Are you in search of remote jobs for backpackers that are fun yet financially rewarding? What if we told you there are plenty of opportunities waiting for people like you?
According to Indeed Hiring Lab, remote job postings doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it keeps rising. For many workers, the ability to travel while working is a dream come true. FlexJobs’ 2018 annual survey proves this. The study shows that 50 percent of respondents said they’d prefer remote work because they want to travel more and still afford it.
If you're yearning for the ultimate freedom to dictate your schedule and travel whenever you want, to wherever you want, you might be in luck. Below, we share the top remote jobs for backpackers that let you travel the world while getting paid.
1. Writer/Blogger
Travel blogging is a lucrative industry that allows you to write about what you love doing – traveling. As a travel blogger, you will spend a lot of time on your computer writing, editing, and researching. You’ll also read about destinations, sights, landmarks, and hotels. Aside from those, you’ll be editing photos and maintaining your blog.
The highlight of your career is that you get to explore the best of nature every opportunity you get.
If it’s a dream you wish could turn into a reality, you can start by learning how to create a travel blog.
Blogging, in general, can make you good money, especially if you pick a niche you enjoy writing about. Whether you're into birdwatching, classic cars, diving, wines, culinary arts, or real estate, you have a wide range of topics to pick from.
2. Developer
As the world shifts more and more to the digital age, the demand for developers is ever-increasing. The good thing about being a developer is that most of the positions are available as remote jobs.
On top of that, the software developer world is vast and highly lucrative. It even gets better. The employment rate of software developers is projected to grow by 22 percent from 2020 to 2030. That’s a much faster rate compared to other occupations.
Developers are the brains behind many software applications, and regardless of the type of developer you refer yourself to, developer jobs will always be in high demand. This is because of the rapid digital transformation happening across many organizations and industries.
To become a remote developer, you’ll need to learn the necessary skills. You can do so via:
- Self-guided online courses, like Udacity and Codecademy
- Flexible online mentor-led boot camps, such as Skillcrush’s Web Programming Bootcamp and Thinkful’s Engineering Flex
- Remote, Immersive Bootcamps, like Fullstack Academy Remote Immersive and Hack Reactor Remote
After honing your skills, you can start looking at job listings for developer opportunities.
3. Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant is one of the best remote jobs that let you earn while traveling. They handle various tasks for clients who require help running their businesses.
They free up a business owner’s time, allowing them to focus on expanding the business instead of getting stuck doing small tasks.
Some common virtual assistant tasks include:
- Podcast editing
- Email inbox management
- Social media management and scheduling
- Managing appointment calendars
- Editing photos
- Writing content for websites
- Customer support
As you can tell from the tasks above, virtual assistant jobs require exceptional time management skills. If you get assigned several tasks, a time tracker for freelancers can help you stay on top of your work schedule.
Apart from letting you manage the time you spend on each task, a time tracking tool automatically records work hours. Such data can prove useful during payment processing.
4. Data Entry
Given today’s highly data-driven economy, data entry is essential to business growth. IBM estimates show that every person generated 1.7MB of data every second in 2020. Statistics published on Statista show that data creation is projected to grow to over 180 zettabytes by 2025 up from 40 zettabytes in 2020.
From these figures, one thing is clear. Data entry will remain one of the leading digital nomad jobs for years to come.
On top of that, most organizations prefer to outsource data entry for various reasons:
- They don’t want to overburden employees whose time is better spent performing other tasks.
- It's not economical to hire a dedicated in-house team to handle data entry.
Add these to the fact that all you need is a computer and a good internet connection to get working. Indeed, it's such a perfect job for digital nomads.
5. Vlogging
If you're not a fan of writing, but like to tell stories, you can do well as a vlogger. After all, more than half of consumers prefer watching a video over reading text. As a video blogger, you can make money doing affiliate marketing, advertisements, sponsorships, and so much more.
To excel in this field, you need to be charismatic, as well as have good video editing and marketing skills.
6. Designer
If you're a web-based designer, a laptop is probably the only equipment you need. So, why not do it while traveling? There are tons of opportunities online, and you can start by building a network to advertise your skills.
Graphic design jobs are in demand everywhere—from helping businesses with branding to creating social media and Pinterest posts. These skills can also fall under virtual assistant job requirements.
As a digital nomad, you have the added advantage of getting inspiration from nature.
7. Digital Marketing
A career as a freelance online marketer gives you many opportunities to work in jobs related to traffic generation, affiliate marketing, SEO, and inbound marketing, to mention a few. Since a high percentage of businesses are run online, they will need a specialist to promote their brands.
That’s where digital marketers come in. If you don’t have experience in online marketing, you can find dozens of courses and materials to learn the ropes. However, it takes hard work to start earning. Now, you stand a better chance of getting high-value clients if you own a blog that showcases your talent.
8. Customer Service Rep
Nowadays, organizations are outsourcing certain jobs to dedicated remote workers, and customer support is one of them. All you need is a laptop, stable internet, call or chat software, and excellent customer service and active listening skills.
It’s the kind of job that doesn't require physical contact with customers, which makes it perfect for digital nomads. Needless to say, you can find plenty of resources online to help you develop your customer service skills, most of which are free.
To stay on top of the competition, it's advisable to undergo regular training. Doing so also allows you to acquire some valuable abilities on how to handle customer interactions.
9. Search Engine Evaluator
Ever heard of a Search Engine Evaluator? If not, it is a nifty job that involves analyzing search engine results to ensure that they are relevant for users. Part of your tasks includes performing intense research on web searches, video, and other content. You also need to provide contextual feedback on the accuracy of the results.
Search Engine Evaluators usually work as independent contractors and can make between $12 to $15 per hour. The advantage of this job is that it only requires a few hours per day, meaning you can comfortably do it while traveling.
Some trustworthy companies that offer Search Engine Evaluator jobs include Leapforce, iSoftStone, and Lionbridge.
10. Online Tutor
Working as an online teacher can be a satisfying and well-paying job that you can do from anywhere. Native English speakers are particularly highly sought after, but there are jobs for teachers of all languages.
Moreover, if you’re an expert on a particular subject, you can make money teaching others on platforms like TutorMe. The site offers more than 40 subjects revolving around studying and test preparations. Alternatively, you can create and sell online courses on sites like Teachable, Udemy, and Coursify.me.
Online tutoring is a great opportunity for college students, teachers, or professors tired of the 9-5 grind.
Final Word
Travel jobs are everywhere, and this list is just the beginning. As a digital nomad, your journey will only get better. So, don’t be surprised to land unexpected opportunities now that you're in the driver’s seat.
Keep in mind, getting gigs as a freelancer can be extremely difficult, given the sheer number of competitors out there.
What’s the secret to staying ahead of the competition? Invest in productivity tools. Not only are they valuable in helping you monitor efficiency in a work-from-home setting, but they also help you maintain a high level of professionalism.
Top comments (1)
Nice post! Investing in productivity tools is true. As a nomad, I need an excellent tool to manage my work while traveling. I always use project management software, like Trello or Quire. This is to help me get on track with my work and improve my relationship with clients.