Becoming a digital nomad sounds great until you realize traveling and overall city hopping isn’t as cheap as it seems. How do these people that travel all the time do it? Are there any top-paying digital nomad jobs?
While transcribing and testing products are popular ways to earn a bit of money online, they certainly are not the best jobs to pay for your tickets to Bali.
If you’re wondering how to make money as a digital nomad, we might give you a couple of ideas We crafted a list of different types of jobs and industries that can help you achieve the traveling lifestyle you’re dreaming of.
What Are The Top Paying Digital Nomad Jobs?
1. Content Writer
Content writing is one of the best jobs for nomads as they can work from anywhere and make their own schedules (in most cases).
Being a content writer means you’ll have to produce different types of publications in diverse formats for an organization. You’ll write blog posts, social media descriptions, emails, ad campaigns, eBooks, etc.
Online content writer responsibilities:
- Research industry-related topics
- Write content that promotes a company’s products/service
- Understand digital marketing and SEO best practices
Average salary: $24 per hour
How to get started as an online content writer? The easiest way is to build an online portfolio with your best writing pieces and share it on social media (especially LinkedIn).
2. Virtual Assistant
If you’re looking for digital nomad jobs for beginners, then you should definitely consider becoming a virtual assistant.
As most companies are working remotely, VA is an in-demand role. In short, a virtual assistant completes administrative tasks for a remote company. They help with business development, social media, marketing, and other areas.
Depending on the client, VA can work as executive assistants, administrative assistants, personal assistants, and other positions.
Virtual assistant responsibilities:
- Organize meetings, travels, accommodations, etc.
- Provide effective customer service (answering phone calls and emails)
- Manage contact lists
Average salary: $31 per hour
How to get started as a virtual assistant? The first step is to decide the key services you’ll be offering. Besides the regular administrative tasks, is there another task you can handle? For example, if you have experience in social media, you can add it as an additional key service.
3. Software Developer
One of the highest paying digital nomad jobs is software development. While it’s not for everyone as you need to acquire technical skills and certifications, if you enjoy coding, becoming a software developer will help you land jobs regardless of your location.
A digital nomad programmer’s core role consists of designing, building, maintaining, and testing software systems for companies. They can build from websites to applications, depending on their skills.
Software developer responsibilities:
- Produce clean and efficient code that fulfills specifications
- Integrate software components and third-party programs
- Work with various customers and departments on technical issues
Average salary: $54 per hour
How to get started as a software developer? Software development is a vast world. There are many types of programming languages, so firstly, you need to choose which one of these you want to learn and start doing programming courses or pursuing a degree.
4. Graphic Designer
Graphic design is the perfect career for those creatives that want to become a freelancer nomad. It’s the type of job you can take anywhere; all you need is a couple of design programs and your laptop.
Graphic designers use technology to create visual communications for companies. Your core job is to translate ideas into visual aesthetic designs.
Graphic designer responsibilities are:
- Create logos and other brand collaterals
- Design promotional materials such as posters, illustrations, social media posts, etc.
- Conceptualize visuals based on requirements.
Average salary: $35 per hour
How to get an online job as a graphic designer? If you have no experience working as an online graphic designer, freelancing is the best way to get started. Start gaining experience and clients, and then analyze if you want to stay working as a freelancer or start pitching your services to companies. The most important factor here is experience.
5. Social Media Manager
Social media managers are in charge of interacting with people on social media. They focus on increasing a company’s online visibility through likes, comments, and other visual strategies.
A social media manager’s responsibilities are:
- Analyze engagement data
- Identify trends in customer interactions
- Build digital campaigns
Average salary: $25 per hour
How to get started as a social media manager? Being a social media manager isn’t as easy as portrayed in Emily in Paris. You need to understand how social media works and evolves and, most importantly, how to create strategies. For this, it is best to look out for online courses. Websites such as Udemy, Coursera, Skillshare, and Hubspot are some options where you can find a social media course.
6. Video Creator – YouTuber
Becoming a successful video creator is not easy, but it’s one of the most profitable careers you can have as a digital nomad.
It requires a lot of extra work, especially at the beginning, so if you want to make online money fast, this isn’t for you. But with patience, editing, and storytelling skills, you can become a famous YouTuber.
