly!

Do you wish you could travel more? If you love traveling as much as I do, but can’t afford to completely quit working, you’re in luck.

There are actually many different travel job opportunities to make money traveling the world.

Whether it’s seeking opportunities to trade work for accommodation, landing a location independent job that gives you the freedom to travel abroad, working as a digital nomad, or other long-term traveling careers — you have options.

There are even travel jobs out there for people without a college degree.

The reason I’ve been able to travel the world for the past 10-years is that I’ve slowly turned my travel blog into a very successful business that earns 6-figures a year.

However that’s certainly not the only path to freedom and long-term travel.

How To Work & Travel The World

First a little disclaimer. If all travel-friendly jobs were easy to get, everyone would have one! Many of these professions require passion, specialized training, time commitment, and talent. For those that don’t, the pay isn’t always great.

There is no magic way to instantly earn lots of money traveling.

The truth about becoming a location independent nomad is that it takes years of hard work and sacrifice behind the scenes — something too many people conveniently ignore.

That said, it’s not impossible to work and travel either. The people I interviewed for this article below have invested their time to learn how to make these jobs work for them — which means you can do the same if you make it a priority.

We all have the same 24 hours, how will you spend yours?

Expat, Digital Nomad, or Backpacker?

Not all “travel” jobs are created equally. The wanderlust opportunities listed here fall under one of the following categories — expat jobs, digital nomad jobs, travel industry careers, or what I’ll call backpacking jobs. What’s the difference you ask?

Expat Traveling Jobs

Expat stands for “expatriate”. Meaning while you are a citizen of one country, you choose to live/work in a foreign country. Expat jobs are only related to travel in that you’re not living in your own country. You may live in a country for months or years at a time (possibly on a remote work visa), and not fully nomadic.

Examples: English teacher, nanny, foreign service, etc.

Digital Nomads

A Digital Nomad works from their computer. This makes them location independent. As long as they have access to the internet, they can earn a living. Blogging falls under this category, so it also describes my lifestyle. Digital nomads are free to travel at will, working from coffee shops, hotels, or co-working spaces. Or they can work from home too.

Examples: Online business, freelance writing, social media, etc.

Backpacker Jobs

Backpackers and vagabonds do work that I’ll call “alternative” travel jobs. The type of work that may not require a computer or a college degree, but has a more hands-on approach. Think musicians, artists, or manual labor. Pay could be under the table.

Examples: Street vendor, musician, farm work, etc.

Travel Industry Careers

Finally, I’ll include a few popular travel industry career options too. These are more “traditional” business travel jobs in the hospitality and tourism industry. Positions like travel agents, local tourism boards, and travel marketing.

Examples: Travel agent, tour guide, tourism marketing, etc.

Not Ready To Travel Yet?

Make sure to read my other article sharing different creative side-hustle ideas to make extra money from home.

How To Make Extra Money

Best Travel Jobs In 2023

The following travel jobs encompass one or more of the categories mentioned above.

If you crave the safety of permanent work, but you also want to live in a different country, then working abroad in a regular full-time type position might be best.

Keep in mind not all of these jobs are suitable for everyone. If you have a university degree, you might not be as willing to pick berries on a farm as someone else might be. Or maybe you are! I won’t judge.

We all have different backgrounds, skills, and comfort levels.

1. Travel Blogging

People who travel a lot while making money blogging can seem like a dream job. But like most things in life, it’s hardly simple. Earning a living with a travel blog is hard work — and can take a few years.

However, a travel blog isn’t the only option. Other examples include food bloggers, mommy bloggers, fashion bloggers, and lifestyle bloggers. Income generally comes from advertising, affiliate marketing, selling products, and influencer projects. But first, you need to build an audience!

WORKING EXAMPLE

Me! Check out my free guide on how to become a travel blogger.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$500 – $20,000+ per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• How To Start A Travel Blog
• Making Money With Your Travel Blog

Start A Travel Blog Today

Blogging started as a hobby, but is now my full-time job. Ready to start a blog and make money traveling?

