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Being a digital nomad is a dream for a lot of people, but it can be difficult to know how to break into the lifestyle and make enough money to survive. Today we’re going to talk about the absolute best digital nomad jobs for beginners.
Fear of not being able to make money is the number one thing that holds people back from becoming a digital nomad. It held me back for over half a decade!
The truth of the matter is that it is far easier to become a digital nomad and make money online than it seems!
You just need to know what opportunities are out there and how to find jobs.
There are countless digital nomad jobs for beginners. Some jobs like blogging take a few months to start seeing results and earning money. Some jobs like data entry can start making you money the moment you start your digital nomad life. The bottom line is that not knowing how to make money as a digital nomad should not be the sole factor that holds you back from chasing your dreams!
Every single one of the digital nomad jobs for beginners on this list can be done by anybody who has a computer.
Some jobs require you to teach yourself some new skills, but none of them are out of reach of the average person.
Well except maybe number 4!
There are thousands of people living the digital nomad life and making more money than you’re making at your full-time job right now.
There is really no excuse not to chase your digital nomad dreams!
What’s the worst that can happen?
It doesn’t work out, and you come back to working your full-time job?
At least you don’t have any regrets if that is the case!
Table of Contents
1. Start a Blog
This is my favourite digital nomad job. Not just amongst digital nomad jobs for beginners but for any digital nomad.
You probably shouldn’t be surprised seeing as you’re reading my blog!
Being a blogger is full of endless possibilities. You can scale it as big as you want or keep it as small as you want.
It is 100% your business, and you have complete control.
Over everything!
You choose the content you create, how often you post an article, how you earn money, and what companies you choose to partner with. Either by affiliate links or sponsored posts.
I’m not going to sugar coat it though.
Blogging takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication before you start seeing substantial money flowing into your bank account.
There will takes months (maybe even years) of creating content before it becomes your full-time income.
In a lot of instances, you will have to work a side hustle while launching your blog in order to pay for your digital nomad life.
Make sure you don’t make these rookie blogging mistakes!
Ummm. That Doesn’t Sound Like a Digital Nomad Job for a Beginner
Oh but it is!
Creating a blog isn’t all that difficult.
You don’t have to be super computer savvy to create a beautiful website and start blogging.
In fact, you can spend an afternoon watching YouTube videos and be well on your way to creating your blog.
I wholeheartedly believe that blogging is one of the best and easiest digital nomad jobs for beginners.
It takes works to create your content and monetize it, but once it is published, a blog post can continue to make you money for years to come. With no additional work to you!
I believe it is one of the easiest digital nomad jobs for beginners because you don’t have to put in any effort to finding clients like a lot of other jobs on this list.
You control your blog, and you are 100% responsible for meeting your self-imposed deadlines.
You don’t have to work around someone else’s schedule.
Starting my blog was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It has been so much fun, and I can’t imagine not running a blog for the rest of my life.
It is a ton of work, but it is more than worth it!
If you want to start a blog, I recommend getting your hosting from either Green Geeks or BlueHost.
Green Geeks is my personal preference, but a lot of new bloggers prefer BlueHost.
2. Become a Virtual Assistant
Being a virtual assistant is probably the best entry level digital nomad job!
Pretty much anybody and everybody has the skills needed to be a virtual assistant!
A virtual assistant helps out a company or content creator by doing assistant tasks, but they are done virtually rather than in the office.
In most instances, you don’t need to have a structured work schedule, and you bundle your services in terms of hours provided per month or week.
For example, someone could hire you to work ten hours per week as their virtual assistant. You can work those ten hours whenever you want.
You could work two hours per day five days a week. Five hours a day twice a week. Or any other combination.
It doesn’t matter as long as you’re providing the number of hours your client paid for.
It is essential that you work hard for your client during the hours they pay for. There is no slacking off or wasting the time your client paid for!
I know that in some office jobs you can chit chat during paid time, and you don’t always work the full 7 hours per day you’re paid for, but you can’t get away with that when your client is paying you per hour and expects a certain amount of work to get done.
