15 Best Digital Nomad Jobs for Beginners to Earn and Travel in 2024

Do you have itchy feet and feel ready to ditch the 9-5? There is so much to see in the world, and thanks to the internet, you can start one of these digital nomad jobs for beginners to fund your exciting adventures as you go!

Digital nomads earn money online while living and traveling in various locations all over the world.

One day, your office may be a beachside cafe, the next a mountain lodge, and the day after that you could be working by the pool.

But before you start excitedly packing, you need to secure yourself a digital nomad job that suits your skills and passions.

Below, I’ve listed 15 of the best remote jobs you can do while traveling and have separated them into three categories:

• Freelancing
• Remote employee
• Online business.

Each digital nomad job category has its pros and cons, which I’ve listed below to make it easier for you to choose what’s right for you.

Let’s dive in!

Digital Nomad Jobs for Beginners: Freelancing

One of the best types of digital nomad jobs is to start a freelancing career.

Freelancer work is mostly project-based and ends when the project is finished. You can work with multiple clients or just one main client if they give you enough work.

While this is great, as you are your own boss, and you have a lot of freedom to travel and work when it suits you, job security isn’t always great, and you always have to ensure you have enough work to sustain yourself.

1. Freelance Writer

Do you have a knack for creating engaging content?

If so, freelance writing could be one of the best digital nomad jobs for you.

There are multiple types of freelance writing you could make money from, such as:

• Copywriting
• SEO writing
• Writing blog posts
• Creative writing
• Technical writing
• Press release writing
• Journalism
• Ghostwriting.

If any of this interests you, learn how to be a copywriter by taking a short course so you know what is expected of you.

When you have the right skills, you can check out the best sites for freelance writers to find consistent work.

2. SEO Specialist

An SEO (search engine optimization) specialist works to improve website traffic and rankings on search engines like Google.

If you have experience with this or are willing to learn, you can get paid work to fund your digital nomad lifestyle as a freelance SEO specialist.

Many small and large businesses need help with SEO and will pay handsomely if you can help them outrank their competitors and get more traffic and sales.

Check out the best job sites for remote work, including:

3. Graphic Designer

Graphic design is one of the best digital nomad jobs for those with artistic skills.

As a graphic designer, you’ll be expected to design visual concepts to communicate a message.

In this role, you’ll be creating:

• Logos
• Posters
• Business cards
• Blog graphics
• Marketing materials
• Much more…

Day to day, you’ll be collaborating with copywriters, artists, and marketing teams to bring their ideas to life.

Graphic designers can find work on creative job boards such as Dribbble and TheDesignKids.

4. Proofreader

Proofreading is a top digital nomad job where you can work the hours that suit you.

Proofreaders are the last eyes on a text before it is published, and work is available in different industries such as publishing, content writing, and marketing.

To succeed in this role, you will need excellent grammar and writing skills and a keen eye for detail. A degree in English is helpful but not always necessary.

Check out these websites offering proofreading jobs from home:

5. Virtual Assistant

Another one of the best digital nomad jobs for beginners is virtual assistance.

Many companies and business owners have ditched traditional office assistants in favor of working with virtual assistants to cut back on costs.

This is great for digital nomads, as you can pick up freelance work supporting a business with different tasks as you travel, such as:

• Managing emails
• Scheduling appointments
• Social media management
• Making travel arrangements
• Research and data entry
• Customer service.

You will need to be organized and have decent phone and internet skills. However, the work is simple, and if you have extra skills like accounting, you can earn even more by helping with this type of task.

Find virtual assistant jobs on sites like Fancy Hands and Belay.

Search for more virtual assistant jobs for beginners here.

Digital Nomad Jobs for Beginners: Remote Employee

Working as a remote employee means you have a secure, permanent job or contract.

While you can work from anywhere with the internet, some remote jobs may require you to work strict hours, which could interfere with your travels as a digital nomad.

6. English Tutor

English teaching is one of the best remote job opportunities for digital nomads that can be started with no experience.

While some online teaching companies require you to have a Bachelor’s degree and teaching qualification such as a TEFL, this is not always required.

However, you will need strong communication skills and be a native English speaker. If you speak other languages, this can be a plus!

Be aware that some tutoring companies will require you to be online to teach at a certain time, so you need to factor this into your travel plans as a digital nomad.

Check out these legit companies to find online language teacher jobs:

7. Social Media Manager

Social media management is one of the most popular digital nomad jobs, as many companies, large and small, know the value of having a strong online presence.

Social media managers need good communication skills, know their way around all the major social media platforms, and have experience building and nurturing online communities.

Typical job tasks for this role include:

• Creating content for a target audience
• Increasing followers and driving engagement
• Setting up and optimizing social accounts
• Creating a social strategy and studying analytics
• Liaising with social media influencers.

