If you are a freelancer or remote worker who intends to move your laptop, job, and possessions overseas, you are joining an increasing number of people who are digital nomads!
The digital nomad lifestyle offers countless opportunities to improve your work-life balance, whether your goal is to manage a client’s SEO strategy while enjoying a smoothie at a beachside cafe in Bali or design logos from a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.
Searching for the top digital nomad jobs? You’re lucky! Continue reading to discover the definition of a digital nomad job, typical digital nomad employment, and where to begin your job search!
Location-independent tasks that may be performed anywhere in the world are known as digital nomad jobs. Without being restricted to a desk or bound by the conventional 9–5 schedule, they let you enjoy the freedom to work and travel. Under the correct circumstances, any profession may become a digital nomad career!
To encourage you to seek a life as a digital nomad, the following professions span a variety of industries and skill levels.
1. SEO specialist
Tools to know: Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google Trends, Ahrefs, Semrush, Mangools, Hubspot, Moz
Average hourly pay: $50-$150+ USD/hr
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is vital for companies to grow their online presence. SEO specialists work with businesses to propose solutions to optimize their digital content and reach potential customers.
SEO specialists need to understand user search intent, how search engines work, and have a strong understanding of content strategies. SEO can often feel like detective work and usually appeals to people who are analytical, curious, and skilled at creative problem-solving.
2. Social media manager
Tools to know: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Canva, Hootsuite
Average hourly pay: $25-$100+ USD/hr
Do you consider yourself a social media whiz? Love building and engaging communities? As a Social Media Manager, you’ll shape a company’s social strategy, stay on top of trends, and understand consumer behavior. Your role also includes nurturing the brand’s community to boost loyalty, engagement, and sales—this takes charm, people skills, and a good understanding of consumer psychology!
Social media managers can work on a freelance consultant basis or in-house as a full-time remote employee.
3. Front-end developer
Tools to know: Bootstrap, programming languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), Wordpress, Git, Angular
Average hourly pay: $40-$80+ USD/hr
Front-end developers are responsible for creating the face of websites and apps. They use coding to ensure the user interface (UI) is efficient, organized, and usable. Unlike web designers who are focused on the look and feel of a site or app through fonts, graphics, and layout, front-end developers manage the technical aspects.
If you’re a skilled front-end developer, you can build a successful freelance career or secure a full-time fully remote position you can take anywhere.
4. Data analyst
Tools to know: R, SAS, SPSS, Tableau, Excel, Python, Power BI, SQL
Average hourly pay: $30-$60+ USD/hr
Data analysts take raw data and use it to draw important conclusions or tell a story. They can work in a variety of fields, doing everything from business analytics to social science research. Of course, quantitative skills are necessary to be a data analyst, but you’ll also need to know how to creatively present data, whether visually or written.
The software or programming language you’ll need largely depends on the field. Many data analysts are proficient in a few! Luckily, there are many free and affordable resources online to teach yourself.
5. Copywriter
Tools to know: Grammarly
Average hourly pay: $20-$50+ USD/hr
Copywriting is a very versatile field for digital nomads. Written content is needed across every industry and there are a lot of opportunities to specialize based on your interests and skills. Within business and marketing, there are opportunities for SEO and UX copywriters, business-to-business (B2B), and business-to-customer (B2C). If you have a degree or expertise in a field like medicine or law, you may work with clients to write industry-focused blogs for their practice.
Read Also: Digital Nomad Visas: A Guide to Working Remotely Abroad
In addition to having an eye for detail and a knack for grammar, flow, and storytelling, copywriters should have strong research skills. This is especially important for jack-of-all-trade writers who want to dabble in a little bit of everything.
6. Graphic designer
Tools to know: Adobe Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, XD, InDesign, After Effects), Procreate, Sketch, Affinity
Average hourly pay: $20-$150+ USD/hr
If you have an eye for typography, are plugged into current design trends, and have strong communication skills, consider working in graphic design. Graphic designers are in high demand for digital marketing and branding campaigns, with many opportunities to work on a freelance or contract basis.
Being a graphic designer is more than just creating pretty art. Designers need to be able to understand a client’s needs and ideas in order to bring their vision to life. While many graphic designers work in marketing, there are also opportunities in education, publishing, and web design.
7. Content creator
Tools to know: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, Adobe Premiere Pro, Canva
Average hourly pay: $10-$100+ USD/hr
Content creation can refer to everything from blogging to podcasting but it’s most often associated with video. Popular topics for content creators include travel, beauty reviews, cooking, and adventure sports. Although building up your channel takes time and effort, it’s a great way to earn money doing something fun once it’s established.
Pay varies by platform and may be earned through ad revenue, brand deals, or subscription plans like Patreon. Needless to say, the more engagement you have, the more you can make!
8. Photographer
Tools to know: Adobe (Lightroom, Photoshop, Portfolio), SmugMug, Wordpress, Wix, Instagram
Average hourly pay: $15-$75+ USD/hr
There are a lot of ways for digital nomad photographers to make money while traveling the world. Whether you’re a photojournalist, fine art photographer, stock photographer, or even a destination wedding photographer, all you need is a good camera and a laptop to build a business.