Why This is One of the Best Digital Nomad Jobs for Beginners
Being a virtual assistant is one of the best entry points into the digital nomad lifestyle.
As mentioned, most people already have the skills required to be a virtual assistant.
Even if you’re never formally been an assistant before.
The best part about being a virtual assistant is you can offer the services you’re good at and not offer the services that aren’t your strong suit.
A virtual assistant looks after a variety of tasks. You can do anything from managing emails or calendars to proof reading blog post to interlinking blog posts or posting on social media.
There is a wide range of tasks that can fall under the role of virtual assistant.
It is up to you to outline the scope of the skills you offer and find clients that have needs to align with the tasks you offer.
As with all the different service-based digital nomad jobs on this list, the hardest part about being a virtual assistant is getting started and finding quality clients to work with.
You can find clients through networking in Facebook groups, creating a profile on UpWork or Fiverr, creating your own website (again, check you Green Geeks for hosting), or searching job boards.
It will take a little bit of effort to establish yourself, but once you do, the work will be coming to you!
3. Start a YouTube Channel
Just like blogging, starting a YouTube channel takes a lot of effort before you start earning a substantial amount of money.
But it is worth it!
I think the digital nomad jobs where you’re in control of the product that comes out are the best.
You don’t have to worry about working around your client’s schedule, and it is really flexible in terms of when and how much you work.
The more work you put into it, the more and quicker reward you get!
Starting a YouTube channel is one of the least expensive digital nomad jobs for beginners when it comes to up-front costs.
You can film on your phone and edit your videos on a free software like iMovie.
You, of course, want to invest in better equipment once you start making money, but you can start a YouTube channel without spending a dime!
One of the most difficult parts of starting a YouTube channel is learning to edit videos.
But, in all honesty, editing a video isn’t as hard as you may think.
When I first started my YouTube channel, I spent about an hour watching editing tutorials online and learning the basics of editing.
That’s really all you need to get started!
From there, I spontaneously bought the Flying the Nest Video Editing Masterclass, and it was a game changer!
It goes through how to story tell through video and what makes a vlog good. I highly recommend enrolling in the course if you’re serious about starting your YouTube channel right!
You can read my full review of the video editing course here.
You can start a successful YouTube channel in any niche. From travel to finance to how to videos, the world is your oyster!
4. Be a Translator
This is the only digital nomad job on this list that not everybody can do.
And I hope it is pretty obvious why!
You can only be a translator if you’re fluent in more than one language, and a lot of people aren’t.
I’m definitely looking at myself as a privileged person who has English as her first language!
If you are fluent in more than one language, you’re golden.
Translators charge a high fee because not everybody can do it!
The highest paying translation jobs involve translating either to or from English, but there is also a substantial market for translating between two languages (where neither one is English).
Some of the languages that pay the highest for translations are:
- Finnish <–> English
- Japanese <–> English
- Mandarin (simplified) <–> English
- Arabic <–> English
So whatever two (or more) languages you can speak, market yourself as a translator going between those two languages.
I guarantee you won’t have to work hard to find clients, and you’ll make a lot of money per job!
The trick to being a good translator is being fluent in both languages and understanding colloquial sayings and phrases.
Not everything translates literally and not everything translates into a different language the same.
Although I’m sure you know that since you’re a multilingual Queen!
Make sure you’re fully fluent and confident in both languages before you start your career as a digital nomad translator.
You want to build up a strong reputation for creating accurate work. That will make you the most successful over the long run!
5. Be a Pinterest Marketing Specialist
I can tell you from personal experience that a lot of bloggers and content creators are looking for a good Pinterest marketing specialist to help them out.
Pinterest drives a huge amount of traffic to blogs and websites, and content creators put a lot of effort into running a strong Pinterest page.
But it takes a lot of work, and it isn’t easy.
Some people understand the Pinterest algorithm immediately and are darlings of Pinterest.
