25 Retirement Jobs That Pay Well (2020)

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In the past, retirement was a time where you didn’t have to work to support yourself. However, things have changed over the years. If you’re in retirement and need extra income, you can get a decent job, but you need to know what to look for.

Retirement jobs that pay well won’t require a ton of physical exertion, and some may not require showing up to an office. Excellent retirement jobs include driving and delivery, house sitting, and consulting. Retirees can use skills from their previous careers, or they can learn new skills.

If you’re in retirement, you may want to enjoy yourself. But without enough money, your free time can become stressful. Luckily, some jobs pay well and are perfect for retirees. Keep reading to learn about some retirement jobs that pay well.

Rideshare Driver

If you still drive and have a decent car, you can drive for a rideshare service, like Uber or Lyft. You can use your own car, and you can drive in your city. While you can work for a taxi company, you may need to apply and go through a traditional hiring process.

With rideshare services, you can apply and start working much more easily. You will be an independent contractor, so you will have to pay for vehicle expenses. However, you can make your own schedule, and you can work whenever you want.

Working during peak hours can sometimes pay more money. So if you’re free on Friday or Saturday nights, you can make even more money. You can also earn money during the day by taking people to or from work or around the area.

Delivery Driver

If you like driving but don’t want people to get into your car, you can become a delivery driver. You can work for a restaurant or store, and you can deliver food and products to homes and businesses. Pizza shops and other restaurants commonly hire delivery drivers.

But with the growth of Uber and Lyft, companies like DoorDash have created a similar model. You can sign up online, and you’ll wait for a welcome kit with an insulated bag and a company card. These companies let you work whenever, and you can schedule your shift ahead of time or log on when you have time.

Once you get approved to work, you can start accepting orders. You can work in a neighborhood, so you don’t have to go all over your city. When delivering, you will need to get in and out of the car, but you won’t have to worry about others being in your back seat.

School Bus Driver

If you want a more traditional driving job, you can work as a school bus driver. You’ll need to work in the mornings and afternoons during the week. You can work for a school district near you, and you will need to use a company bus.

However, you can take summers and school holidays off. Then, you can spend time with your family more easily. While the starting pay isn’t super high, some areas pay bus drivers a lot more than minimum wage.

Driving a school bus can take some skills, and you’ll need a commercial driver’s license. But if you can handle a bus and you like kids, it’s a great way to earn some money during retirement.

School Crossing Guard

If you live near a school at a busy intersection, you can work as a school crossing guard. Before and after school, you will need to stand on the corner of an intersection. When it’s clear for students to cross, you can guide them.

You may also wear a bright vest so that drivers can see you. Some schools provide a stop sign for crossing guards to hold to help direct traffic further.

If you have good eyesight and can stand and walk, you may enjoy being a school crossing guard. Like school bus drivers, you will work during the school year. With some experience, you can move on to even higher-paying positions for a school.

School Aide

Another great retirement job for people who like kids is to work as a school aide. A common position would be a paraprofessional, where you work with kids who need extra help. You will act as an aide to a classroom or special teacher.

Paraprofessionals don’t need any teaching certification, so anyone can apply for the job. You’ll work traditional school hours, and you can find other work for the weekends or school breaks.

The workweek is also somewhat shorter than other jobs because you work about six and a half up to seven hours each day. So if you want something to do that isn’t quite full-time, it can be a good option.

Tutor

Tutoring can be a great retirement job if you don’t want to work at a school. You can tutor any subject that you like, and you can set your schedule. Some tutoring companies hire people to help students, but you can also start your own business.

You can tutor students from your home, or you can travel to their homes. Tutoring sessions can be weekly and can last as long as you choose.

As long as you can explain the material, you don’t need any formal training to be a tutor. Some things you can teach are math, science, and test prep. You can focus on one area or age group, or you can tutor anything.

Online Teacher

If you like teaching but don’t want to schedule your time, you can create online courses. You can use a platform like Udemy to publish and sell your courses to many people. There are online courses on almost anything, so you can teach whatever you enjoy.

You can set the price of your course to earn as much or as little as you like. Once you create and upload the course, you can sell it repeatedly without spending more time offering the class.

After you start doing that for a while, you can create more courses, which can increase your income even more. You will need some technical skills to create and upload your materials, but it can be worth learning if you want to make money from home.

Private Music Teacher

A more specific type of tutor or online teacher is a private music teacher. If you have experience with singing or playing an instrument, you can offer private lessons. You can teach in person or online, and you can choose where and what you teach.

Some teachers travel to students’ homes while others have a home studio. Either way, you can charge a lot for private music lessons. You can charge $15 to $40 per half hour. If you have a lot of experience or live in a big city, you might be able to charge even more.

