20 Jobs That Provide Housing For Every Experience Level

One of the biggest expenses people have is their housing and that can suck up a lot of your income. What if you could combine a job with housing so you didn’t have that bill? Sounds like a sweet deal, doesn’t it?

Guess what — those jobs exist and they can help you get ahead of the game financially. Whether you want to save money, get out of an affordable-housing situation, or a public-housing place, these jobs can be a blessing. They give you a place to live and money to save for your future. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll buy your own home.

Key Takeaways:

• You shouldn’t spend more than 30% of your income on housing, but the average American spends about 40% of their income on housing.

• Jobs such as nannies, live-in care providers, and camp counselors that provide housing may pay a little less, but you don’t have to worry about paying for housing.

• Entry-level jobs that do not require previous experience can provide housing, but you may need to learn quickly on the go.

7 High-Paying Jobs That Provide Housing

As long as you’re looking for the perfect work and living situation, why not throw a big income in there as well. One thing you have to consider is that you’re not paying rent or a mortgage, so the money you’re saving should be counted toward your income. But that aside, you can still find some high-paying jobs that include housing programs.

1. Doctors Without Borders
   Average Annual Salary: $180,000

   If you’ve earned your medical degree, you can sign up for this well-known program and you will have accommodations while you’re in the field. It will typically be shared housing, but it’s a wonderful experience and lets you help people who really need it. And you won’t be paying rent.

   Find Doctor jobs near me

2. Civil Engineer
   Average Annual Salary: $70,000

   Ready to live the life of a nomad? Many civil engineers work abroad to help develop cities, construction sites, and roads. The pay is fantastic and the experiences you have will be ones you treasure for a lifetime. And this job definitely comes with housing services.

   Find Civil engineer jobs near me

3. Butler
   Average Annual Salary: $59,000

   This is not an entry-level job whatsoever. It takes training, experience, and stellar references, but butlers can make up to $150,000 per year. The hours are not regular, and your main job is to take care of someone else, but for some, it’s a true calling – a calling with a big paycheck and an incredible place to call home.

   Find Butler jobs near me

4. Grounds Keeper
   Average Annual Salary: $26,000

   Maintaining the grounds of an estate takes a lot of work, and at times it includes night and day hours. In these situations, the estate owners will provide housing to the groundskeeper. They’ll also provide a sizeable income.

   Find Grounds keeper jobs near me

5. Personal Chef
   Average Annual Salary: $47,283

   The same people that need butlers and round-the-clock grounds crews also need personal chefs. You’re going to have to be at the top of your game to get this job, but when you do, you’ll make paychecks that can make your colleagues green with envy.

   Find Personal chef jobs near me

6. Travel Specialist
   Average Annual Salary: $45,000

   If you are looking for adventure and want to travel, you might be able to take your skills on the road. Doctors, nurses, construction workers, administrative assistants – just about any professional can establish a travel position if they’re willing to fill in where and when needed.

   The best part is if you have a skill, the company hiring you will want you as opposed to an unqualified temp, and they’ll pay you well and provide housing as part of your project-based work.

   Find Travel specialist jobs near me

7. Governor
   Average Annual Salary: $64,995

   This job isn’t an easy one to get, you’ll have to dedicate your life to politics (in most situations) and have a lot of experience and education behind you. But once you become governor, you’ll get to live in the governor’s mansion and usually, they are top-notch accommodations.

   Find Governor jobs near me

9 Entry-Level Jobs that Provide Housing

In many cases, someone looking for a job that includes housing will be doing the job for the first time. This puts you in an interesting situation because it’s an entry-level job, even though you may have a lot of experience in another field. That’s okay; you’ll get the hang of it, and if it’s a job with housing you’re after, you often have to start fresh.

1. Hotel/resort staff
   Average Annual Salary: N/A

   There are many seasonal businesses that are boom towns during their high season. These places bring in tons of staff for the season and many of them put them up in dorm-type accommodations.

2. Park Ranger
   Average Annual Salary: $43,000

   It’s an all-inclusive job that does require some training but it’s a fun place to start for people who want to get into this field. It’s completely immersive and is the best way to learn the job. Typically, their housing units are in the middle of the park, so you’ll also get to enjoy the scenery and some privacy.

   Find Park ranger jobs near me

3. International Relations Teacher
   Average Annual Salary: $47,877

   This isn’t exactly an entry-level job because you’ll need some education, in most cases, and might need a teaching degree. But this is an incredible opportunity for teachers who have just graduated.

   You get an irreplaceable lifetime experience in a new country with a new culture, and you don’t have to pay for your housing.

   Find International relations teacher jobs near me

4. Ship worker
   Average Annual Salary: $23,000

   Whether you’re an aspiring entertainer, working in the hospitality side of things, interested in being a captain one day, or even a casino dealer, working on a ship can be your new gig. Obviously, the ship will provide you with housing while you’re working, and they’ll often put you up between cruises.

   Find Ship worker jobs near me

5. Nanny
   Average Annual Salary: $25,000

   If you love children, being a live-in nanny can be a rewarding gig. You will most likely become a part of the family, and that’s an incredible responsibility and honor for many. What a way to start a career – a career that can be a lifetime profession.

   Find Nanny jobs near me

6. Oil Rig Driller
   Average Annual Salary: $70,368

   The schedule is brutal, and the living conditions are spartan at best, but the income is grand. If you are willing to start low and work your way up, you can turn this job into a rewarding career with potential.