Click Here For Free Guide

2. Teach English Abroad

Do you know how to speak English? Perfect! English teachers are highly sought after around the world — and the pay can be decent. You can get jobs teaching overseas, or even teaching classes online from your computer.

For the online jobs (basically teaching through Skype) a college degree is required, and for the foreign-based jobs, a TEFL certification (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) is also required (these jobs include accommodation too).

WORKING EXAMPLE

My buddy Drew Binsky first made money traveling and teaching English in Korea.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$2000 – $3000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Professional TEFL Language Course

3. Teach English Online

In addition to traveling overseas to teach English at a foreign school, there’s also a demand for online English teachers to tutor kids via video chat, like Skype. A bunch of online English teaching services have popped up over the last few years, mainly based in China.

To apply for a position, you generally need a college degree, be a citizen of the United States or Canada, and speak fluent English. A TEFL certification helps too. Classes are about 30 minutes long.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $3000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• VIP Kid Online English Classes

4. Yacht Sailing Jobs

Can you imagine sailing around the world working on some rich guy’s private sailing yacht? This is an awesome job that requires travel! It’s a fun way to see some exotic locations. Your food and accommodation are covered too, which is great for saving money.

It’s ok if you’ve never worked on a yacht before because the job of deckhand or steward(ess) are entry-level positions that pay really well. All you need to do is take a short course beforehand and spend time in a beautiful yachting destination while looking for work.

EXAMPLE

My friend Katie made money traveling & working on private yachts for almost a decade.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$2000 – $3000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• The Yacht Guru’s Bible

5. Freelance Travel Photographer

Becoming a professional travel or adventure photographer selling your images from around the world is a dream job, but takes a lot of work too. You can upload photos in bulk to micro-stock sites or sell images to clients directly for use in magazines, books, brand campaigns, or websites.

Running guided photography tours or selling online photography tutorials are additional ways to make money as a traveling photographer. If you build up your social media audience over time, you can start to get hired for paid “influencer” projects too.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Brendan earns money selling stock images from his travels.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $10,000 per month

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY RESOURCES

• 10 Best Online Photography Courses
• How To Become A Professional Photographer

6. Bartending Jobs Abroad

Bars, nightclubs and restaurants are located worldwide and the job description is pretty much the same everywhere. It helps to speak the language, so you may need to invest in a few weeks of language classes.

Touristy places will be easier to find work in this industry and there’s no minimum or maximum time requirement. Plus the more experience you gain as a bartender, the more job opportunities will open up, with a potential for higher income.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My buddy Jeremy traveled and worked as a bartender in Australia.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $3000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Bartending For Dummies
• How To Get A Bartending Job Overseas

7. Remote Work & Telecommuting

More and more businesses are discovering the benefits of hiring remote workers — allowing employees to work from home or anywhere with a wifi connection. Working online or telecommuting is becoming an option for professionals in a variety of industries.

So you may not even need to learn new skills, depending on what your current profession is. But how do you find the companies that pay you to travel or who are hiring remote workers? There are some good remote work job boards that post these types of positions. Jobs like data collection, research, sales, administrative assistants, and more.

JOB INCOME RANGE

Varies Greatly

USEFUL RESOURCES

• FlexJobs Remote Work Job Board

8. Become A Local Tour Guide

You could consider working as a local tour guide or assistant for an international tour company, either at a single popular location or for multi-destination tours. Another option is to become a travel entrepreneur and create your very own custom tours!

Maybe it’s the best unmarked surf spots, an awesome local hiking trip, or showing people the coolest bars and restaurants in town. Becoming a tour guide is a great way to earn money in the travel industry while sharing your love of traveling.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Lauren started a successful food tour business in Spain.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $10,000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Work Abroad Leading Adventure Tours

9. Online Translation Jobs

Obviously, you need to know a second language to be a freelance language translator. But if that’s you, there are all kinds of companies out there who need translations done for websites, product manuals, books, and more.

