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You’re never too old to start something new! If you are a senior citizen looking for a way to bring in a little extra money, there are plenty of opportunities for you to earn from home. You have the knowledge and experience needed to take a new work-from-home job or start your own side hustle.
With so many options out there, it’s important to take some time to decide which path you want to take first. Do you want to put your talents and skills to work for another company? Or do you want to start your own business? Are you ready to explore a new industry, or are you passionate about the work you’ve done in the past?
These questions can help you pinpoint the next step, but so can thinking about what you need most. If you really need money now, working for someone else may be the fastest path to take. Work-at-home jobs also offer consistent, reliable full-time income or as a way to make some extra cash.
Conversely, if you start your own business, it can take time to see your investment give you a consistent return. However, starting a business is a great way to fill some of that extra time you have after retirement. It will also help keep your mind busy.
Here are some of the best work-from-home jobs for seniors to help you brainstorm ideas and see what is available.
Also See: 7 Retirement Businesses That (Almost) Run Themselves
Customer Service Representative
If you have experience caring for customers, you can put it to work as a remote customer service representative. You can find full- or part-time positions with companies in a variety of industries. For these positions, you typically need to supply a quiet, dedicated workspace, a computer with reliable high-speed internet, and an approved headset.
Where to Find a Job: Remote customer service positions are frequently posted on job boards like FlexJobs and We Work Remotely. When you’re searching for a job, check them out regularly. You can also find work directly through a company’s job page on their website. Search for positions using the keyword “work at home.” These companies often hire remote customer service employees:
Tutoring or Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Even if you weren’t a teacher for your primary profession, you might discover you enjoy passing the love of learning onto the next generation. Though requirements vary from company to company, the basics include being able to pass a background check, holding a bachelor’s degree, and having experience working with children. Additionally, you will need to prove proficiency in the subjects you want to tutor.
There are many types of online teaching positions available. For most, you will need reliable high-speed internet, a computer meeting the standards of your company, a good quality headset, and a workspace where you can teach without interruptions.
Many companies hire tutors or teachers as contracted employees, meaning you will be responsible for paying your own taxes. Make sure you find out what type of employee you will be, and if needed set aside part of your income for taxes each pay period.
Where to Find a Job: There are many companies hiring tutors and online English teachers, and several are listed below. If you are a former teacher, you may also find a position with a statewide virtual school.
Pet Care
Are you an animal person? You can make extra money taking care of pets. This could involve walking dogs, pet sitting, or even opening your own doggy daycare of sorts. If you have experience on a farm, perhaps you could consider milking cows and taking care of livestock for local farmers while they take a much-needed break. You could even take courses, learn to groom animals, and provide mobile grooming services.
Where to Find a Job: You could work as a contractor for an established company in the pet industry or start your own business specializing in the services you love. Here are some companies to check out:
Consulting or Coaching
This is an area often recommended for anyone who has significant experience in any area. Seniors have a ton of life experience and much to offer! The main difference between a coach and a consultant is that coaches are hired by and work with individuals, whereas consultants are hired by and work with businesses.
If you enjoy working with people to solve problems, consider becoming a coach. You can focus on several different areas, including life coaching, health coaching, mental health coaching, financial coaching, and job coaching.
Think about what you want to help people with and go from there. You can launch your own business, partner with an established coach in your niche, or look for a position with a company.
Where to Find a Job: If you don’t want to start your own business as a coach, you can occasionally find work-from-home positions with other companies. Here are a few to check out.
Writing or Editing
Do you think you could be a consultant but you aren’t really sure that would be the right path for you? Put your expertise to work as a writer or editor, instead. The main thing you will need to remember as a freelance writer is that a more relaxed, “warmer” tone is often what’s appropriate for online writing.
As a freelance writer, you can write about a variety of topics, sharing your expertise with others. You can write blog posts, white papers, technical papers, ebooks, and more. The key is to find what you enjoy writing, and what you’re good at writing, and then niche down. This way you can charge more for your work.
The same is true for editing work. You don’t want to be stuck editing technical papers if what you really enjoy working on is personal essays. There are also several types of editing that people need, so think through what services you want to offer. You can simply proofread work, or help clients work through the organization and structure of their writing.
To start a freelance business, you will need a computer and internet access. A professional sounding email address is also important. Make sure you pay close attention to deadlines and meet them. You want your clients to enjoy working with you, so you can land reoccurring work.
Where to Find a Job: Freelance writing gigs are listed in a variety of places around the web. You can also occasionally find a staff writing position for established companies listed on sites such as FlexJobs.
- Craigslist – the “Gigs” section (Just make sure to watch for red flags that might indicate a scam!)
- ProBlogger Job Board
- All Indie Writers
- Freelance Writing Gigs
- Indeed
- MediaBistro
- Simply Hired
You can have a meaningful second career or a successful business after retirement. If you’re a senior, do any of these opportunities catch your eye?
Also See: New To Freelancing? Watch Out for These Red Flags
Additional Remote Work Resources for Retirees
Recently, I’ve been getting quite a few emails from readers like you, asking for work-from-home opportunities best suited to those just beginning or currently living retirement from the traditional workforce. While I can certainly provide you with legit work-at-home leads all day long, I can’t always give a first-hand account of some of the unique obstacles you are facing – like ageism.
