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10 Best Digital Nomad Jobs for Beginners —Remote Careers That Pay

While ditching the 9-5 lifestyle to become a digital nomad allows us a greater chance of living a life we love, it can be challenging to know how to get started with so many job options out there. You may even be wondering if there are many people trying to work remotely.

If you have been wondering how to work as a digital nomad, then the good news is that there are countless options for you and there is always room to set yourself up in an industry.

best digital nomad jobs for beginners

In this guide, we’re going to share the ten best digital nomad jobs for beginners with tips to get started on making an income as a remote worker. 

Best Digital Nomad Jobs for Beginners — How to Become a Digital Nomad With No Experience

From writing and reading to photography and selling products online, there are enough digital nomad jobs to go around. No matter your skills and interests, there’s a good chance one of the jobs below is the ideal option for you. Don’t miss our ten tips for beginner freelancers for more information.

Each of these jobs can be done from anywhere in the world. All you need is a computer and internet connection for most of them.

Best of all, you can get started with any of them with little to no experience or skills and learn how to be successful using online resources, many of which cost nothing.

People often wonder how digital nomads make money online, and chances are it is one of the options below.

Read More: How to Find and Apply for a Remote Job (Everything You Need to Know)

1. Freelance Writer

One of the most popular beginner gigs for digital nomads is freelance writing. With that said, it’s one of the most saturated. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t be successful at it with hard work and dedication.

Personally, I think the effort to become a successful freelance writer is well worth it. You can pick and choose the topics you want to write about, you can work in a lucrative niche, and every business needs a writer, so there is a lot of potential for finding excellent jobs.

Freelance writers can also write many different things, which allows you to offer more services or pick and choose what you like best. Writing jobs include blogs, product descriptions, sales pages, and other website content.

Tips for getting started as a freelance writer:

  • Do some research on lucrative niches and choose one (or a couple) you have the knowledge of and would enjoy writing about. The possibilities are endless, but travel, wellness, finance, and real estate are a few examples.
  • Practice writing for yourself or for people you know so that you can build your skills and your portfolio.
  • Find a network of other freelance writers.
  • Look for jobs and send pitches to businesses/publications you like to work with. Check out guide to freelance writing jobs to learn more.

Read More: Ten Ideas for Starting a Home Based Business

2. Editor and/or Proofreader

If writing isn’t your thing but you know a lot about writing rules, have a good eye for detail and enjoy reading, you could be an editor and/or proofreader. Many companies, publications, and writers hire people to take a second look at their content before it’s published. And, since error-free content is so important, you can make good money doing this. 

You can offer both services or decide you’re better with just one of them. An editor makes any changes to content that will make it better. This includes spelling, grammar, punctuation, tone, and flow. Meanwhile, proofreading takes place just before publishing once to ensure no lingering errors were overlooked. 

Tips for getting started as an editor/proofreader:

  • Polish up on your reading and writing skills. There are tons of free and paid courses online.
  • As with freelance writing, you’ll want to pick a niche you’re interested in. Unlike writing, it’s okay if you aren’t incredibly knowledgeable about it since you aren’t creating the content. But, having a specific niche in an area you appreciate can make it more fun and easier to market yourself.
  • Create a portfolio using a site like Contently or build your own website.
  • Market yourself and reach out to potential clients. Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook groups (like this one) are great places to find editing and proofreading jobs.

Read More: Ten Ways to Find Work and Promote Yourself On Twitter (X)

3. Transcriber

Transcribing is one of the best digital nomad jobs for beginners, if you like listening to podcasts or watching YouTube videos. A transcriber listens to audio and turns it into text. This job is best for a fast typer with an adequate internet connection since audio requires decent internet speeds.

solis portable wifi

Often if a podcaster or YouTuber also has a blog and/or newsletter, they need a transcriber. Since this can take a good bit of time, you can charge a good bit. It’s a win-win if you’re working for brands you would usually listen to anyways.

Tips for getting started as a transcriber:

  • Make sure you have a high-quality headset that blocks out distractions.
  • Practice transcribing. There are several free websites where you can practice transcription skills.
  • Look for beginner jobs on sites like Fiverr and Upwork or reach out to podcasters and Youtubers who could use your help

Read More: A Beginner’s Guide to Affiliate Marketing

4. Social Media Manager

If you enjoy social media and already keep up with your own, then there’s a good chance you can do this for other people and make a lot of money. Social media is critical for business success in today’s world. And, most companies need help running their social media.

From developing strategies for social media growth and writing captions to engaging with an audience and reviewing analytics, there are many services and packages you can offer. And, with all the social media platforms out there, the opportunities are endless.

Tips for getting started as a social media manager:

  • Pick 1 or 2 platforms you want to offer services for. These options include Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. It’s easier to become really good at your job when you’re not focusing on too many things.
  • Make sure you have your own social media presence, as most clients will want to see that you do.
  • Reach out to companies you can help by joining job boards, getting active on LinkedIn, or cold-pitching to businesses you’d want to work with. You can also do a combination of these.

