23 Digital Nomad Jobs (+Where to Find Them in 2023)

👉 Jump to: Digital Nomad Jobs | Where to Find Digital Nomad Jobs | Tips for How to Start a Digital Nomad Career | FAQ

One of the most commonly asked questions about the travel lifestyle is what kind of digital nomad jobs are even out there.

And, look, let’s get one thing straight out of the box:

There are many paths to living the location-independent life, and finding a traditional job as a digital nomad is just one of them. Many nomads actually prefer to start freelancing since it can be a smoother transition versus having a remote job. Others go the online entrepreneur route.

But I personally went the remote worker route and got a full-time remote job to fund my travels. To help you find your perfect remote career, this epic guide covers 23 of the most popular careers for digital nomads traveling the world.

And be sure to bookmark our digital nomad packing list for when you’re all set to go!

23 Digital Nomad Jobs You Can Pursue While Traveling

Online English Teacher

Teaching English is a popular way to travel the world. Even though you can do this in person in countries like Thailand and South Korea, you can also do this online.

An online English teacher has more flexibility to travel to different parts of the world.

One super popular platform is VIPKid, where you teach English to Chinese students using the video learning platform. Apply today and you could be earning a remote income a week from now!

Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is one of the most popular ways to get started as a digital nomad. It’s usually a freelance position that does various business tasks.

👉 Some examples of virtual assistant tasks include:

• Inbox management
• Schedule meetings
• Social media management
• Preparing reports
• Database entry
• Project management

A virtual assistant helps with any administrative work, so the business owner can have more time to do other tasks. 

👉 Check out virtual assistant jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30) (or courses on Skillshare). 

Copywriting & Content Writing

First, let’s clarify what I mean by copywriting vs content writing.

Copywriting is content written to make a sale.

Remote copywriting jobs often include writing marketing material like landing pages, emails, website copy, advertisements, and brochures.

Basically, if it ends with “Buy now” it’s copywriting.

Content writing focuses on inspiring and educating an audience and not necessarily making a sale. Content writing includes blog posts and social media captions.

Both forms of writing are useful, and every business needs copywriters and content writers. If you know how to write, there are TONS of remote opportunities these days.

👉 Check out copywriting courses on Udemy (or Skillshare). Or search for remote copywriter jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30).

Social Media Management

Social media management is another popular choice. You could manage business accounts across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

👉 Every business has slightly different needs, but primary job responsibilities include:

• Creating content like images and captions
• Scheduling content
• Analytics reporting
• Content calendars
• Responding to messages and comments
• Hashtag research

It’s also a fun way to build a community online, which is a valuable part of any business.

👉 Check out social media management jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30) (or courses on Skillshare). 

Translation

Do you know more than one language fluently? Become a translator and travel full-time while you’re at it!

You might have more success with translation work if you focus on one or two niches. (For example, legal documents or medical translation).

You could also be a proofreader and ensure that translations are accurate.

👉 Check out translation jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30) (or courses on Skillshare). 

Graphic Design

Competition in the graphic design area is fierce. If you want to stand out from the crowd, then you should make a portfolio of your best work. (I talk more about portfolios later in this post.) 

Graphic designers can make documents like advertisements, infographics, ebooks, logos, and social media graphics.

👉 Check out graphic designing jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30) (or courses on Skillshare). 

Programming

Programming requires a lot of technical skills and can take some time to learn, but there are a lot of different ways that programming can start a digital nomad career. It may be the single best skill you can acquire to ensure your long-term employability as a remote worker.

👉 Some programming jobs include:

• Web Developer
• Software Engineer
• App Developer
• AI/Machine Learning Engineer
• Cloud Engineer

Blogging

There are lots of digital nomad bloggers out there. With blogging, you can earn income through ads, brand collaborations, and affiliate marketing. 

Starting a travel blog seems like the most popular option, but you could also start blogging in other niches like food, fashion, tech, or whatever topic you find interesting.