I’ve put together a list of six fantastic resources that offer guidance – both in living your best post-retirement life and in work-at-home alternatives to total retirement. Let’s get started!
Revolutionize Retirement
One of the most important lessons that the current life expectancy and thriving remote work industry have to teach us is that retirement doesn’t look like it did when we entered the workforce. Seniors have more to offer and more to experience in retirement than ever before – and Revolutionize Retirement is keyed into that. Dorian Mintzer is a popular speaker and retirement consultant who shares her enthusiasm for vital and meaningful aging as she helps other aged Americans discover “what’s next?” in their careers and lives.
Keep up with her blog for insightful interviews on varied topics of interest to retirees or those soon facing retirement. Recent blogs have covered planning for retirement as a solo ager, aging in the 21st-century workforce, designing your second-act career, and more. Dori will help keep you engaged and thriving even as you transition away from a traditional, on-site career.
RetirementJobs.com
RetirementJobs.com is a robust job board dedicated to finding jobs for people over 50. They’re dedicated to fighting ageism in the workplace, identifying those companies best suited to employ older workers, and then matching senior job-seekers with those available jobs. They only share legitimate job offers – companies must pay a fee to have their positions listed while job-seekers over 50 can access the job board for free. They also offer a premium service for $99 per year – you get a free resume critique and access to additional resources such as Tuesday webinars, career coaching, discounts on financial advising, and more. Premium membership also lets you view their list of “Verified Work from Home Companies.”
Visit their site regularly to keep abreast of job offerings friendly to older Americans, and to explore their articles in the Career Advice section of their website – they cover subjects such as “Self Employment,” obviously important for most remote workers, along with “Working and Retired,” “Ask the Expert,” and “Dream Retirement Jobs.”
AARP
AARP – which was originally spelled out as the American Association of Retired Persons – has always been about giving people the power they need to make and live their own choices as they age. It’s no surprise that they have a formal Disrupt Aging campaign or that they offer an active, vital website covering all aspects of the aging experience. You’ll find articles on their site ranging in subject matter from Family Caregiving and Scams & Fraud to Travel and Politics & Society.
Of particular interest is the blog post “Great Work-at-Home Jobs for Retirees.” Check it out for a robust and thorough breakdown of some work-from-home opportunities suitable for seniors – did you know you could be an online juror? How are your editing skills? Learn about potential scams as well, and be careful in your job hunt. This blog is available on their site in both English and Spanish.
Prime Women
Prime Women is for my mature ladies out there and focuses on “redefining the over-50 woman.” While they cover every aspect of the aging woman’s life from beauty and fashion to health and fitness, they also have a comprehensive Career Maker section on their website. Anyone who tells you life starts ending at 50 doesn’t know what they’re talking about, and Prime Women has a whole site full of reasons why. In their Career Maker section, they’re dialing in on making those final leaps in your career – whether that’s climbing the executive ladder, getting a seat on a public board, or how to transition into a new career – including one where you work from home rather than in an office.
Keep your fingers on the pulse of over 50 lives by following Prime Women. In particular, you can start with these articles: dive into remote work with the “Do’s and Don’ts of Working from Home.” Explore what it’s like to be an office nomad with “7 Tips to Work Remotely.” And get inspired by a bevy of entrepreneurs, all women, giving TED talks – from Elizabeth Gilbert to Dame Stephanie Shirley – on topics as diverse as failure and the creative drive to the remote workplace being pioneered by women.
Monster
I’m sure you’ve already heard of Monster as a job search resource and job board – it’s been around since 1999, after all! You can register for a job search account on their site, upload your resume, and set up job search filters so that you’re alerted when a job you might be interested in is listed. They also have a repository of career advice, offer resume writing services, provide interview tips, and give workplace advice.
If you’re currently job searching – either nearing or past the age of retirement – you may be struggling with one of the last acceptable forms of discrimination widely found in our society. Ageism. It can start as early as your mid-40s according to AARP, depending on your other demographics. If this has happened to you, this particular article published at Monster’s site may be of use: “How to fight ageism in your job search” offers strategies for you to redirect any conversational elements that may focus on your age in the job search process.
The Balance
The Balance is a great resource dedicated to helping people understand their personal finances and how to manage things like buying a home, saving for retirement, and investing. They’ve been around for a couple of decades and have shared almost 10,000 articles from proven experts in related fields. They also have two more focused sister sites in The Balance Small Business and The Balance Careers.
For those retiree entrepreneurs eager to start your second career, The Balance Small Business has some indispensable advice. Check out “5 Great Home Business Ideas for Retirees” – it breaks down how to turn your first career’s wealth of experience and know-how into a vital small business, whether you decide to go into consulting, take up blogging, or turn a hobby into a business. They link to plenty of other articles from this piece as well, providing depth on the various topics mentioned.
These six resources should put you on the best path to your work-from-home second career! Let me know your favorite work-at-home blogs, too – share them in the comments so your fellow retirees can benefit as well!