Most photographers work on a freelance or contract basis. Having great photo editing skills can certainly make you more marketable especially for gigs in business and advertising.
9. Project manager
Tools to know: Jira, Smartsheet, monday.com, Notion
Average hourly pay: $30-$50+ USD/hr
Where there’s a project, there’s a need for a manager! Project managers work in many fields including tech, healthcare, construction, marketing, and finance to name a few. They are responsible for making sure a project stays within the budget and deadline and monitor all the working parts as it goes from start to finish.
Project managers need to be organized, creative, analytical, and effective communicators. Being diplomatic and having some conflict resolution skills are also key when liaising with different stakeholders. You may be hired as a full-time employer or choose to freelance, choosing projects that align with your expertise and interests.
10. Virtual assistant
Tools to know: Todoist, Evernote, Clockify, Hootsuite, WeTransfer
Average hourly pay: $15-$30 USD/hr
If you have great people skills and administrative experience, working as a virtual assistant can be one of the best digital nomad jobs. As a virtual assistant, you’ll be responsible for helping clients with a wide variety of tasks, including data entry, customer support, scheduling appointments and meetings, and more. To succeed in this position, you’ll need to be highly organized and confident in multitasking.
While there are plenty of available positions for virtual assistants in the United States and Europe, you won’t need to stick around any specific location to do your job. Virtual assistants may need to be online during their client’s work day so keep time zones in mind though!
11. Business strategy coach
Tools to know: Simply.Coach, HoneyBook, Paperbell
Average hourly pay: $45-$125+ USD/hr
As a business strategy coach, you’ll advise individuals and companies on how to boost business performance and productivity. This can mean anything from organizational help to advertising strategies.
Business coaches typically have years of management experience and a proven success record. It’s ideal for experienced professionals looking to transition to a more flexible (and less stressful!) digital nomad lifestyle.
Another popular way to share your business knowledge is by creating online coaching courses through sites like Skillshare or Udemy are popular ways to share your business knowledge. While creating a course is a lot of work upfront, it leads to long-lasting passive income!
12. Translator
Tools to know: DeepL, GlobalLink, Systran
Average hourly pay: $15-$60+w USD/hr
Despite improvements in translation apps, AI still lacks the human side of language.. Professional translators are essential across fields such as healthcare, law, and publishing, although you may need certification. They’re especially vital for businesses trying to reach a global audience.
Typically, it’s best for translators to work in their native language. For example, a native English speaker fluent in Spanish (C1+) would translate Spanish texts into English. High demand translation languages are German, Arabic, French, Mandarin, and Spanish but you can certainly carve out a niche with other languages.
13. Online teacher
Tools to know: Online teaching platforms, Google Classroom, Kahoot, Quizlet
Average hourly pay: $14-$50+ USD/hr
If you have a background in education, plenty of online teaching opportunities are available. Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is popular among digital nomads and there’s a sizable market for remote English language learners. Teachers can teach through a platform or build their own businesses by attracting clients through dynamic advertising.
Certified teachers are in demand for online tutoring for K-12 students in a variety of subjects. However, regardless of your formal education and qualifications, if you have a skill others want to learn, there’s a place for you. Self-taught programmers, marketers, and artists can develop online courses or teach live workshops.
14. Podcast host
Tools to know: Adobe Audience, GarageBand, Alitu, Riverside, Patreon, Substack
Average hourly pay: $10-$60+ USD/hr
Podcasts are a great medium for aspiring content creators. They’re cheaper to produce than video, but they can still be engaging and informative. Popular podcast genres include true crime, language learning, politics, pop culture, and self-help. Podcasts typically tell a story, provide commentary or advice on a topic, or dissect current events.
Making a podcast is more than just talking. Each episode requires hours of research, writing, and editing. If you bring on guests or interviewees, you’ll need to work on making industry connections. Launching a podcast and gaining a loyal listener-base can take time but if you’re passionate about the subject, it doesn’t have to feel like work.
15. UX designer
Tools to know: Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch
Average hourly pay: $70-$160+ USD/hr
Have you ever used an app or visited a website that left you completely frustrated? Layout, functionality, and usability can make or break the way a business connects with its users. This is where UX designers come in.
Short for user experience, a UX designer researches user needs and develops a plan to better structure and present information. As a UX designer, you’ll work on improving navigation and function to make apps and websites intuitive and straightforward to use. You may also work on UI (user interface) to improve the overall look of graphics and text though this is actually a separate role.
Many UX designers work on a freelance basis but there are also permanent jobs available.
Ask your company about working remotely if you have a job; some organizations don’t mind where you work, while others might insist that you stay in the United States.
Digital nomad employment are available from a number of sources for new graduates and career changers. Start your search with these well-known websites dedicated to jobs for digital nomads, regardless of whether you’re looking for full-time work or freelance gigs:
- We work remotely
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- Remote OK
- Flexjobs
- Remote.co
Finding your ideal fit can initially be daunting because to the large number of digital nomad careers—and their continued growth. Being a digital nomad may require you to pick up new skills or pursue an entirely different line of employment, but the freedom you will experience will make the effort worthwhile.
