How Do Digital Nomads Make a Living?

Imagine waking up to the sound of waves crashing on the shore, sipping coffee in a cozy café in Bali, or working from a mountain cabin in the Swiss Alps. This is the dream for many digital nomads, and the best part? They’ve figured out how to make a living while living this dream.

Sounds great, right? The reality is that you need to find a niche or a skill that you're passionate about and pour your time and energy into it. Here is a list of possible avenues that have been tried and tested. While I am not recommending any of these methods, this question will be answered in terms of what is available and currently working in the market.

1. English Teaching

After traveling the world for 10 years, this has by far been a common theme among nomads. Why? Because if you are conversational, fluent, or a native English speaker, people want to learn English due to its status as the business language of the world. While most people at one time or another teach English to Chinese students, it does vary by locality, pay, and workload. Some have even found the ability to secure local work and the proper visas to do so, transitioning from nomadic lifestyles to expat lifestyles. In a pinch, English speakers can find work teaching English.

2. Online Work

This seems to be the dream job, and it can be, but it requires self-discipline and drive. If you become a freelancer, you will often struggle to find work, but when you do, it can be enough to support you for months. Many people end up trying to find employment-based work in order to have more stability, but then find that it is entirely too much work. The lesson here is "feast or famine." In having freelance or employment-based work, you will always experience good times and bad times. If you enjoy that type of work culture, it may be the path for you. The key is to find something you like to do and ensure that it meets your requirements for work culture.

3. Start-up

Some people have started their own small companies either back home or abroad and simply need to manage them. Running a company can be rewarding but does come with more responsibilities. Some have a product or have found products abroad that they can sell online or drop-ship from the companies they purchase from. Others have started their own software companies and are able to run them from abroad. Some nomads will work around the clock in one country at their business for several months and then spend the rest of the year traveling the world. The key is to plan well so the business will succeed and does not end up causing you more stress than it's worth while you are abroad.

4. Influencer

In our modern era, the influencer has become the poster child of nomadic life, from vloggers to social media stars. Many have been able to travel for years with this business model. It does pay, but it takes time to build a following, so be sure to count the cost.

5. Affiliations

Many people build websites to sell products or advertise services. When these websites gain a large following, many companies will happily allow you to advertise their products in exchange for a commission on whatever is sold through your link. If this is something you are considering, think about what type of affiliates you want to be associated with and drive a website that has some type of relationship with those companies.

Conclusion

That should get anyone started down the road of nomadic life. If there are any more questions, please reach out.

~ Happy Traveling