10 Best Jobs For Digital Nomads

After being confined by the restrictions of COVID-19 for nearly two years, many people are beginning to dip their toes into the possibility of a digitally nomadic lifestyle.

It’s an attractive idea to spend your days in faraway places while still supporting yourself financially through virtual means. Many people are curious about the world of a digital nomad, and typically their first question is “what are the best jobs for digital nomads?”.

One of the spiffy things about digital nomadism is that there are many possibilities for sustainable careers that can fit the lifestyle. To start you off, here you’ll find ten excellent job options for digital nomads:

10 Best Jobs for Digital Nomads

There are heaps of digital nomad jobs available in a variety of fields. Individuals who have gathered skills from their previous in-person jobs may be sitting on a wealth of abilities that can be utilized in a digital nomad position as well. Once you start navigating the sea of possible digital nomad jobs, you’ll start to become enlightened to all the accessible possibilities.

While many jobs can be suited to accommodate being a digital nomad, some positions are just perfect for this type of lifestyle. Below are 10 of the best jobs out there for digital nomads.

Technical Support Representative

Average Annual Salary: $33,000

The average joe doesn’t consider themselves an expert in the world of tech, which is why it can be so incredibly mind-numbing when devices stop working for seemingly no reason.

Technical equipment is bound to have issues every once in a while. When this happens, device owners seek out the assistance of a savvy technical support representative.

A technical support representative aids customers in troubleshooting various issues with their devices. Their role can also involve assisting in equipment installation and keeping a clear record of their interactions with customers.

It’s a position that demands vast knowledge of technology and exceptional communication skills to transmit this complex information over the phone or on a chat.

The daily tasks of a technical support representative involve things like:
- Providing support to computer users by answering questions and analyzing technical problems
- Suggesting solutions to fix various issues on computers or other devices
- Communicating effectively with customers to understand problems and solve them
- Installing various hardware and software equipment when required
- Updating device security when needed
- Collaborating with other technical staff on system improvements
- Maintaining a detailed record of interactions with all customers
The great thing about a technical support representative is that they can help customers solve their computer issues from an entirely different continent. The job is almost always remote, and the position’s tasks are all handled through phone calls or chat.

The inherently remote nature of being a technical support representative makes it a perfect fit for a digitally nomadic lifestyle.

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Virtual Foreign Language Teacher

Average Annual Salary: $52,000

Having a foreign language under your belt opens up a world of potential communication from around the globe and looks brilliant on a resume to boot. Thousands of students hope to achieve this skill, and many turn to virtual language schools to help them reach this goal.

For people who happen to know two or more languages fluently, being a virtual language teacher can be a terrific option for building a digital nomad career. In some cases, only knowing English fluently can earn you a spot teaching the language.

The general responsibilities of a virtual language teacher include:
- Outlining an effective teaching curriculum
- Analyzing student’s experience level and targeting lessons to meet their needs
- Teaching language material through virtual mediums
- Supervising discussions about the course material
- Answering any questions that students have and providing guidance
- Grading homework assignments and tests
- Keeping a log of each student’s progress in the class over time
Being a virtual language teacher is a job that can be taken anywhere with a stable internet connection. These educators use video chat to teach and communicate with their language students.

There are also a variety of platforms out there to connect language teachers with eager students. The flexibility of being a virtual language teacher and the abundance of opportunities in the field makes it one of the best jobs for digital nomads.

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Video Editor

Average Annual Salary: $46,000

The footage that viewers feast on in commercials, movies, television shows, and even videos on YouTube must go through an extensive editing process before being deemed sufficient for the public.

A video editor is responsible for transforming raw footage into its final form. In collaboration with a director and film crew, a video editor goes over all the separate shots and develops them into a single cohesive masterpiece based on the project’s goals.

The job of a video editor includes:
- Uploading all of a project’s raw footage onto a computer
- Adhering to the guidelines of a script or project outline
- Adding various sounds or music to enhance video scenes
- Correcting the lighting and colors in the raw footage
- Splicing raw footage cutes into a single flowing film
- Revising with guidance from the project’s director when needed
While most jobs in the film industry require a person to be physically present on set, being a video editor is a little different. Video editors have the freedom to have all of their work neatly on their computers without needing to be in a defined location.

Many video editors freelance and work on their projects from the comfort of their homes. The hands-off nature of a video editing position makes it a good fit for digital nomads.

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Cryptocurrency Trader

Average Annual Salary: N/A

A large percentage of the population views cryptocurrency as the future of finance. A cryptocurrency is a modern form of digital payment that can be used for purchasing goods and services online.

