Getting paid to see
other parts of the country—or even the world—is more than just a possibility.
It's a reality for
millions of working professionals.
In fact, jobs that
allow you to travel are often easier to find than you might realize. You just
need good examples of what to look for while exploring your career options.
Here's proof that
travel is a common feature of many paid positions: In 2014, domestic and
international business travelers accounted for about 30.5 percent of all direct
spending on travel by American residents. Collectively, those professionals
spent $283 billion on travel and logged more than 450 million trips for
job-related purposes.*
Jobs That Involve
Traveling
Jobs that involve
traveling are fairly abundant. And they can enable you to experience a lot of
the appealing benefits that are often associated with taking trips away from
home. For example, careers with travel opportunities frequently allow people
to:
- Make new friends they never would have met
- Check out interesting restaurants they've read about or seen on TV
- Explore fascinating museums and heritage sites
- Go on unique recreational or sightseeing adventures
- Learn about different cultural customs
- Improve their overall adaptability
- Network with potential future employers, clients, or work partners
Get ready to feel
inspired by the following examples of careers that involve travel for many of
the people who have them. Some of the highest-paying travel jobs are at the top
of the list, which is ranked by average yearly wages. Each example also
includes information about the length of post-secondary education or training
that is typically required for getting started.
(Note: Where
mentioned, employment growth projections are based on estimates for the period
from 2016 to 2026.** And, unless otherwise indicated, yearly wage information
is based on national estimates from May 2017.***)
1. Film or Video
Producer
Making movies, TV
shows, commercials, and videos often requires traveling to particular locations
that offer the right scenery or settings. So being a producer in this field can
involve taking trips to check out potential locations before filming starts as
well as traveling during the actual production.
Average yearly
income—$90,770
Top-end yearly
income—$164,290 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—4 years
2. Management Analyst
or Consultant
Companies often bring
in outside consultants to help them analyze their businesses and form new
strategies for growth or cost saving. So a lot of business management
consulting firms employ professionals who get to take trips to visit clients in
locations all over the country or the world. Employment in this field is
expected to grow by 14 percent.**
Average yearly
income—$93,440
Top-end yearly
income—$152,210 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—4 years
3. Corporate,
Commercial, or Airline Pilot
Just like flight
attendants, pilots are always traveling as part of their everyday work. So
they're often able to visit cities all over the nation and, as they advance,
all over the world too. And, of course, airline pilots generally receive the
same benefit of being able to fly as a passenger in their off time at no cost.
Average yearly
income—$89,350 to $161,280
Top-end yearly
income—$152,180 to $208,000 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—2 to 4 years
4. Traveling Auditor
Whether for the
government or private organizations, many financial auditors travel from place
to place to conduct thorough inspections of their various clients' accounts.
That's why an education in accounting can eventually lead to appealing
opportunities that help you see a lot of the places you've never been.
Average yearly
income—$77,920
Top-end yearly
income—$122,220 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—4 years
5. Traveling
Registered Nurse (RN)
Hospitals and other
medical facilities often experience temporary shortages of registered nurses
because of vacations, maternity leaves, retirements, and other issues. As a
result, a whole industry exists for the placement of RNs who want to travel to
different locations and help employers fill those gaps. Typically, they are
given multiple-week assignments for each new location and also have all or some
of their housing and meals paid for. Plus, the employment of RNs, in general,
is projected to rise by 15 percent.**
Average yearly
income—$73,550
Top-end yearly
income—$104,100 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—2 to 4 years
6. Market Research
Analyst
Finding new markets
and figuring out what people are likely to pay for requires a lot of skilled
investigation. But it also frequently requires traveling to trade shows or
interesting places where new trends are starting to happen. Plus, many
marketing consulting firms pay research analysts to travel to the locations of
their different clients and help them find and tap into profitable markets. Job
opportunities in this field are projected to rise in number by 23 percent.**
Average yearly
income—$71,450
Top-end yearly
income—$122,770 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—4 years
7. Travel Writer
Tourism agencies and
travel publications, both in print and online, need a steady stream of useful
and fascinating stories to share with their readers. And some people have
achieved great success with their own travel blogs. Either way, becoming a
reputable writer in this niche can enable you to receive free or discounted
trips to many fun and distinctive places around the world.
Average yearly
income—$72,120
Top-end yearly
income—$118,760 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—2 to 4 years
8. Traveling Makeup
Artist
Many entertainers, as
well as theatrical and film production companies, hire talented makeup artists
who are willing to travel from city to city. That way, they're assured of
having a consistent level of makeup quality for each show or on-location film
shoot.
