what are the top 5 jobs available for expats in bali?

If you’ve ever thought about dropping everything and just packing up and moving to Bali, you can take comfort in knowing you weren’t the first to think of that. Compared to many other countries, life is pretty laid back and easy in Bali, things are cheaper, the weather is great and the people are generally warm and lovely.

In many cases, expatriates choose to live in Bali because the living cost is relatively cheaper than other destinations in Southeast Asia like Singapore. Here, they generally find themselves living a comfortable, sometimes even a luxurious lifestyle. But how easy is it for foreigners to find a job in Bali?

While some countries are open to employing foreign workers, thinking it can help provide industries with an extensive range of qualified and skilled workers, this generally does not hold true for Indonesia. Bali can be a tough place for expats to find employment, even for those who hold an excellent track record of skills and experience.

Employing an expat in Indonesia can cost thousands of dollars every year, just for getting permits. Finding skilled locals will certainly cost less.

While we’re not saying that finding work in Bali as a foreigner is like finding a needle in a haystack, the regular avenues where people normally look for vacancies are limited. One will not find companies or websites targeting expats as employees, so foreigners normally rely on word of mouth or networking with companies when it comes to finding work.

Here are five jobs that foreigners are likely to find in Bali.

Diving Instructors

Whether you are a beginner, a professional or simply curious to learn about scuba diving, then Bali is definitely the diving place to get your gear on. When it comes to diving in Bali, you will be amazed to find an exceptional buffet of choices: night safaris, 20-minute to 5-hour diving trips, dives at Tulamben, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida and more.

Construction Project Managers

While the island is generally known for its agriculture industry, a large number of infrastructure and construction projects are continuously being developed on Bali. Many senior construction and project management positions are held by expats

IT Management

While the information and internet technology market is still in its infancy on the island, a few IT companies have already seen the viability of the business and have started setting up offices in Bali. Like most other jobs available for expats on the island, foreigners will have to rely on word of mouth or go out and really network to find these opportunities, particularly because most of these IT companies are in the startup phases and are still trying to keep things low key.