For myriad reasons, many seniors and retirees are staying in or jumping back into the job world. By 2030, nearly 40% of people ages 65 to 69 are projected to be working, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Reasons include staving off boredom and loneliness, saving for big expenses, paying off debt or simple financial necessity.
As “8 Signs That It’s Time for You to Unretire” explains, a job also has value for retirees who are losing social connections or getting sedentary, or who have come up with a great business idea.
But many older workers don’t want the 40-hour-plus weekly grind and are looking for part-time employment.
Following are some of the best part-time options for seniors.
1. Private tutoring
Many retirees and seniors spent decades learning and training in their fields, and they are in a prime position to pass that knowledge along and get paid for it.
Tutor.com, FlexJobs, ASAP Tutor and Kaplan.com are some websites where you can find part-time tutoring gigs that, depending on your experience and education, may be open to you.
2. Uber or Lyft driver
Driving is a good part-time gig for retirees who can set their own driving schedules and have more flexibility during the day than the average 9-to-5 worker.
One option is to become an Uber or Lyft driver.
3. Accountant
Seniors and retirees who are experienced accountants could be attracted to part-time jobs in this occupation, which has many short-term assignments available all over the country for a wide variety of employers.
Check FlexJobs for accountant gigs that suit you.
4. Dog walking, pet sitting
Pooch care company Rover gives reasons why dog walking is particularly good for the 50-and-up set:
- Flexible scheduling
- Extra income
- Control over your business
See if you have what it takes to be Fido-friendly at nationwide companies Rover or Wag. At Care.com, you can sign up to do not only pet care but also senior care, housekeeping and child care.
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 checking for part-time delivery gigs. FlexJobs has other types of driver and delivery jobs — even pharmacy deliveries.
If you’re not comfortable driving people around for Uber, you may prefer driving food with Uber Eats. It’s one of a number of companies hiring food delivery drivers. Instacart, a grocery shopping and delivery service, is another.
6. Concierge
Older residents can use their extensive knowledge of their home 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 part-time and seasonal concierge jobs when we checked.
7. Holiday jobs
The 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 typically in high demand by retailers during the winter shopping rush in the hectic weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
This is a good option for retirees looking for some part-time excitement and end-of-year cash. Retail giants such as Amazon, Kohl’s, Michael’s and Target are among 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 for seniors and retirees and allows them to use their decades of experience.
You don’t need an Ivy League MBA to become a consultant. If you have a wealth of knowledge and training in your field, there may be a company willing to pay for it.
Consulting gigs are among hot jobs that can be done from home. Two companies that show would-be consultants first steps or offer training are Udemy and Become.
9. National Park Service jobs
The National Park Service has a wide variety of seasonal job listings, including positions as a ranger or a park guide for a few months each year.
10. Sports coach
We are a country full of athletes of all shapes and sizes in every sport imaginable, and many seniors share their sporting passions by working with kids at schools, community centers and youth sports organizations.
It’s a terrific gig for seniors and retirees who can coach on a seasonal basis: football in the fall and baseball in the spring, for example.
11. Blogger
Websites like Senior Planet from AARP 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 (sometimes also called a “vlog”).
Blogging Basics 101 and ProBlogger have tips and tricks to get you going.
12. Mentor/coach
Plenty of young entrepreneurs and professionals have great energy, ambition and ideas, but 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 become professional trainers. Or 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. 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.
14. Translator or interpreter
In our increasingly multilingual world, translators and interpreters are needed more than ever in all sorts of places including government offices, social service agencies and customer service centers.
Bilingual and multilingual seniors and retirees who get certified can pick and choose among a wide variety of possibilities.
15. Substitute teaching
Senior and retired teachers can 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 a teaching license or a substitute teaching license, the National Education Association says. It’s likely you will need to have a bachelor’s degree.
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. These jobs aren’t necessarily in a mall or at a bank. Industries that use security include:
- Construction
- Health care
- Mining
- Ports
- Business
- Condominium management
Security Guard Training HQ is one place to start finding out about training and employment possibilities around the country.
17. Golf course marshal or 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.
Search for golf course “marshal” or “ranger” jobs 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 with family and on vacation, and then earn extra bucks in 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 providing free tax help for qualifying taxpayers.
Or enroll in one of many tax preparer training programs across the country.
19. Librarian assistant or aide
You love books, and you love helping people. What better place to work than a library? Duties can include shelving books, sending out overdue notices, data entry and helping patrons with all manner of library requests.
Working in the library offers a mellow, air-conditioned environment with lots of learning going on.
20. Greeter
Wear a smile, welcome customers and 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.