Average yearly
income—$69,310
Top-end yearly
income—$127,030 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—2 years or less
9. Music Producer
Bands and solo
musical artists usually need or prefer to have professional guidance when it
comes time to record new music. Producers give them somebody more objective to
help shape their ideas and their sound based on their project goals. Many
producers even take on some audio engineering and mixing duties. As a result,
being a music producer with a good reputation can mean receiving offers
involving travel to various studio locations (both foreign and domestic).
Average yearly
income—$81,520
Top-end yearly
income—$164,290 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—2 to 4 years
10. Sales
Representative
Selling is one of the
most valuable business skills you can have. And, in many industries, sales
representatives are frequent travelers who meet potential or established
clients and customers in all kinds of exciting locations. In some cases, they
even have special budgets that allow them to take those people out to nice
dinners or other fun outings.
Average yearly
income—$63,050 to $92,010
Top-end yearly
income—$113,310 to $157,490 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—1 to 4 years or less
11. Surveillance or
Security Manager
Large retail chains
often employ security specialists to help oversee and coordinate
theft-prevention efforts. And that can involve tasks such as setting up and
maintaining surveillance equipment as well as training loss-prevention officers
at stores in multiple regions. Plus, most large touring acts and sports teams
hire security managers with the same types of skills to prevent equipment theft
and help ensure the safety of entertainers, roadies, athletes, and coaches in
each new city.
Average yearly
income—$61,000****
Top-end yearly
income—$111,300 or more****
Typical length of
post-secondary education—2 to 4 years
12. Retail Buyer or
Purchasing Manager
Retail chains conduct
a lot of research before deciding which products to offer for sale. So their
buyers and purchasing managers often get paid to travel to various trade shows
in search of new and profitable products that customers might like.
Average yearly
income—$66,960 to $121,810
Top-end yearly
income—$103,480 to $182,780 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—4 years
13. Hotel Manager
Many global resort
and hotel chains provide management and hospitality training for their
employees in locations other than where they work. Plus, advancement
opportunities often include regular travel in order to check up on different
properties—which are frequently in some of the most beautiful or culturally
rich regions of the world.
Average yearly income—$59,620
Top-end yearly
income—$98,370 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—from less than 1 year to as many as 4 years
14. Traveling Medical
Technician or Technologist
The first two
examples listed above aren't the only careers involving travel in healthcare.
All kinds of other roles in the allied health field can provide the same
benefit. With the right qualifications and experience, cardiovascular
technologists, medical laboratory technicians, diagnostic medical sonographers,
and many other health professionals can get paid to travel. Jobs that require
their services exist in new and interesting places. And a lot of them are in
real demand. For instance, the employment of both cardiovascular techs and
medical lab techs is expected to increase by 10 percent and 14 percent,
respectively. And for medical sonographers, the projected growth rate is 23
percent.**
Average yearly
income—$41,700 to $62,440
Top-end yearly
income—$61,720 to $85,160 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—from less than 2 years to about 4 years
15. Executive
Assistant
Corporate executives,
especially at the senior level, tend to do a lot of traveling. And many of them
are involved in major international business dealings, meaning that they often
take trips overseas to exotic destinations. That's why a lot of executive
assistants have jobs requiring travel. Their high-powered employers see them as
vital contributors who help make their business trips go as smoothly as
possible.
Average yearly
income—$59,400
Top-end yearly
income—$85,280 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—from less than 1 year to 2 years or more
16. Live Sound
Engineer
Live events like big
concerts and other stage shows rely on good sound quality for their impact. So
skilled sound engineers are sought for all kinds of touring productions. They
usually travel from city to city with many other skilled roadies and help ensure
that each show leaves the audience satisfied.
Average yearly
income—$68,180
Top-end yearly
income—$125,230 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—from less than 1 year to as many as 2 years
17. Commercial Diver
Many of the world's
man-made structures are partially or fully under water—by design. They include
things like bridges, deep-sea oil drilling platforms, shipping docks, and
pipelines. So constructing, maintaining, or repairing them requires scuba
divers with special skills, including in underwater welding and underwater
photography. A lot of commercial divers get to travel for their work since each
new job is often in a whole new location—sometimes even overseas. And demand is
strong. Employment in commercial diving is anticipated to rise by 11 percent.**
Average yearly
income—$55,270
Top-end yearly
income—$96,850 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—less than 1 year
18. Restaurant
Manager
Like hotel managers,
many people who work in restaurant management get the chance to take frequent
trips for job-related reasons. That's particularly true for those who help
manage national or multi-national restaurant chains.