Common instruments for private lessons include piano, voice, and guitar. But you can also offer lessons on violin, cello, flute, trumpet, and more. As long as you can play and explain concepts, you can offer private music lessons.

House Sitting

Another great job for retirees is house sitting. In most cases, you will not work for a company, but you can find clients in your area. You can start by telling friends and family that you can check on people’s houses.

Some basic house sitting tasks involve checking the mail and bringing in the paper. You can also offer to water plants or give food to pets. Some people may need you to put their trash out on trash day or just be a presence in the house.

If you’re willing to offer more services or check on larger houses, you can charge more. You can charge a premium if someone wants you to stay the night at their house. But you can also offer a house sitting during the day.

Housekeeping

Even if you don’t take care of houses when the owners are out of town, you can do housekeeping. Many people like a clean home but are too busy to do it themselves. When you’re retired, you have time to offer those services.

You can clean any room in the house, and you can use different cleaning materials. Many cities have housekeeping companies that you can work for, but you can also work for yourself. Working for yourself can allow you to choose the people you work with and the services you provide.

If you want to make more from housekeeping, you can focus on full-service cleaning, and you can schedule recurring services. You can also focus on the wealthier neighborhoods since the people there will probably have more money to spend on cleaning.

Babysitting

Many people would love a day or night away from their kids. Some parents may just need a few hours to run some errands. If you like kids, you can babysit for families in your neighborhood or your extended family.

To make a lot of money, you can babysit all day, which means you can charge for more of your time. You can also offer special services, like tutoring, while you babysit. The more value you can give parents, the more you can charge.

Getting experience can also help you charge more. So while you may not make a ton of money at first, it can add up over time. After a while, you can build up a list of clients and families willing to pay premium rates for your babysitting.

Pet Sitting

Like babysitting and house sitting, pet sitting is another great way to make money in retirement. You can look after dogs, cats, and other animals while people are away. Some pet sitters stay at the client’s home, while others will take the pets to their house.

Depending on where you live, you may want to keep the pets at your client’s house. That way, you don’t have to worry about cleaning up after the animals leave.

You can charge a lot for pet sitting, and you can increase rates for caring for more pets. Pet sitting rates will vary based on your location, but you can also charge more for pets with medical needs or exotic pets. If you can take on multiple gigs at once, you can earn even more.

Dog Walking

If you like animals but don’t want to take care of them all day, you can become a dog walker. You can use a service to find people to work for or start your own business. During the day, you can go to client houses and get their dogs ready for a walk.

Then, you can take the dogs around the neighborhood. Like pet sitting, you can find multiple dogs walking clients, and you can earn more by walking multiple dogs each day. You can charge clients per walk per dog, and the money can add up.

You’ll also have an excuse to get some physical activity, and you don’t need to use your car. You should have some bags to collect poop on the route, but you don’t need a ton of supplies. The owners will probably have leashes, so you just need to do the walking.

Consulting

If you want to use some of the skills you used in your career, you can go into consulting. The field is very broad, so you can work with different people or companies. You can look for a job with a consulting firm or offer your services on your own.

Almost any person or company could use some consulting on something. If you worked as an accountant, you could provide financial consulting services. Someone with experience starting businesses could work with new companies.

If you work for yourself, you can charge well over $100 per hour. You can set your rate based on your experience to make as much as you want. Working for a consulting company can also pay well if you don’t want to work for yourself.

Career Coach

A more specific area of consulting you can pursue—is being a career coach. With this job, you’ll help people figure out which career is right for them. You can work with college students and recent graduates or focus on people looking to change careers.

As a coach, you will help your clients determine their skills and what they want in a career. You can meet with clients in person or virtually, so you don’t have to leave your house. If you live near a college or university, you may also be able to work as a career coach on campus.

Career coaching can pay really well because people want to choose the right job. You can work with a variety of people, so the job also won’t get boring. Plus, you can usually work flexible hours if you want a certain time off.

Recruiter

You can also work as a recruiter and help job applicants find a good job. Recruiters can work for individual companies, recruiting firms, or as independent contractors. Because of this, the money you can make varies a lot.

As a recruiter, you will match job applicants to the right companies or jobs. You will be the applicant’s contact person, and you can help them prepare a resume. Some recruiters make a regular salary, but others work on commission.

If you want to make a lot as a recruiter, you can work on commission and focus on higher-level jobs. When a company hires your client, you can make a percentage of that employee’s initial salary. The commission can be higher than if you charge hourly or make a salary.

Freelancing

Another great job for retirees is freelance writing, editing, or design. You can find clients through online job boards or word-of-mouth. As a freelancer, you will make a set amount per project, rather than a salary or hourly wage.

Whether you write or design graphics, project pay means you can make a lot per hour. The more experience you get in your field, the faster you can accurately complete projects. Your clients will still get the value they pay you for, but you won’t have to lock into a single rate.