If you’re just starting out, you could even translate restaurant menus, help run bilingual tours for tourists who speak your language or translate websites and blog posts. The more fluent you are, the more money you can make.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Alexandra works as a freelance language translator from English to Spanish.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$25 – $70 per hour

USEFUL RESOURCES

• How To Succeed As A Freelance Translator

10. Work At Backpacker Hostels

Backpacker hostels frequently hire travelers to fill positions on a short-term basis in exchange for free room and board. There are many different types of jobs, from working at the front desk to housekeeping or bartending.

If you plan to stay long-term, some hostels offer paid positions too. Actually, I once got paid to work at a backpacker hostel in Hawaii many years ago. It included a small salary and a free apartment to live in.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My buddy Dave worked the front desk at a backpacker hostel in Singapore.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$7 – $10 an hour, possibly with accommodation included

USEFUL RESOURCES

• How To Find Hostel Jobs

11. Traveling Yoga Instructor

Another job that allows you to travel the world while making money is working as a freelance yoga instructor. You can teach classes on pilates, yoga, zumba, dance, or provide services as a personal trainer if you have enough experience.

Some yoga instructors make deals with local gyms, backpacker hostels, or fancy all-inclusive resorts in order to use their facilities with clients during trips. You can also be hired as an in-house yoga instructor to lead classes for guests. It’s a cool career for travelers!

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friends Brandon & Anne make money teaching yoga while traveling.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$30 – $100 per hour

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Teaching Yoga: Essential Foundations & Techniques

12. Freelance Travel Writer

Writing about travel seems to be a dream job for many, however, it’s not something most people can just jump into. First, you have to be great with words. Next, you need to learn about networking, pitching to editors, and all the other business stuff involved.

Once you have those down, then it’s possible to write for magazines, newspapers, websites, or travel guidebooks and travel the world. Freelance copywriting and other types of writing are also options.

USEFUL EXAMPLE

My friend Jodi earns income on the road as a travel & food writer.

INCOME RANGE

$0.10 – $1.00 per word

USEFUL RESOURCES

• How To Become A Travel Writer
• Essential Guide To Freelance Writing

13. Freelance Massage Therapist

Massage therapy is in demand worldwide as an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain and muscle tension. Trained therapists can offer their skills to weary travelers or expatriates near popular tourist destinations.

Work for a larger company or strike out on your own as an entrepreneur. Find clients by teaming up with hotels and giving them a cut for referring customers. Print flyers to hang up around gyms, coffee shops, etc.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Kach made money traveling working as a massage therapist.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$50 – $200 per day

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Business Of Massage Therapy: Building A Successful Career

14. Website & Graphic Design

One of the most common travel careers for digital nomads is graphics or website design. All you need is your computer, an eye for design, and knowledge of certain software programs and online platforms. Things like Photoshop, Dreamweaver, WordPress, Illustrator, etc.

Talent for writing code helps too — specifically HTML, PHP, and CSS. School is great, but it’s also possible to learn on your own with tutorials. Building websites for others can lead to new clients, no matter where you are in the world.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My buddy Adam makes money traveling while designing websites.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $4,000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Running A Web Design Business From Home

15. Work On A Cruise Ship

Traveling the world while working on large cruise ships is an awesome way to see some pretty exotic places. Food, accommodation, transportation, and insurance are covered too — so it’s a great way to save money.

Many jobs also provide plenty of vacation time to travel on your own. There are different types of positions and careers available like tour manager, ship entertainment, engineer, housekeeping, cooks, and more.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Earl made money while working on cruise ships for a few years, and saving money to travel.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $4000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• How To Work On A Cruise Ship

16. Trading Stocks or Crypto

Like many of the jobs in this list, you can’t just jump into day trading on the stock market without any prior experience and expect to become rich. However, I’ve met quite a few people who make money traveling and day trading stocks and/or cryptocurrency.

