Best Digital Nomad Jobs: 25 Options to Consider Right Now

The life of a digital nomad is one filled with freedom and flexibility.

Reviewed by Chris Leitch

Best Digital Nomad Jobs

Some generations ago, hearing the word “nomad” would bring to mind groups of people that had no permanent home, drifting from one place to the next to earn a living, and from pasture to pasture to feed their animals.

In the digital age, however, the same word paints an entirely different mental image. It brings to mind plane tickets, freeways, coffee shops and laptops.

If that’s the lifestyle you’re envisioning for yourself (the latter, that is — we currently offer no advice on achieving the first!), read on… We’ll be discussing how you can go about making your dream a reality, as well as outlining 25 remote jobs that lend themselves well to the wanderer’s life.

What is a digital nomad?

A digital nomad is a working professional that makes use of the internet and technology to carry out their daily tasks. Instead of commuting to a fixed location every morning, they work on the go: from coffee shop to coffee shop, from coworking space to coworking space — and, very often, from city to city.

What do digital nomad jobs need?

Digital nomad jobs are jobs that can be carried out entirely remotely, like graphic design gigs. Sometimes, though, it may be possible to land or create a role that requires you to move around, such as travel writing.

As such, what you’ll need in terms of equipment will vary depending on your role. Broadly speaking, you’ll most likely have to start with a reliable laptop and a smartphone, and add extra equipment that’s specific to your role — a digital camera and image editing software if you’re planning to work as a photographer, for example.

More generally, regardless of your industry, you could probably benefit from accessories such as ergonomic backpacks, mobile hotspots, noise-canceling headphones and universal travel adapters — depending on how far you intend to go.


25 best digital nomad jobs

In need of some ideas before you start your digital nomad journey? Here are 25 jobs to consider.

1. Customer service representative

Customer Service Representative

Average salary: $18.16/hour

This can be a good place to start if you don’t have a lot of previous experience in another field — or if you have worked in a specific industry for years and have grown tired of it.

There will always be companies out there who’ll need representatives to appease angry customers and maintain good relationships with the rest of their client base.

2. Graphic designer

Graphic Designer

Average salary: $27.88/hour

If you’re the artistic kind, you could invest in a drawing tablet, a powerful laptop and some design software, and work as a freelance designer while traveling the world.

Creating a profile on an online job marketplace such as Fiverr can help you quickly get started, and so can uploading your work onto your own professional social media profiles and dedicating some time to online networking.

3. Social media manager

Social Media Manager

Average salary: $66.70/hour

Social media managers are in charge of handling social media accounts on behalf of their clients. If you have some experience creating, scheduling and sponsoring content, then this could be a great role for you.

An analytical mind, attention to detail and a dose of creativity are all qualities and skills you’ll need to demonstrate in order to stand out.

4. Content writer

Content Writer

Average salary: $35.17/hour

Every website you visit, from news sites to social media sites and everything in between, has some type of content on it. Behind it, usually, will be a content writer, responsible for making it sound as unique and attention grabbing as possible to help boost user engagement.

If you have a background in creative writing, English or a related major, this could be the perfect digital nomad job for you.

5. Data entry clerk

Data Entry Clerk

Average salary: $18.61/hour

Data entry clerks are chosen for their time management and organizational skills, and fast, accurate typing skills. They are tasked with compiling and sourcing information, such as customer data, and maintaining digital databases.


6. Virtual assistant

Virtual Assistant

Average salary: $21.19/hour

Virtual assistants often take on similar tasks as administrative assistants, only they do so in a virtual setting. Remotely, they take care of answering emails and phone calls, preparing reports, organizing digital files, and scheduling trips and meetings on behalf of their client.

7. Online tutor

Online Tutor

Average salary: $21.55/hour

If there is a subject that you know really well, be that English literature or music theory, you could teach online for a living from anywhere in the world.

With so many online tutoring platforms out there, such as Preply, getting started shouldn’t be too difficult — or you could even go solo and find your own students through networking and social media.

8. Copyeditor

Copyeditor

Average salary: $35.14/hour

Spelling mistakes in advertisements can slash away at a company’s potential sales numbers: they can make products (and consequently their creators) appear untrustworthy. They have a similar discrediting effect in different contexts, too, such as in press releases and news articles.

That’s why copyeditors are essential: they can help maintain a person’s or company’s reputation from going down the drain.

9. SEO specialist

SEO Specialist

Average salary: $37.92/hour

Search engine optimization is a process that enables digital content to become more “visible” on search engines like Google and Bing.

SEO specialists edit existing content (such as blog posts) or create new content, paying attention to things like keywords, titles and meta descriptions, helping it rank higher on the search results page.

10. Web developer

Web Developer

Average salary: $42.11/hour

Web developers create websites and web applications that look good and are easy to navigate. Front-end developers are tasked with designing and coding what the users actually see, while back-end developers are responsible for ensuring proper functionality.

Besides encoding website designs, web developers also test and debug pages to eliminate errors.

11. Programmer

Programmer

Average salary: $49.42/hour

Programmers are experts in using programming languages, such as C++ and Python, to bring projects to life, like computer applications. To land a role in programming, you’ll also typically need to demonstrate critical thinking ability, an analytical mind and sharp attention to detail.