Others (like me) struggle and fight with Pinterest and don’t understand why they aren’t getting anywhere with it.
But no matter what end of the spectrum a creator falls on, eventually things get too busy, and creators need to hire freelancers to help them run their business.
And almost everybody with a thriving blog or website hires a Pinterest marketing specialist at some point or another in their career.
That is where you come in!
People pay big money for somebody to run a successful Pinterest page for them. The more people that click through to their website from Pinterest, the more money they make.
It is an important investment for content creators, and they are willing to pay substantially more for a good Pinterest specialist than for a general virtual assistant who does a little bit of Pinterest work.
Emphasis on the good part of that sentence.
You will not be a successful Pinterest marketing specialist if you don’t understand the ins and outs of the Pinterest algorithm.
You need to know how to make Pinterest happy, or you won’t succeed in this job.
The Art of Pinterest
While it takes some time to learn how to work the Pinterest algorithm, I truly believe being a Pinterest specialist is one of the best digital nomad job for beginners.
Either you already understand Pinterest because you personally use it, or you can spend some time wandering around the internet digesting free content that will teach you what Pinterest wants.
You don’t have to commit a lot of up-front capital to start your digital nomad career as a Pinterest strategist.
You just need to put in some good old hustle and grit to learn the craft of Pinterest.
Once you have a hang of the platform, you can start marketing your services to content creators and bloggers.
One of the best ways to find clients is to join Facebook groups.
I’m in a number of travel blogging Facebook groups, and there are always questions about where to find a good VA or Pinterest manager.
You can politely introduce yourself and your services (as long as it is allowed by the group). It is without a doubt the quickest way to find people looking for some extra help with their Pinterest.
Just please make sure you’re not spamming the group or sliding into any DMs unsolicited. It is important you don’t get a reputation for being a bit spammy or annoying. The blogging community is small, and people talk.
6. Freelance Writing
This is one of my favourite digital nomad jobs for beginners.
Scratch that! It is one of my favourite digital nomad jobs. Period.
I find that so many people I’ve met say that they always dreamt of being a writer and regret not following that dream.
Well!
This is your chance!
Freelance writing is one of the most fun and most lucrative digital nomad jobs for beginners.
Literally anybody can do it!
Freelance writers are needed in every industry and in every language.
You can choose to either by a content writer or a copy writer.
Copy writers are paid more, but the money a content writer can make is well beyond the average salary in the US.
A content writer writes informative, fluffy, fun pieces of content that are meant to build a relationship between the reader and the company.
This blog post is an example of a piece of content writing!
The purpose of a copywriter, on the other hand, is to sell the reader something.
If you’ve ever gone to sign up for an online course and there is a page of writing outlining what is in the course, that is copywriting.
Each form of writing has its place and both are beneficial.
My suggestion is to choose the form of writing that you find most enjoyable!
For me, it is definitely content writing!
7. Sell Digital Products on Etsy
When you think Etsy, you probably think of a super creative person sitting in their house hand crafting the amazing pieces you purchase from them.
That is definitely the case for most Etsy sellers but not all of them!
There is an entire world of Etsy sellers who sell digital downloads. No physical products needed!
Your clients simply download an electronic file, and they get the item they purchased.
There is zero need for you to be in one location to create and mail your products, which is why this is one of the best digital nomad jobs for beginners.
What I love about Etsy is that it is a search engine in and of itself.
You don’t have to try to rank in Google or create your own shop with Shopify and try to be found through a search engine.
Etsy makes it so easy for buyers to find you and your digital products.
The only downside of Etsy is they take a reasonable amount of your earnings so be sure you’re pricing that into your sale price!
You can sell just about anything as a digital download on Etsy.
Here are just a few examples (there are countless others!):
- Wedding invites
- Baby room artwork
- Pinterest templates
The list goes on and on and on.
Be creative, and you’ll be earning some money in no time!
Creating digital products does require some graphic design skills, but with platforms like Canva, it is easier than ever to start creating designs with no experience!