The reality is it usually takes a few years (and losing some money) before this line of work starts to pay off. A background in finance and spare cash to invest helps too. Just be wary, there are a lot of day trading scams out there too. Do your research and learn from someone who knows what they’re doing.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My buddy Marcello makes money day trading stocks while traveling.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$100 – $5,000 per day

USEFUL RESOURCES

• How To Day Trade For A Living
• Advanced Cryptocurrency Trading

17. Traveling Street Vendor

Jewelry is the most popular item to sell as a street vendor, but it could also be art, clothing, leather goods… anything where you can source materials locally in bulk to make a product yourself.

Setting up as a vendor requires supplies, possibly meaning a long time in one location, but if you’re going to spend a season in one place it can be worth it. Popular locations with lots of tourist traffic work best.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Sorina sells leather accessories while traveling around Europe.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$20 – $200 per day

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Bohemian Inspired Jewelry Ideas

18. Traveling Festival Work

You don’t have to be a big name performer to work at festivals or events around the world. There are side-stage acts, installations, event staff, and food vendors too. Festivals always bring on lots of staff before, during and after the events.

You can time southern hemisphere Australian and New Zealand festivals between Canadian, American and European summer circuits.

JOB INCOME RANGE

Free tickets – $12 per hour

USEFUL RESOURCES

• How To Get A Job At A Music Festival

19. Scuba Diving Instructor

Scuba diving is a sport that is enjoyed all around the world. From Fiji to Iceland! The scuba diving community travels frequently, hunting for the best dive sites. And scuba divers have money to spend.

The training required to become a dive master can take a few weeks in beautiful places like Utila, Honduras or Koh Tao, Thailand while you get your certifications. Or, with more training become a Scuba Instructor, teaching people to become certified PADI divers.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friends Antonio & Amanda make money as scuba diving instructors.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $4000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• True Stories From A Diving Instructor

20. Au Pair Traveling Jobs

An au pair is a professional live-in babysitter or nanny hired by a family to help their kids learn a new language and do some household chores in exchange for room, board, and a weekly income.

The job allows you to live in a foreign country, learn a new language, and experience the culture first-hand while making some money. Some countries pay more than others (the Middle East especially).

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Ashley made money working as an au pair in France.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$500 – $4000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• How To Become A Nanny (For Rich People)
• Au Pair Guide: A Helpful Handbook

21. Work As A Flight Attendant

The life of a flight attendant may seem glamorous. Constantly jetting around the world, partying it up in different cities, experiencing different cultures, 90% off airline tickets, hotel discounts, cheap rent, and employment in the clouds.

The career training is tough, the hours are long, and all the moving around can get kinda lonely. However, for those with a case of wanderlust, it can help you travel the world for a while too.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Mia makes money traveling the world as a flight attendant.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $4000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Cruising Attitude

22. Foreign Service Travel Jobs

Working for the foreign service (aka diplomats) or an intergovernmental organization (IGO) is one position that allows you to experience life in a different part of the world.

Most of these international government jobs are only open to people with university degrees and knowledge of foreign languages. Applications and tests for these types of positions can be found online.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My wife Anna once worked abroad for the Polish embassy in London.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$500 – $10,000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• So You Want My Job: Foreign Service Officer

23. Travel Agent

Travel agents sell vacations to regular people who don’t want to deal with the logistics of planning their own trip. They often organize transportation, lodging, and activities, along with first-hand advice on destinations. You can either work for a large travel agency or work for yourself once you have experience.

Travel agents are expected to know the destinations they are “selling” which means spending lots of time traveling! Often, travel agents get to travel for free on what’s called FAM (familiarization) trips, so they can share their own travel experiences with clients.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$3000 – $6000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Selling Fun: Working As A Travel Agent

24. Drop Shipping / Private Labeling

It has a few names and variations, but buying or manufacturing products overseas and selling through Amazon under your own brand is an increasingly common way to make money while traveling.

Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) means you don’t need an actual storefront location because inventory is stocked at Amazon’s network of fulfillment centers around the world.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Aileen makes money traveling & selling her own stuff on Amazon.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $30,000 per month

AMAZON RESOURCES

• Amazon Selling Blueprint

25. Musician / Street Performer

Also known as busking, use your best talents to make some money from tourists. Create an act, grab an instrument, pick a spot with lots of foot traffic, and drop a hat. Many cities require a permit for busking, so make sure to do your research first.

Do you have any special talents? Acrobatics, painting, fortune telling, music, break dancing, henna art, it could be anything. You can turn your hobby into a job that allows you to travel.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Nadia earns money playing street music while she travels.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$10 – $100 per hour

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Busking For Beginners
• Busking And Street Performing To Fund Your Travels

26. List Your Place On Airbnb

I’m sure you’ve heard of AirBnB by now, the holiday apartment booking site that lets you stay in other people’s homes rather than hotels.

Well, some enterprising individuals are renting out their flats while they travel, making a decent income. The key is automating the process so you don’t have to be there in person. This allows you to freedom to see the world!

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Alyssa makes money renting her apartment on AirBnB.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $7000+ per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Get Paid For Your Pad

27. Seasonal Travel Jobs

I’ve met many travelers around the world who work seasonally, spending part of the year earning money and then traveling for months in the off-season. The number of jobs in this category are countless.

Construction, school teachers, commercial fishing, oil workers, electricians, ski resort staff, etc. These jobs depend on what skills you currently possess or are willing to learn.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My buddy Brian has worked construction jobs while traveling.

JOB INCOME RANGE

Varies widely

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Oil Rig Jobs Reloaded

28. Internet Poker

It almost sounds too good to be true. Playing poker for a living, online or at real tables, from anywhere in the world. But like anything else, it requires lots of hard work to make that lifestyle sustainable.

You need to be good with numbers, possess the strong willpower to play for hours, keep your emotions in check, and be able to stay focused on repetitive tasks. There are whole communities of players who sometimes travel together this way.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My buddy Konrad makes money playing online poker for a living.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $30,000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Phil Ivey Teaches Poker Strategy
• Strategies For Beating Small Stakes Poker Games

29. Peace Corps / NGO Work

Want the experience of a lifetime helping others less fortunate than yourself? Try volunteering with the Peace Corps or a Non-Governmental Organization. Just keep in mind that volunteer work is a full-time job.

While it makes your life rich with experiences, the money isn’t great. You’ll build confidence to handle any challenge — because the work itself is challenging.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Danielle worked as Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$314 per month plus food & accommodation

USEFUL RESOURCES

• I Quit My Job and Joined The Peace Corps

30. Freelance Travel Marketing

Again, not something you can just learn in a week. There is a reason people go to school and get a degree in marketing. However, if you have a business/marketing background, there is no reason why you can’t freelance this type of work from a hammock in Bali.

In fact, it’s becoming much more common — I’ve met plenty of people helping authors or brands get their name out to a wider audience while traveling. Or, you can work in travel marketing itself — for national tourism boards or large travel brands like hotels, magazines, tour companies, etc.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friends Pete & Dalene run a travel marketing company.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $10,000+ per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• The New Rules Of Marketing & PR

31. Videography / Vlogging / YouTube

Getting paid to travel making videos is another dream job, and some people make a very good living with it. There are a few different paths too — shooting and selling stock footage, becoming a popular YouTuber, or producing highly polished marketing films for tourism boards & travel brands.