You only need to invest in a website, hosting, and a domain name to get started.

Earning an income from blogging is a long-term strategy, as it can take some time to build an audience. I wouldn’t count on it as a great source of income in the beginning.

👉 Check out our tips for blogging for beginners, and our epic guide on how to pick a travel blog name.

Web Design

Web design is slightly different than web development. Web design may involve only creating the design and strategy while web development usually focuses on only building the website.

However, a lot of web designers do both. They design and build your website on platforms like Squarespace or WordPress.

You may or may not know how to code as a web designer. Squarespace websites don’t need coding, and there are a lot of drag-and-drop website builders on WordPress. 

👉 Check out web designing jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30) (or courses on Skillshare). 

Customer Service Representative

Digital nomad careers in customer service are an excellent way to start your journey. Remote customer service representatives are becoming an increasingly popular job with companies. 

You could help customers via phone, email, or chat. Some duties include troubleshooting tech problems, resolving customer complaints, answering customer inquiries, and selling products.

👉 Check out customer service jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30) (or courses on Skillshare). 

SEO Specialist

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s the process of getting websites ranked on the first page of search engines like Google or Bing.

SEO is an exciting world since the rules are always changing. Google is continuously making updates that SEO specialists will need to stay informed about these changes.

Companies are willing to pay you for SEO expertise since having their website on the first page of Google or Bing will lead to increased traffic, which could ultimately lead to more sales. Out in the nomad world, you’ll find lots of SEOs who travel full time.

👉 Check out SEO jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30) (or courses on Skillshare). 

Online Ads Specialist (PPC/Facebook Ads)

Another lucrative option is online advertising. If you know how to run ads on platforms like Google, Facebook, or Instagram, then you have a valuable skill for many businesses.

You could find work in this area, or you could take it one step further and create an ad agency.

👉 Check out online ads jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30) (or courses on Skillshare). 

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a popular option for influencers, bloggers, and content creates. You promote a product on your blog or social media channels, and if a person buys it, then you get a commission. 

It’s a passive income option, but it’s a hard one to accomplish. You need to create a large audience first. It takes time to build a brand, or to rank an affiliate site on Google, and it is a lot of effort over the long term.

So don’t expect becoming an influencer to be a get-rich-quick scheme.

👉 Check out affiliate marketing jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30) (or courses on Skillshare). 

Email Marketing

Another popular marketing niche is email marketing.

👉 Businesses need help with many email marketing tasks like:

• Segmenting email lists
• Newsletter creation
• Making email funnels
• Increasing their opening rates

Popular email marketing software includes MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, and MailerLite. Learning how to use the software and creating email campaigns can make you a successful email marketing specialist. 

👉 Check out email marketing jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30) (or courses on Skillshare). 

Consulting

A business consultant is another remote work option. A consultant analyzes a business, seeks room for improvement, and create action steps to help companies to perform better.

👉 A consultant can specialize in a lot of different fields like:

• Environmental issues
• Efficiency
• Marketing
• HR
• Security
• E-commerce
• Finances

Consulting is a job where it’s easier to find work if you specialize in one field. The possibilities for consulting are seemingly endless

eCommerce

eCommerce is an online store. There are a lot of ways to set-up an online store and make money from it.

👉 Some popular eCommerce examples include:

• Dropshipping (You sell products on your website, but the inventory is kept and shipped from a manufacturer’s warehouse)
• Sell products on platforms like Etsy
• Print-on-demand shop
• Amazon FBA Seller

Dropshipping stores and Amazon FBA seem to be the most popular location independent jobs in the eCommerce world. 

👉 Check out eCommerce/dropshipping jobs on Flexjobs (use code SAVE30) (or courses on Skillshare). 

Podcast Manager

It almost seems like every business has a podcast these days. It’s good news if you have the skills to produce and manage a podcast.

