20 Great Part-Time Jobs for Retirees
For a myriad of reasons, many seniors and retirees are staying in or jumping back into the job world. Our News reports that by 2028 nearly a quarter of folks 65 and older will be working.
Reasons include staving off boredom and loneliness, saving for big expenses, paying off debt or simple financial necessity. As “8 Signs That You Should Leave Retirement” explains, a job also has value for retirees who find themselves losing social connections, getting sedentary or when they come up with a great business idea. But many older workers don’t want the 40-plus-hour weekly grind and are looking for part-time employment.
Here are some of the very best options for seniors.
1. Private tutoring
Many retirees and seniors spent decades learning and training in their fields, and with their college educations they are in prime position to pass that knowledge along and get paid for it.
Tutor.com, Flexjobs, ASAPTutor and Kaplan.com are some websites where you can find part-time tutoring gigs depending on your level of experience and education.
2. Uber or Lyft driver
Driving is a good part-time gig for retirees, who are able to set their own driving schedules and have more flexibility during the day than the average 9-to-5’er.
Industry blogger Harry “The Rideshare Guy” Campbell’s recent reader survey finds that 43% of Uber and Lyft drivers are older than 61 and 10% are older than 71.
3. Accountant
Seniors and retirees with a head for numbers could be attracted to this occupation, which has many short-term assignments available all over the country for a wide variety of employers.
AARP says that accountant jobs are highly sought-after part-time jobs. Check FlexJobs for accountant gigs that suit you.
4. Dog-walking, pet-sitting
Pooch care company Rover gives three great reasons why dog-walking is particularly good for the 50-and-up set:
- Flexible scheduling
- Extra income
- Low-impact exercise
See if you have what it takes to be Fido-friendly at these nationwide companies: Rover, Wag and Barkly Pets. At Care.com you can sign up to do not only pet care but also senior care, housekeeping and childcare.
5. Deliveries
The article “4 Ways to Earn Money Making Deliveries in Your Car” has ideas for seniors and retirees who have flexibility in the hours they can work each day.
Postmates and Shipt are two companies that seniors and retirees can consider hooking up with for part-time delivery gigs. FlexJobs has other types of driver and delivery jobs — even pharmacy deliveries.
And, if you’re not comfortable driving people around for Uber, you may prefer driving food for Uber Eats. It’s one of many companies hiring food delivery drivers. Instacart, a grocery shopping and delivery service, is another possibility.
6. Concierge
Older workers can use their years of knowledge of their city to help hotel guests find good restaurants, family attractions and other activities.
Seniors and retirees can also find concierge jobs at resorts in high-demand areas like Florida and Arizona, where the snowbirds swarm during the cold-weather months. FlexJobs listed several part-time and seasonal concierge jobs when we checked.
Expect to be paid about $16 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
7. Holiday jobs
Holidays bring long lines of shoppers, fitting rooms littered with tried-on clothes and lots of inventory work.
Cashiers, sales associates and customer service workers are always in high demand for retailers during the winter shopping rush in the hectic weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
This a good option for retirees looking for some part-time excitement and some end-of-year cash. Retail giants such as Amazon, Kohl’s, Michael’s, Gap and Target are among the stores that traditionally hire many new workers for their holiday rush. These tips will help you get hired.
8. Consulting
This part-time gig — delivering expert advice to companies — is one of the most lucrative part-time jobs seniors and retirees can get, allowing them to utilize their decades of experience excelling in their careers.
And it’s not like you need an Ivy League MBA to become a consultant. If you have a wealth of knowledge and training in your field, there probably is a company willing to pay for it. Consulting gigs are among hot jobs that can be done totally from home, we report. Two companies that show would-be consultants first steps or offer training are Udemy and Learn How to Become.
9. National Park Service jobs
The National Park Service has a wide variety of seasonal job listings, including work as a ranger or a park guide for a few months each year.
Aramark, which operates resorts, recreational activities and lodges at several state and national parks and scenic destinations throughout the United States, has a ton of job possibilities on its website for those looking for seasonal and part-time jobs.
Another great option for older workers is being a campground host. Seniors and retirees can interact with the camping public while enjoying nature and getting compensated for it.