Read More: 10 Best Websites for Finding Online Work Now

5. Blogger

While blogging won’t bring a full-time income instantly, it’s a great way to make passive income eventually. We recommend starting this on the side, as it can take months before you see any earnings.

Blogging is fun because it’s a way you can turn your passion into helping out others. Bloggers can make money with affiliate marketing and ad revenue after they’ve taken the time to build up content and an audience.

Tips for getting started as a blogger:

  • Decide what you want your blog to be about. It’s best to pick a topic you’re passionate about and that you know there’s an audience for, which there is for just about everything!
  • Learn about SEO. There are tons of free resources online for this, from courses to social media groups to articles and videos. 
  • Build a website. Squarespace is an efficient website builder for beginners, whereas WordPress is a bit more tricky, though popular.

Read More: 15 Best Finance YouTube Channels (Meet Your Personal Finance Goals)

6. Email Marketing Manager

If you’re coming from a 9-5 job where you worked in marketing or have knowledge of it, email marketing is an up-and-coming digital nomad job you could be really successful with. Experience, in some sense, is important since email marketing can make or break a company’s success.

The good news is that just about every business participates in email marketing these days, so there are tons of opportunities. 

Email Marketing Managers plan, develop, and implement a strategy that nurtures leads and convinces customers to take action. They may also write the content for the newsletters that encourage customers to buy a product, sign up for something, etc.

Tips for getting started as an Email Marketing Manager:

  • Have some understanding of marketing, whether from a past job or from a course (there are many free and affordable online courses).
  • Sign up for your favorite brands’ email newsletters to start sparking ideas.
  • Start practicing and building your portfolio by writing email newsletters either for yourself as samples or for people you know.

7. Photographer/Videographer

Do you have a camera you love taking photos with? One of the most fun digital nomad jobs for beginners is photography, especially if you don’t want to be on the computer all day. 

This is great for nomads who travel or work primarily from home because there are endless opportunities for taking photos and shooting videos no matter where you are. Ideas for images and videos you can take and sell include company products, scenery, food, and events.

Tip: Read about being an Etsy Store Owner below, as this can be one way to sell digital copies of your photos.

Tips for getting started as a photographer/videographer:

  • Decide what kind of photography/videography you want to do.
  • Practice and start building a portfolio.
  • Market yourself on job boards, social media, and to companies or people you’d be interested in working with.

8. Voiceover

Voicework is one of the best digital nomad jobs for beginners as the main skill it requires is a nice voice. So, if you already have that, why not put it to work?

Voiceover includes voice work for things like YouTube (and other) videos, audiobooks, online ads, etc. You can find many jobs for these on freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr.

Tips for getting started as a Voiceover:

  • Get a high-quality microphone.
  • Look into online courses that help you prepare to succeed in voice work. There are many free and affordable options.
  • Look for beginner gigs on job boards like the ones mentioned above.

9. Freelance Reader

If reading is one of your favourite activities, why not get paid for it as a digital nomad? The best part is most people hiring a freelance reader simply want someone who appreciates reading. 

Unlike proofreading, freelance readers don’t make suggestions for grammar, spelling, etc. Freelance readers typically look at the story plot, characters, and reader engagement. There are many reading jobs, including working with publishing companies and writing book reviews or summaries. Y

ou can also work with literary management agencies and read transcripts to write a report on your opinion. 

Tips for getting started as a freelance reader:

  • Read as much as possible. The faster you can read, the more successful you’ll be.
  • Decide what kind of job you want to do as a reader.
  • Join job boards, update your Linkedin, and pitch to publishing companies.

Read More: A Complete Guide to Investing for Digital Nomads

10. Etsy Store Owner

Becoming an Etsy store owner can be a lucrative way to turn your creativity into income. Etsy is a worldwide online marketplace where creatives sell their products. While many sellers ship their items, you can also sell digital products if you’re a digital nomad who travels a lot.

Ideas for selling digital products are art prints, Ebooks, greeting cards, social media templates, and guides. And, to be honest, this list is endless.

Tips for getting started as an Etsy Store Owner:

  • Think of things you’re knowledgeable about that you can create a digital product for or a skill you have that you can use to create actual products for.
  • Browse Etsy to help spark creativity.
  • Learn SEO, as this is crucial for getting traffic to your online store. There are many free SEO resources online.

We hope you’ve found inspiration on becoming a digital nomad from this list of best remote work jobs for beginners!

For more helpful information on how to become a successful digital nomad, check out these articles:

How to Live Cheaply as a Digital Nomad (10 Must-Know Tips)

8 Ways to Maintain Work-Life Balance When Working Online

8 Tips for Keeping Healthy as a Digital Nomad

12 Best Digital Nomad Backpacks

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