I’ll be utterly trustworthy right here: I typically keep away from telling people who I am a journey blogger after 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 preserve 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 earn a living doing that?”
Typically it is phrased extra delicately. Like, “Sooo… you, like, make a residing doing that?”
Typically it is way more blunt, like, “How a lot do you make doing that?”
To be trustworthy, I typically need to inform people who it is none of their enterprise. I do not go round asking my accountant or nurse or trainer associates how THEY earn a living, or what their paychecks appear to be.
However I get it. My “job” is an unconventional one, and persons are curious.
So my quick 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 quick or easy.
Up till late 2015, I nearly at all times had some form 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 faculty working as a graduate assistant and freelance writing and enhancing on the facet. 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 security internet of a gentle 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 earn a living. I get to decide on how I monetize each of my websites and which tasks 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 earn a living in ways in which aren’t “conventional.”
To totally reply the query of how I earn a living as a journey blogger, I’ve to jot down you a listing.
I do not earn a living in only one approach. The truth is, the factor I’ve realized from constructing this form of profession is that it is necessary to earn a living from quite a lot of sources, in case one among them all of the sudden dries up. (Or, , in case your whole trade shuts down for some time as a consequence of a worldwide disaster. Ahem.) Diversification is the secret.
I additionally should 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 really positive how for much longer this will probably 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 earn a living as a Journey Blogger in 2025
So as 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 earn a living: 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.
This is a take a look at how my revenue broke down in 2024:
This pie graph of mine is at all times altering, because the 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 more durable. I’ve dropped many of the low-paying freelance writing work I used to be doing, and am very choosy in regards to the sponsored work I do now. My passive revenue streams are robust, and so I spend extra of my very own cash to journey as of late. Which means after I tackle paid campaigns, it is as a result of I actually need to do them!
(And, PS, these revenue charts by no means inform the entire story. It prices cash to run a enterprise – particularly if you’re within the enterprise of touring! My month-to-month bills in a “regular 12 months” often tally within the $2500-$5000 vary if 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 thought of how this all shakes out, here is a extra detailed take 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 commercials you see on this web site. I used to be not sure about doing this (would the advertisements 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 resolution 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 advertisements to the positioning was the best, least-intrusive approach to do this (and nonetheless preserve every little thing round right here free for folks to learn!).
My second web site certified for advertisements on the finish of 2019, and so Cleveland Traveler can be monetized with advertisements now, and it is the principle approach that web site earns revenue.
How a lot? Advert earnings have been down for me in 2024 when in comparison with earlier years, principally as a result of visitors to blogs like mine has plummeted within the final 2 years due to modifications at Google. On common, I made about $8,000 per 30 days from advertisements in 2024 (although in fact some months are higher/worse than others, and that quantity will possible drop a bit in 2025).
2. Affiliate gross sales
I’ve labored onerous within the final couple of years to extend the sum of money I make passively every month. And among the finest method to earn passive revenue is thru affiliate gross sales – which principally signifies that I usually earn a fee when you click on by means of to one thing you see linked on this web site and purchase or e book it. It would not value you something further, nevertheless it’s a gentle 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 advocate merchandise that I exploit and love, I make extra now by means of recommending resorts, excursions, tickets, and different objects by means of different affiliate platforms and applications.
I solely advocate issues when they’re related and slot in naturally with the content material I am writing – and I solely advocate issues that I’ve tried or would personally spend cash on myself.
I exploit quite a lot of affiliate applications and platforms, together with some that combination a variety of journey corporations/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 more durable, 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 per 30 days from affiliate gross sales in 2024, which is an enchancment from earlier years, principally due to me being extra strategic about including beneficial affiliate hyperlinks to my content material.
Branded content material is actually one other type of promoting or advertorial content material. However I rely it individually since it is not passive revenue – after 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 comply with run as of late (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 tasks all year long, making video content material for all these partnerships. This is an instance of 1:
How a lot? This one varies lots, because it completely is determined by what sort of affords I get every month (and which of these affords I settle for). In 2024, when you common it out, I made simply over $2000 per 30 days from sponsored tasks – however I did not really 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 well-liked 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 and marketing objectives outlined (like perhaps 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 many others.). I NEVER promise constructive protection, and often have full freedom in what I need to write about and the way.
These campaigns are often 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 throughout the marketing campaign, after which days or perhaps weeks of labor after the journey with the intention to full all of the deliverables.
I really solely did 2 paid campaigns that concerned journey in 2024 – they usually each have been inside Ohio! My objective is to do one among these per quarter, however I did not meet that objective final 12 months.
How a lot? After I do this type of work, it may possibly pay wherever from $2,500-$10,000 per marketing campaign, relying on the size and deliverables. (Some creators make way more, however these are the common charges I’ve personally been paid.)
(For extra about this form of work, try my Work With Me web page.)
5. Different
The “different” class in my revenue breakdown consists of a variety of random issues; issues like course gross sales, product gross sales, consulting/talking, picture licensing, and many others. I do not make a ton doing any of this stuff, 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 large 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 per 30 days on common.
b. Product gross sales
I began promoting some bodily merchandise on Cleveland Traveler in 2020, and in addition often make somewhat bit of cash every year promoting picture prints in my Smugmug store (listed below are all my hottest photos, in case you are curious).
In 2022, I additionally launched a Gumroad store to promote printable variations of a few of my extra well-liked 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 per 30 days 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, nevertheless it’s one thing I am accessible for!
How a lot: It actually is determined by the challenge or occasion!
So how a lot DO I make as a blogger?
I will not share actual numbers with you, however I revamped 6-figures in 2024. (That is in fact 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 need 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 discipline so far as careers go, so there isn’t any “one measurement suits all” method to go about earning money.
There’s additionally no assure that one other blogger who tried to earn a living in the very same methods would have the identical quantity of success. I am very fortunate that I have been in a position to flip what began out as a passion into my profession, nevertheless it’s taken a variety of time and endurance – my weblog turns 15 this 12 months!!
In case you’re interested by beginning a journey weblog, 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 onerous every week to continue learning and rising.
READ NEXT: Turning a Weblog right into a Enterprise: 7 Issues I Did Proper
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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Harmful Enterprise Journey Weblog. She has traveled to greater than 60 international locations on 6 continents from her residence base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and considerate journey by means of the US, Europe, and remainder of the world. Amanda solely shares ideas primarily based on her private experiences and locations she’s really traveled!