A strong knowledge of video, editing, networking, and marketing is highly recommended for this type of work. And of course, this is a job that doesn’t absolutely require travel, but it certainly helps for creating amazing content.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Nadine earns income traveling as a professional YouTuber.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$1000 – $20,000+ per month

YOUTUBER RESOURCES

• How To Create Kick-Ass Travel Videos

32. Traveling Nurse Positions

To become a travel nurse, you must first get a degree as a registered nurse (RN) which takes 2-4 years. Once you have that, it’s possible to apply for temporary travel nursing jobs which can last up to 13 weeks.

Depending on the assignment, sometimes these jobs include tax-free income, free housing, medical coverage, rental cars, and more. There are travel nursing staff agencies that specialize in helping you locate a job overseas too.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Rachel worked as a travel nurse for a while.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$30 – $40 per hour

USEFUL RESOURCES

• How To Be A Successful Travel Nurse

33. Nomadic Computer Programmer

If you already have the skills & training needed as a computer programmer, then transitioning your cubicle office job into a freelance position that allows you to work remotely would give you the freedom to travel.

There are special freelance programming websites where you can bid on jobs, or you can try to launch a company to build your own products like iPhone apps or custom web applications.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friends Simon & Erin develop smartphone apps as they travel.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$3000 – $10,000 per month

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Software Engineer Career Guide
• Introduction To Web Development

34. Online Virtual Assistant

With advancements in office technology and a desire to reduce employee costs, businesses are increasingly looking to hire virtual assistants who can work from home (or anywhere). There is little that personal assistants can’t do remotely these days.

Social media scheduling, responding to customer inquiries, calendar management, and all sorts of other tasks can be taken care of by a competent virtual assistant. It’s a job that often allows you to work from anywhere in the world!

WORKING EXAMPLE

My own assistant, Jess, travels & works as a virtual assistant.

JOB INCOME RANGE

$15 – $35 per hour

VIRTUAL ASSISTANT RESOURCES

• 30 Days To Becoming A Virtual Assistant

35. Professional Consultant

Are you an expert in your field? Working as a professional consultant for companies may give you the ticket to location independence. Consultants work on short-term projects, helping businesses grow by training staff how to do something better.

For example, instructing a business on how to use social media effectively, or how to become more environmentally friendly. Generally, they are paid to share their specialized expertise.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Dave travels and works as a consultant for oil companies.

JOB INCOME RANGE

Varies widely.

CONSULTING RESOURCES

• Never Chase Clients Again: The Art Of Consulting

36. Working Holiday Visas

A working holiday visa is a special residence permit allowing younger travelers to legally work in foreign countries and supplement their travel funds. They are generally intended for people between the ages of 18 to 30, and requirements differ based on the country.

Some popular destinations for working holidays include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France, Ireland, and Singapore. Many GAP year students will get a working holiday visa to travel for a while before returning home and looking for a more permanent job.

WORKING EXAMPLE

My friend Marta has lived in 3 different countries on working holiday visas.

JOB INCOME RANGE

Depends on the type of job.

WORKING HOLIDAY RESOURCES

• Countries That Offer Working Holiday Visas

Ready To Start Working While Traveling?

The truth is there are many ways to work while traveling the world, but many remote positions require some prior skills, a solid time commitment, or previous experience.

If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

Dream jobs often take years to materialize and include unimaginable effort & sacrifice that the average person just can’t understand until they experience that same journey for themselves.

While I make a good living with my travel blog — it didn’t happen overnight. It’s the same for most of these other jealousy-inducing jobs.

But I hope this article has demonstrated that there are plenty of people out there working hard and “living the dream” who manage to make money while traveling. It’s not impossible!

So get out there and start making your own travel dreams come true. ★

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READ MORE ON NOMADIC LIVING

I hope you enjoyed my guide to making money while traveling! Hopefully you found it useful. Here are a few more wanderlust-inducing articles that I recommend you read next:

• My Ultimate Travel Gear Guide
• How To Take Better Travel Photos
• 15 Common Travel Scams To Avoid
• This Is How I Get Paid To Travel
• How To Become A Digital Nomad

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Have any questions about travel jobs or earning money on the road? Anything I missed? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.