If you’re getting sick of looking at the same four walls during your 9-5, and often dream about jetting off and seeing the world, then you’re in the right place.
Take it from me, the author of this post, who is currently working as a freelance SEO specialist and content writer, it’s entirely possible. To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of the 10 best digital nomad jobs for beginners that will allow you to work from anywhere. And as a bonus, we’ve also let you in on the secret of where to find them.
What is a Digital Nomad?
To put it short, a digital nomad is someone who makes money online, giving them the location independence to live a nomadic lifestyle.
This means they can travel frequently and work from anywhere, whether that’s at the beach, by the pool, in the mountains or in cute cafes across the world.
Top 10 digital nomad jobs for beginners:
1. Virtual Assistant
Becoming a virtual assistant (VA) is one of the easiest digital nomad jobs to get into if you’re a beginner with no experience.
There are people in a range of fields that require assistance in their day to day jobs. If you’re well organised, good at administrative tasks, confident in multitasking, and have great people skills, there’s no reason that you wouldn’t be a successful VA.
As a VA you can pick clients and projects that match your skill set, whether that be scheduling appointments and meetings, booking travel, customer support, data entry or research. There are a range of tasks from technical to creative that you can assist with.
2. Blogger
Another beginner friendly job for digital nomads is blogging or content writing. If you’ve found yourself here, we could take a guess that you’re into travel? If not, we're sure that you have other strong interests in your life.
Creating your own blog, or freelance blogging for others about something that interests you, is a great way to make money on the road. Not only this, but it’s extremely flexible, allowing you to write and edit on your own time.
However, monetizing your own blog is a long game. With an interesting niche, high quality content and good marketing, you can monetise your blog through affiliate marketing, selling digital products, being paid to write articles for brands or tourism boards, advertising and more.
This can be extremely lucrative but it takes years to build up the traffic you need to make substantial money. Therefore we recommend building multiple income streams if you choose this option.
3. SEO Specialist
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is vital for companies to grow their online presence. As an SEO specialist you could work for an SEO or marketing agency, or freelance your services out to businesses.
To become an SEO specialist, you’ll need to understand how to optimise websites and their contents for search engines. This includes a range of things such as increasing website speed, strategically using keywords that match the user intent, writing good quality articles, building authoritative backlinks, using original imagery and more.
This might sound complicated, however, there are lots of free resources out there to help you learn. If you’re skilled at writing, starting as a freelance writer or blogger and transitioning into this line of work is common. It’s actually how this writer began her digital nomad journey.
4. Content Creator
In the age of social media, content creating is an increasingly popular job for aspiring digital nomads.
It’s not a secret that you can make some serious money with quality content and a big following on TikTok or Instagram. However, you can actually become a content creator with no following at all.
You can do this with User Generated Content (UGC). As a UGC creator, you need knowledge of social media trends and must be confident in putting together good quality content. With this you can create videos for brands to be used on their profiles and in paid ads.
A great way to start would be putting together a portfolio and working on a pitch that can be sent out to brands that you’d like to work with.
5. Online Teaching
Another easy digital nomad job for beginners is teaching online. While you can teach whichever subject that interests you, people generally teach their native language.
While some companies may require a degree or TEFL qualification, there are others that require no qualifications, especially when it comes to teaching conversational lessons where students are looking to practise their language with a native speaker.
With more and more digital nomads getting into this field, the demand is not quite as big as it once used to be. Not only this but back in 2021, China introduced a new law that made it illegal for foreigners residing outside the country to teach children certain subjects - including English! This has reduced demand significantly.
Therefore, you may instead decide to teach something more unique such as yoga or cooking.
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6. Data Entry/Analyst
A good entry level digital nomad job is data entry. This is an industry with no shortage of work and it’s a job that can easily be done from anywhere, as long as you have a good internet connection.
Data entry involves inputting and updating data in a computer system or database. Though it can be tedious work, it’s also effortless and requires no former experience.
If you’re looking for a higher paid, skilled job, you may want to look into becoming a data analyst instead. This isn’t so beginner friendly as it requires experience in complex programming. However, if this is something that you have, this is a top paying digital nomad job.
7. Copywriting
Another writing job you may consider as a digital nomad is copywriting. This is different to blogging as it involves writing things such as slogans, landing pages, emails, newsletters and sales pitches.
Copywriters will generally work alongside graphic designers to produce content that will resonate with the target audience, engage current customers and draw in potential customers, while also using the brand voice.
If you think your wit and writing skills could get people opening up emails, clicking on blogs or signing up to services, then this role could be well suited to you. You’ll just need great communication skills, a knack for grammar, and strong research and storytelling skills.
If you have expertise in a particular field, or an interest in a specific brand or product, you can specialise in working for this type of client.