The currency functions through a technology called Blockchain. Since cryptocurrency is becoming increasingly valuable and popular, there has been an increased demand for expert traders with experience in this department.

A cryptocurrency trader analyzes potential price movements using a CFD trading account to develop and manage trading strategies for their clients. In other words, they advise their clients on the best times to buy and sell crypto based on market trends.

After devising a strategy, a crypto trader must continually monitor it for effectiveness and optimize the plan when necessary.

The tasks of a cryptocurrency trader include:
- Creating, maintaining, and continuing to improve upon crypto trading strategies and algorithms
- Researching potential opportunities in the crypto market
- Keeping up to date on relevant news within the field
- Contributing to their client’s investment strategies
- Utilizing proper risk management techniques to protect their client’s investment as much as possible
Being a cryptocurrency trader requires as much face time as other jobs. Most of a crypto trader’s job description involves research and consultation, which are tasks that can easily be carried out remotely. Many digital nomads have used crypto trading and consultation to support their unique lifestyles.
Voice Actor

Average Annual Salary: $73,000

Behind every animated character in a cartoon, video game, or film is a voice actor who brings them to life. As their title suggests, these professionals use their voices to act out characters through recordings.

Most voice actors have a talent for throwing their voices to fit various characters. For example, for one project, a voice actor could be playing a teenage witch with a high-pitched voice to match, and for another, they act as an elderly janitor who speaks in a raspy tone.

The responsibilities of a voice actor involve:
- Communicating with directors to understand the depth of their characters
- Developing a vocal tone and personality to fit their scripted character
- Recording their voice performing their lines for several takes
- Coordinating with other voice actors
- Altering the qualities of their character as directed
- Building a portfolio of past projects to show potential clients in the future
Since being a voice actor only involves a person’s voice instead of using their entire being to create a character, there is a lot of potential in the career for digital nomads. While the role does involve a fair amount of coordination with other people, these responsibilities can usually be handled virtually.

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Data Entry Specialist

Average Annual Salary: $28,000

Data is just about the most valuable commodity that exists today. As such, companies want to ensure that they hire top-notch professionals to catalog and store their relevant data into digital forms. These individuals are called data entry specialists.

A data entry specialist gathers information from clients like invoices, financial statements, and bills. They take these details and accurately digitize them in a meaningful way for an organized storage system.

The role of a data entry specialist involves:
- Using source documents to gather customer and account information
- Sorting through given information to prepare the source data to be entered into a computer
- Verifying the accuracy of information
- Reviewing data for any errors and remedying incompatibilities
Though a data entry specialist serves a crucial function to their employer, their responsibilities don’t necessarily need to be handled onsite. A thorough and experienced data entry specialist can easily handle all their tasks remotely. As such, being a data entry specialist is one of the best job titles for a digital nomad.

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Social Media Specialist

Average Annual Salary: $46,000

The age of advertising solely through magazines and commercials has long passed to make way for a new form of marketing – social media ads. With the rise of these new advertising methods on social media platforms comes the increase in demand for specialists in this area.

Social media ads specialists use relevant data to establish advertising campaigns across social media. Their overall goal is to grow their client’s business by expanding their advertising reach and campaign success on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Often, a social media ads specialist focuses their expertise on a single platform.

The tasks of a social media ads specialist include:
- Optimizing their client’s paid search and social media ad strategies
- Discussing with clients to understand their advertising goals
- Evaluating keywords to draw in the target audience
- Launching new campaigns and editing existing campaigns
- Keeping up with current marketing and social media trends
- Monitoring social media ad campaigns over time and analyzing for effectiveness
A social media ad specialist needs some experience with the platform they’re hoping to launch campaigns from and an analytical mind.

However, they do not need to be confined to one office or adhere to a strict work schedule. This makes it a strong potential job option for digital nomads.

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Website Flipper

Average Annual Salary: N/A

The job title of a website flipper is still a fairly new profession. The career is similar to that of a real estate flipper in that they acquire a cheap property with the potential for growth and put in work to turn it into a more profitable venture.

The positions differ in that a house flipper handles physical real estate and a website flipper works with the virtual space.

The job of a website flipper includes:
- Buying out websites with keyword potential for future markets or opportunities for growth
- Renovating a website’s look and functionality to make it a better experience for users
- Improving a site’s content to entice visitors
- Driving up traffic and implementing SEO techniques to rank on the first pages of Google
- Reaching out to potential buyers to sell the website once it’s been revamped
A website flipper typically works in a freelance capacity and controls their own schedule.