While a degree or qualification is not always required to get this type of job, you will need to have a strong portfolio showing your social media experience.

8. Customer Support

Customer support is one of the best easy online jobs for beginners, and it can be started with little experience.

To succeed, you will need a strong internet connection, good people skills, great research skills, and the ability to empathize with customers calmly.

The role will require you to work set hours, so you need to factor this into your digital nomad life, and you may have to go through some upfront training to learn about the product or service you need to help people with.

Check out Concentrix and Teleperformance, which often hire remote customer service reps.

9. Data Entry

While not the most exciting or highest-paid type of work, data entry is a popular digital nomad job that has little barrier to entry.

It’s a job that doesn’t require a high school diploma or other qualifications, but you will need a good internet connection and the ability to focus and use basic software such as Microsoft Word and Excel Spreadsheets.

Find data entry jobs on platforms like:

10. Video Editing

Video editing is a great digital nomad job if you know how to use basic video editing software.

With this type of remote job, you’ll work with businesses, entrepreneurs, and YouTubers to help turn their video clips into engaging videos that get traffic.

Due to the popularity of video streaming sites like YouTube, video editors are in high demand, which means you should have no trouble finding work and can earn a good wage.

If you have the right skills, find video editing work on job sites like FlexJobs or set up profiles on freelancer sites such as:

Learn more in our article detailing the best laptop for video editing.

Digital Nomad Jobs for Beginners: Online Business

Starting an online business is a great way to make money as a digital nomad.

You have the freedom to work from where you want and the hours you want and can build a business around your passion.

However, one downside is that it can usually take some time to start making money, and you’ll have to work a while for free to get things going.

11. Blogging

One of the top digital nomad jobs to start while traveling is blogging.

Learn how to start a blog that makes money in our detailed guide.

While you could write about anything, a great idea would be to start a travel blog and write articles filled with tips and information about all the beautiful destinations you are in.

Take tons of photos as you go so you have original images to use in your posts.

Focus on SEO to increase website traffic and post content across your social media channels to build your blog authority.

Once you have a decent amount of blog traffic, you can earn passive income from:

• Advertising
• Affiliate marketing
• Sponsored posts.

Not sure where to start?

Check out the Affiliate Lab by Matt Diggity, which teaches you how to build, rank, monetize, and flip websites.

12. Affiliate Marketing

Many savvy travelers fund their nomadic lifestyle with affiliate marketing, and you can do the same if you take the time to learn how it works.

While you can start affiliate marketing with no audience, you’ll make more money after you have a large audience to promote products to.

Different ways to make money in affiliate marketing include:

Learn more in our guide on how to start affiliate marketing with no money.

13. Selling Online Courses

Creating and selling online courses is one of the best ways to work remotely while traveling.

You will need a stable internet connection and have to put work in upfront before you make money: filming, editing, and uploading your course content to e-learning platforms.

However, if you create engaging courses that help people learn something new or overcome an obstacle, they can pay you passive income for years to come with no further work.

Popular online platforms to create and sell courses include:

14. Open an Etsy Store

Running an Etsy store is an excellent way to support digital nomad living.

You can work the hours that suit you and earn passive income from multiple sales of the same products.

As you will be traveling, the best products to sell would be digital downloads or print-on-demand products where you are hands-off and don’t have to post anything yourself.

Take the time to create your store with a unique logo and brand name, and write keyword-rich descriptions so customers can find your products.

Learn more in our guide on how to sell Canva templates on Etsy.

15. Publish Short eBooks

Selling eBooks is a tried and tested way to make money while you sleep, as once your book is created, it can be sold night and day online, wherever you are in the world!

eBooks don’t need to be extremely long, but they do need to answer a question or solve a pain point for the reader so they feel they get value.

A few popular niche eBook topic ideas include:

• Personal Finance
• Parenting guides
• Self-help
• Diet and recipes
• Health and Fitness.

Choose a main topic and narrow it down to a sub-topic to answer one question that will help people.

Once you complete your eBook, it can be sold on platforms like Smashwords and Amazon Kindle.

Final Thoughts on Digital Nomad Jobs for Beginners

There are many suitable digital nomad jobs for beginners – the only struggle is deciding which one is right for you!

Think about what you want from your digital nomad journey.

If time freedom is important to you, then freelancing could be the best option. If that is not so important, but you value job security, becoming a remote employee could be the way to go.

Starting an online business is the ultimate remote work option where you can be your own boss and have unlimited income potential, but this option can take time to grow and comes with risks.

An option is to start with an online job working for a company and then transition into freelancing or building your own business on the side.

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy your travels and take lots of time out to explore your new surroundings!

Need more ideas?

Check this list of the best traveling jobs for the savvy globetrotter.