How Much Do Digital Nomads Make? FAQ for Vanlifers and Travellers

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: September 6, 2021 References

If you’re tired of working the classic 9-5 in an office, you might have heard about the life of a digital nomad. These traveling workers make money online while living on the road. If that sounds like the lifestyle for you, keep reading to learn how much you can make and what kind of jobs you can get as a digital nomad.

Question 1 of 8:

How do digital nomads make money?

They take jobs or make passive income online. For the most part, digital nomads are freelance workers who accept jobs that they can do remotely. Most digital nomads are freelance workers, meaning they accept the jobs they want to do and turn down the ones they don’t want to do. Some digital nomads also make a passive income by publishing works online that people pay to download or view.^{[1]
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- Recently, digital nomads have also been making money through social media. If you have a large following on a social media platform, you may be able to earn income through brand deals or paid partnerships as you travel.

Question 2 of 8:

How much do you make when starting as a digital nomad?

You can expect to earn a little more than minimum wage when you first start. How much you earn as a digital nomad depends a lot on what you’re doing—but for the most part, online work generally pays around minimum wage (or even a little less). If you plan on working full-time as a digital nomad, you may be able to make as much as if you were working a minimum wage job.^{[2]
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- The top fields of work for digital nomads are writing, education and training, administration, and customer service.

Question 3 of 8:

How much can you make as a digital nomad?

Some digital nomads even make 6 figures. While it’s not common, you can work your way up and gain enough experience to make a 6-figure salary as a digital nomad. However, you shouldn’t expect to make that much money right away (or at all).^{[3]
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Question 4 of 8:

What kinds of skills do you need to become a digital nomad?

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Writing and teaching are very sought after. If you’re a good writer, you can make a lot of money online by writing, editing, or even publishing your own book. If you’d like to write or edit, look online for freelance jobs that you can do remotely. If you have enough content for a book, consider self-publishing it to make money every time someone buys or downloads it.^{[4]
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Software and IT skills are easy to translate online. If you have any coding or hardware skills, there are tons of jobs you can get that are solely remote. Plus, if you have IT skills, you can work with clients or customers over the phone or the internet.^{[5]
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Marketing and advertising skills can be used online. If you have any business or marketing experience, it’s easy to find remote jobs that you can do online. You may even be able to manage a team or conduct projects from your computer. Jobs like these may require slightly more experience, but they still fit in with the digital nomad lifestyle.^{[6]
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Organization and tech skills can be used as a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants take on the role of a traditional assistant, except you never meet your clients face to face. You might help someone create a website, make phone calls, schedule appointments, or do anything they don’t have time to do themselves. As a virtual assistant, you can decide who you want to take on as a client and what the scope of your job is.^{[7]
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Question 5 of 8:

How do you get a job as a digital nomad?

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Join a freelance network. If you already have a set of skills that you can do online, find a website that looks for freelance workers to put bids on jobs. Things like writing, graphic design, programming, and law lend themselves to online, remote work. Try searching for websites that you can sign up for to look for online jobs.^{[8]
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Try gig work. Gig work can be anything from house-sitting to food delivery to ride-share services. If you’d like to be a digital nomad but you aren’t sure where to start, small gigs like these can help you stay afloat. They’re usually short jobs with flexible hours, and you can do them from almost any city.^{[9]
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Do some virtual tutoring. If you have a subject or area you’re really strong in, you can connect with students via Skype or Zoom to offer advice and expertise. Look for jobs like these on Indeed or Monster.com to find students or people in the workforce who could use your help.^{[10]
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Ask your current job if you can work remotely. If you spend a lot of time at a computer already, you might be able to transition your current position into a remote one. This isn’t an option for everyone, and your boss might not agree to it, but it’s always worth asking! If you aren’t sure you could swing it, try testing it out—start by working remotely for 2 days a week and see how you feel.^{[11]
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Question 6 of 8:

How much income do you need to be a digital nomad?

It depends on how much your monthly expenses are. Sit down and add up all the expenses you think you’re going to need (and don’t forget about the cost of traveling, either!). This might be things like plane tickets, gas, car repairs, hostels, food, public transportation, toiletries, and clothing. It might take a few months to figure out your exact budget, and you may need to cut costs by getting rid of memberships or subscriptions you no longer use.^{[12]
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- Be sure to budget in things like travel insurance, visas, mobile data, co-working spaces, and entertainment, too! Traveling doesn’t have to be expensive, but it comes with different expenses than staying in one spot.

Question 7 of 8:

Is being a digital nomad legal?

Yes, but you may need a work visa to work in another country. Some countries require tourists to apply for a work visa if they’re going to be working there for a long period of time. Even if your job is technically located in your home country, you still might need to apply for a work visa, especially if you’re going to be in the same place for longer than a few weeks. Every country has its own visa rules, so it’s important to look into the specific place you’re going to.^{[13]
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- For example, if you wanted to travel around Barbados and you were making more than $39,000 per year, you’d need to apply for a work visa. Work visas in Barbados can cost up to $2,000 per person.^{[14]
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Question 8 of 8:

Do digital nomads pay taxes?

Yes, you will always pay taxes to your home country. If you live in the United States, you can generally work in another country for about 6 months before getting taxed double. If you do stay somewhere longer than 6 months, you may get taxed from the United States and from the country you’re living in. You’ll also still have to pay state and local taxes, even if you’re traveling abroad.^{[15]
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- Some areas, like the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Aruba, Costa Rica, Antigua and Barbuda have 6-month to 2-year programs that let you earn money there without paying local taxes.
- Estonia and Iceland have special visas that allow you to work remotely for 6 months to 1 year without paying any of their local taxes.