17 Jobs That Pay You to Travel the World

Imagine waking up in a new city or country every day — and being paid to do so. For some, a career that pays you to travel might be the dream. And fortunately, there are plenty of careers that combine work with the opportunity to jet around the globe. Whether you want to work in the travel industry directly or work a job that frequently includes travel, there are many opportunities out there for you. But a fair word of warning: Traveling for work isn’t the same as taking a vacation, and you might have to give up a regular home life for a career on the road. But if wanderlust is calling, here are 17 jobs that pay you to travel.

Flight Crew

Sure, this might be an obvious choice, but becoming a pilot or a flight attendant can take you just about anywhere in the world. Becoming a pilot requires significant training and dedication — it’s an intense job with many responsibilities, and it takes a long time to climb to the top. While the path to becoming a flight attendant is a bit shorter, it comes with its own challenges, from moving up the ranks to having face-to-face interactions with passengers. But in both cases, your job is traveling. Though the days are long and the schedules can be tough on the body, when you’re off duty, you have access to a suite of travel-related benefits, including free flights.

Ship Crew

Prefer the high seas to the air? A ship might be calling your name. There are many options for those interested in a maritime career. You could work behind the scenes as part of any ship’s crew, choose the customer-facing side as an entertainer or server, or climb the ladder and become an officer. Plus, you could choose different types of ships to work on, from luxury yachts to expedition cruises to mega-ships. Just keep in mind that most positions require weeks-long or months-long contracts, so you’ll be traveling for an extended period — and you might not get much time off while you’re on contract. Working on a ship is a hard job, but it’s a great opportunity to see the world.

Travel Nurse

Travel nurses are healthcare professionals who fill temporary nursing positions in various locations, often where there’s a shortage of medical staff. Assignments can last a few weeks to several months, allowing nurses to explore new cities and sometimes even work internationally. And best of all, this is typically a high-paying career — though you do need to go through nursing school first.

Journalist

Yes, travel writers do get to travel the world for work, but they’re not the only type of journalist that is frequently on the road. There are numerous positions in the industry that include travel, from news broadcasters to sports or entertainment writers. Of course, some of the travel might include not-so-fun trips — say, in the case of news correspondents — so pick your beat wisely.

English Teacher

Teaching English as a second language is a popular way to live abroad while earning a salary. There are many programs that help teachers find positions in different countries, some of which cover accommodation and travel expenses. In order to teach English abroad, you’ll likely need Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification. Teaching can be a rewarding job, and you’ll gain immersive experience in a different culture. But keep an eye out for scams — unfortunately, there are many in this industry.

Photographer/Videographer

As with journalists, photographers and videographers can travel frequently for their jobs, depending on their specialty. Take, for instance, destination wedding photographers who travel for their clients’ big days. (That said, many brides and grooms opt to hire locally rather than pay for their photographer’s travel expenses.) You could even go so far as to be a camera operator on a nature documentary! Creative fields are often very competitive, especially if you go the freelance route, but if you make a name for yourself via your work, the opportunities might follow.

Travel Advisor

Travel advisors, also known as travel agents, help clients plan their trips by arranging flights, accommodations, and activities. While much of the job is done remotely, consultants often travel to familiarize themselves with destinations and experiences to offer more informed recommendations to clients. They aren’t necessarily paid to do so, but they do often take familiarization trips, or FAM trips, for free. You could also become a sales manager for a travel-related company, which would likely offer you the chance to travel for work.

Travel Guide

The best part about being a guide is that you can pursue various interests through guiding, whether that’s whitewater rafting, birding, or history. You’ll need expertise in your field before applying to become a guide, and you’ll likely need to pick up extra certifications along the way, whether that’s first-aid training, Zodiac driving, or country-specific guiding credentials.

Au Pair/Nanny

There are two ways to travel as an au pair or a nanny. If you’re looking to immerse yourself in a new destination, you can look to become an au pair or nanny abroad, living with a host family and taking care of the children. In your time off, you can explore your temporary home. If you’re looking to travel occasionally, you can seek out clients looking for travel nannies, who travel abroad with a family on their vacation and provide childcare. In this case, you might not have much free time during the trip, but it all depends on the client.

Foreign Service Officer

In the United States, a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) or diplomat is a government worker who represents the country abroad, often at consulates or embassies. This role requires passing competitive exams, and assignments can last several years, offering the chance to live in multiple countries over a career. It’s worth noting that while these positions can be high-paid, they can also be high-stress, particularly during times of conflict.

Event Coordinator

Event coordinators plan, organize, and oversee events such as business meetings, conferences, trade shows, and exhibitions — or more fun events like weddings, concerts, and festivals. The job might entail travel ahead of the event to scout venues or meet with vendors, plus travel for the event, but it also requires quite a bit of administrative work, too.

Interpreter

An interpreter translates one spoken or signed language into another in real-time — as such, some interpreters travel to assist with meetings, conferences, and events in different countries. If you speak multiple languages, this could be an exciting career option for you. Note that interpreting is different from translating, and it does require special training.

Stagehand/Road Crew

If you love the performing arts, but aren’t necessarily an artist yourself, you can travel the world with touring shows or concerts as a stagehand. While some stagehands are local to a specific venue, others join the road crew, traveling with the artist or group on tour. You can also look for other jobs related to tours, too, such as audio/visual technicians or truck drivers (remember when Taylor Swift gifted hers $100,000 bonuses?).

Coach/Athletic Trainer/Scout

To be honest, not everyone’s going to make it as a professional athlete. But there are so many careers within the world of sports — and some of them will even have you traveling alongside the pros. Coaches, of course, will always travel with the team, as will other staff like athletic trainers. You could also go the route of scouting, which will have you on the road as you look for the next big sports star.

Public Relations Specialist

There are many paths you can take as a publicist that will lead you to a life of work travel. On the one hand, you could be a publicist for a celebrity, which might have you traveling around the world as they promote their latest film or album. On the other, you could work in PR for a corporation and still travel for work. If you represent a travel-related client, that’ll naturally take you on the go, though it’s still likely that you might travel as a publicist in other industries, too.

Scientist/Researcher

Not all scientists and researchers travel for work — you’ll want to look for a specific track of study that involves fieldwork, whether you’re a biologist studying wildlife or a volcanologist chasing eruptions. It’s not necessarily “free” travel all the time, though, as you’ll likely need to apply for grants to fund your travels. But there are many research opportunities out there that do provide scientists with the means to travel the world for work.

Consultant

What do consultants actually do? Well, it depends on the industry — and there are consultants in just about every industry out there. But generally speaking, they work on short-term contracts to advise clients about certain issues. Since their clients could be anywhere in the world, consultants travel regularly.