16 College Degrees & Careers To Help You Travel The World

No idea what to do for a career but interested in traveling the world? While many are under the impression that you need a college degree to succeed – you’ll find that this article does not agree. There are many careers that allow you to travel and college degrees to work remotely. The most important part is choosing something that you’re truly interested in to make it worth it!

IMPORTANT: You’ll have the option in life to change your career path at any point. People all the time change their life at 40 and start something new. (AKA what Ev did when he decided to start flipping houses!) But wouldn’t it be better if you decided to start that career and live your dream life without having to shuck off the traditional career path everyone told you to take?

Why Should You Listen To Us?

We have college degrees… but we really didn’t need them.

We felt that we should start off with those two statements because they’re going to set the tone for this entire article. As two people who have made it their lives’ mission to live the way we want – we’ve realized that neither of us needed a college degree to get what we really wanted out of life. We were always envious of other people traveling… until we realized we could do it too.

Shelbs has a Bio/Chemistry degree, and Ev has an architectural drafting degree (which has proved useful but wasn’t required for what we want to do!) So while we are going to review the best college degrees that help you travel the world, we’ll also review how to choose careers that allow you to travel the world and work remotely. (Without mountains of school debt!)

A college degree can be beneficial if you truly love the subject you’re learning – but otherwise, we highly recommend not wasting your time and money. Many people become successful without college!! The world doesn’t require it anymore and don’t let anyone tell you any different.

We have accomplished what many would consider a successful business venture, but more importantly, we’re happy.

We both pursue our passions, we’re building our real estate business together and we’re incredibly grateful to be living the life we want together. If that’s your mindset as well – read on!!

P.S. All of the degrees & careers we list will allow you to accomplish anything you want in life – more than just traveling. Whether you have spiritual pursuits or to be with your family more, these degrees can also help you accomplish those things while putting first what matters most.

Careers That Allow You To Travel The World

It’s been on our hearts quite a bit recently with how drastically the world is changing. We genuinely feel sorry for anyone in these times obligated to pay student debt. Did you know that Shelbs at one point wanted to be a dentist? That would have put us under an enormous amount of student debt, with the typical doctoral student in around a quarter of a million dollars in debt.

Yes, you read that correctly – $250,000k in debt – before you even start a career?

What kind of sense does that make if you’re not the type that wants to be beholden to a job Monday through Friday? We’re not saying dentists can’t work only 4 days a week or set easier hours, but to be successful, their practice needs to be consistent for their patients.

Not to mention, that having debt like that requires a steady income to keep paying it off. There is no ‘taking a few months at a time to play hookey and travel through Asia’. And with that kind of degree, you’re not able to work remotely while you travel. You have to be hands-on.

You should also consider that developing a skill or taking classes in one of the following areas will keep you from accruing massive amounts of debt in the first place. Avoiding unsecured debt is the only way to keep yourself from being truly tied down financially.

1. Photography

As a photographer, you’re considered an artist. The beauty of becoming an artist in any shape or fashion is that you get to choose what projects to work on.

Sure – you may do some headshots etc to pay the bills, but in an ever-increasing online world.. good photography sells, and most of the time you have to work remotely to get the best shots.

So how does choosing a career in photography allow you to travel? Think about all of the aspects of the tourism industry that need to be showcased in photographs. It’s almost unheard of that a person would travel to a place without having seen a photo right?

Think of hotels, the official tourism boards of a destination, event photographers, concert photographers, attraction photographers. There is a need for truly talented photographers as the world continues to be more online.

SIDE NOTE: Now… are we saying WE are the talented photographers to learn from? Most assuredly not. But our skills have only strengthened over time because we’ve worked steadily at it and found an editing style we like. Many people come to our blog looking for inspiration for their travels across the Southern United States. To give the best experience we can – photography is a large part of our blog!

• If you want to visit the falls in the photo – get our full guide on Toccoa Falls, Georgia!

2. Becoming a travel advisor

Entering the tourism industry as a whole is obviously a great idea and can be accomplished in a few ways. Number 1 on our list is becoming a travel advisor! No longer the travel agents of our parent’s decades – travel advisors live and breathe all of the up-and-coming news in the travel industry.

