11 Awesome Jobs That Require Travel

Have a dream of travelling the world? Most of us can’t afford to just quit our jobs and spend years exploring all of the wonders that the world has to offer, at least not until we’re well into our 50s or 60s.

But what if you had a job that required you to travel around the world? What if you could see the world while still getting paid?

Here are 11 kick-ass jobs that involve travel around the world and how you can land one of them yourself:

1. Flight Attendant

As far as travel jobs go, becoming a flight attendant is highly accessible and doesn’t require any highly specialized training or education. While flight attendants do spend a lot of their travel time in planes and airports, flight attendants also get free/discounted flights for their friends and family.

Salaries for flight attendants can be fairly respectable as well, though it varies a lot depending on the airline, experience level, and your country of origin.

Training/education required: High school diploma or GED. People skills, language skills, and looking presentable will increase your chances of getting hired.

2. Working On A Cruise Ship

No, you don’t need to know anything about boats to work on a cruise ship. Cruise ships are essentially floating cities, and like regular cities, they need people to fill almost any role imaginable. Here are some of the positions available on cruise ships:

• Waiter/Waitress
• Bartender
• Line cook
• Chef
• Casino dealers
• Masseuse
• Cleaning & maintenance personnel
• Hotel manager
• Cruise director
• Performer
• Dancer
• Musician
• Sound technician
• Production manager
• Electrician
• Diving instructor
• Childcare worker
• Security guard

This is just a short list of the jobs available on cruise ships – there are plenty more specialized positions available depending on the cruise line and what they’re looking for at the moment.

As a crew member on a cruise ship, you’ll have the opportunity to meet other adventurous crew members, travel to tropical destinations all over the world, and have your room and board paid for.

Training/education required: Depends on the position, but there are plenty of positions on a cruise ship that doesn’t require any special training or education.

3. Yacht Crew

Don’t want to work on a floating city? If you know a little bit about sailing, you can always join a Yacht crew. Rich folks are always looking for good men and women for their yachts, and working on a yacht crew will allow you to travel the world in style – though not with as much style as the ultra-rich yacht owners you’ll be working for.

Training/education required: Sailing experience likely required.

4. ESL Teacher

With English being one of the most spoken languages in the world, there’s a strong demand for ESL teachers all over the world – especially in Asia. The most popular and best paying destinations include Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Popular non-asian destinations include countries in Central and South American countries.

Contract terms will vary from 6 months to 1 year, though you can certainly stay longer if you want to. This isn’t one of those jobs where you travel around constantly, but the longer stints will really allow you to experience the local culture.

Training/education required: Will vary depending on the destination and the position. Some positions only require a high school diploma in an English speaking country, though most require a bachelor’s degree. Some positions will also require TESL certification and/or a Master’s in education.

5. Airline Ready Reserve Agent

This is usually a minimum wage position, but there is virtually no barrier to entry and it can often involve international travel. Airline ready reserve agents are customer support personnel who assist passengers in resolving complaints, making arrangements within the airport, issuing upgrades, and handling certain paperwork.

Training/education required: High school diploma or GED.

6. Freelance/Remote Developer

Despite Yahoo’s recent gaffe in slashing remote work arrangements, the trend among technology companies has been to allow more and more developers to work remotely. In many cases, companies will even allow developers to work from another country. Sites like Odesk and Elance also give developers a simple way to land work as freelancers.

Training/education required: An computer science/IT degree, depending on the position.

7. Au Pair

An au pair works as a nanny as well as a housekeeper, usually for wealthy families. There are plenty of wealthy ex-pats living in exotic destinations who want someone with a Western upbringing and education to help look after their children.

Again, this isn’t one of those jobs that require travel on a constant basis, but if you’re lucky, you might end up with a generous family and get to experience some of the luxuries of the ultra-rich.

Training/education required: Depends entirely on the family’s requirements, but a background in childcare is usually a strong asset. You can apply as an au pair through an agency in the country where you want to live. Check out The International Au Pair Association‘s website to get started.

8. Tour Guide

When people think tour guide, they often think of showing people around their home city. But if you’re an avid traveler with a passion and thirst for knowledge, you can be just as valuable showing people a world far from your home country.

If you’re in a foreign country where you have a tremendous passion for the local culture, food, music, and people, you can definitely land a position as a local tour guide, though you might have to learn the local language. Anothor option is to start as a freelance tour guide, though that will require some entrepreneurial savvy.

Training/education required: A knowledge of the local area and culture, and knowledge of the local language.

9. Freelance Photographer/Writer

If you want true freedom and a career that involves travel, consider becoming a freelance photographer or writer. No, you won’t have an employer handing you a steady paycheck, but if you can build a strong reputation for delivering quality work, you’ll have no shortage of paying clients.

The difficulty here is getting started. It takes time to build a client base, and even more time to develop the skills to be truly great at your craft.

The best way to get going is to start doing freelance photography and writing on the side while you’re working at your regular job. Start submitting your work to magazines and online publications until you start gaining a solid reputation and a steady stream of work.

Training/education required: No formal education/training required, but writing/photography skills and some entrepreneurial hustle are required.

10. Travel Nurse

Registered nurses are in such high worldwide demand that a whole industry has sprung up around providing travelling jobs for nurses. If you’re a nurse who wants to travel the world, consider applying to be a travel nurse. Your agency will send you on short contracts to various parts of the world, and they’ll usually pay for your room and board.

The downside is that you’ll have a bit less career stability, and you might have to move just as you’re putting down roots in a new city. But if you’re a nurse who’s looking for adventure and an opportunity to travel, becoming a travel nurse is your best bet.

Training/education required: Nursing degree.

11. Navy Sailor

No matter how poor the economy is doing, the military is always looking for a few good men (and the occasional woman) to work in ports, on ships, and submarines.

If you’re young and adventurous, the navy might be the place for you. Best of all, signing up for a navy stint offers the opportunity to develop useful career skills on the government’s dime. Of course, there’s always the risk of being sent to a war zone.

Training/education required: Training is provided, but some positions may require a degree.