The Best Travel Jobs in the Business

Everytime I tell someone that I want to be a travel writer, they look at me like I just told them I want to be a Disney princess. The eyebrow raises and the slow smirks usually make me feel kind of crappy, and sometimes, if I’m down enough that day, the whole debacle makes me want to throw in the towel and say FINE! Just chain me to a desk for the next 43 years and we can call it a day. However, this feeling usually doesn’t last too long, because:

1. Forty-three years is a really long time

2. I would rather die

3. Within the next hour of any given task of any day, I am soon looking up itineraries/travel pictures/travel blogs/daydreaming/posting on this blog.

At the same time, I have to remember (and we all can remember) that there are lots of awesome jobs out there for those of us with wings on our hearts. So next time your neighbor is trying to convince you that being a credit collector is sooo fun, and you’re wondering why the hell you bothered going to college in the first place, take a look at this list and remember that there is no reason at all that you have to throw in the towel and install that back protector on your swivel chair.

1. Event Coordinators do the job that you used to do when you were 16 and your parents went away for the weekend (but not really) – they plan special events, like functions, shows, dinners, and festivals – for various organizations and corporations. Get yourself involved with a big name company and you could be the one flying around the world looking at huge venues, choosing the best entertainment, and shaking hands with well-connected people. The average salary in the United States isn’t the best ($39,000 – $56,000 depending on various sources) but hey, it beats being a travel writer. WOMP.

2. Cruise Line Workers also don’t exactly bring home the big bucks with their salaries of between $1000 and $4000 a month, but then again they spend their days on a cruise basking in the sun, meeting new people, and visiting beautiful destinations so what is there to complain about. Resorts such as Club Med offer their employees the opportunity to work at several of their destinations, giving them the chance to see the world. Plus, there is no background you “need” to have – tons jobs are available, such as server, shopkeeper, masseuse, entertainer, bartender, etc.

Hopefully this doesn’t happen on your cruise

3. Tour Guides, who sometimes are the remnants of college history buffs, have the chance (with the proper background) to work and live in various cities all over the world, interact with international citizens, be out and about all day long, and be the ones to show people that “aha” moment. Even if you get burnt out by tour guide life, there are always more jobs behind the scenes coordinating logistics, finance, and finding that one lost old person.

4. Archaeologists have the opportunity to travel to remote and unknown parts of the world, exploring that location’s history and artifacts with their trusty Masters degree. People in this career need to be good writers, meticulous, detail-oriented, patient, and not too squeamish in touching people’s old bones, garbage, and the like. To an archaeologist, everything is important. Not including the median annual salary of $53,000.

5. Athletic Recruiters used to spend their days playing college football and sitting at the local sports bar on Sundays, and now they live the dream, scouting the world for the next greatest talent. Professional sports organizations and colleges employ these recruiters to visit games and schools to find new athletes… giving you the opportunity to see the world and stay in fancy (and not-so-fancy) hotels in the meantime…. for $36,000 median a year.