The digital nomad lifestyle comes with its ups and downs. One aspect many people struggle with, even before they start on their adventure, is how to make a living. You want to earn enough money to fund the lifestyle you want and begin saving cash down the road. You might have already researched ‘top paying digital nomad jobs’ but have yet to take the leap into the digital nomad life.
As a digital nomad, you have the chance to experience new places, cultures, food, etc., so you don’t want to be working around the clock. You want a job that gives you freedom but can also support you financially. We’ve compiled a list of the best digital nomad jobs that will allow you to earn what you deserve and make the most of your experience.
Note – Most of these digital nomad careers take time and hard work to start earning the big buck. If you are working as a contractor and start in an entry-level position, you can increase your rates after six months, and it will only go up from there!
Related: The Average Digital Nomad Salary in 2021
8 Top Paying Digital Nomad Jobs
We’ve gathered eight digital nomad job ideas to help you find the best career for your nomadic journey.
*Prices are estimates of what to charge at an entry-level position. If you already have experience in the area, charge more!
Website Developer
Website development is a highly sought after skill. As a Website Developer, you can charge high rates because clients will pay for their perfect website. A website is the face of a company online and can impact a business, so companies are willing to spend what they need to get their dream site. As a Website Developer, you can work with a range of clients in different industries and work from anywhere!
But what about the free sites you can make a website on? There are free website builders, where anyone can build a website, but you’re not able to specialize the site to the company’s preferences – you’re limited with what the builder gives you.
How much can I charge as a Website Developer?* $30 – 40/hour
Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistants (VA) are becoming more common, and it’s one of the best digital nomad jobs because it can involve such a variety of work. Virtual Assistants can offer a range of tasks from project management, content creation, or social media management to all the tasks a regular personal assistant would do in an office, such as email and calendar management, but online. A Virtual Assistant can make a business owner’s life easier by providing services in fields that they don’t have a lot of knowledge of or don’t have time for.
Many business owners don’t realize they need a Virtual Assistant, so it’s up to you to sell your services and show how you can help a company! Once a company realizes how much time and money they can save with a VA, word spreads quickly, and you will be able to expand your client list easily!
How much can I charge as a Virtual Assistant? $20 – 30/hour
Writer
There is a wide variety of writing skills needed in the online world. Writing jobs can range from writing blogs, social media posts, landing pages, and ebooks to writing resumes, curriculums, product documentation, and even ghostwriting books! These are just a few of many items a writer can do as a digital nomad.
A great way to narrow down the available writing jobs is to find a topic you enjoy and then look for writing jobs in that area. For example, if you love to travel, you can find a travel blogger who needs blogs written for them. Or if you enjoy writing books, there are genres to pick from that are looking for writers to make the book come to life.
A writer is one of the best remote jobs because you can do it on your own schedule. You will have deadlines to meet, but you can choose when and how you work!
How much can I charge as a Writer? $20 – 30/hour
As a writer, you can also charge per word – this usually starts at $0.10/word.
Online Business Manager
An Online Business Manager, also known as OBM, is responsible for a company or person’s online presence – they handle everything related to the digital world. For example, if a business hired a Virtual Assistant and a Graphic Designer, these two roles will report to the OBM and the OBM to the Business Owner. They ensure everything gets done correctly and on time – they keep the show rolling. If you like to keep organized in all aspects of your life and career, this could be an excellent career for you.
Since an OBM has so much responsibility and has to keep track of multiple moving parts, you can charge higher rates than a Virtual Assistant. An Online Business Manager is an investment to a company, as you will free up a business owner’s time and help move the company forward.
How much can I charge as an Online Business Manager? $40 – 50/hour
Graphic Designer
Everyone needs to use the power of design at some point in their business, but not everyone is graced with the artistic ability to do so. In the online world, anything that a potential customer might come in contact with needs to look good!
Graphic Designers can be in charge of a company’s branding and logo or design a website or social media content. They could also create promotional flyers for upcoming events or design ebooks that will be available online. The best way to get clients as a Graphic Designer is to have a portfolio to show what you can do. It’s easy to create something on Canva, but to create something unique is another skill to have.
How much can I charge as a Graphic Designer? $30 – 40/hour
SEO Specialist
SEO is a skill that many people struggle to wrap their heads around, and it is so vital if you have a website or a blog. What’s the point in writing and creating online if no one sees your content? That is where you come in!
As an SEO Specialist, you have the solutions to get the website to display on Google’s first page. SEO takes time to learn, and there are things constantly changing, so it’s essential to keep up with the trends. It is too time-consuming for a business owner to keep up with SEO as it evolves. However, if you can stay on top of SEO and see results from your work, you could significantly impact a business!
How much can I charge as an SEO Specialist? $30 – 40/hour
Social Media Manager
Most companies and businesses have a social media presence and will want to reach more people through the power of social media. As a Social Media Manager, you have control of a company’s online presence through social media. You can plan out a month or more of social media by creating the content and scheduling it. After the content goes live, it’s also up to you to engage with users and track how the posts are doing. You can specialize in one social media platform, such as a Pinterest Manager, or you take over all things social!
Many people think being a Social Media Manager is easy – you just post on Instagram, right? However, the research and planning that goes into creating the perfect social media strategy take time and SKILL! Not all Instagram feeds are born pretty.
How much can I charge as a Social Media Manager? $20 – 30/hour
Interested in becoming a Social Media Manager, but not sure where to start? My book, Kickin’ It on Social Media, is a great place to start. Understanding which social media channels can be used for what purpose is key to attracting and maintaining the right audience. You can learn more here.
Computer Programmer
Programming is a job that will earn you a high salary in the office and also working remotely. Programming is a difficult skill to learn and takes a lot of time and practice to master. If you are interested in becoming a programmer, you can learn one of the more popular languages, like Python or Javascript, and focus your job search on that.
Programming is hard work and takes a lot of time, but if you put in the hours, you will definitely see the rewards!
How much can I charge as a Computer Programmer? $40 – 50+/hour
BONUS: 9. Coach
We added this profession because it has become high in demand and makes so much sense for digital nomads to look into this great online career option. If you are a people person and have a skill that you want to share with others, guide them in your coaching sessions to help them learn what you already know!
We created a guide to help you get started as a coach – check it out!
Not sure where to start your Digital Nomad journey?
I can help!
When starting to work online, many people overlook crucial steps to succeed in the digital world. That’s where I come in. I can help you take the next steps to start your digital nomad journey so you can begin applying for top paying digital nomad jobs you can do from anywhere!
We all have to start somewhere, so if you are currently charging lower than you want, don’t worry! Give it six months and revisit your rates because as you continue to work, your experience and portfolio will grow, and that is priceless.
Learn more about my Digital Nomad Coaching services here!
And don’t forget to join our FREE and awesome Facebook community of Thriving Digital Nomad Families and Entrepreneurs!