When you think of your future career, what benefits do you prefer? Great medical insurance? Life insurance? A solid retirement plan? For most people, these benefits are all that are needed to be satisfied with their career. However, more than 2 billion people worldwide enjoy traveling, and some of them are lucky enough to do it as a job! Traveling is an excellent way to expand your views on the world, enjoy new sights, sounds, food, and people. More importantly, traveling offers you a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you can hold on to for years to come.
Why Travel?
Travel-friendly jobs are becoming more and more popular as people start enjoying the experience of traveling more. New technology such as online translators, social media, Air BnB’s, and other apps all make traveling into a completely new experience. Advances in technology also make it necessary for some companies to hire people that are willing to travel in order to expand the company, help other customers, network, and other business opportunities. Travel-friendly jobs can vary in traveling distance too, and if you’re just starting off, perhaps start off small? Try working for a company that lets you travel to other cities, then other states, nationally, and internationally! Your comfort level is key, and you’ll want to prevent burnout. Here are 15 travel-friendly jobs that can allow you to travel, both for the good of the company, and for yourself.
1. Military
Joining the military is a huge decision, but one that can allow you to travel abroad and experience only what few can while also serving your country. Every U.S. military branch has bases on U.S. soil, and also installations in other countries such as Japan, Korea, Germany, Africa, and everywhere in between. If you want a travel-friendly job, the military can be a great start to simply get your feet wet and get you used to the idea of traveling for work. Though you need to pass a rigorous physical, training, schooling, and must always travel with your assigned company, the military offers benefits that can help pay for you to live in other countries, get an education, and help you start exploring.
2. Peace Corps
If the idea of the military is a bit too much, perhaps joining the peace corps can provide you with a way to travel and help others, while also representing your country. Of the travel-friendly jobs out there, joining the peace corps is one of the surest ways to connect with those people of the country you are visiting and working in! This is because the peace corps helps provide a myriad of things to help the people of other countries, such as housing, teaching, and even dental care for kids abroad. To join the peace corps, you must also complete a physical exam, including a dental exam, and can volunteer after turning 18. The peace corps offers housing and a stipend for you to live in your assigned country.
3. Online Teacher
Travel-friendly jobs don’t just mean that you’re working abroad, such as in the military or peace corps, but can also mean you get to travel anywhere while working! These jobs are what are known as telecommuting jobs, and are very popular nowadays, as they save companies money on expenses such as renting an office space. Online teachers have the luxury of being able to live anywhere while conducting classes online. Classes taught online are either synchronous or asynchronous, meaning you must meet with a class face to face at a set time. Whether you’re teaching asynchronous or synchronously, it’s important to be well-qualified in the field you plan on teaching in, apply to a reputable college that you know offers online classes, and begin your online teaching journey from there.
4. Tele-medicine
With the COVID-19 pandemic having affected almost every aspect of our lives, it’s easy to see why tele-medicine is so important and will become a growing career field in the future. Tele-medicine allows medical doctors, a cosmetic surgeon, nurse practitioners, even psychologists to be able to meet with their patients through webcam or phone and be able to render services and consults with them without having to schedule an office visit. These pre-op or weekly visits can help save time, manage stress, and also help in the cases of a pandemic such as the one we’re seeing today. A career in medicine is lengthy, and takes time, but can be extremely rewarding, both financially and emotionally.
5. Golf Course Designer
Landscape architects do more than simple tree care service and simple garden designs. In particular, golf course designers and architects put to use the knowledge of landscape and architecture to create beautiful works of art. Because golf courses are located in every part of the world, being a golf-course designer is one of those travel-friendly jobs that allows you to get paid big to travel the world. Architects can also be employed by firms that do worldwide consulting, and so getting into one of these companies will also allow you to get paid to travel! Being an architect requires skills in math, art, engineering, and requires a bachelor’s degree, though a master’s degree is preferred.
6. Traveling Nurse
Being a nurse is a tough, quick-paced, but rewarding career field that in 2014 was projected to grow by a whopping 16%. Nursing requires either an associate or bachelor’s degree, and clinical hours to be able to get you competent enough to start treating patients. Nurses make enough money working in hospitals to live comfortably, but what about nurses that want to travel? Of the travel-friendly jobs, nursing is probably the one with the most opportunities.
Nurses are needed everywhere across the country, and are in high demand, making this one of the better fields to get involved in. Because you don’t need to go to medical school, you can become a nurse in as little as one and a half to two years. Travel nursing companies employ nurses throughout the country, including in crisis response and emergency situations. If you’re considering a career in nursing, start with pre-requisite courses, by being employed with a hospital, and see how you like this thrilling field.