Just be sure you’re not selling anything created from a template in Canva as that goes against their terms and conditions!
8. Data Entry
This isn’t the most glamorous job on this list, but it is still one of the best digital nomad jobs for beginners.
There are plenty of companies that hire freelances to take data and input it onto a spreadsheet or into a data base.
It can be mundane, but it is a job that anybody can do.
There is little to no barrier to entry outside of having a computer, which is necessary for every digital nomad job.
This Might Surprise You
You might be surprised to learn that data entry clerks get paid more than you might think!
I have a friend who is a data entry clerk for a hospital in Canada, and she makes $22 CAD (about $15 USD) per hour.
That isn’t Earth shattering money, but if you use location arbitrage and spend most of your time in a region with a low cost of living, you can live a pretty good life making $15 per hour.
Heck! The US government won’t even make $15 the federal minimum wage, so you can earn more than a lot of other people in the US.
Just in case you were wondering, I 100% support raising the minimum wage in the US and don’t come at me with that will lead to inflation and things costing more. If a company can pay shareholders billions of dollars in dividends, they can pay their employees a living wage.
Anyways, back to what you’re here for.
Yes data entry isn’t the most glamour digital nomad job, but it is still a great entry level digital nomad job.
Just because you use a less skilled job like data entry to get your foot in the door of a digital nomad lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to continue working in that industry for the rest of your life!
It can be a stepping stone to running your own business (like a blog, YouTube channel, or podcast).
Or you can continue to work as a data entry clerk forever if you enjoy it!
The world is your oyster, and that is one of the most fun parts of being a digital nomad!
9. Start a Podcast
Podcasts are hugely popular, and people become loyal to their favourite podcasters. It can be a very lucrative business, and many podcast platforms allow you to place ads in your content from day one.
I think podcasting is one of the best digital nomad jobs for beginners because it puts you in control. Just like blogging or starting a YouTube channel.
Can you tell I’m a big fan of starting your own content creation business?!
You can talk about whatever you want, bring on any guests you want, and control every aspect of your podcast.
So much creative freedom!
Another huge plus to podcasting is it doesn’t take as much time to edit as a YouTube video does.
It is a much more straightforward and simple editing process, which may be more appealing than learning to edit videos.
It is also a less scary way to ease into content creation. Just like a blog, it is essentially faceless.
You don’t have to worry about putting your face on the internet like you would in video format.
It is more anonymous and less intimidating for a lot of a people compared to YouTube.
You may be thinking that it will be a pain to lug around a podcasting microphone while travelling, but I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be!
The Blue Yeti Nano is a top microphone but is super small and easy to pack in your carry on luggage.
You can also use the microphone built into your smartphone when you’re starting out and deciding if podcasting is the right entry level digital nomad job for you!
You can even record episodes with guests or a co-host virtually, so you can truly start a podcast from anywhere in the world!
10. Transcription
This is not a case where I left the best for last. Transcription is still an excellent beginner digital nomad job though!
Transcription, like data entry, doesn’t pay a ton of money. In fact, you probably won’t make as much as you think you will (unfortunately).
Transcriptionists are paid per minute or per hour of dictation not per minute or per hour of work.
So, a job could say it pays $15 per hour of dictation, but it will definitely take you longer than an hour to transcribe the dictation. In that instance, it may take two hours of work, and you only make $7.50 per hour.
Some dictations take longer to transcribe than others. It depends on what the content is and how often you have to stop to look up how to spell the jargon they use.
It could also take longer because the person dictating doesn’t annunciate or mumbles, and you have to keep listening to the same section of the dictation to figure out what they are saying.
I highly recommend you invest in a foot pedal if you are going to choose transcription as your entry level digital nomad job.
It will make the entire process so much smoother and quicker.
I used to do dictations every single day in my 9 to 5, so I know all the tips and tricks (as well as the pain) of transcription.
But while transcription isn’t the most glamorous of digital nomad jobs, it is a great way to get your foot in the door.
