7 Great Part-Time Jobs For Retirees

The 21st century has brought many changes in the characteristics of those retiring.  Whereas retirement used to be seen as the time you left the work force for good, this is no longer the case. Bank of America Merrill Lynch in partnership with Age Wave sponsored a study which found that the majority of baby boomers are expecting to work after they retire. They also found that 47 % of those who have retired are currently working. Further investigation on their part showed that 83% of those working in retirement work part-time, 13% volunteer for 20 or more hours a week, and of those who work 32% are self-employed.

Many people facing retirement would like to work but are not sure what is available out there. There are plenty of retired people out there working part-time already and there is room for much more. Some of the jobs that retirees are already working in include the following:

1. Ticket Agent There are many of us who would love to travel when we retire but just don’t have the funds to do so. If this is you, becoming a ticket agent at your local airport is the job for you.  Many airlines or airports hire ticket agents on a part-time basis and are open to older individuals who have experience in dealing with people. Although the pay is not great, expect an average of around $9 to $12 per hour, the benefits of working for an airline are great. Working for an airline often allows you and your family to fly free of charge on the airline you work for. It also allows you to meet people from every walk of life.

This job requires about two weeks of intense training and then some follow-up continuing education to keep up with the latest rules and regulations.  Scheduling is often based on a lottery but you are allowed to change shifts as long as you can get another agent to cover for you and you meet your required hours for the month.  If you love to travel and can’t afford it now that you have the time, this is your dream job.

2. Custodial Engineer Many places are hiring seniors to come in part-time to clean up after everyone else is gone. Although cleaning buildings, apartments, schools etc. may not sound like a dream job it is really not that bad.  You can often choose your own hours to some degree and no one is looking over your shoulder. Put on a little music and before you know it the place is cleaned. These positions are also part-time in many cases because let’s face it who needs to clean the post office or their school every day.  We know several retirees varying in age from 74 to 60, who clean churches, schools, and even their local post office.  Not a lot of money but enough to supplement your retirement income without being tied down to a full-time job demanding a lot of you.

3. Retail Clerk A lot of retail grocery and general merchandise stores are looking for mature, experienced adults who know how to deal with people. Although this may not sound too glamorous there are a lot of perks you may be able to get by being a part-time clerk at a store.  For starters, this gives you the opportunity to meet other people your age. Imagine working at the local grocery store for 10 or 15 hours per week. This will give you a chance to interact with people from all age groups and will give you the chance to meet other older adults in the community.  Many retail stores will also give a discount if you work for them.

Think outside the box, though, and don’t just limit yourself to a grocery or general merchandise stores. If you love to golf or play tennis, for example, you could get a job in the pro shop and enjoy perks of playing for free and meeting people who share your interests. If you are a fan of your local sports team, you may want to check with the stadium to see if they have a need for users and sales persons during the games. The great thing about being retired is the freedom it brings. You no longer have to worry about making ends meet, so you can find a job that truly brings you joy.

4. Tutor Whether you are a teacher or just good at what you do, there is nothing like having years of experience in a field that make you the perfect person to teach it. With the way technology is today there is nothing to stop you from teaching from the comfort of your home. Teaching using Skype, Google docs and a whiteboard are more than feasible today, it is actually being done. There are people teaching others around the world, from the comfort of their own home. There are many individuals out there that are looking for tutors, some common places people post tutor jobs are on sites like, Upwork.com. Other places you may sign up to be a tutor are with Kaplan.com and Tutor.com. You can also create a website and advertise yourself. 

5. Tax Preparer If you are an accountant you can always do taxes part-time when you retire. A lot of firms like H & R Block hire thousands of seasonal workers to help get taxes done by April 15th each year.  All the jobs there, except office managers, are part-time. There are two peak times in which you are required to work at least 20 hours. The first peak is the time when most people receive their W-2s. This is the last week of January and the first week of February. The second peak encompasses the end of March till tax season is over. Sometimes during off-peak weeks, you may be working less than 10 hours per week. You can also work one day a week during the offseason.

To work at H&R Block you must either attend their tax school or else test out. You can do this by going to their site and taking their open book exam. There are plenty of other places that also hire part-time tax preparers, so be sure to look around in your area if this sounds right for you.

6. Health Care With the dramatic growth of the older population, there are a number of part-time jobs available in health care. Many healthcare facilities are hiring part-time nurses if you have your nursing degree. You no longer need to work full-time hours and you may even want to transfer into a less stress filled environment to do your nursing.  Instead of working for a busy hospital full time you have the opportunity to work part-time for a doctor’s office.

If you don’t have a nursing degree there are a lot of jobs available as home health aides that don’t require a nursing degree. There are many more organizations today than even that provide home health aides to the older and disabled population. Most hire workers on a part-time basis.  Often you can get your training from the organization you work for. One place you can sign up online to get a job as a caretaker is care.com. There are also 48 states (Excluding North and South Dakota) that allow you to become a health aid for a family member or friend. This is done under Medicaid’s Cash & Counseling Program.

7. Consulting/Freelancer If you have specific talents such as writing, teaching, translation, programming, web design, etc., there are several places online you can sell your services.  Many people are also looking for virtual assistants. A virtual assistant is basically an online secretary that does their work for others using email, Skype, and any other resources that are available online. Three sites where you can find this kind of work are Upwork.com, Peopleperhour.com, and guru.com. 

If you are 50 or older and are looking for a job and none of the above links have proven helpful you may want to check out this website, workforce50.  This site was set up to help those 50 and older find a job that meets their needs.  Not only do they have jobs listed by state but they offer plenty of resources to help you get a job.