7 Great Jobs for Science Students Who Love to Travel

The best travel jobs allow you to earn income while exploring the world. Here are real-life examples of people living the dream – making money traveling abroad.

If you love traveling as much as I do, but can’t afford to completely quit working, you’re in luck. There are actually many different travel job opportunities to make money traveling the world.

Whether it’s seeking opportunities to trade work for accommodation, or landing a location independent job that gives you the freedom to travel abroad — you have options.

• Field service engineer

Field service engineers are essentially traveling customer service representatives. When a customer needs help with the installation or repair of a product, field service engineers are dispatched to help. If the company has clients worldwide, this career can require extensive travel to interesting places.

• Geoscientis

Geoscientists study the earth and its evolution, allowing them to explore different types of terrain and bodies of water. In this industry, you'll makes discoveries from the earth's magnetic fields to aspects of its physical structure, and how it all ties together. Though you'll need a science background and a minimum of a bachelor's degree, it is well worth the adventures in store — plus, the BLS says this occupation will grow 10 percent by 2024, so the opportunities are plentiful.

• Traveling nurse

Traveling nurses move around the country from hospital to hospital, bouncing from one temporary position to the next. You'll be sent to areas where nurses are needed most, and your housing, travel expenses and benefits often will be covered. As with any nursing position, you'll need credentials from a nursing program to become a registered nurse. Visit TravelNursing.org for more information.

• Web / Graphic Design

One of the most common jobs for traveling digital nomads is graphic or website design. All you need is your computer, an eye for design, and knowledge of certain software programs and online platforms. Things like Photoshop, Dreamweaver, WordPress, Illustrator, etc. Talent for writing code helps too — specifically HTML, PHP, and CSS. School is great, but it’s also possible to learn on your own with tutorials.

• Blogging

Making money as a blogger while traveling is a dream job for many. But like most things in life, it’s hardly simple. Earning a living with a blog is hard work — and can take years. A blog about travel isn’t the only option, other examples include food bloggers, mommy bloggers, fashion bloggers, and lifestyle bloggers. Income generally comes from advertising, affiliate sales, books, influencer projects, etc. But first you need to build an audience!

• Computer Programmer

If you already have the skills & training needed as a computer programmer, than transitioning your cubicle office job into a freelance position with location independence would give you the freedom to travel. There are special freelance programming websites where you can bid on jobs, or you can try to launch a company to build your own products like iPhone apps or custom web applications.

•  Commercial Airline Pilot

If you like the idea of having two- or three-day stays in cities around the country or the world, but want a better paycheck than a flight attendant gets, learn to fly! Apply to airlines that have routes servicing the places you want to see.

This is the highest-paid position on our list: The median wage for airline pilots is $105,720. Future job growth for commercial pilots is expected to remain about average for years to come.