Do you love to go on trips? If so, you might be curious about the highest-paying jobs for travel lovers. It’s not a far-fetched dream, and in fact there are many ways to earn a living as you actively pursue your travel goals.
There are a wide range of great job opportunities that you can try out, including working remotely or working in person while traveling. This article details some of the best jobs for travel lovers, as well as companies hiring in the field and tips to achieve success.
Who Are Travel Lovers?
Travel lovers are people who like to visit different cities, states, or countries to experience new cultures and locales. If you’re someone who works eight hours a day behind a screen in a cubicle but is constantly planning your next global escape, you might just be a travel lover. In many cases, travel lovers spend a significant amount of their income to fund future trips.
What Jobs Are Available to Travel Lovers?
Travel lovers are usually drawn to jobs that can help them explore. This might include expat jobs or travel industry jobs that will take them to different places. For example, travel lovers can work for a cruise line or for the US Foreign Service. There’s also seasonal manual labor, which is preferred by the backpacker community as a way to cover their travel expenses.
Remote or freelance jobs, often referred to as digital nomad jobs, are the ideal career for travelers. This is because they have more control of their time and are not confined to a physical space where they have to report every day. They can afford to travel to any destination of their choice and still make a living.
Companies That Hire Travel Lovers
- Twitter. Twitter is a social media company that encourages a remote work culture for a variety of positions. Though some staff work from the office, the company believes in giving its employees flexibility when possible.
- Viking Cruises. Viking Cruises is a multinational cruise line. The company operates a challenging, fast-paced work environment focusing on action, working in small teams, and continuous improvement. Working for this company comes with perks such as a great compensation package and paid vacations.
- Delta Air Lines. Delta Air Lines is a major airline in the US that also flies to Asian and European countries. It’s a great place to work if you love to travel and are curious about other cultures. American Airlines is another major airline, and American Airlines careers are also worth considering.
- Disney Cruise Line. Disney Cruise Line’s goal is to create special memories for its guests at sea. Staff work in teams to make sure a cruise goes smoothly, including restaurant work, housekeeping, and entertainment.
- Dell Technologies. Dell Technologies is a multinational tech company that encourages remote work for its staff. Travel lovers will appreciate Dell’s approach to time management for remote staff, as the company allows very flexible hours.
10 Highest-Paying Jobs for Travel Lovers
| Job Title | Average Salary | Top 10% Salary |
| Cruise Ship Worker | $59,250 | $128,420 |
| Travel Blogger | $67,120 | $133,460 |
| Travel Nurse | $75,330 | $116,230 |
| English Teacher | $62,870 | $102,130 |
| Translator | $52,330 | $96,480 |
| Foreign Service Jobs | $70,408 | $90,000 |
| Flight Attendant | $59,050 | $84,790 |
| Athletic Recruiter | $36,330 | $81,940 |
| Travel Photographer | $41,280 | $80,180 |
| Travel Agent | $42,350 | $73,360 |
Travel lovers prefer a job that allows them to get closer to living their travel dreams. Luckily, as a travel lover, you should be able to find plenty of opportunities in whichever industry interests you. Most of these jobs pay well above minimum wage. Listed below are some of the main tasks of the roles listed above.
Cruise Ship Worker
Many travel lovers dream of working on a cruise ship. This is because cruise line workers get to make a living going to different countries, plus they get free accommodation and food as they go. There are many different roles available to people who want to work on a cruise line, including working as a shop clerk, restaurant server, musician, or comedian.
It’s easy to apply for a cruise ship job by checking on a cruise line company’s website or by browsing online hiring platforms and job sites.
Travel Blogger
Travel bloggers visit different places and write about their experiences for others to read. They often review popular tourist destinations around the world in their travel blogs. As their online community grows, travel bloggers will get invitations from resorts in exotic locations to review the hotel and its amenities.
Travel bloggers are usually freelancers who have a love for writing and traveling. They combine both passions and use them to make a living via their travel blog while living out their dream in the process. Travel writers can also freelance for popular travel websites or guides as they move between countries.
Travel Nurse
Traveling nurses work for different hospitals and clinics around the country to provide health care services including administering medication, performing medical tests, and checking patients’ recovery. They are posted in locations where there is a dire need for nurses.
Expenses, accommodation, and benefits such as health insurance are usually covered in this profession. All nurses must have nursing credentials from a registered institution to be able to work in this position.
English Teacher
Capable English language teachers are in high demand all over the world. English teachers who work abroad help young students and adults learn how to write, read, and speak fluently. They often work in private schools, language centers, or government organizations.
This is a fun job for native English speakers who enjoy traveling. Depending on the country and specific school, you often won’t be required to have experience, although you will need to earn your TESOL certificate. However, there are some schools that will require you to have a bachelor’s degree to teach.