👉 A podcast manager could end up with any of the following responsibilities:

• Audio editing
• Writing show notes
• Podcast script writing
• Finding guests for the podcast
• Managing the editorial calendar
• Designing show graphics
• Promoting the podcast
• Forming brand sponsorships

There’s a lot of work involved in getting a podcast out into the world, and if you have the right equipment, you can take it on the road with you.

Bookkeeper/Accountant

You could offer your services as a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions for a business.

It’s a little different than an accountant. Accountants usually interpret and analyze financial data.

Both of these jobs can become remote work if you have the skillset for it.

Coaching

Similar to consulting, there are a lot of different coaches out there. Coaching is different from consulting. Coaching involves mentoring someone in a specific field for that person to achieve a personal or professional goal.

👉 Some popular coaching niches include:

• Fitness
• Mindset
• Executive
• Career
• Relationship
• Life/Personal Development

Pretty much any industry can have a coaching job. There are even video game coaches.

If you specialize in something, then consider becoming a coach and helping others become better people or professionals

Travel Agent

Travel agents can sometimes work for agencies, but they can also freelance and find their clients. They can even travel full time!

Travel agents can help clients plan their vacation and assist in buying tickets, hotels, and tours.

A lot of travel agents find success by niching their expertise to a specific geographic area.

Course Creator

Creating online courses is one of the popular remote jobs that you can do. It takes a lot of time to create a class, but it can make you a lot of passive income.

There are two ways to publish your course. You can post in places like Udemy, or you can host your class on your website. 

Udemy has a broad audience already, so it doesn’t take much work to find people interested in your course.

You could earn more money by hosting your course, but it could take a lot of time and effort to build an audience on your own.

Community Manager

Community management is like a blend of customer service and social media management, but it deserves its spot on this list. 

A community manager is responsible for engaging with a business’s online community. It can either be in Facebook groups or responding to comments on social media channels. 

Editor

There are a lot of different remote jobs that involve editing.

Some examples include:

• Video editing
• Audio editing
• Copy editing
• Proofreading

If you have a keen eye for detail and can give constructive feedback, then you might enjoy this type of job.

Where to Find Digital Nomad Gigs

One of the biggest struggles with becoming location-independent is where to find digital nomad jobs. There are a few ways of accomplishing this, and it all depends on what will work best for you. To start, bookmark our list of the best digital nomad job sites to help you get going.

Here are my four tips for finding your desired gig:

1. Use Remote Job Websites

You can always find a job the good old-fashioned way and look at job boards. You might find success in familiar online job boards like Monster or CareerBuilder. I managed to get a remote job from a listing on Indeed. However, you might have more success by focusing on job boards that are solely focused on digital nomad jobs. It’s a lot easier to find remote jobs this way.

I wrote a full list of digital nomad job boards worth checking out, but here are our top 3 favorite sites:

FlexJobs

FlexJobs is our top pick for finding remote work. They investigate every role that gets posted to ensure that it’s a legitimate job and not a scam. 

👉 Pro Tip: If you want an in-depth look into FlexJobs, check out our full FlexJobs review.

FlexJobs is also way more than just a job board. There are also services like:

1. Career tips
2. Weekly Q&A Coaching
3. Resume Review
4. Email notification on new jobs

FlexJobs even finds job opportunities from countries outside the USA, which makes it internationally-friendly.

👉 Special Offer: You can try out FlexJobs and get a 30% discount by using this link and the promo code “SAVE30”.

Jobspresso

Jobspresso makes our list because it’s free to sign up. You can find digital nomad-friendly jobs here in different industries, including marketing, customer service, project management, writing, sales, and more.

There’s also an option to upload your resume so employers can find you. It’s simple to use Jobspresso and find something that works for you.

We Work Remotely

We Work Remotely claims they are the largest remote work community in the world. It’s the ultimate source for remote jobs, and you can find a lot of high-quality full time digital nomads jobs here.

The downside is that jobs on We Work Remotely may get competitive. It’s not unheard of for a job listing to get over 100 applications on the first day.

