15 Jobs That Pay You to Travel
Most of us love to travel and experience new places.
In fact, according to a study done by MMGY Global, Millennials are traveling more and more each year.
But what if you can get paid to travel?
Yes, there are jobs that actually pay you to travel!
These can be jobs that you can have temporarily just to have the experience or lucrative careers.
So if you’re asking what jobs pay you for traveling?
Well, here is a list of 15 jobs that pay you to travel…
Commercial Pilot
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Commercial Pilots get to travel by flying people all around the world.
Airlines will pay you to travel!
You will get some free time to explore your destination before taking your next flight. The amount of time depends on the destination and next flight schedule.
Minimum Requirements
This is one of the few jobs on the list where it makes sense doing this for the long-term because to become a pilot is a quite extensive process.
You have to be at least 18 years old, possess your private pilot license, pass the FAA exam and have at least 250 flight hours.
Pay
According to a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016, U.S commercial pilots earn a median salary of $105,720 per year.
You can learn more about becoming a Pilot here.
Flight Attendant
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Maybe you want to travel the world on a plane but becoming a pilot is just a bit too much.
Then becoming a flight attendant can be a great career or a temporary job for you.
Flight attendants provide customer service to the passengers and ensure their safety and comfort during the flight.
Minimum Requirements
Must have at least a high school diploma or GED, be at least 18 years old (21 years old for some airlines), at least 20/40 vision, and other height and appearance requirements.
Pay
According to a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016, U.S Flight Attendants earn a median salary of $48,500 per year.
Learn more about becoming a flight attendant here.
Cruise Ship Captain
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Onto the sea.
Being a cruise ship captain is a great career to have and cruise companies will pay you to travel the world. If you love being on the water and love to travel, this may be the job for you.
Minimum Requirements
Degree from a maritime college, gain experience as a deckhand/deck officer, earn TWIC and MMC certifications and get licensed.
Pay
According to a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016, U.S captains earn a median salary of $72,680 per year.
Learn more about becoming a Cruise Ship Captain here.
Ship Crew
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Maybe being a captain is not right for you but you still want to work on a cruise ship.
Luckily there are many other positions on a cruise ship such as bartenders, engineering crew, service staff, sales staff, etc…
Minimum Requirements
Since there are many different positions on a ship crew the requirements differ for every role. Visit here for open jobs and their requirements
Pay
Pay also differs depending on the job. For example, a bartender makes a median salary of $20,800 per year and a mechanical engineer makes a median salary of $54,480 per year, according to a study done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016. Be sure to check the job description for further details.
Au Pair
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An AU pair is a person who exchanges housework and childcare in exchange for a place to stay and meals.
When going through an organization such as InterExchange or AuPairWorld, you are connected to a host family in a country of your choosing and will receive a place to stay, meals and pay for your work.
Minimum requirements
Have to be age 18 – 30 (varies based on the company you work with). Au Pair’s are usually female, but male Au Pair’s do exist but it may be harder to find a job.
Speak the language of the visiting country to communicate with the host family. Usually need previous childcare experience, a work visa for visiting country if necessary.
There are most likely upfront costs such as the program cost, Visa cost, airfare, insurance etc…
Yes, there might be these travel costs but after these initial costs, this job will pay you to travel.
Pay
Compensation varies based upon which company you are working with and which country you are working in.
For example, going through the InterExchange AU program you will receive AUD $200-$340 in exchange for 30 to 40 hours of work a week. Keep in mind you get free lodging and meals.
Find further details at InterExchange and AuPairWorld.
Travel Nurse
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Being a nurse is a great career to have regardless if traveling or not, but you do have the option to travel the country and help those in need. It doesn’t get better than that! You can only travel within your country to operate as a travel nurse.
This job will pay you to travel and some companies may even pay for travel expenses and housing!
Learn more about becoming a travel nurse here.
Minimum Requirements
Must graduate from college and pass the NCLEX exam to become a registered nurse (RN), and you will most likely need at least one year of experience. You will need to be licensed in the state you want to operate in, either permanently or temporarily.
Pay
Nurses, in general, get paid well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016, nurses make a median salary of $68,450 per year.
Travel nurses are no exception but the pay does get tricky.
Taking into consideration of contract length, state working in and housing stipends, pay can differ greatly depending on the job.
Learn more about Travel Nursing pay here.
Virtual Assistant
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I mean it’s a “virtual” assistant right? You don’t have to be physically tied down to one location.
Virtual assistants do a wide variety of tasks and it all depends on the job you take. These tasks can include bookkeeping, managing email, scheduling meetings, writing articles, social media management, basic IT support etc…
Go on sites like Upwork or Guru to begin this process
There is a lot of different components that go into this job so be sure to do your research, a great place to start is here.
Minimum Requirements
The requirements for a VA gig are pretty much the same as a personal assistant.
Skills such as fast typing, MS office, conversation skills, time management, organizational skills etc… its also a big plus to have experience in a similar role before.
Pay
As a VA you can set your own price but keep in mind there will be competition so set a fair price.
According to PayScale, U.S virtual assistants make a median salary of $15.57 per hour but the range can be anywhere from minimum wage to $50 per hour.