Get our full guide here for what it means to be a travel advisor today!

The best thing about becoming a travel advisor is that while you can go to college to get a degree in hospitality or something else tourism-related – it’s not required. What’s required is a passion for traveling and an organized personality.

You might think you’d be stuck behind a desk planning other people’s itineraries – but careers that allow you to travel have their perks. In this case – you would need to travel to destinations to create relationships and understand what to recommend to your clients. (You can’t recommend places you’ve never been!)

3. Construction / Carpentry

Not conventional jobs that would allow you to travel the world, but great ones nonetheless! Both carpentry and construction have two distinct career paths that allow for a lot of traveling.

#1 CUSTOM CARPENTRY: In the ever-present online world, you may have noticed that home improvement shoes are gaining popularity all the time. From the likes of Chip and Joanna Gaines down in Texas to smaller designers on Instagram – people constantly need custom kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, etc. Do you know how much a medium-size kitchen cabinet job costs the average homeowner? $10,000 to $15,000 – and that’s not adjusting for the inflated price of wood in harder times!!

• If you live simply and enjoy working with your hands – you can enjoy an awesome lifestyle by managing your time and taking months off to travel.

#2 NON-FOR-PROFIT CONTRACTING: You’ve probably heard of non-for-profit companies that build schools, wells, and many more projects right? All of those plans are spearheaded by PR teams etc to maintain a presence in the online world. How else are they going to keep donations and fundraising going? But behind the scenes – someone has to keep projects organized and on time. This is where construction management/contracting comes in.

• Neither of these is a typical 4-year college degree, but a construction career path allows you to get jobs when you’re ready to settle down!

4. Remodeling Houses & Real Estate Investments

This career path is what we turned to after realizing what kind of life we really wanted. By investing in real estate, fixing up houses and so much more – we’re creating passive income!!

Passive income is a phrase you’ll start to hear a lot as you get older. It basically means you do the work in the beginning and reap the financial benefits for a while to come. Rental properties of any kind are a great way to create a stable passive income – but don’t think it doesn’t require hard work! It’s not as simple as buying a house and screening for a good tenant to live there.

Read more about how we’re turning our own personal home into an Airbnb here.

5. Social Media Management

The last on the list of non-degree careers that allow you to travel is social media management. In some form or another, this is one of the best jobs for a highly organized self-starter.

No special degree is required, although many who have degrees in communications excel here. Having a knack for what encourages people, inspires readers, and influences buying power is really all that’s needed! Even the most learned of people cannot replace natural talent in these areas.

The last on the list of non-degree careers that allow you to travel is social media management. In some form or another, this is one of the best jobs for a highly organized self-starter.

No special degree is required, although many who have degrees in communications excel here. Having a knack for what encourages people, inspires readers, and influences buying power is really all that’s needed! Even the most learned of people cannot replace natural talent in these areas.

• Another viable career for remote work is becoming a virtual assistant!! We have an awesome virtual assistant who helps us with day-to-day marketing tasks during the week. As a college student – this could be an awesome gig to get you in the door to more serious jobs, get some work experience or start your own social media management company. Our assistant works out of Mexico and we’ve never met in person – but we have complete faith in her work.

College Degrees To Travel The World

There are many jobs out there that require a college degree and rightly so. So while earlier we talked about not everyone needing a college degree? We still think that’s true but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a calling or aptitude in some fields that require a college degree.

We’d certainly prefer our doctors, nurses, and any other technical and specific professions to have college degrees!!

The good thing about all of the high education career paths below is their flexibility. Sure you’ll most likely have to work at a computer or in a hospital, but some are even ‘field jobs’! Let’s dive right into the college degrees that allow you to travel.

1. Business / Management Degrees

First things first – a business or management degree is almost never a bad idea. From starting your own business to managing facts and figures from abroad – there are so many fields that this type of degree can be applied to.

When it comes to our personal business of investing and starting our own real estate company – Shelbs has even considered taking a business class once or twice. Things tend to get rough when you own your own business!

The major perk of a business or management degree is that it’s easily translatable and will help you get jobs in other countries. So while you may not be able to work in a cafe in Thailand, you are more likely to snag a job in Sweden to spend a year or two! Being in the center of Europe would make weekend trips to Prague so much easier!

