12 Ways to Make Money While Traveling the World

These kinds of jobs are often overlooked in today’s tech-heavy world. Some professions are needed all over the world, like bartenders or hairdressers. Then there are the seasonal jobs like ski or dive instructors. These jobs are an excellent option for earning money while living abroad in a scenic tourist destination and re-upping your savings before moving on. Or the artistic trades like photographers, tattoo artists, reiki healers, and massage therapists that can be marketed to fellow travelers as you move from destination to destination. For this to be viable, you’ll need to brush up on a skill or trade before you hit the road.

Everyone is an expert in something. Whether traveling, parenting, cooking, health, or gaming—there are writing gigs are for every nook and cranny of the internet. The trick is getting your foot in the door. Getting paid to write for your favorite blogs or ghostwriting content for larger online sites is a great place to start. Upwork is a handy platform for those just beginning. Freelance writing can be a great way to earn money while on the road.  

I run the blog BeyondtheBucketlist, helping my fellow travelers have culturally immersive adventures all over the world. But it took years to make regular income from the blog. The passive income generated from a blog usually comes from advertisements requiring a minimum number of monthly viewers even to get started. It’s not a quick fix to make money while traveling, but if done correctly, you can make an income passively while traveling the world. The key to building a good blog is expertise. So, focus on whatever it is you know best.

A.K.A. become an Influencer. TikTok, Youtube, Instagram, Threads, X, whichever. While the market for travel influencers is heavily saturated with pretty useless content, there is ALWAYS a need for expert voices. This is how you’ll break into the world of social media. Building an audience that loves and trusts you takes time and effort. If you have a bright personality and love sharing on social media, this could be your route.

Influencing doesn’t require a huge audience like it once did. You can make a travel-friendly amount of income just by setting up careful collaborations and affiliate marketing. Just find brands you love or trust and approach them!

This is the most tried and true way to make some money on the side while traveling. If English is your first language, you can work remotely as an English teacher or tutor through VIPKID, Preply, Upwork, and more. Most of these agencies only have a few additional requirements. The best-paying gigs usually want you to invest in an International TEFL license. If you plan on staying in one place for a length of time (Vietnam, for example), you could also opt to teach English in person at a public or private institution or be a tutor.

Or get hired at a company that allows for remote work. Web designers, accountants, graphic designers, coders, anyone who sits at a computer all day– it never hurts to ask your company about transitioning to remote work. In today’s highly digitized world, plenty of careers could (and likely will) be completely remote in a decade anyway. You can look for full and part-time remote work opportunities elsewhere if it’s a no-go. There are tons of resources for this online. You can check out super informative blogs like FindAWayAbroad.com that cover all kinds of job opportunities around the globe. WhereInTheWorldIsNina and It’sATravelOD both share remote jobs and tips for landing said jobs on Instagram, while MillenialInDebt has a constantly updating remote job opportunity board, as well as an updated list of 50 seasonal remote jobs hiring right now. There’s no excuse. If you want to work abroad, these ladies can teach you how.

If you’re low on travel funds, the most popular way to make your trip more affordable is to take a position on Workaway or volunteer at a hostel. Neither typically pay their volunteers, but you will have free accommodation, often free food, and sometimes a sweet setup with free(ish) transportation. Granted, this isn’t going to gain you any financial freedom. But it will prolong your trip and delay your return home. Consider this a “save money while traveling” option rather than a way to make money.

If you are young, English-speaking, and love taking care of kids, this niche travel job is right up your alley. You have to be open to a “live-abroad situation” rather than constantly “traveling the globe,” but Au Pairs can make excellent money. Au Pairs typically work up to 45 hours per week, giving you ample time to explore your new temporary home city from a traveler’s perspective. For more information on becoming an Au Pair, you should browse the Au Pair World website.

Get paid to live in luxury on a cruise through the Mediterranean or at a resort on a small Maldivian atoll. You can see the world while gaining experience in the hospitality industry with jobs like servers, cooks, cleaners, and bartenders or more technical jobs like mechanics. Cruise companies and far-flung resorts generally hire directly with applications and positions listed on their websites. You can even work in Antarctica! All those long-term scientific explorations require facilities that require staff (even bartenders). If you are willing to head off to the frozen continent for a 3+ month stint, Cool Antarctica might have the job for you.

Ask yourself, “What am I personally an expert on”? Then, use a platform like Skillshare or Teachable to convey that information to the world for a price. If you have a following on social media or own a blog, this can also be a great way to earn additional income. BootstrapBlogging from Bucketlist Bri on Instagram is an excellent example. She is an SEO and blogging master who created a whole program designed to help newborn blogs survive and thrive on the internet. Your course can be related to something other than travel, blogs, influencing, or other digital nomad-type work. You can teach people how to do their taxes as a freelancer, edit photos with perfect color balance, convert an old van into a custom camper, or even trade stocks.

If you own a home, camper van, or other kind of property, you should rent it while you travel. Obviously, you need to own one of these valuable assets to be able to turn a profit. Weigh the pros and cons of short-term renting vs. seasonal renting in your area, and always consider the costs of a mortgage before you buy. But this can be a great way to sustain full-time travel or long-term travel without digging into your savings.

Everyone loves to travel, but only some people enjoy putting in the legwork and planning said travel. If you are an experienced traveler with lots of inside knowledge of a specific country or region, you can monetize that information by planning personalized itineraries for friends, family, followers, and fellow travelers. Think of it as a freelance travel agent. For a more profitable route, you can also host trips where you guide a group around your favorite destination. This has become super popular with influencers and content creators, but if you have a personal connection and knowledge of a place– even better. There are even booking websites like TrovaTrip that make hosting a group tour easy.