Also note that going through sites like Upwork they take a percentage of your pay, see here.
Computer Programmer
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Just like a Virtual Assistant, there are positions in computer programming where you don’t have to be tied to a physical location. This can be a career in an organization or as a freelancer.
These jobs range from titles such as web developer, software developer to game developer.
Just make sure you are skilled enough to be a traveling programmer, learn more about becoming a computer programmer here.
Minimum Requirements
To get started as a computer programmer, you will most likely need a college degree in computer science. On the job experience is a big plus to have before you start traveling.
Pay
According to a study done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016, U.S Computer Programmers earn a median salary of $79,840 per year.
Film Crew
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How cool is this? You can be part of a film crew and travel to different locations around the world filming TV shows, documentaries, and movies.
Film companies will pay you to travel the world!
There are many different jobs on a film crew, learn more about being part of a film crew here.
Minimum Experience
Since there are different jobs on a film crew, experience varies.
Pay
Since there are many different jobs on a film set, the pay depends on what job you are interested in.
For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016, camera operators have a median salary of $55,080 per year and a movie director makes a median salary of $70,950 per year.
Teach English
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There are countries all around the world that seek English teachers.
There are also families that seek English tutors and will offer pay with free stay and food, check out InterExchange.
This can be a great temporary position or it can be permanent, learn more on teaching English abroad here.
Minimum experience
You will need to get your TEFL certification and speak the language of the country you are visiting. Teaching and tutoring experience is not required but preferred.
Pay
You can either teach English abroad as a freelancer and set your own price or go through a company like InterExchange where the pay is set but varies from country to country.
For example, according to the International TEFL Academy, you can look to make anywhere from U.S $500 to $5000 per month.
Keep in mind, if you are going as a freelancer you have the potential to make more money but you will have to pay for a place to stay. If you go through a company like InterExchange your stay is free.
Chef
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Being a chef is an interesting job that will pay you to travel the world.
Some options to travel as a chef include traveling to resorts and hotels worldwide and on cruise ships.
You can even take it far as opening your own restaurant or bakery and have multiple locations around the world.
Minimum requirements
The only set in stone requirement to become a chef is a high school diploma or a GED. some other qualifications that may be required are a culinary school degree, work experience, and the ACF certification.
Pay
According to a study done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016, U.S Chefs earn a median salary of $43,180 per year but this can vary depending on experience and where you work when traveling.
Truck Driver
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If you love to drive, don’t like working with people too much and love to travel then being a truck driver might be the job for you.
As a truck driver, you will be able to sightsee across the country.
Companies like J.B. Hunt will pay you to travel the roads.
Minimum requirements
You will need a high school diploma or GED and a CDL license to become a truck driver.
Pay
According to a study done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016, U.S Truck Drivers earn a median salary of $41,340 per year.
Photographer
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Yes, you can get paid to take pictures around the world.
If you have a good eye for photography you can work for a company that will pay you to travel and take pictures, you can sell your photos online, start a photo blog or build a social media following.
Here is a great guide on how to become a travel photographer.
Minimum experience
This is one of those jobs on this list where the answer is it depends. If you are working for a company that will pay you to travel and take photos, you will most likely need to have experience taking photos and a portfolio to show your skills. Even as a freelancer, you should be experienced and have a following before traveling.
Pay
Well it depends again, According to a study done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016, U.S photographers earn a median salary of $34,070 per year but this can vary depending on what route you take.
Writer / Blogger
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Yes, this had to make the list, I mean why not!
Whether you write your own books or write for your blog, this can be done anywhere in the world.
Make money traveling and work on your own time, also by traveling and exposing yourself to different experiences you might even become a better writer.
Check out how to start your blog for under $5 a month here!
Minimum Requirements:
Honestly, if you are working for yourself as a writer or blogger then there really aren’t any requirements.
Pay
Here comes the interesting part…
As a self-employed writer or blogger, your pay can vary greatly, I mean, it can be $0 a month to $100k a month.
Now you wouldn’t be traveling when you make $0 a month, so make sure you do have some income coming in before you think about traveling
Remember to check out my guide on how you can start your blog, and I throw in some tips the pros use to build a successful blog!.
Video Creator
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If writing and blogging are not for you, maybe video creation is.
As a video creator on YouTube or other video sharing platforms, you can share your content to make you money while you travel the world.
Minimum requirements
An internet connection and a video camera are all you need.
Pay
To make money you will need to sign up with Google AdSense. You might even consider being an affiliate of Amazon or other companies to share products you like to make some extra cash.
More subscribers equal more money, so start to perfect your craft!
Check out this article for an in-depth look at how YouTubers get paid
Conclusion
Traveling is great but it does cost money, luckily these are 15 jobs that actually pay you to travel!
Make a career out of traveling or take a break from your static life and do one of these jobs temporarily. It will be a great experience.
Get your travel on, Enjoy your life and make money doing so!
Also, if you are looking to make some extra money while traveling, check out how you can easily make $500 traveling!
Have you done any of these jobs or considering to do any of these jobs?