2. Web Design

We’ve included web design in the ‘college degrees that help you travel the world’ section but in reality, it could also go under the ‘careers that let you travel the world section’. Some people go to college to get computer science degrees, but if you really want a job in the sector without spending money you have options.

• Start learning right away with Google FreeCodeCamp.org. It’s an open source platform that lets you learn at your own pace. When you’re done and have completed the requisite non-for-profit projects – you have the ability to start getting jobs right away!!

If you’re looking to go a little deeper in the computer science realm – you can get a degree from many universities online without having to step foot in a classroom.

**We have personal experience with this being a viable source of income! Ev has cousins that live down in Nicaragua and do web design for a company out of Holland. They live simply and travel home to the US, and throughout South America on a pretty regular basis.

3. Graphic Design

Another great career path that allows you to travel is getting a degree in graphic design. Companies are more than ever budgeting for marketing costs because the buying power of the public is a powerful thing. Did you know the average person sees around 10,000 ads a day?

Billboards, business cards, flyers, and social media announcements all take their cues from graphic design trends. It’s common for graphic designers these days to work with or as social media managers. Companies are shelling out the big $$ more than ever to have their products and services noticed.

• Interested in Graphic Design as a career? Peruse our guide to our favorite Canva fonts for designing our blog graphics.

As a freelancer, this career will allow you to travel anywhere and work from anywhere with good wifi.

4. Accounting

You’re probably used to the idea that accountants sit at a desk and work heavily from New Year until April 15th when taxes are due. While this may still be the norm for many – what is becoming more and more popular is getting an accounting degree to travel the world.

• There are two avenues for you to travel whith a degree as an accountant. Option 1: You can do a ton of the heavy lifting during tax season and travel while you’re monitoring things on your time outof tax season. Option 2: Become an independent book keeper. Either way, you’ll have similar duties.

As a virtual accountant – you can still coordinate budgets, compile quarterly data and help with end-of-the-year tax preparation. All while taking a road trip to Georgia’s colorful Bell Moutain. You’ll most likely work anywhere from 10-40 hours a week depending on client needs. Your duties will range from monitoring client purchases, paying their bills, and general bookkeeping.

Almost everything is online now anyways, and with services like QuickBooks becoming so popular, you’re just adding that extra personal touch while still keeping things relatively simple for clients online.

5. Travel Nursing

Did you know that traveling nurses usually make more than traditional on-staff nurses due to hospital incentives?

This means you can pick which contracts you want or don’t want.

If you decide to work for 6 months and then take the rest of the year off – more power to you. We’ve seen couples who travel together as travel nurses and see the world that way! The possibilities truly are endless.

• You will have to complete a nursing degree from an accredited university. As Shelb’s sister and Aunt are nurses – we can tell you that it’s not an easy job. If you want to travel and have a passion for healthcare though, this is the job for you!!!

6. Data Analysis via Finance/Economics Degrees

This category is super broad because there are a ton of degrees you can get that would allow you to work remotely. Possible degrees include data science, computer science, statistics, finance and economics, psychology and so many more.

Some people chose the path of consulting and traveling where their work is. Some chose to work remotely and have a steady job with a single company. As we’ve said- the possibilities are endless here in a world that relies so much on data and marketing specifically!

7. Sign Language

Getting a degree in sign language is a rewarding calling and career path. The perks are that you’ll always be needed. Many sign language interpreters are needed throughout the world as our society becomes increasingly interlinked.

The most successful sign language interpreters speak English and the sign language of wherever their job is. We actually have a few friends who are missionaries in Thailand that speak English and Thai, as well as American Sign Language and Thai Sign Language. While spreading their message of God’s word, they’re able to successfully do so because they speak both languages!

You may not want to become a missionary, but there are plenty of avenues you can take in this professional career to travel the world.

• Get our guide for the best languages to learn if you want to travel the world!

8. Teaching English

While you don’t have to have a college degree to teach English in some instances – in the long run, you’ll benefit from having a degree. There are two different avenues to get a career that allows you to travel. You can either teach English online or you can teach English in person in a classroom setting abroad. remotely

Teaching English Online: If you’re considering becoming a true digital nomad and teaching English online, there are benefits to having a college degree. You’re paid more to teach English as someone who has a degree – and you’ll also have more consistent work. The other perk is that your job is made easier because you have access to all of the latest and greatest resources.