10. Sports coach
We are a country full of athletes of all shapes and sizes in every sport imaginable, and many older folks extend their sporting passion by working with kids at schools, community centers and youth sports organizations.
The pay is marginal — roughly $34,000 per year full time — but it’s a terrific gig for seniors and retirees who can coach perhaps on a seasonal basis: football in the fall, baseball in the spring, for example.
11. Blogger
Websites like Grey Fox, ElderChicks, Senior Planet and The Senior Nomads explode the prejudice that seniors don’t do tech.
If you have a way with words, visual creativity and a lot of great stories and ideas to share, think about starting a blog or a video blog (dubbed a “vlog”).
Blogging Basics 101 and Pro Blogger have tips and tricks to get you going.
12. Mentor/coach
Plenty of young entrepreneurs and professionals have great energy, ambition and ideas, but sometimes they need an experienced person to help mold all of that into success and help them avoid costly pitfalls.
Retirees and seniors who have built their own businesses can learn to become professional trainers. Or you can volunteer to help early-stage entrepreneurs get on the right track.
13. Personal assistant
These professionals deal with the routine stuff so that their bosses can focus on high-level projects without getting bogged down by the day-to-day. Duties can include returning emails, screening calls, running errands and scheduling appointments.
This can be a desirable job for seniors and retirees, affording flexible hours and decent wages without stressful responsibility. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says this job pays a bit more than $18 per hour on average.
14. Translator or interpreter
In our increasingly multilingual world, translators and interpreters are needed more than ever in all sorts of places: government offices, social service agencies and customer service centers.
Money Talks News reports that interpreters and translators earned an average of $47,190 per year (about $22.69 per hour) in 2018.
Bilingual and multilingual seniors and retirees who get certified can pick and choose between the wide variety of possibilities out there.
15. Substitute teaching
Senior and retired teachers bring a lifetime of experience, knowledge and training to the classrooms as substitutes. They know how to handle a room full of curious, energetic and sometimes rowdy kids, who often are very interested in the new adult in the room.
Depending on the state you live in, you might or might not need to have a teaching license or a substitute teaching license, the National Education Association says. Here’s a state-by-state summary. It’s likely you will need to have a bachelor’s degree.
This graph at the Bureau of Labor Statistics gives substitute teacher pay by state.
16. Security guard
In your younger years, maybe you were a cop or gained policing experience in the military. Those are great backgrounds if you want to pick up some extra bucks as a security guard. And those jobs aren’t necessarily in a mall or at a bank. Some places that use security include:
- Hospitals
- Nuclear power plants
- Schools
- Office buildings
Security Guard Training HQ is one place to start finding out about training and employment possibilities around the country.
17. Golf course marshal/ranger
After spending lots of time on golf courses over the years, seniors and retirees might relish the idea of giving back to the sport and making a little money doing it.
Golf course marshals keep fans quiet for players’ shots, look for stray balls, help spectators and generally help make sure things are running smoothly all over the course.
We found marshal jobs posted at Indeed and ZipRecruiter.
18. Tax preparers
Thanks to the seasonal nature of tax season — roughly December until Tax Day in April — this is a great job for retirees. You can enjoy the summer months and early fall being with family and going on vacation, and then gain some extra bucks during the dark, tough-weather time of the year when being inside is the best option anyway.
Learn your tax chops by getting trained to be an IRS volunteer who provides free tax help for low-to-moderate income families.
Or enroll in one of the many training programs across the country. The pay’s not bad — over $22 an hour on average nationally.
19. Librarian assistant/aide
You love books, and you love helping people. What better place to work than a library? Duties include shelving books, sending out overdue notices, data entry and helping patrons with all manner of library requests.
The pay isn’t outstanding — $14.25 per hour nationally on average — but working in the library offers a mellow, air-conditioned environment with lots of learning going on.
20. Greeter
Wear a smile, welcome customers, get paid.
It’s a decent gig for older workers who can’t or don’t want to perform physically arduous tasks in big box stores, restaurants and hotels. Of course, an outgoing personality is absolutely essential to wearing a happy face for hours.
Check for listings at job board sites like Indeed, CareerBuilder and ZipRecruiter.