The key here is to have a niche topic. Traveling is one of the most popular ones, but if you’re good at something like cooking, fixing cars, or anything else, you can build a channel around that. Or even inspirational content, the options are limitless.
As a video creator, you’re main responsibilities are:
- Build a script that helps you define your main idea
- Asamblea raw footage and use modern editing techniques
- Insert sound, music, and special effects
Average salary: $27
How to get started as a video creator? Usually, to land a job as a video creator, you need a degree in fields related to film or communications. However, there are thousands of courses teaching you how to use tools such as Adobe Premier.
7. Location Independent Entrepreneur
If you want to become your own boss while traveling and working without a centralized location, then entrepreneurship can be your solution.
While it’s not easy to build and maintain a location-independent business, it’s also not impossible. As a location independent, you can run your business from anywhere. However, you need to be organized and create a business plan.
Your responsibilities vary depending on what type of business you own. But what is the same for all businesses is building goals, metrics, and a plan to help you reach those goals.
Learn more about becoming a remote business owner.
Average salary: $29 per hour
How to get started? The first step is to know what you want to sell or offer. After that, planification starts, but it’s important for entrepreneurs to have a viable business idea.
8. Online Language Teacher
Among the nonsuch digital nomad jobs that pay well, teaching languages online is one of them.
As an online language teacher, you’ll have to teach your students how to talk and write in your native language (or a language you manage perfectly). In some cases, people want classes to speak fluently. In others, they are more focused on grammar, so this will depend on your skills and what you teach best.
As an online language teacher, your responsibilities are:
- Diagnosed learning needs
- Prepare lessons and educational content
- Track students progress
Average salary: $15 per hour
How to get started as an online language teacher? This will depend on the language you want to teach, but teachers are required to have certain certifications in some countries. For example, if you want to become an English teacher likely you’ll need to have the TEFL or CELTA.
9. SEO Specialist
An SEO specialist is one of the high-paying digital nomad jobs. While companies require content writers and social media managers to produce content, they equally need an SEO specialist to make this content visible to Google’s eyes.
Basically, an SEO specialist focuses on testing and changing websites to optimize them for search engines. So, when people look for the product or services they offer, the website appears among the top results.
An SEO specialist’s main responsibilities are:
- Identify strategies to increase the number of visitors to a website
- Perform ongoing keyword research
- Analyze a websites analytics
Average salary: $24 per hour
How to get started as an SEO specialist? SEO is a field that it’s continually changing. You don’t need a degree to become a specialist, but you need to continue educating on the latest trends. And use the basic tools such as Google Analytics to help you have a panorama of a website’s situation.
10. Consultant
Being a consultant basically means earning money by sharing your experience and expertise.
For example, you could be a marketing guru and help companies build the right marketing strategies to get more clients. Or you could be a finance consultant, helping companies or individuals to create a financial plan.
Anything you’re good at teaching and that people are willing to pay makes you a consultant.
The main responsibilities of a consultant are:
- Conducting research to understand a business situation
- Analyze statistics
- Build short and long term plans
Average salary: $40
How to get started? The easiest way is to increase your online visibility. It could be with a Tik Tok or Instagram account where you share knowledge on a specific area. This could lead people to get in touch with you and pay you for your services. Or you can build a website and send it to companies so they can better understand what you can do for them.
How Much Can You Earn As A Digital Nomad
In reality, digital nomads can actually earn as much as they want to, depending on the profession they choose.
A digital nomad salary is similar to what a stationed employee would earn, but if you’re a digital nomad entrepreneur, there’s no limit to what you can earn. Let’s see what the current digital nomad salary range for an employee is.
- According to FlexJobs studies, one in five digital nomads makes between $50,000 and $99,000 a year. Generally, remote workers make between $10 and $30 per hour.
- According to SDC International Shipping, digital nomads in the marketing industry earn about $40,000 and $99,000 a year.
- 38% of American digital nomads earn over $75,000 per year while enjoying a lower cost of living according to Project Untethered.
Take Off With A Digital Nomad Top-Paying Job
You don’t need to confine your travel-savvy self within 4 walls of boredom. Get out of that stereotypical trap if you want to explore the world beyond your world. There’s a lot more to see, experience, and feel. Land yourself one of the amazing digital nomad jobs mentioned above, and tell us where you’re off to next?
