How I Make Cash as a Skilled Journey Blogger

I’ll be fully sincere right here: I typically keep away from telling folks that I am a journey blogger once I first meet them.

This is not as a result of I am ashamed of what I do, or as a result of I attempt to hold it a secret. I simply hate the inevitable follow-up query that at all times comes at any time when I inform somebody that I weblog as a profession.

It is the primary query I get as a journey blogger:

“How do you generate income doing that?”

Generally it is phrased extra delicately. Like, “Sooo… you, like, make a residing doing that?”

Generally it is far more blunt, like, “How a lot do you make doing that?”

To be sincere, I typically wish to inform folks that it is none of their enterprise. I do not go round asking my accountant or nurse or instructor pals how THEY generate income, or what their paychecks appear like.

However I get it. My “job” is an unconventional one, and individuals are curious.

So my brief reply is, sure, I make a residing doing what I do. However as for the bigger query of HOW I make that residing, the reply shouldn’t be so brief or easy.

Up till late 2015, I virtually at all times had some type of regular revenue coming in together with what I used to be making from my weblog and different associated side-gigs. After I began running a blog in 2010, I used to be working full-time at a newspaper as a duplicate/structure editor. Then I used to be in grad college working as a graduate assistant and freelance writing and modifying on the aspect. And after that, I used to be working part-time for a social media startup.

It wasn’t till late 2015 that I made a decision I used to be comfy sufficient to depart behind the protection internet of a gradual paycheck to totally work for myself.

Although even that could be a bit deceptive. After I say “work for myself,” I imply that I’m totally in command of how I generate income. I get to decide on how I monetize each of my websites and which initiatives to say sure to, and most often get to set my very own charges. However I nonetheless typically work for different manufacturers and firms, and generate income in ways in which aren’t “conventional.”

To completely reply the query of how I generate income as a journey blogger, I’ve to write down you an inventory.

I do not generate income in only one means. Actually, the factor I’ve discovered from constructing this type of profession is that it is vital to generate income from quite a lot of sources, in case one in every of them abruptly dries up. (Or, you recognize, in case your total trade shuts down for some time attributable to a worldwide disaster. Ahem.) Diversification is the secret.

I additionally must level out that the digital publishing world is altering quickly as AI has swooped in to scrape our content material and substitute lots of our jobs. I am not truly positive how for much longer this shall be a viable profession – however for now it is what I am sticking with! (Learn extra about how Google and AI are killing blogs like mine.)

How I generate income as a Journey Blogger in 2025

As a way to offer you a real overview of my revenue streams, I made this nifty pie chart to point out you the way my revenue broke down in 2024.

At this level, I run two web sites that generate income: this web site, A Harmful Enterprise, which I began again in 2010; and Cleveland Traveler, which is a distinct segment web site about Cleveland, Ohio, that I began in 2019. I report all of my revenue collectively, as I am the one proprietor of each websites.

Here is a have a look at how my revenue broke down in 2024:

This pie graph of mine is at all times altering, for the reason that methods I strategy my enterprise are at all times altering. For instance, again in 2017, promoting solely made up 29% of my revenue. I used to be promoting programs (10% of my revenue), doing extra freelance writing, and posting extra sponsored content material.

Lately, I am attempting to work smarter, not tougher. I’ve dropped many of the low-paying freelance writing work I used to be doing, and am very choosy concerning the sponsored work I do now. My passive revenue streams are sturdy, and so I spend extra of my very own cash to journey lately. Which means once I tackle paid campaigns, it is as a result of I actually wish to do them!

(And, PS, these revenue charts by no means inform the entire story. It prices cash to run a enterprise – particularly while you’re within the enterprise of touring! My month-to-month bills in a “regular 12 months” normally tally within the $2500-$5000 vary while you add up web site/enterprise bills and journey bills, however can typically be larger if it is a large journey month.)

To get a greater concept of how this all shakes out, here is a extra detailed have a look at all these totally different revenue streams:

1. Promoting

In 2017, I signed up for Mediavine, an advert community that now locations all of the ads you see on this web site. I used to be not sure about doing this (would the adverts look terrible? would folks cease studying my web site as a result of they hated them?), however ultimately it was by far the very best enterprise choice I’ve ever made.

I have been producing content material on this web site free-of-charge since 2010, and I will not apologize for desirous to be paid for all that work. Including adverts to the positioning was the best, least-intrusive means to do this (and nonetheless hold all the pieces round right here free for folks to learn!).

My second web site certified for adverts on the finish of 2019, and so Cleveland Traveler can also be monetized with adverts now, and it is the primary means that web site earns revenue.

How a lot? Advert earnings had been down for me in 2024 when in comparison with earlier years, largely as a result of site visitors to blogs like mine has plummeted within the final 2 years because of changes at Google. On common, I made about $8,000 monthly from adverts in 2024 (although after all some months are higher/worse than others, and that quantity will seemingly drop a bit in 2025).

2. Affiliate gross sales

I’ve labored arduous within the final couple of years to extend the amount of cash I make passively every month. And the most effective technique to earn passive revenue is thru affiliate gross sales – which principally signifies that I usually earn a fee in the event you click on via to one thing you see linked on this web site and purchase or guide it. It does not value you something additional, but it surely’s a gradual revenue stream for me.

Over the previous few years, I have been rising the quantity of affiliate hyperlinks on my web site, and have fortunately seen a rise in gross sales, too. Whereas I used to rely closely on Amazon hyperlinks (like in all my packing posts) to suggest merchandise that I take advantage of and love, I make extra now via recommending accommodations, excursions, tickets, and different objects via different affiliate platforms and applications.