Flight Attendant
Working as a flight attendant is a popular travel career. A flight attendant’s job is to ensure that aircraft passengers are safe and comfortable. They do this by demonstrating airline safety procedures and communicating with passengers to provide food and beverages as needed.
You don’t need a degree to become a flight attendant. Most major US airlines simply require a certification from the Federal Aviation Administration and prior customer service experience. Benefits of this job include free and discounted flights for workers and their family members.
Travel Photographer
If you have great camera skills and you enjoy going to new places, working as a travel photographer might just be your thing. Travel photographers can look in every nook and cranny of the country they’re in to capture timely and appealing images.
Photographers can work for news wire services such as The Associated Press, or for publications like National Geographic, both of which hire full-time staff and accept freelance work. They can also work independently, traveling from country to country and taking photos commissioned by resorts.
Foreign Service Worker
Serving as a foreign service officer can be a rewarding career for you if you love your country as much as you love to explore. Foreign service workers often deal with complex issues such as disaster relief, refugee flows, and immigration, representing the interests of their country as they visit different parts of the world.
They communicate with governments of foreign countries and get reassigned to a new country after a set period of time, usually a few years. Potential recruits will have to pass the Foreign Service Officer Test to get hired. Candidates must also follow a specific career path within the department, so this job is not location-independent.
Travel Agent
Travel agents work at travel agencies and help customers plan trips by finding the travel options that fit their clients’ budgets, including land transportation, flights, accommodation, and excursions. Travel agents usually get to travel to popular destinations to experience the services of the restaurants, resorts, or other tourist attractions that they will later recommend to customers.
Athletic Recruiters
Athletic recruiters, or scouts, are hired by professional sports organizations and colleges to travel to schools and sporting events in different parts of the US or world to scout for emerging talents.
Athletic scouts must have an in-depth knowledge of the game they’re recruiting for, and of the particular strengths an athlete must possess for certain positions on the team. This is a job for people who are huge sports fans
Translator
A translator must be fluent in at least one language aside from their native language. The more languages you speak, the more opportunities you will have to travel around the world to help other people communicate. The duties of this job may include translating in person or converting text or audio into another language.
Besides language skills, translators must also possess some computer skills. Great Britain, China, the United States, Italy, Sweden, Japan, and Luxembourg are some of the countries that commonly hire translators in a formal capacity.
Tips for Finding Success Working as a Travel Lover
The travel industry is a big money-maker. As a lover of travel, you’ll want to key into the best opportunities available. If you already have a job, you may be looking to progress in your current career track. Below are five tips that can help you in your quest to find success as a travel lover.
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- Find a strong Internet connection. This is very important if you’re going to be working remotely. A fast and stable Internet connection is vital if you want your work day to go smoothly. A terrible Internet connection can hinder your progress and affect your productivity. If you’re struggling with this, try to find an Internet cafe or co-working hub.
- Set daily goals. This is essential if you’re working with a team that’s based in multiple different time zones. If you plan correctly, you can focus on complex tasks at a time that is convenient for you. Then, by the time your team members in other zones are starting work, you’ll be able to bring them up to speed on what you’ve accomplished.
- Keep an open mind. You should understand that no matter the amount of research you do on a job or business opportunity, things may not work out according to your plans. It’s best not to have high expectations so you don’t get too disappointed if things go sideways.
- Set a routine and stick to it. Having an effective routine and sticking to it no matter where you’re working from will boost your productivity. This will also help you strike a good work-life balance.
- Explore. If you’re the type who’s always working through the lunch period or at home after working hours, you should consider quitting such habits when you’re traveling. You don’t want to miss out on all the good stuff while focusing too much on work. Go out more and enjoy yourself.
Jobs for Travel Lovers Outlook
The outlook is good for most types of travel jobs, as the growth rate for most of those listed above is higher than the US national average of seven percent. One example is the cruise ship industry, which is projected to increase by 12 percent between 2020 and 2030.
Travel writing is also growing faster than average, at nine percent. However, the growth in travel agent jobs is only projected to rise by five percent by 2030. This shows that overall, jobs for travel lovers will continue to be in demand. So, if traveling while you work is your dream job, there are plenty of options for you to pursue.
Best Jobs for Travel Lovers FAQ
Some of the best career options for travelers include working as a flight attendant, in an international aid or foreign service job, or teaching English.
You can turn your passion for traveling into a career by picking up relevant skills or taking courses that can help you get a remote job or a job in a different country. One example is learning photography. You can take pictures wherever you are in the world, so if you’re skilled, you’ll be able to sell them.
Yes, travel jobs can help your career trajectory. Learning new skills usually comes in handy at some point. Plus, as you travel, you will also have tons of opportunities to network with people across the globe, which will likely increase your chances of landing your dream job.
Yes, you can have an awesome career while traveling around the world. In certain cases, traveling can even grant you the success you desire.
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