They can buy out and work on as many websites as they please to turn a profit, and all of the tasks associated with the endeavor can be accomplished from a laptop. That’s why being a website flipper is a particularly attractive job option for digital nomads.
App Developer

Average Annual Salary: N/A

Nowadays, there is an app out there for just about anything. There are applications for communicating with ghosts, finding a parking spot, or even generating a fake excuse to use that are easily downloadable with a few simple clicks.

Behind every one of these useful and silly apps is a developer who puts in hours of tedious work to make it function properly. An app developer designs and codes an app to ensure that it functions the way it’s supposed to and monitors its functioning over time to make tweaks when needed.

The general responsibilities of an app developer include:
- Analyzing a client’s specific needs to build software accordingly
- Developing solutions to security threats that could impact an app
- Monitoring the performance of their apps to ensure their proper functioning
- Discussing with clients to make adjustments when needed
- Executing security checks regularly
- Making updates to the app when required
Being an app developer is an excellent opportunity for people hoping to become digital nomads. It checks many of the boxes of qualities to look for in a digital nomad job. It pays very well, and most positions are flexible and don’t require an in-person schedule.

Many companies are hoping to take their online presence into the application sphere. If you have the skills to accomplish this task, it puts you in a competitive position when it comes to finding a job that works for being a digital nomad.
Self-Published Author

Average Annual Salary: $77,000

If you were to poll a thousand people about what they want to do before they die, a healthy handful of them would respond that they wanted to write a book.

Though many people consider being an author a lofty, faraway dream, many have turned writing books into a full-time career.

Today, becoming an author is more accessible than ever through self-publishing. In 2018, there were a total of 1.68 million self-published books in the United States alone.

The responsibilities of a self-published author include:
- Developing original and interesting storylines
- Plotting out their story elements from characters to the setting
- Creating an intriguing plotline of events for the reader to follow
- Editing their work for grammar and clarity
- Going through drafts until their book reaches perfection
- Deciding on a self-publishing platform and putting the work out to the public
- Advertising their self-published book to attract an audience
The job of a self-published author can be done almost entirely independently, although it’s recommended to hire a professional editor to get a second pair of eyes on the pages. Since self-published authors can get all their work done from laptops, it’s an exemplary career path for a digital nomad.

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What to Look for In Digital Nomad Jobs

When scouring for the perfect digital nomad job, there are a few key qualities to keep an eye out for. Since being a digital nomad is vastly different from a traditional job, the features you’re looking for typically differ as well. Below are some of the top qualities to look for in digital nomad jobs.

Flexibility. The most important thing for a digital nomad position is an abundance of flexibility. When you’re living a life that’s constantly in motion, your job needs to have the plasticity to shift with you.

For instance, say you’re employed as a restaurant manager. This would be a position that’s considered largely inflexible because there is a strict schedule of when you must be at your place of employment. Much of the job relies on your ability to fulfill this in-person schedule, and it’s not the type of job that can be taken on the road.

Alternatively, copywriter would be considered a flexible job ideal for digital nomads.

In general, copywriters are given a deadline rather than a schedule to adhere to. This means that if their flight gets delayed or they end up on an island without WiFi for the weekend, they’re not in trouble with their job because they develop their own schedule.

Even if a job is remote, it might not necessarily be flexible, which could make being a digital nomad difficult. For example, if you work as an online tutor, but you must be teaching from 9 to 5 every weekday, it wouldn’t be the most flexible position in the world.

Flexibility is the first thing to look for when evaluating a job to see if it would be compatible with a digitally nomadic lifestyle.
Sustainable Pay. Digital nomads adopt a life of travel, venturing from one location to another without conventional roots. This go-with-the-flow lifestyle still requires a reliable stream of income to stay afloat.

Plane tickets, hotel rooms, events, and dinners out are common expenses among digital nomads. Their job must come with sustainable enough pay to accommodate these needs.

Ensuring that your nomadic position still pays well enough to survive is crucial. Sustainable pay is one of the major things to look for in a digital nomad job.
Strong Leadership. A solid leadership system is integral to any company or professional position, but it’s especially important when you’re looking for a job as a digital nomad.

As an employee or contract worker contributing from a distance, strong communication and leadership ensure that the work gets done right. While a difficult boss or condescending co-worker can negatively impact an employee’s performance in any position, a poor leader is detrimental to digital nomads.

When combing through the potential digital nomad jobs you could land, pay close attention to who you will be working under. In an interview, ask targeted questions to gauge the type of leader you’ll be working with.

When starting the search for a digital nomad job, looking for a position with strong leadership should be at the forefront of your mind.

References

Publishers Weekly. “Number of Self-Published Titles Jumped 40% in 2018”. Accessed on December 5th, 2021

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Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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