Average yearly
income—$57,250
Top-end yearly
income—$90,290 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training— from less than 1 year to as many as 4 years
19. Private
Investigator
Clients approach
private investigators with all kinds of cases, from suspected adultery to
missing persons to corporate fraud. As a result, travel is frequently a
necessary aspect of the job. After all, clues can lead to a lot of exciting and
unexpected places.
Average yearly
income—$55,080
Top-end yearly
income—$86,730 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—2 to 4 years
20. Millwright
When companies need
to set up large industrial machines on new job sites, they need tradespeople
with specialized skills and expertise. Millwrights help assemble, move,
calibrate, or take apart heavy equipment used in industries like manufacturing,
electrical power generation, and construction. And they typically travel from
work site to work site, spending a few weeks at each one. For some of them,
that means being able to see and experience lots of different places throughout
the course of a career. The projected rate of employment growth in this trade
is 10 percent.**
Average yearly
income—$55,290
Top-end yearly
income—$80,090 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—2 years or less (or 4-year apprenticeship)
21. Event Planner
From destination
weddings to international business conventions, special events are often a
major generator of jobs that include travel. After all, event planners might
consult with their clients in one city but end up needing to help oversee the
final arrangements in an entirely different one. The number of job
opportunities in event planning is projected to rise by 11 percent.**
Average yearly
income—$52,630
Top-end yearly
income—$82,980 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—2 to 4 years
22. Fashion Marketing
and Merchandising
Determining which
clothing and accessory lines to sell—and how to promote them to potential
customers—often involves taking fun trips to scout ideas. And fashion shows
take place in many of the world's most colorful and happening cities.
Average yearly
income—$50,390****
Top-end yearly
income—$100,000 or more****
Typical length of
post-secondary education—2 to 4 years
23. Flight Attendant
Working for an
airline can have great travel benefits, especially if you're a flight
attendant. That's because the job, by its very nature, involves traveling far
from home on a regular basis. And that often means being able to explore a
different city between your shifts. Plus, many airlines allow their flight
attendants to fly for free during their personal time when space is available
on under-sold flights. That frequently even applies to international flights,
which can help minimize vacation costs.
Average yearly
income—$52,660
Top-end yearly
income—$79,520 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—from less than 1 year to as many as 2 years
24. Journalist
Our world is full of
important and entertaining real-life stories just waiting to be told. It's why
we need journalists who have heart and integrity. Whether reporting from the
front lines of a foreign revolution or the sidelines of a big sporting event,
many talented journalists get to travel to lively places both near and far.
Average yearly
income—$51,550
Top-end yearly
income—$90,540 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—4 years
25. Traveling
Surgical Technologist
Just like traveling
RNs, many experienced surgical techs also have the opportunity to work in a
variety of locations on an interim basis. They help out in the operating rooms
of hospitals and ambulatory surgical clinics across the country. And some of
them even get the chance to travel the world with surgeons who provide
operations for disadvantaged people in developing nations. The expected growth
rate for overall surgical technology employment is 12 percent.**
Average yearly
income—$48,060
Top-end yearly
income—$67,000 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—2 years or less
26. Massage Therapist
A lot of qualified
massage therapists are able to travel and work in exciting or exotic places,
both in America and abroad. In fact, it's possible to build a fun and
adventurous career by pursuing opportunities on cruise ships, in destination
resorts, or even with professional sports teams. And employment in the massage
therapy field is expected to increase by 26 percent.**
Average yearly
income—$44,950
Top-end yearly
income—$77,470 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—from a few months to as many as 2 years
27. Commercial Truck
Driver
Many long-haul truck
drivers enjoy rolling through a variety of scenic locations from coast to
coast. Some of them even regularly cross borders and get to experience
different cultural customs while taking breaks along the way to their final
destinations.
Average yearly
income—$44,500
Top-end yearly
income—$64,000 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—3 to 6 months
28. Racing Team
Mechanic
Racecars obviously
don't fix themselves. They get tuned up by highly skilled auto technicians who
specialize in working on high-performance vehicles. And, of course,
professional racing circuits involve a lot of built-in travel. Each race is
usually in a different location, meaning that a qualified mechanic can see a
lot of the country—and sometimes foreign cities—while getting paid to do what
he or she loves.
Average yearly
income—$42,660
Top-end yearly
income—$65,430 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—6 months to 1 year or more
29. Photographer
Whether it's taking
photos for destination weddings, commercial advertising, or journalism, the
work of a professional photographer can include a lot of travel. It really just
depends on your area of focus and the reputation you've established.
Photojournalists and commercial photographers, especially, tend to get a lot of
different jobs that require travel and pay well.
