The rising cost of living and cuts to Social Security has made it more common for people to work past retirement age than it was in the past. As a result, old ideas about retirement are changing. Instead of marking the last day of their careers on a calendar, a growing number of older people now choose to move into semi-retirement by switching from full-time to part-time work. In this way, talking about part-time jobs for seniors that pay well has become a popular topic of conversation among people over 65.
Most older people in the workforce don’t want to spend money and time on learning new skills. So, the jobs on this list were chosen not only because they pay well but also because they are easy to get into. Most of the skills they need are common and general, and these jobs are in fields that are friendly to older people and where ageism isn’t a big problem.
Rideshare Driver
The gig economy has made millions of jobs available to people who want to work part-time or occasionally to make extra money. Only having access to a vehicle, a valid driver’s license, and enough insurance coverage is needed to get started. You’ll also need to know how to use smartphone software, but if you don’t, you can learn everything you need to know from free online tutorials that are easy to follow. If you check all of these boxes, you can get right to work.
Your earning potential depends on where you live, when you’re willing to work, and how often you want to work. No matter what, rideshare driving gives you a lot of freedom because you can increase or decrease your commitment as needed and still make a good living. In a similar way, if you want a more traditional job with set hours that don’t require you to use your own car, you can work as a taxi driver.
Work in Retail
Many bigger stores are happy to hire older people or people who are close to retirement to greet customers and help with customer service. This is something that Walmart is known for, but many other store chains do the same thing. You can also choose to work part-time during busy times of the year, like the summer and the Christmas holidays, when stores usually need a lot of extra help to handle the sudden influx of customers.
Even though most employers don’t require retail experience, you will need to have a friendly, customer-focused attitude and be on time, organized, and quick. If you have a lot of knowledge about a certain subject because of your job or a hobby, you can focus your searches on niche retail sectors that can use your knowledge.
Consultants help businesses improve their operational efficiency and profits by giving them expert advice, suggestions for development, and ideas for improving processes. Pay rates vary a lot from one industry to the next, but consulting can be very profitable if you have advanced skills in a technical or highly specialized field that is in high demand.
If you are nearing the end of a successful career, becoming a consultant could be the best way to ease into retirement. In this job, you’ll switch from a full-time job to a self-directed consulting practice. This gives you the freedom to work as much or as little as you want and lets you use your well-developed skills. Use the professional connections you’ve spent a lifetime building to grow your business.
Customer Service Representative
About 20% of CSRs work part-time, and companies often have a constant need for skilled workers. Training is given, and you don’t have to have a background in customer service to get your first job. But you will need good communication skills, strong organizational skills, a basic understanding of computers, and most of all, patience. Most of the time, CSRs help people who are having trouble with a product or service. To do well in this role, you’ll need to stay upbeat.
Tutor
Teaching is a regulated job that requires a license. Tutoring, on the other hand, is a practical alternative that requires less training. Many academic companies only need you to have a bachelor’s degree in the subject you want to help with,1 and they like older applicants who have shown they can be leaders.
Even better, if you’re a teacher getting ready to retire, you probably won’t have a hard time finding a tutoring job. Educators who are nearing the end of their careers can also work in curriculum development, tutoring, grading tests, and proctoring.
Life Coach
In this less typical part-time job, you’ll use your life experience and insights to help clients find personal and career paths that will lead to success. You can take part in certification and credentialing programs, but the most important thing is to have a successful life that makes people trust you.
The best life coaches focus on one area, like relationships, building a career, making connections, spirituality, health, academic success, and so on.2 If you can use your past successes in one of these areas to your advantage, you could start a successful side business that helps other people realize their huge unrealized potential.
Tax Return Preparation
If you have studied or worked in business or accounting before, this is a convenient and easy-to-get part-time job opportunity for you. But you don’t have to have professional credentials to work as a tax prep specialist, especially if you want to keep things casual and build your business through personal referrals. If you do your own taxes for your whole life, you will learn everything you need to know.
Demand for your services usually goes up during tax season and goes down the rest of the year. This gives you a lot of time to look for other work or just relax. This kind of part-time job is great for seniors who spend a lot of time traveling but still want to make some extra money.
One Last Thing
Lifelong learning has many benefits, and one of them is a wider range of part-time jobs as you move toward retirement. If you’re willing to learn more, you can get the credentials you need to work part-time in fields like bookkeeping and medical billing, and coding in just a few months. The pay is good and the hours are part-time, so it’s easy to find a good balance between work and life.
You could also make your money work for you instead of the other way around. Invest some of your savings in real estate and then use the tried-and-true method of renting out the property before selling it and making money from the price going up.
