The rising cost of living and Social Security cutbacks have made working into retirement age more common nowadays than in decades past. As such, traditional notions of retirement are changing. Rather than circling a date on the calendar that will mark the end of your working life, a growing number of older people now choose to transition into semi-retirement by leaving their full-time careers for part-time work. To that end, the topic of highly paid part-time jobs for seniors has become a popular discussion point among the 65-and-up set.
Most older workforce members aren’t inclined to invest money and time into developing new skills. Thus, the jobs on this list have been chosen not only for their solid play but also for their low barriers to entry. For the most part, the skills they require are common and generalized, and these job opportunities are found in senior-friendly industries where ageism isn’t a prevalent issue.
Rideshare Driver
The gig economy has opened up millions of job opportunities for people seeking part-time, casual work to supplement their incomes. Start-up requirements include only access to a vehicle, a valid driver’s license, and adequate insurance coverage. You’ll also need basic competence with smartphone software, but if you don’t already have this, you can learn everything you need to know from easy-to-follow, free online tutorials. Check all these boxes and you can start work right away.
Earning potential varies, depending on where you live, when you’re willing to work, and how often you want to work. Regardless, rideshare driving offers excellent flexibility, as you can scale up or scale down your commitment as needed while still earning healthy wages. Along related lines, you can also work as a taxi driver if you prefer a more traditional approach with set hours that don’t require you to use your own vehicle.
Retail Associate
Many larger retailers happily hire older and semi-retired people to greet shoppers and provide customer service assistance. Walmart is particularly well-known for doing this, but many other store chains follow similar practices. As an alternative, you can opt for part-time seasonal work during busy times of the year like summer and the Christmas holidays, when retailers typically experience an acute need for additional help to deal with the temporary influx of customers.
While most employers don’t strictly require retail experience, you will need a pleasant, customer-focused demeanor and the ability to be prompt, organized, and efficient. If you have expertise in a specific area, either through a hobby or your employment background, you can focus your searches on niche retail sectors that take advantage of your knowledge.
Consultant
Consultants provide expert advice, developmental input, and process-refining insights to businesses seeking to improve their operational efficiency and profitability. Pay rates vary greatly from industry to industry, but consulting can be highly lucrative if you’ve developed advanced skills in a technical or highly specialized area with strong demand.
If you’re winding down a successful professional career, becoming a consultant might be the best way to transition into retirement. In this position, you’ll trade in your full-time day job for a self-directed consulting practice, which provides you with the flexibility to work as much or as little as you want while taking advantage of your well-developed skill set. Leverage the professional network you’ve spent a lifetime building and build your practice out from there.
Customer Service Representative
About one-fifth of all CSRs work part-time, and companies frequently experience ongoing demand for capable workers. Training is provided, and you don’t necessarily have to have a customer service background to land your first gig. However, you will require excellent communication skills, strong organizational skills, basic computer literacy, and, above all, patience. CSRs frequently deal with people having problems with a product or service. You’ll need to keep a positive outlook to excel in this role.
Tutor
While teaching is a regulated profession that requires a license, tutoring offers a practical alternative with lower qualification demands. Many academic companies only require a university degree in the subject area you want to assist with and look favorably upon older applicants who have demonstrated experience in leadership roles.
There’s even better news if you’re a teacher transitioning into retirement: chances are you won’t find it hard to land a tutoring gig. Educational professionals winding down their careers can also find roles in curriculum development, academic coaching, examination scoring, and proctoring.
Life Coaching
In this less conventional part-time job, you’ll put your life experience and insights to good use by guiding clients to prosperous personal and career paths. You can participate in certification and credentialing programs, but the number one qualification you’ll need is a successful life that inspires confidence in others.
The most successful life coaches specialize in a particular area, like relationships, career-building, networking, spirituality, wellness, academic success, and so on. If you can leverage your demonstrated achievements in one of these areas, you could build a successful part-time business helping others realize their vast untapped potential.
Tax Preparation Specialist
If you have an educational or employment background in business or accounting, you’ll find this a convenient and easily attainable part-time job opportunity. However, you don’t necessarily need professional credentials to work as a tax prep specialist, especially if you want to keep things casual and build your business through personal referrals. A lifetime of preparing your own tax returns will give you all the insights and know-how you need.
Demand for your services will usually spike around tax season and wane during the rest of the year, leaving you with plenty of time to pursue other opportunities or just take it easy. This type of job is perfect for seniors who spend a good part of the year traveling, yet still, want to earn extra income through part-time employment.
Final Thoughts
Lifelong learning delivers many rewards, and an enhanced range of part-time jobs as you transition into retirement is one of them. If you’re open to some additional training, you can earn your credentials to land part-time work in fields like bookkeeping and medical billing and coding in just a few short months. These specialized roles offer excellent pay and part-time hours that make it easy to strike an ideal work-life balance.
Another avenue to consider is having your money work for you, rather than vice-versa. Invest some of your savings into real estate, then follow the tried-and-true approach of renting the property out to tenants before selling and profiting from price appreciation.
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