Who doesn’t love to travel? Many people look forward to the freedom to explore a new city or new countryside away from daily obligations. Sadly, most of us are chained to a desk job, managing hectic work schedules, and tight budgets. Planning a trip away can seem like nothing more than a pipe dream.
However, if you unchain yourself from that desk job, there are professions that will actually pay you to travel. And most of them pay decent salaries as well.
Court reporter
Court reporters, also known as stenographers, transcribe verbatim reports of trials and other legal proceedings. As a stenographer, you can also get jobs as captioners for closed caption programming. In this area, you can work for television stations, movie studios or other broadcasting companies to transcribe audio for the hearing impaired. The job does require specialized training that typically takes about two years. The average salary for a court reporter is around $56,000, but it usually ranges from about $40,000 to $73,000 and up.
As a court reporter, you can work anywhere in the world you’d like. And if you decide to do it as an independent contractor, you will have the opportunity to accept work from all over the world, even for companies that will pay you to come to them. You can even work in a different city every week if you want to. For example, say there is a particularly large case that requires more court reporters in Fort Lauderdale than they usually use. You may be able to work there for the duration of the trial, either lending your services to the courtroom or to the attorneys working the case.
TEFL teacher
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), or English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers have an especially broad scope of work to choose from. You can find employment both within the US and almost anywhere outside of it as well. As a TEFL teacher, you will teach the language to students who are non-native English-speakers around the globe or even in your own community. Most of these teachers are employed through some type of global company and sign six-month contracts for each location. After the contract is up, you may have the opportunity to sign another for the same location or to move on to another.
Most TEFL teachers are required to have a TEFL certificate, which you can get online in about three months through dedicated training programs. The programs are usually affordable and some even offer guaranteed job placement upon completion.
Travel nurse
Travel nursing is a growing trend among healthcare professionals because of the healthcare worker shortage across the country. With trends in healthcare delivery rising, the need for more professionals is wanted. To become a nurse, you will need to obtain either a certificate for your LVN (licensed vocational nurse) licensure or an Associate’s Degree in Nursing for your RN (registered nurse licensure). And then, instead of choosing to work for a hospital, clinic, or nursing home, you can sign on with a company who places nurses in temporary positions around the country.
Travel nurses can make six figures a year and work pretty much anywhere. Nurses who specialize in fields like cardiac, labor and delivery, neonatal care, or emergency room can command the highest wages. These jobs are typically done in three-month stents and either furnish housing or pay you a stipend to find your own. Many nurses use this stipend to rent cheap Airbnb housing and pocket the difference.
Work doesn’t have to be boring. With a little creativity, you can find a job you love and see the world at the same time. And you can do it all while making some serious money in the process. It just requires a little flexibility and a sense of adventure.