Most workers who travel as part of their jobs get to see the insides of identical conference centers from sea to shining sea. It’s exciting if you like single-serving coffee or collect hotel soaps, and less exciting if your true love is travel — the real kind, where you get to immerse yourself in a culture, however briefly, and see the world from a whole new perspective. If that’s your idea of the perfect gig, these jobs might be a good fit for you.
(Photo Credit: avgeekjoe/Flickr)
1. Flight Attendant: During working hours, flight attendants probably just see the inside of the airport and the airplane, but they do get one really amazing fringe benefit: most airlines offer their attendants free domestic and international flights, meaning that days off can take them anywhere in the world.
Median Annual Salary: $35,568
2. Aupair: Love children and want to experience day-to-day life in a foreign country the way a resident does? Aupair work might be for the perfect job for you.
Median Annual Salary: $23,775
3. Tour Guide: Tour guides can work for companies or tourist attractions, and might travel with tour groups or stay put. Either way, they should be enthusiastic public speakers and storytellers and have a natural curiosity about the subject and the ability to memorize a fairly lengthy spiel — and enough information to answer the group’s questions.
Median Annual Salary: $39,306
4. Travel Writer/Blogger:
“It’s a glamorous idea, popular enough entire courses are dedicated to the strategies of breaking into this field,” writes Cheryl Conner at Forbes. “At the end of the day, however, despite the thrill of occasional all-expenses paid travel to exotic locations, many aspects of travel writing are also mundane. Demanding editors, less-than-interesting topics and the classic challenges of a freelance occupation (feast and famine cash flow, many solitary hours and the need to be extremely self disciplined) are also de rigueur for this choice of career.”
If you still crave a chance to mix your love of writing with your passion for travel, Conner suggests trying a few sample assignments on a freelance basis, before committing to the career path.
Median Annual Salary: $45,260 (for writers, in general)
5. Destination Wedding Photographer: Most wedding photographers probably won’t be able to make a go of sticking strictly with gigs that take them to faraway places, but if you develop enough of a reputation in your field — or ally yourself with a major hotel or resort — you can move your business to paradise and earn a good living, while living the good life.
Median Annual Salary: $45,000
Tell Us What You Think
Do you travel for work? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.
I could be a wonderful travel guide or photographer!
I like it
I would be very interested in working as a traveling tour guide. I worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development and led many Congressional and Congressional staff delegations to remote parts of the world. I also served 8 years as a JAG Officer in the U.S. Army which also led to interesting travel. All in all I’ve been to or through 41 countries (25 for diplomatic or Official travel), and to/through 43 states in the U.S. I’d also like… Read more »
Me too
I’m very interested.