12. Business consultant

Business Consultant

Average salary: $45.81/hour

If you’ve worked for a few years and have extensive experience under your belt, you might be able to start your own consultancy and advise emerging or established companies on becoming more efficient and successful.

This path will require you to network and take your own personal branding seriously, since you’ll always need new clients to fill in the spot of older ones once you’ve worked your magic with them!

13. Photographer

Photographer

Average salary: $19.31/hour

Whether you enjoy shooting professional portraits or prefer to take pictures of famous landmarks, landscapes or wildlife, making a living as a photographer is possible — if you market your work right.

A personal blog or professional social media accounts can help you generate income on top of any printed image sales you make.

14. Online personal trainer

Online Personal Trainer

Average salary: $21.82/hour

Online personal trainers take on clients over the internet and work with them until they’ve achieved their fitness and lifestyle goals.

They put together fitness programs which their clients can follow in the gym or at home, and may provide videocall-based instruction or regular meetings to adjust their programs based on client needs and progress.

15. Recruitment specialist

Recruitment Specialist

Average salary: $30.88/hour

Working as a freelance recruiter lends itself well to the digital nomad lifestyle; it won’t tie you down anywhere! Your job will require you to assist employers in acquiring the best talent for their team based on their criteria for each vacancy as well as their company culture overall.


16. Email marketer

Email Marketer

Average salary: $66.70/hour

Email marketers need two things to do their job: a computer and a stable internet connection. By creating and optimizing email templates, content and buttons, email marketers help their clients establish a better connection with their audience and drive more sales.

17. Translator

Translator

Average salary: $25.79/hour

Though Google Translate and ChatGPT are able to translate text, AI still cannot contextualize the content it “reads”, often doing a good job at literal translations and a bad job at localizing the copy.

That’s great news for multilinguals — their linguistic know-how is still invaluable, and can be utilized to land remote translator gigs from anywhere in the world.

18. Transcriptionist

Transcriptionist

Average salary: $16.70/hour

Though transcriptionist roles aren’t as abundant as, say, accounting or legal roles, it’s still possible to find work in this field. You’ll be tasked with listening to audio files or watching video files and transcribing everything you can hear, sending it back to your clients in text form.

19. Content moderator

Content Moderator

Average salary: $17.84/hour

With more than 1 billion websites on the web and some 5 billion internet users around the globe, the high demand for content moderators isn’t going to drop any time soon.

In a nutshell, these people are responsible for checking user-generated content on behalf of their clients (such as social media platforms) and ensuring it adheres to their community guidelines.

20. Blogger

Blogger

Average salary: $24/hour

Running a blog can really pay off… Possibly more than you think. According to Wix.com, within the first year, bloggers can make up to $2,000 a month, an amount that can eventually easily surpass $8,000 for successful blog owners.

So, if you have a way with words, are able to find your own profitable niche, and know a thing or two about promoting your content online, this could be the right path for you.


21. Video editor

Video Editor

Average salary: $30.01/hour

Another role for the creative type! If you’re proficient in using video editing software and have a strong portfolio, you can land freelance gigs and help people around the world produce eye-catching content for their social media pages and websites.

22. Journalist

Journalist

Average salary: $26.90/hour

Though journalists have a profession that can easily be done remotely, remote journalism roles can be a little hard to find. Still, media organizations do offer both freelance and contracted positions that aren’t tied to specific physical locations.

So, if you like to write and have an investigative disposition, this could be the right role for you.

23. Technical writer

Technical Writer

Average salary: $38.44/hour

Technical writing is considered by many a rather boring job. That’s because you’re required to take complex technical information (such as how to use a piece of software), read it, understand it, and then rewrite it in layman’s terms.

Technical writers are the ones responsible for creating user manuals, how-to guides, diagrams and other supporting documents. “Dry”, maybe — but it certainly pays well!

24. Bookkeeper

Bookkeeper

Average salary: $22.05/hour

Though bookkeeping might not be the first profession you’d associate with remote working, it can easily be done from a distance.

Bookkeepers record daily financial transactions and maintain accurate records of their clients’ financial data, both payable and receivable, ensuring it’s all balanced and complies with legal requirements.

25. Data analyst

Data Analyst

Average salary: $49.76/hour

Data analysts work in a diverse range of industries, from business and finance to medicine and criminal justice. Their job is to collect and interpret data to uncover insights regarding a problem and, hopefully, arrive at a solution.

If you come from a math or computer science background, or any background that’s allowed you to build your analytical and statistical thinking, this could be the role for you.

Key takeaways

Some job boards, like Remote.co, are dedicated to remote working exclusively. Signing up for job alerts on a site like this can make it easier to find digital nomad jobs that suit your skill set, professional background and salary expectations.

Before you start the search, remember:

  • In many fields, fully remote full-time roles are on the decline — you might need to juggle two part-time roles or multiple freelance gigs to make the digital nomad dream work.
  • Fields such as software development, virtual assistance, project management and content creation often have the highest number of remote opportunities available.
  • If you’re going down the freelancing path, a strong personal brand and a consistent online presence can make the job hunt easier.

Can you think of any other jobs for digital nomads? Let us know in the comments section below!