Traveling and getting paid while doing it is the dream for most people. Jobs that allow you to travel and still pay well may seem too good to be true, but they really do exist. And luckily, you can incorporate travel into a wide variety of jobs. It doesn’t matter what your skill-set and qualifications are—there are many interesting professions to consider when you love to travel.
The catch, of course, is that some of these jobs are hard to get. Some require a lot of work and you may even have to do it for free for a while before you start making money. But if you put your mind to it, it’s very possible to land a job where some (or a lot of!) travel is required.
10 For The Organized: Travel Agent
One of the most popular jobs for people who love to travel has traditionally been a travel agent. This is a person who acts on behalf of the customer and organizes their vacation for them. As a travel agent, you’ll book everything from flights to accommodation to yours and will make sure the trip goes smoothly for your client. You’ll also get to travel as you check out destinations around the world to report back to your customer and attend international conferences and conventions.
The only downside to being a travel agent is, with the rise of the internet, more travelers are now booking everything for themselves.
9 For The Wordsmiths: Travel Blogger
Love travel? Love writing? Then this is the perfect job for you! Travel writing or blogging will require you to escapade around the globe and then document your experiences either in the form of a book that will be published or on a blog or website. This is the ultimate dream for many people.
It’s not impossible to work as a full-time travel blogger and many people do make a living this way. But it is a tough one to get going! In order to make money from any kind of blogging, you need to have a sizeable audience and lots of traffic on your site. That can take years to build up.
8 For The Patient: ESL Teacher
If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a teacher, you could always apply to teach English as a second language overseas. This is one of the more rewarding jobs that will allow you to travel as you’ll see yourself making a huge difference in the lives of your students.
Certain countries have more demand for English teachers than others, so the destinations you visit may be limited. It can also be quite frustrating to teach a language to students who haven’t spoken it before, so this job definitely requires lots of patience.
7 For The Talkative: Tour Guide
What could be better than being a tour guide? You’ll get to spend your days taking visitors to points of interest and landmarks and get to talk about fascinating subjects all day, including history. This is a great idea for anybody who loves talking, is a people-person, and has an enthusiastic demeanor.
In some popular tourist destinations where English is not widely spoken, it might be easier to get a job as a tour guide and work primarily with English-speaking tourists. You may also have to learn a bit of the local tongue to communicate with others who join your tour.
6 For The Disciplined: Flight Attendant
A flight attendant needs no introduction. We’ve all seen how this job works: you basically tend to passengers on a plane by serving them meals, showing them safety procedures, and generally seeing what you can do to meet your needs.
The thing to realize about being a flight attendant is that although you’ll literally be traveling for work, it won’t always be the kind of travel you want. Sometimes when you get to your destination, you’ll have to turn around and work on the flight back straight away. When you do get to stay at your destination, it’s only usually for a couple of days.
5 For Those Who Don't Get Seasick: Cruise Ship Worker
This would be the cruise ship’s answer to the flight attendant, only the role is a lot more varied. Work on a cruise ship can look like anything. You might work in hospitality in the restaurants on the ship. You might be cleaning cabins. You might be singing in the ship’s bar. You might even be working as a nanny! The possibilities for cruise ship work are endless.
Sometimes, cruise ship workers are put on contracts where they work consistently for a few months and then have a long period off work. This sounds like a dream role, but you wouldn’t want it if you’re prone to getting seasick!
4 For Those Who Love Kids: Au Pair Or Nanny
Working as a nanny is even better when you’re doing it in a foreign country. If you love children, you can get work as an au pair or nanny in a country where they’re looking for an English-speaker. In some foreign countries, they specifically look for English-speaking nannies as they want their children to pick up the language.
Typically, as an au pair you would live with the family you’re staying with. You would get free room and board and possibly a small salary. The only downside is that most of your time will be spent working with the family.
3 For The Foodies: Chef Of Foreign Cuisine
If you’re a foodie, then this probably seems like the best job in the world. Being a chef won’t always require you to travel, but it can do if you’re specializing in foreign cuisine. Lots of chefs travel overseas to master the skills required to perfect authentic dishes.
The good thing about work in the culinary industry is that jobs are available all over the world. The work may be tough and competitive, but if you set your mind to it, you’re not limited to a specific location.
2 For The Professional And Hardworking: Hotel Chain Work
This is an obvious one! Working in a hotel, or part of a hotel chain that has hotels all around the world will likely involve some travel. If you fall in love with a destination and you have the qualifications, you could always apply for work in a hotel in that city. And when you work in a hotel chain, there may be lots of opportunities for movement throughout the company which will allow you to travel.
Like a cruise ship, a hotel offers various types of jobs. You never know what type of person they might be looking for!
1 For The Talented: Photographer
It’s not easy to make it as a photographer, but if you have the talent and the drive, you can get there. And you can definitely incorporate as much travel as you like into this job. There’s obviously travel photography, but you might also find gigs photographing weddings abroad or even foreign food tours. The possibilities are endless!
This is another kind of career that can take a while to get going. You’ll need to get your name out there and develop enough demand for your work to be able to support yourself full-time.