You may think you need a lot of savings to quit your job and hit the open road in your van or RV. However, it’s possible to pick up seasonal jobs along the way to earn enough income to cover your expenses. Some seasonal jobs even include perks like free room and board or a complimentary season ski pass, further reducing the cost of travel.
If you’re leaving your home in search of adventure, you probably don’t want a boring summer lifeguarding job. Luckily there’s lots of seasonal work out there that will fulfill your need for excitement, including the four jobs below.
Ski Instructor or Patroller
If you’re an avid skier or snowboarder who loves to spend the whole day on the slopes, you may enjoy being an instructor or patroller. Ski instructors get to share their love of the sport with resort guests and play in the powder all while earning a solid income. If you know a foreign language, you might even be able to score a job at a European ski resort to up the adventure factor.
The average ski or snowboarding instructor earns about $18.75 an hour and may get perks like free employee housing and season passes. Ski patrollers earn even more—about $19.69 an hour. However, the job may be more demanding as you’re responsible for assisting injured guests and keeping people safe on the mountain.
Camp Counselor
Love working with kids? A job as a camp counselor may be right for you. You’ll get to make a difference in young lives while earning an average of $25 per hour. Plus, kids always keep you on your toes, so there’s never a dull moment!
To succeed as a camp counselor, you’ll need leadership skills so you can spearhead activities and strong communication skills to collaborate well with the rest of the team. You’ll also need good decision-making and problem-solving skills to keep operations running smoothly and ensure your campers stay safe, healthy, and have fun.
Cruise Ship Jobs
If you’ve always wanted to sail around the world, getting a cruise ship job can help make your dreams come true. Contract lengths are usually a few months, allowing you to hop around and work on ships with different routes so you can see new places.
Cruise ships hire all sorts of workers including chefs, entertainers, housekeepers, activities coordinators, security personnel, engineers, and administrative staff. You can find out about new opportunities by searching on cruise lines’ websites or nomadic job boards like CoolWorks.
Tour Guide
Tour guides are needed in many different industries. If you love history, you could become a bus tour guide or a docent in a museum. Nomads who enjoy spending the day outside can join the adventure industry and lead white water rafting, zipline, or nature photography tours. Talk about an adrenaline rush!
Companies that offer group vacations also need tour directors to shuttle guests to and from planned activities and ensure the trip goes smoothly. Tour guides usually earn $20 an hour and get to travel to new, exciting destinations. However, you’ll need top-notch people skills and a charismatic personality to be able to succeed in this profession.
This is far from an exhaustive list of all the seasonal jobs out there. You can find seasonal work in conservation, ranching, fishing, farming, healthcare, and many other industries on job boards such as CoolWorks. Keep searching for new opportunities and you’re sure to find a nomadic job that matches your skill set and interests!
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Vicky Monroe is a freelance personal finance and lifestyle writer. When she’s not busy writing about her favorite money saving hacks or tinkering with her budget spreadsheets, she likes to travel, garden, and cook healthy vegetarian meals.