It is easy to find transcription work, and it can fully be done on your schedule.
So don’t knock it until you try it, but you will probably want to move into another digital nomad job on this list as you settle into your new lifestyle!
Watch the Video!
You Need to be Internet Safe as a Digital Nomad!
One of the most important things you need to keep in mind when working remotely all around the world is the you have to be internet safe.
It is important to be internet safe when you’re travelling for fun, but it is even more important when you work on the road.
You have client information, data, and your work on your laptop, tablet, or smart phone.
The consequences if your devices get hacked are even more detrimental than if just your personal information is hacked.
Now you don’t only have to worry about your banking information being stolen, but you also have to potentially worry about confidential client information being stolen.
That is not the type of conversation you want to have with your clients!
You need, need, need to install a VPN on all your devices.
It is essential and non-negotiable.
You will be relying on public wifi a lot as a digital nomad. That exposes you to many opportunities for someone to hack your devises and steal your information.
That is not a risk you should be willing to take!
A VPN essentially puts a shield around your devices and makes it impossible for a hacker to get into them and access your data.
A VPN makes using public wifi as safe as using your home wifi where only you know the password!
My Favourite VPN
I’ve tried a lot of VPNs over the years, and I’ve always cancelled them after the first year.
That is until I discovered NordVPN.
It is the fastest VPN on the market, so you don’t have to deal with the frustration of your internet slowing down just because you’re using a VPN.
As is the case with nearly every other VPN on the market.
You can also use your VPN to change your location. You can be in, say, Germany and change your internet location on NordVPN to show as South Korea. Or any other country you choose.
This allows you to access that country’s Netflix library and gives you access to shows you may not be able to get in whatever region you’re physically in.
But the most important thing is that the VPN keeps you and your data safe.
A subscription to NordVPN covers up to 6 devices, so you only need one subscription to keep all your devices secure.
The monthly cost of a subscription is less than the price of a single latte, so there are no excuses!
My philosophy is that if you can afford to travel, you can afford a VPN!
There are no excuses not to be internet safe.
Another Internet Option
My favourite travel gadget is Skyroam.
It is your own personal wifi egg that gives you access to the internet wherever you are!
As a digital nomad, having access to the internet is essential.
You never know when one of your clients is having a crisis and needs your help right away. Having reliable access to the internet is an important part of the digital nomad life.
The availability of public wifi greatly varies around the world.
In some countries, you can easily find free public wifi pretty much anywhere you go. In others, finding public wifi outside your accommodation is a painful experience and nearly impossible.
And that is where Skyroam comes in.
You don’t have to worry about not being able to find internet because you will always have it!
It is truly one of my favourite products, and I never travel without it.
Conclusion
I hope this post showed your that there are tons of digital nomad jobs for beginners!
No matter what your skills and interests are, you can find an entry level digital nomad job. A job that gives you the freedom to live your dream life.
Be location independent and your own boss. Travel the world and experience new cultures.
Work as much or as little as you want depending on how much money you need.
The digital nomad lifestyle is truly amazing!
My personal favourite digital nomad jobs for beginners are ones where you create your own brand and work for yourself.
They are the most freeing, and you have complete control over the product.
But, admittedly, it takes a while for a blog, YouTube channel, or podcast to bring in enough income to support you full-time.
That is where the other digital nomad jobs for beginners come in!
You can work more than one job if you choose.
You can choose to start a blog and be a freelance writer on the side while your blog is establishing itself.
The possibilities are truly endless!
Of course, there are other digital nomad jobs for beginners you can pursue. These are just the top entry level digital nomad jobs on my list.
You may have different skills and interests.
Find whatever job works for you and go do it!
Don’t let fear hold you back from living your dream life!
Oh. One last tip!
Most of the jobs on this list work best if you have a website showcasing your skills. It makes it easier to find potential clients and makes you look more legitimate.
I suggest using Green Geeks or Bluehost to host your website! I’ve used them both and enjoy them both!