   Find Oil Rig Driller jobs near me

7. Military
   Average Annual Salary: $61,000

   Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines – whichever branch of the military suits you, you’ll find that they give you job training, an income, and housing. Some people turn their military experience into a military career. Others take that training into the civilian world and end up ahead of the game.

   Find Military jobs near me

8. Itinerant Worker
   Average Annual Salary: N/A

   This is a hard job, but it doesn’t require much skill. Basically, you go where the crops are and work on farms and ranches to plant and harvest, and sometimes deal with livestock. The pay isn’t great, but there’s reliable housing and you’re getting experience.

9. Performance gigs
   Average Annual Salary: N/A

   If you’re lucky enough to hook up with a touring group, you’ll live life on the road, moving from one hotel to another, but what an exciting adventure it will be. From hair technicians to caterers to crew and even performers. It’s the adventure of a lifetime for many.

4 Second Jobs that Include Housing

Are you looking for a job that gives you a place to live but that lets you continue working your primary job? Well, that’s the dream and some jobs let you realize your goals.

1. Security Guard
   Average Annual Salary: $29,000

   It depends on where you get this job and the company, but some businesses require full-time security and prefer to have them live on site. Usually, you’ll be living with other security guards and doing split shifts. But in your free time, it’s possible to work another job, too.

   Find Security guard jobs near me

2. Property Manager
   Average Annual Salary: $43,000

   A lot of apartment buildings or condos require an onsite manager or even a maintenance crew. If you look hard, you might be able to find the perfect situation where they want you to watch over the place, but not put in full-time hours. A savvy worker can turn this into the best situation around.

   Find Property manager jobs near me

3. Live In Caregiver
   Average Annual Salary: $36,000

   This can be a full-time job, so that’s important to note. But it can also be a part-time job if the person you’re caring for really just needs someone there to help a bit and supervise. If you’re great with people, you can turn caregiving and a live-in situation into a lifestyle that benefits everyone involved. It’s especially good for seniors.

   Find Live in caregiver jobs near me

4. Dorm/Residential Advisor
   Average Annual Salary: $30,000

   If your primary job is earning a degree, this is about the best job around. It is designed to give you the time you need to get your degree, free housing, and usually, you’ll also get a voucher for meals.

   If you can handle some minor squabbles and enforcing rules in a community housing setting, this might be your ticket to a degree without crushing debt.

   Find Residential advisor jobs near me

Jobs That Provide Housing FAQs

1. What internships provide housing?

   Many technology, healthcare, law, and finance internships provide housing. This is especially true at the most prestigious companies in these industries.

   Many of these internship positions are highly sought-after, which means candidates are applying worldwide and need a place to stay. It’s in these companies’ best interest to provide housing for their interns, as it helps them attract and retain top talent that they could potentially hire in the future.

   In addition, internships on or near college or university campuses – as many healthcare and science internships are – are also more likely to provide housing since they have several empty dorms they can use.

   The same goes for internships at other organizations that have housing arrangements of some sort for their full-time employees: Summer camps, hotels, and national parks, for example, often provide intern housing since they provide it for the rest of their staff.

2. Do jobs that provide housing pay less?

   Yes, jobs that provide housing often do pay less. This isn’t always true, but it definitely can be, especially if you take into account roles where you’re on duty 24 hours a day because you live where you work.

   Nannies, live-in caregivers, and camp counselors fall into this category: Their salaries may look reasonable or even generous when housing is also factored in, but when you calculate their hourly earnings with being at work 24/7, it isn’t all that much.

   There’s a different cost to providing housing for cruise ship workers, internationally based ESL teachers, and resort staff. While people in these roles do usually get to fully clock out at the end of the day, they don’t get to leave their workplace or choose where they want to live, which can be taxing for many people.

   However, the flipside of this is that they get paid to experience living in a tight-knit community and often visit or live in beautiful, exotic locations, which is why many people seek out these jobs.

3. Do I need experience for a job that provides housing?

   No, you don’t need experience for a job that provides housing. Like the rest of the job market, some positions require experience, and some don’t.

   If you don’t have any experience, just be prepared to work hard and learn quickly, as you’ll likely be fully immersed in your new position much faster than you would in a job that didn’t provide housing. This is because many entry-level jobs that provide housing need you to live in the same place you work.

   For example, oil rigs, cruise ships, and hotels or resorts often have on-site housing for their employees (especially the entry-level ones), and positions such as nannies, park rangers, or military servicemen require you to live where you work as a part of the job description.

   While this often comes with a lot of work, it also provides you with a significant amount of valuable experience that would be difficult to get otherwise.

Final Thoughts

How much of every dollar you make should go to housing? Any ideas? The rule of thumb is you shouldn’t spend more than 30% of your income on housing. So, for every dollar you make, that’s $0.30. And that’s for homebuyers and renters.

That adds up to a lot, but that’s just the recommended amount you should be spending. Unfortunately, rents and mortgages are on the rise and people often spend way more.

The average American spends nearly 40% on housing. That’s a hefty jump from 30%.

Then, if you’re paying off student loans at 10-20% of your income, buying groceries, paying bills, dealing with childcare expenses – it all just snowballs and suddenly you’re getting deeper and deeper in debt, especially for low-income families and people who are just getting started in their careers.

Finding a job that includes housing or offers some sort of housing program to its employees can be a blessing that has long-lasting implications. If you can get off to a good financial start in the beginning, you’ll be better off in the end.

And, if you can continue working jobs that give you rental assistance, you’ll have more and more money to put aside for your retirement or to buy your own home.

Author

Kristin Kizer

Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.