7. Traveling Customer Service
Cruise-ship workers, flight attendants, and even Amtrak concierges all have one thing in common: they travel non-stop for work. Travel-friendly jobs like these can be grueling, but overall very exciting and fun if you’re just starting off and looking for more opportunities to travel the country, the world, and even the seas!
If you’re working customer service, it’s important to consider your strengths and how you can stand-out among others applying to these same positions. Have you had a customer service job before? Do you like working with people who might be stressed also? Do you want to have permanent address stamps, or are you willing to constantly be on the move? These traveling customer-service jobs can seem glamorous, but if you have family at home, discuss with them your thoughts on working abroad constantly.
8. Nanny
The au pair, or nanny, is a job that has been around for millennia. Busy families will always be looking for a great nanny to take care of their children while they’re away for work, so this is definitely among the best travel-friendly jobs out there. A nanny is usually hired using great references after a thorough background check is done, and more importantly, in-person interviews are conducted. In addition, more and more successful nannies have their degree in child development, psychology, and even have some background working with children in other fields. Because nannies work with successful families, you can be sure they get paid handsomely as well.
9. Engineer
Engineering is a great field to enter if you’re looking to make your mark on the world, travel, and put your ingenuity to the test. Civil engineers, in particular, work with firms and companies that can either dedicate themselves to city-construction jobs, or offer their services to other worldwide companies. Engineers working in theme-parks to design roller coasters, simulation rides, and new technologically-advanced projects are also traveling most of the time to offer their talent at theme-parks across the world. How exciting! Engineering is one of the best paying travel-friendly jobs also. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, engineers have an average yearly income of $91,010 and the engineering field projects to have employment growth of nearly 140,000 new jobs over the next ten years.
10. Sales Associate
Sales jobs are now one of the best travel-friendly jobs that also pay well and have an opportunity for growth. In particular, ADT and other security systems send out salesman to showcase products and seal the deal for big companies. Security systems, art auctioneers, business to business sales, sales jobs are virtually endless and require extensive travel nowadays. If you’re passionate about your particular company, selling your products, and expanding, consider a career as a traveling salesman, get those contracts, and get paid.
11. Travel Blogger
Writers have a powerful saying in the traveling community, and their words can make or break a destination depending on the size of their following. Travel writers and bloggers, therefore, are an essential part of the traveling business, and without them, tourist destinations can suffer quite a bit. If you’re interested in becoming a travel writer or blogger, make sure to improve on your writing skills, grow a personal following by publishing your articles, and even consider making a Youtube channel to showcase your adventures! You can get hired on and even paid by hotels, resorts, even traveling companies to use the power of your pen.
12. Contractor
Building contractors have to provide a plethora of services to their clients. From professional home remodeling, to design, choosing appliances, and everything in between, building contractors must work from the ground-up (literally) to make a person’s dream home or business a reality. Contractors have had experience in the construction business, and can offer their service to help future home or business owners plan a building project in a timely manner, hire-on subcontractors, and determine all proper licensing as well. As such, building contractors are sought after and can be required to travel for new, well-paying projects. If you love construction, have great time-management skills, and are interested in letting your contracting skills help companies abroad, consider working as a contractor!
13. IT Specialist
Cybersecurity, IT consulting, and fields in the computer science area are vastly expanding and are growing more and more essential each and every day. As technology advances, services such as IT disaster recovery services, setting up networks, and solving computer software issues are just the tip of what an IT specialist does for a living. Though it’s a huge responsibility to be an IT specialist, more and more pay and benefits are offered to these talented individuals. Travel is no exception. Information Security Analysts, software developers, and systems administrators must all, at some point or another, travel in order to meet with clients, set-up networks, and even train incoming employees.
14. Electrician
Of the mentioned travel-friendly jobs, perhaps none is so widely varied as that of an electrician. From working in industrial electrical services, on an oil-rig, as a subcontractor, in a nuclear plant, etc., journeymen can get paid handsomely while traveling extensively. Whether you’re looking to work federally as a government-contractor or employee, or are looking to work within your state traveling from city to city, it’s important to note that traveling as a journeyman will take weeks at a time. Usually, electricians travel for six days a week and get 3-5 days off a month. If this sounds like a good fit, try it out!
15. Freelance Artist
Do you love making unique jewelry and furniture? Are you known for your beautiful mural designs? Do you love art? If so, being a freelance artist could be one of the best travel-friendly jobs for you! From traveling the world selling your hand-made fashioned clothes to getting commissioned to work on a painting for business abroad, the possibilities for showcasing your art worldwide are endless. Though it is a tough road being recognized as an artist, once you grow your following, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and offer your art worldwide.