8. Customer Support
One of the easiest digital nomad jobs for beginners is customer support. If you have good people skills, empathy and the patience of a saint, then this is a great option as you won’t be short of jobs.
This role will require you to assist with customer inquiries, resolve issues or complaints and ensure customer satisfaction with products or services. This can be done in a few ways via phone, live online chat or email.
There are many companies that offer this type of work, including travel agencies, whose services you may already know a lot about if you travel frequently.
Though this is easy to get into, it doesn’t provide the most flexibility, as you’ll have to log in at specific times to assist customers.
9. Proofreading/Editing
A proofreader or editor is someone that thoroughly reviews written content, identifying and correcting errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and formatting. They’re also great writers with the ability to add, delete or edit sentences to improve content and make it sound better.
If you’re someone with these skills and a keen eye for detail, then this could be the perfect job for you. There are always individuals or businesses that are seeking professional editors and proofreaders to improve their content.
This is an easy job to do all over the world, as long as you have an internet connection and laptop. Not only that but it’s very flexible as you can pick your own clients and jobs, and work at whatever time best suits you.
10. Translation
If you’re someone who speaks more than one language, a perfect beginner friendly job for digital nomads is translation. There’s always a demand for people who can translate documents, videos, blog posts, contracts, websites and more.
The best thing about this job is that it’s flexible. You’ll usually be given a task with a deadline and you can then work in your own time to complete it. Though translating to and from English is common, the work is not limited to this. In fact, if you speak a language that’s more rare, your earning potential could be much higher!
You’ll need to have excellent grammar and writing skills in both languages and be able to motivate yourself to work on your own schedule.
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The digital nomad life is becoming increasingly popular with individuals who seek freedom and flexibility in their careers.
What stops many people from taking the leap, is the limiting belief that this life is not accessible or possible for them, as they don’t have the skills they need. However, every digital nomad out there right now started from zero. That’s not to say that it’s easy, but with some dedication and willingness to learn, you can get you to where you want to be.
How do Digital Nomads make money?
There isn’t just one way that digital nomads make money. There’s a misconception that you have to be a huge social media influencer or be super savvy with tech to make this work.
In actual fact, it’s possible for anyone to become a digital nomad in these 3 ways:
⏵ Becoming a Fully Remote Employee
Many people keep their 9-5 or flexible job but work remotely. This became extremely popular when the pandemic hit but since then many businesses are trying to get staff back into the office. Despite this, there are still opportunities out there if you know where to look.
Though this route into becoming a digital nomad means that you may have to work rigid hours in a specific time zone, it does provide more stability and financial security.
⏵ Working Freelance
Becoming a freelancer is a great option for digital nomads. A freelancer is self-employed and contracts their work out to various clients, rather than working for just one employer.
There are various types of freelance work, meaning you can work to your strengths and offer services that fit your skill set. This option offers a lot of freedom as you can choose when you work, how often and who you work with.
Though the job security isn’t as great as being a remote employee, if you do it right, freelance work can be much more lucrative.
⏵ Setting up an Online Business
The final route into becoming a digital nomad, is starting an online business. If you’re an entrepreneur, this is the best option for you.
As long as you choose a business that you can run from your laptop or phone, there’s no reason you can’t work all over the world.
Where to find Digital Nomad Jobs for Beginners?
Once you’ve decided which digital nomad job you’d like to pursue, you need to know where to find the work.
If you're already employed, consider asking your boss about the possibility of working remotely. Many companies are open to flexible arrangements, though some may require you to remain within the same country.
For those looking to switch careers or find their first remote job, there are many platforms to explore. Popular websites for digital nomads include:
• Upwork: This is a great place to start building a client base when working freelance. This is how this writer got started on her digital nomad journey as there are many opportunities available. Just be aware of scams. These are easy to spot as the client will try to communicate off the platform. Something else to note is that Upwork takes 10% of your earnings.
• Fiverr: Similar to Upwork, Fiverr allows digital nomads to connect with potential freelance clients and will take a percentage of your earnings.
• LinkedIn: Having a solid LinkedIn profile and being active on this platform can help you network with others in your field and secure work opportunities, whether that’s freelance or full-time work.
• Facebook Groups: Look for facebook groups within your niche or field and use them to network or offer out your services to potential clients.
• Flexjobs: This is a subscription based job board that provides high quality and scam free remote job listings, making it a great place to find and secure work.
• Indeed: Indeed is a general job board that is home to many opportunities. On this website you can filter to look for fully remote jobs to apply for.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this article has helped you to gather the confidence to take the leap into digital nomad life. There are countless digital nomad jobs out there for beginners that require little to no experience to get started.
Make sure to have patience and dedication as if you don’t give up, you’ll be able to make your dream life a reality.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Moonsand receives a commission if you decide to make a purchase through one of our trusted affiliate partners, at no extra cost to yourself.
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