I solely suggest issues when they’re related and slot in naturally with the content material I am writing – and I solely suggest issues that I’ve tried or would personally spend cash on myself.

I take advantage of quite a lot of affiliate applications and platforms, together with some that mixture a number of journey firms/manufacturers, making creating hyperlinks and monitoring gross sales lots simpler. Platforms like Travelpayouts are nice for bloggers like me, as Travelpayouts is an all-in-one affiliate platform with dozens of manufacturers like Reserving and Viator that I like to recommend to readers multi function place. (Work smarter, not tougher, journey bloggers!)

How a lot? The quantity of passive affiliate revenue I make varies relying on the time of 12 months. I averaged round $5000 monthly from affiliate gross sales in 2024, which is an enchancment from earlier years, largely because of me being extra strategic about including helpful affiliate hyperlinks to my content material.

Branded content material is basically one other type of promoting or advertorial content material. However I rely it individually since it is not passive revenue – once I run sponsored posts or take part in a sponsored social media marketing campaign, I create 100% of the content material myself.

I’m actually choosy about what branded content material I’ll conform to run lately (my viewers at all times comes first!!), and switch down most of it. However in 2024, I did a a handful of sponsored campaigns – all for my @clevelandtraveler Instagram account.

I labored with each native and worldwide manufacturers on a number of initiatives all year long, making video content material for all these partnerships. Here is an instance of 1:

How a lot? This one varies lots, because it completely will depend on what sort of presents I get every month (and which of these presents I settle for). In 2024, in the event you common it out, I made simply over $2000 monthly from sponsored initiatives – however I did not truly create sponsored content material each month.

4. Paid campaigns

As this trade evolves, manufacturers and locations have began to rent folks like me to advertise them. Opposite to widespread perception, these campaigns do NOT imply that somebody is paying me to unfold or promote a selected message.

Throughout a paid marketing campaign, there are clear advertising targets outlined (like possibly model consciousness, or selling a brand new providing), and a specific amount of contracted deliverables (like a certain quantity of weblog posts, photographs, social media posts, and so on.). I NEVER promise constructive protection, and normally have full freedom in what I wish to write about and the way.

These campaigns are normally well-paid, however I do not do very lots of them all year long as a result of they’re a TON of labor. Like, we’re speaking at the very least 12-hour days through the marketing campaign, after which days or perhaps weeks of labor after the journey as a way to full all of the deliverables.

I truly solely did 2 paid campaigns that concerned journey in 2024 – they usually each had been inside Ohio! My aim is to do one in every of these per quarter, however I did not meet that aim final 12 months.

How a lot? After I do this type of work, it might pay wherever from $2,500-$10,000 per marketing campaign, relying on the size and deliverables. (Some creators make far more, however these are the common charges I’ve personally been paid.)

(For extra about this type of work, try my Work With Me page.)

5. Different

The “different” class in my revenue breakdown consists of a number of random issues; issues like course gross sales, product gross sales, consulting/talking, photograph licensing, and so on. I do not make a ton doing any of these items, however they nonetheless consider to my general revenue.

a. Social media

This class is totally different from being paid to create sponsored content material on social media. That is extra for “creator fund”-type funds that come from opting in to bonus applications on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

I do not make very a lot from social media, as I do not actually have big audiences or make viral content material. I additionally focus extra on my weblog, which implies my consistency on social typically suffers.

How a lot? I did not make a ton – $50 monthly on common.

b. Product gross sales

I began promoting some bodily merchandise on Cleveland Traveler in 2020, and likewise normally make slightly bit of cash annually promoting photograph prints in my Smugmug store (listed below are all my most popular images, in case you are curious).

In 2022, I additionally launched a Gumroad shop to promote printable variations of a few of my extra widespread highway journey itineraries, and that turned out to be a pleasant little pursuit that I have been increasing since then.

How a lot? It is nonetheless a extremely small quantity, solely averaging about $240 monthly in 2024. However some owned-product gross sales are higher than none!

c. Consulting/talking

I did not do any paid talking gigs or consulting in 2024, but it surely’s one thing I am out there for!

How a lot: It actually will depend on the mission or occasion!

So how a lot DO I make as a blogger?

I will not share precise numbers with you, however I remodeled 6-figures in 2024. (That is after all earlier than factoring in enterprise bills, journey bills, and taxes, which might attain into the 1000’s every month.)

And I do not share this to brag. Quite, I share it to show that that is nonetheless a viable, profitable, full-time profession for me.

I do wish to level out, although, that the methods I’ve determined to monetize my web site and make revenue aren’t essentially the ways in which all different bloggers/content material creators go about it. Running a blog is a comparatively new subject so far as careers go, so there is no “one measurement suits all” technique to go about earning money.

There’s additionally no assure that one other blogger who tried to generate income in the very same methods would have the identical quantity of success. I’m very lucky that I have been in a position to flip what began out as a pastime into my profession, but it surely’s taken a number of time and endurance – my blog turns 15 this year!!

If you happen to’re fascinated by starting a travel blog, simply know that it’s a must to be in it for the lengthy haul; success (and cash) undoubtedly doesn’t come in a single day, and I nonetheless work extremely arduous every week to continue to learn and rising.

READ NEXT: Turning a Blog into a Business: 7 Things I Did Right

Did I cowl all of your burning questions? What else do you wish to find out about what I do?

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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Harmful Enterprise Journey Weblog. She has traveled to greater than 60 nations on 6 continents from her house base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and considerate journey via the US, Europe, and remainder of the world. Amanda solely shares ideas primarily based on her private experiences and locations she’s truly traveled!