Average yearly
income—$41,940
Top-end yearly
income—$75,080 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—from less than 1 year to as many as 4 years
30. Dancer or
Choreographer
From touring musical
acts to traveling theatrical shows, many job opportunities open up every year
for dancers and choreographers with dedication and talent. Plus, employment in
this area of entertainment is projected to expand by 4 percent.**
Average yearly
income—$36,816 to $52,970
Top-end yearly
income—$64,376 to $92,520 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary education—4 to 6 years
31. Tour Guide or
Travel Agent
If you're into taking
repeated trips and guiding people through enticing places, the tourism industry
has some intriguing jobs. Where you travel could include foreign sites of
historical significance or to places offering recreational adventures. You
could also work on staking out potential destinations that can be recommended
to clients who prefer professional and personalized trip-planning services.
Average yearly
income—$29,180 to $40,840
Top-end yearly
income—$45,370 to $62,320 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—1 year or less
32. Spa Practitioner
Beauty professionals
are employed in exciting locations all over the globe. As a result, having
talent and skills in cosmetology or esthetics opens up opportunities for
careers that travel the world. You could work in exotic settings like
destination spas or luxury resorts and cruise ships. Plus, in a lot of areas of
the industry, demand is quite strong. For instance, the projected employment
growth rate for nail technicians is 13 percent. And for skincare specialists,
it's 14 percent.**
Average yearly
income—$24,980 to $44,950
Top-end yearly
income—$33,050 to $77,470 or more
Typical length of
post-secondary training—less than 1 year
33. International
Teacher
English-speaking
teachers are in big demand in many foreign countries, and not just for teaching
English. In fact, many of today's opportunities are for teaching anything from
math and science to the arts. Typical contracts are for at least two years, and
employers frequently pay for your travel, housing, and insurance. So you can
save a lot of money while getting paid to live and work in a country you've
always wanted to explore. Then, once your contract is up, you can seek out an
entirely new location and keep repeating the process. It can be an
extraordinary way to see the world.
Average yearly income
(in the highest-paying countries)—$12,000 to $42,000†
Typical length of
post-secondary education—4 years
5 Appealing Benefits
of Jobs With Lots of Travel
Most people know that
going on trips for leisure is good for your health and mental well-being. But
people sometimes forget that traveling for work can also come with benefits. In
fact, the best traveling jobs offer the chance to experience many great
advantages that might not be on your radar. For example, many professionals
(including those with part-time jobs) that travel a lot get to reap benefits
such as:
1. New friendships
The social aspect is
one of the best features of many traveling jobs. (No experience is more
enriching than meeting other people that you really connect with.) A lot of
traveling professionals are able to start and maintain long-lasting friendships
with people from all kinds of different places. As a result, they often
discover more about themselves and feel more stable and grounded.
2. Memorable dining
and recreational experiences
You don't necessarily
need a high-paying travel job with a large expense account in order to enjoy
fun and interesting adventures when you're away from home. Even many
entry-level travel jobs provide opportunities for experiencing memorable
attractions. For instance, a lot of professionals come home with good stories
about eating at cool hole-in-the-wall restaurants, walking through scenic
parks, watching crazy street buskers, or visiting unique historical sites. The
recreational possibilities are frequently extensive, regardless of how much
money you're able to spend.
3. Heightened
creativity
Jobs that
TravelVising someplace new can stimulate your senses in ways that being at home
cannot. The sights, sounds, smells, and tastes may be unfamiliar to you, which
can spark positive changes in your brain that lead to more creativity. That's
why people with good traveling jobs sometimes display a higher ability to solve
problems and come up with truly original or inventive ideas.
4. Heightened empathy
and cultural awareness
This benefit isn't
necessarily a feature of all travel-related jobs. (Where you travel—and what
you do when traveling—has a significant impact on whether or not you gain a
richer understanding of other cultures.) But if you truly immerse yourself in a
culture that is different than your own, then you may begin to feel much more
connected to all of humanity. And that can help you feel more optimistic and
capable of seeing problems from a variety of different perspectives.
5. More confidence,
resilience, and adaptability
Even traveling jobs
that pay well introduce professionals to distinctive challenges and small
mishaps from time to time. From flight delays to language barriers, the
challenges that you face and overcome can help you become more confident and
resilient in all areas of life. And being adaptable can be very valuable when
it comes to landing good job opportunities and succeeding in your career over
multiple decades. After all, change is always happening.
Get a Head Start on
Your Own Journey
Clearly, jobs that
allow you to travel are plentiful. And the above examples represent only a few
of the possible options. So don't hesitate to begin pursuing your
travel-oriented future in a field you enjoy.
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