• Get your Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate online at the International TEFL Academy.

Popular companies to teach with are VIPKid, Busuu, Dada, and Palfish. For an in-depth review of each companies benefits and pay, read this article from tefl.org.

Teaching English In A Classroom: You’ll most definitely have to have a degree for this job, and it’s almost guaranteed to be rewarding! Think of teaching kids in small villages in India or Thailand? Then when you’re not working you’re hitting the beach or seeing the Taj Mahal.

****This avenue is one that Shelbs is currently pursuing as a way to make money to supplement our blogging income and passive income from real estate!

9. Archeology & Anthropology

The next careers that allow you to travel come with some pretty hefty college degrees. Archology and anthropology are alike in that both require a true passion to become successful in the field.

Archeology is the study of human civilizations’ past using material remains.

Anthropology is the study of humans as they are today through the lens of past and present cultures.

• Both fields of study have opportunities to see the world, but you can also very likely sit behind a desk if you don’t choose the right study subjects. It’s not as simple as just becoming an archeologist or anthropologist. For example, if you chose to study urban societies as an anthropologist.. why would you ever leave the city?

As we’ve said before, you should be truly interested in your field. If your interests lay in the linguistic patterns of people in South American rainforest tribes – you’ll likely spend much time traveling as an anthropologist. Cultivating a passion for ancient Chinese culture will most likely lead you to travel as an archaeologist. Just remember that no career path guarantees travel – but they are what you make of them.

P.S. If you’re interested in Archeology, see our post on ancient Native American ruins throughout Arizona!

10. Marine Biology {with an Emphasis on Preservation}

A career in Marine Biology can be incredibly rewarding – but in order to travel the world, you’ll have to choose an area of study that focuses on preservation. There are many marine biologists who study at home and work on preserving their local marine ecosystems. These aren’t necessarily the jobs of a person who wants to travel the world.

• The areas that are most impacted by devastation like the Great Barrier Reefs, decimated shark populations, the polluted waters around Japan and China (where the world gets most of their seafood?) Those are the regions that craete a career that allows you to travel.

If you love marine biology and are considering entering this field, explore our article on virtual coral reef explorations. Getting a college degree to travel the world is an amazing privilege – and these folks put it to good use!!

11. Healthcare Administration

Ever considered overseeing a hospital in an area of greater need? You might think of somewhere like Rwanda – but there are plenty of underserved areas in Europe and Asia as well. The next college degree that allows you to travel is a healthcare administration career.

Beyond getting a medical license of any kind, these are the people behind the scenes making sure that hospitals have enough supplies to continue. Allowing the doctors and nurses to focus on their work is an impactful and rewarding role!

Shelbs did a mission trip in college and it was one of the most rewarding experiences to truly help people in need. She and a team of 20 other college students delivered much-needed dental care supplies to school-aged children in the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador. We can’t imagine what it would be like to coordinate those things for a living!!

Other Articles You Might Find Helpful

Last but not least – we thought we’d include a section on blogging as a career to help you travel the world. You might be laughing and thinking to yourself — ‘Ummm.. guys… there is no way.’ And that’s totally fine. There are plenty of careers above that will allow you to travel!

BUT – if you’re sitting there reading and blogging interests you at all – here are a few posts to get you started!

• What It Takes To Start A Succesful Blog
• The Beauty of Facebook Groups When You Start Blogging
• Why You Need To Write Longer Blog Posts

P.S. If you’re a content creator struggling to get Instagram to allow you to add songs, get our guide on all the best ways around this glitch.

Share This Post!

Are you and your friends dying to see the world? Stuck in your dorm room without being really sure of what you want to do or why you’re there? Share and save this post to come back to when you’re feeling lost.

And if you’re like us and deciding later in life that the 9-5 grind isn’t for you – save this post and remember that it’s never too late to change your life!!

Make sure to subscribe to our blog, snag all of your road trip basics (below), get your travel insurance, and have fun jamming to a new playlist!

Until next time friends,

Thanks for sharing!