2. Ask Your Current Employer If You Can Work Remotely

You might be in a situation where you love your job, but you hate being stuck in a cubicle every day. You could ask your employer about the possibility of taking your job remotely.

It won’t work for every job position, and it may depend on your company culture if you can pull this off. 

It wouldn’t hurt to ask either way. The worst your employer can say is no.

You should present a strong case. Here are some questions that your employer might ask and you should have answers for them:

• How will you stay in contact with your team? (Email? Conference calls? What will work for you in the long term?)

• What are the benefits to the company if you work remotely? (Some studies suggest productivity boosts when working from home)

• Could we do a trial period? (Your employer might be more open to letting you work from home one day a week instead of for months on end. Start slow and then increase your remote working days as you prove that you can still be productive)

3. Networking

Networking is a tried and true method for finding a new job. One survey said 85% of employees used networking to fill positions.

The same goes for finding location-independent jobs. People are more likely to hire someone they know to fill remote positions.

So how can you use networking to find digital nomad jobs?

These are a couple of tips on how to network:

First, start with who you already know.

Do you have any former employers or co-workers who are working remotely? Or maybe you have a family member who seems to know everyone in the industry.

Get in contact with these people and let them know you are looking to work remotely. They might be willing to help you with finding digital nomad jobs. 

Next, remember the goal of networking is to form relationships.

If you start a conversation by asking for a job, you might be doing it wrong. Get to know a person and their career, connect with them on LinkedIn, and follow-up occasionally.

In the long run, this person could remember you when it’s time to hire a new employee.

Tips for How to Start a Digital Nomad Career

So you found a digital nomad job that is perfect for you. Yet remote jobs are far more competitive compared to traditional employment.

How do you make yourself stand out from the crowd?

Here are a few of my tips on how to get hired:

Create a Portfolio

Depending on your field, a portfolio is a great way to differentiate yourself from everyone else. Even if an employer doesn’t ask for it, send it anyway. 

I have a writing portfolio that has gotten me multiple interviews. I’ve had people tell me that my portfolio is what got me the interview.

Select some of your best work and compile it. You can create a website to showcase it or put it all together on a PDF.

If you don’t have any work to make a portfolio, then start making mock-ups. If you want to be a web designer, create a few example website pages to put in your portfolio.

It does help a potential employer see what you are capable of doing.

Work That Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a short and sweet speech about who you are and your skills. 

It should be 20-30 seconds long. Don’t make the mistake of giving your whole life story because no one cares (Sorry, it’s true). It should provide a brief overview of how your unique skills can benefit a company.

Every interview has the question, “Tell me about yourself,” and an effective elevator pitch can help you showcase why an employer should hire you. 

Customize Your Resume and Cover Letter

When it comes to your resume, it may be overkill to customize it for every job opportunity. It’s especially true if the job has similar skills. 

However, it can be helpful to tweak it occasionally. You should focus on how the job needs your specific skill set.

Some employers use an applicant tracking system that filters for keywords. It may be beneficial to edit your resume to use the same keywords that that job description uses. It can help you get your application noticed.

Cover letters should always be unique to the company. 

Take the time to learn about the company’s mission and values and address that in your cover letter. You should also showcase the results that you’ve gotten for past employers to help you stand out.

Full-time jobs that let you travel full-time are competitive but attainable with effort!

Prepare for a Video Interview

More often than not, your interview will happen over video. Employers like to know you are a real person, and seeing a face helps with establishing a connection. 

Sometimes it’s a phone call, but you should prepare for a video interview. It means that you should check that your internet connection is strong enough to handle video streaming, and your microphone is working. 

The good news is that you only need to look professional from the waist up. (Hello, sweatpants.)

FAQs About Digital Nomad Jobs

***

That’s it for our epic guide to digital nomad jobs! Want to know more about becoming a digital nomad? Check out this guide to productivity tips for digital nomads.

Happy nomad’ing!