The freedom and flexibility of working from anywhere is a dream come true for many people. That’s why over 80% of self-employed digital nomads exist in the world today.
But as a beginner, you may not have the skills or experience to land a high-paying remote job immediately.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of 17 great digital nomad jobs for beginners so you can have a seamless experience when starting on your remote work journey.
So, whether you’re looking for a long-term career change or want to make some extra cash on the side, there’s definitely a job for you on this list.
The 17 Best Digital Nomad Jobs for Beginners
A life of constant travelling with the luxury of working wherever you travel to doesn’t have to be a fairy tale anymore. If you’re just getting into the digital nomad world, here are the 17 best digital nomad jobs for beginners you should consider:
1. Affiliate Marketing
For good reason, affiliate marketing is one of the most popular digital nomad jobs for beginners. It’s a great way to make money on the road because all you need is a laptop and internet connection to get started.
As an affiliate marketer, you earn a commission on product sales by promoting products on your blog or social media channels.
You can either start your own blog or join ready affiliate programs like Posh Affiliate for selling on Poshmark or ShopStyle Collective if you’re promoting products through your blog.
2. Social Media Manager
As a social media manager, you’ll create and manage a brand’ssocial media presence. This involves everything from writing and scheduling posts to replying to comments and messages.
One of the great things about this job is that you can do it anywhere in the world with an internet connection. And, if you’re good at it, you can often land pretty sweet gigs with great brands.
3. Freelance Writer
If you’re a talented writer, there’s no shortage of opportunities to get paid to write articles, blog posts, and even books.
You can often find work as a freelance writer by searching online job boards like ProBlogger or pitching companies directly.
A good rule of thumb here is to create a portfolio of your previous work to show off your skills. This can be anything you’ve written before in your free time or even articles you’ve shared on your blog.
And, like social media management, you can do this from anywhere in the world.
4. Data Entry
This is probably one of the best or easiest digital nomad jobs for beginners you could ask for.
There are a lot of companies or organizations that have a constant need for data entry, whether it’s updating customer records or something else. And since it can all be done online, you can do it from anywhere in the world.
The pay for data entry isn’t always great, but if you can find a company willing to pay a bit more, it can be an effortless way to make some extra money.
5. Editing & Proofreading
If you’re a good writer and have a keen eye for detail, then editing and proofreading could be the perfect job.
There are a lot of people who need help with their writing, whether it’s for an important email or document or even just a blog post. And if you can do it quickly and accurately, you can make a decent amount of money.
To start, you can check out sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour.
6. Graphic Designing
As a digital nomad graphic designer, your drawing skills and design enthusiasm will come in handy.
So many small businesses and entrepreneurs need help with branding and marketing materials, from creating logos to designing social media posts and even developing entire websites.
As a beginner, you can secure some lucrative graphic design or illustrating jobs on Fiverr or other digital nomad job boards like Dribbble. With every client you gain along the way, you can build a robust portfolio that will enable you to demand better pay.
7. Online English Teacher
If you’re a native English speaker or can write and speak English at a near-native level, you can make money teaching others English online.
Many digital nomads do this, which is a great way to earn extra cash while traveling.
You don’t need any formal qualifications, but it is essential that you have a strong command of the English language.
There are many online teaching platforms, such as VIPKID and EF Education First, where you can sign up and start teaching English to students worldwide.
8. Web Development
With the web development industry projected to grow by 13% between now and 2030, it’s evident that this is an excellent field to get into if you’re looking for a reliable digital nomad job.
If you have experience in web development, or if you’re willing to learn, then there are many opportunities out there for you.
There are numerous online courses that can teach you the skills you need, such as The Complete Web Developer Course and The Complete 2020 Web Development Bootcamp.
Once you have the necessary skills, you can look for digital nomad jobs on freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr or job boards like We Work Remotely and Remotive.
9. App Development
An average mobile app developer earns around $100,000 annually, making it one of the experts’ highest-paying digital nomad jobs.
Of course, you’ll need to have some experience in coding and app development before you can start applying for jobs.
Starting from scratch, you can take an online course like The Complete iOS Development Bootcamp: Swift and Objective-C or The Complete Android Developer Course for beginners.
Once you’ve completed a course, you can start applying for digital nomad jobs on freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr or job boards like Stack Overflow Jobs and AngelList.
10. Video Editing
Video editing and production are some of the most in-demand digital nomad jobs on the internet today.