Freelance writing is probably the easiest thing to start, but you can also do freelance graphic design or video editing. If you know a bit about technology, you can find freelance work. Then, you can work on your schedule and make as much money as you want.

Social Media Assistant

Another great retirement job that can pay well is anything in social media. Companies are willing to pay a lot to improve their digital presence. You can offer different services. You can start as a social media assistant, so you don’t need much experience.

As an assistant, you can work with the social media manager, and you can focus on sharing social media posts. You will work with others to plan out the content and schedule posts. But if you want to make more money, you can also create photos and videos.

Like freelancing, you don’t have to make an hourly rate. So as you learn how to use social networks and tools for a company, you can increase your productivity. Then, you can make more per hour without charging more.

Bookkeeper

If you’re good with numbers and finances, you can make some money as a bookkeeper. You can work for yourself, or you can find a company that needs help. Bookkeepers can work part-time or full-time, so you can choose your schedule.

If you work for yourself, you decide when you work and who you work with. You can also set your prices, so you can determine how much you’ll make. When working as a bookkeeper, you may be able to use a company’s bookkeeping software, so you won’t have to spend money on that.

You can also work remotely, especially if you work as a contractor. As long as you can plug numbers into a spreadsheet or software, you can start as a bookkeeper. If you want to charge more, you can also get certification to add to your credentials.

Accountant

If you want to make more money than a bookkeeper but like working with numbers, you can be an accountant. You can work in the same way as a bookkeeper, but you will have more responsibilities.

As an accountant, you can be in charge of helping clients with their taxes. You need to understand tax codes and other regulations. You may also need to answer client questions regarding their finances.

Accountants work with companies and individuals, so you can choose who you want to serve. If you want to work with individuals, you may want to take the CPA exam. That way, you can prove you know what you’re doing. You’ll also be able to charge more for your services.

Customer Service Representative

If you want a low-stress job to do during retirement, consider becoming a customer service representative. You can work in a store or physical location, or you can work from a call center. Reps can provide service in person, over the phone, or through email.

Some customer service jobs require specific hours, but others give you more freedom. You can provide your availability, and your employer can work with that to create your schedule. If you don’t want to look for work or clients, this can be a great job.

You can find a phone or chat representative job, and you may be able to work from home. Then, you don’t have to worry about commuting or dealing with customers in person. Depending on who you work for, you may be able to make a lot of money.

Artist/Craftsman

Your hobbies can also be a great place to look for a retirement job. If you like to paint, knit or sew, you can turn that activity into a source of income. You can set up an online store on a website like Etsy, and you can sell your creations.

You’ll need to track your inventory and manage your store, and you will need to ship packages. But you can set the prices of your work, so you can earn as much as you want. People are willing to spend a lot on good quality, handcrafted goods.

You don’t have to be a famous artist to make a decent living from your art. As long as you produce consistently good pieces, you can build a successful store from home. You can sell a variety of items, and you can include sewing or knitting patterns in your store for easy money.

Tailor

Speaking of sewing, if you’re good at measurements and hemming, you can work as a tailor. You can work with clients on all sorts of garments, from work suits to wedding dresses. If you live near a tailor, you can work for them, but you can also work from home.

You can find clients online or in your neighborhood. As long as you produce good results, you can ask your customers to share your service with others. Then, you can get more clients without having to market yourself.

Depending on the garments you work on, you can charge a lot. You can work on your time, and if you work for a store, you can get an employee discount. Some stores, like Nordstrom, pay their tailors a decent salary.

Reseller

Another excellent job you can do during retirement is reselling. You can work in an antique shop where you sell vintage clothing and other items. But you can also sell things online on eBay or Etsy as long as you fulfill certain requirements.

If you can prove the value of an item, you can make a lot of money on it. Old baseball cards and other trading cards can be moneymakers. You can also make good money on items that belonged to celebrities or local politicians.

Reselling is flexible, and you can do it from anywhere. If you’re willing to sell online, you can look for customers on the other side of the world. And if you’re good at sales, you won’t have a problem selling the goods you have.

Retail Sales

If you want a job that gets you out of the house, consider working in retail. You will have to deal with customers, and you’ll need to work when the store is open. But some stores offer decent commissions for their sales employees.

Like in other industries, working on commission means you don’t have a limit on your earnings. If you can sell a lot of big-ticket items each day, you can make more commissions than your hourly pay.

You can work for a high-end department store or a cosmetic store, and the commissions can add up. Some stores will provide a bonus to anyone who sells a certain number of items each month. Then, you can watch your paycheck increase as you make more sales.

Final Thoughts

Retirement is a time of relaxation and reflection. But if you don’t have enough money to support yourself, it can be stressful. Luckily, there are tons of retirement jobs that pay well so that you can pay your bills without working a ton.

25 Retirement Jobs That Pay Well