What is a travel writer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Cathy Irwin Ph.D.

Travel writing is a lucrative job, but it requires a lot of creative thinking. If you're someone who loves traveling around places and writing about it, this job is the best for you. A travel writer's job is basically to travel and write about those travel experiences.

Travel writers are self-employed and thus have the liberty to write about various aspects of the travel industry. To do this, they need to visit cities, states, and countries to gather firsthand information. Travel writing helps people in planning their trips and avoiding difficulties on the way.

As a travel writer, you should always pay attention to detail, especially as you will be studying your surroundings a lot so that you can know how to write from everyone's perspective.

A travel writer needs to possess good writing skills like perfect spelling and good use of grammar. Travel writers generally earn up to $46,649 yearly and $22 per hour on average.

What general advice would you give to a Travel Writer?

C

Cathy Irwin Ph.D.Cathy Irwin Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Professor of English, University of La Verne

Because of the pandemic, entering the workforce has been hard for many. At the same time, many employers have moved online and are meeting with clients and customers through Zoom and other online platforms. As a result, employers now, more than ever, need employees who have excellent communication skills.

English majors from La Verne graduate with excellent writing and critical thinking skills. As a result, they do have opportunities after they graduate. Many of them are hired in jobs because of their writing and editing skills. A large percentage of students decide to go to graduate school. They want to serve their communities, so they become teachers, librarians, lawyers, and officers in non-profits or the city sector.

The medical field is also starting to welcome students from the humanities because they are looking for well-rounded, articulate, and compassionate people. If students with a humanities degree want to go into the health or medical sector, they can apply to one-year post-baccalaureate programs that lead to medical school.
ScoreTravel WriterUS Average
Salary
4.5

Avg. Salary $57,196

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
3.4

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.36%

Asian 4.94%

Black or African American 5.95%

Hispanic or Latino 7.64%

Unknown 5.59%

White 75.53%

Gender

female 64.97%

male 35.03%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress Level
3.4

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.4

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
5.4

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Travel Writer career paths

Key steps to become a travel writer

  1. Explore travel writer education requirements

    Most common travel writer degrees

    Bachelor's

    75.5 %

    Master's

    14.6 %

    Associate

    5.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific travel writer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    SEO54.72%
    Blogging33.08%
    Blog Posts2.85%
    CMS2.27%
    Twitter1.46%
  3. Research travel writer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage projects diligently under aggressive deadlines while maintaining editorial integrity and ensuring stories have entertainment and/or educational value.
    • Work with Wordpress as a CMS.
    • Construct elements using rudimentary HTML code - including text, art - for effective Craiglist ad.
    • Generate attention-grabbing, relevant topics using SEO tactics including keyword research and on-page optimization.
  4. Prepare your travel writer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your travel writer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a travel writer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Travel Writer Resume templates

    Build a professional Travel Writer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Travel Writer resume.
    Travel Writer Resume
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    Travel Writer Resume
    Travel Writer Resume
    Travel Writer Resume
  5. Apply for travel writer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a travel writer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Travel Writer Job

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Average travel writer salary

The average Travel Writer salary in the United States is $57,196 per year or $28 per hour. Travel writer salaries range between $34,000 and $93,000 per year.

Average Travel Writer Salary
$57,196 Yearly
$27.50 hourly

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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019
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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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