If you have experience with video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, or Final Cut Pro, you can start applying for digital nomad jobs that require these skills.
You can find digital nomad jobs that require video editing skills on job boards like Indeed and Media Bistro.
While you can’t count on becoming a millionaire like some famous YouTubers, video editing is an excellent way to turn your passion into income-generating.
11. Virtual Assistant
One good thing about being a virtual assistant is that no extensive experience is required for you to start. This makes it perfect for beginners who are equally looking for a stepping stone for other digital nomad jobs.
As a virtual assistant, you will be responsible for performing administrative tasks for a company or individual. This can include anything from customer service to bookkeeping to social media management.
Once you’re ready to go, you can choose from the many digital nomad jobs available for virtual assistants on job boards and freelancing websites.
12. Product Photography
Everyone can take pictures of anything on their phone, but it takes a true enthusiast and professional to make those photos shine – and make money from them.
Product photography is one of the digital nomad jobs that has been around for a while, but it’s still going strong aseCommerce continues to grow.
Once you go professional with your photography hobby, you should consider honing your skills by practicing on various objects. When you start marketing your services, you can save the best pieces for your portfolio.
There are a few key things that you’ll need to get started as a product photographer:
- A digital camera with a good quality lens
- A tripod
- A lightbox or other means of taking pictures in low light conditions
- Photo editing software like Photoshop or Lightroom (optional)
If you have a knack for taking great photos and are willing to invest in some quality equipment, product photography could be a great digital nomad job.
13. Travel Planning
Another digital nomad job perfect for those with a passion for travel is travel planning. As a travel planner, you will help people plan their dream vacations. This can involve booking flights and hotels and providing information about the best things to see and do in various destinations.
To be successful in this role, you will need to be well-organized and have excellent customer service skills.
You’ll also need to be well informed on various travel destinations to provide your clients with tailored recommendations.
14. Tourism Marketing
If you have a background in marketing and a love for travel, then working in tourism marketing could be your digital nomad job. In this role, you will be responsible for promoting various tourist destinations.
This can involve creating marketing campaigns, managing social media accounts, and writing blog posts about various destinations.
To succeed in this role, you must be creative and have excellent writing skills.
15. Online Translator
Do you feel like the multiple languages you learned in school are going to waste? If you are bilingual, multilingual, or have a keen interest in languages, working as an online translator could be one of the best digital nomad jobs for you.
In this role, you will be responsible for translating documents from one language to another. This can involve anything from translating website content to legal documents.
For long-term success in this role, you must be fluent in at least two languages and have excellent writing skills.
16. Voice Acting
Gone are the days when voice acting was a preserve for the well-known actors in Hollywood. Nowadays, anyone with a decent microphone and some acting chops can get into voice acting and earn a decent living.
As a digital nomad, you can work from anywhere worldwide with a good internet connection. All you need is to record yourself reading scripts provided by your clients and send them the recordings.
To succeed in this field, you need to have a pleasant voice, good diction, and be able to follow instructions.
17. Transcription
What’s a good digital nomad jobs for beginners list without transcription? Transcription mainly involves converting audio files into text format.
It’s a great job for digital nomads because you only need a laptop, a good set of headphones, and a good internet connection, and you can do it remotely.
To succeed in transcription, you need to have excellent listening skills and be able to type fast.
All you need to do is listen to the audio files provided by your clients and type out what you hear. Most transcription jobs pay by the hour and can fetch upwards of $30 per hour.
There are also a ton of different companies that offer transcription jobs, so finding work shouldn’t be too difficult. To get started, check out websites like GoTranscript, Rev, Scribie, and TranscribeMe.
Image source: TranscribeMe
17 Best Digital Nomad Jobs for Beginners: Summary
There you have it! 17 digital nomad jobs that are perfect for beginners. With some skill and elbow grease, you can work remotely and enjoy the digital nomad lifestyle in no time. Whether you want to focus on a single digital nomad job or juggle a few different gigs, there’s definitely something on this list for you.
So what are you waiting for? Start your digital nomad journey today!
Daniel Nyquist is the chief marketing officer at Crosslist.com – an easy-to-use tool that allows sellers to list quickly on the world’s largest online marketplaces. Daniel’s core expertise resolves around e-commerce and marketing. His main responsibilities include managing day-to-day marketing activities and partner relations for Crosslist.