Retirees decide to continue or resume working for many reasons. Perhaps it helps with staying intellectually or physically active, or it may simply be a reprieve from boredom. But often, an important driver is the income stream it provides once they transition to a fixed income.
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Between inflation, higher overall costs of living and soaring interest rates, many retirees are going through an extra tough time. So, it’s not surprising that many are planning to rejoin the workforce. According to a new survey by GOBankingRates, 38% of Americans say they will work part time in retirement to help pay bills and other expenses.
“There are several part-time jobs that are excellent for retirees, giving them the flexibility to get out and earn money but not make a full-time career out of it,” said Scott Lieberman, founder of Touchdown Money.
Here are some of the best part-time job options for retirees, according to experts.
Rideshare Driver
As opposed to a delivery driver, rideshare drivers typically only drive people to and from locations, such as the airport. This is an excellent part-time and truly flexible job that gets retirees out and chatting with new people, and it pays around $15-$18 an hour, depending on tips, said Lieberman.
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Pet Sitter
This is another fairly low-key job that’s usually flexible, said Lieberman.
“This job pays $15-$25 [or more an] hour, although you can earn more with additional pets and if you are hosting overnight stays,” he said. “This is a great part-time job for retirees who don’t travel much during the holidays, since the holidays are the busiest times for pet sitters!”
Golf Course Marshal
Another excellent part-time job for retirees who love to golf, according to Lieberman, is golf course marshal.
A golf course marshal patrols the course, enforces rules, directs traffic and assists golfers as needed. According to Lieberman, pay varies depending on where in the country you live, but it typically ranges around $12 to $18 per hour.
Lawn Care
Gene Caballero, co-founder of GreenPal, said he’s seen firsthand how lawn care can be an excellent part-time job for seniors, as one of the best parts about this line of work is its flexibility and the potential to earn a decent hourly rate.
“We’ve had seniors in retirement start mowing lawns and earn around $30-$40 per hour. Not only is this a lucrative endeavor, but it’s also great exercise and a way to stay active,” he added.
What’s more, lawn mowing and general yard maintenance don’t require extensive training, making it an accessible option for many seniors. It also allows for a lot of autonomy, too — you can set your own schedule and choose the number of hours you work each week.
“This can be particularly beneficial for seniors who want to balance work with leisure or family time,” Caballero added.
Online Courses and Consultation
Retirees with decades of experience in a field or two can use all their knowledge and teach others how to do it, and they can even offer one-on-one consultation after a course is completed for a premium, said Collin Plume, founder and CEO of Noble Gold Investments.
“A single course could be anywhere between $99 to $5,000, depending on your expertise. A single course could be anywhere between one hour to 10 hours, divided into several sections. Again, that depends on your expertise,” he said.
As for one-on-one consultation, a basic consultation could be $50 per hour, but the more specific you get, the more expensive it is, he added.
Virtual Assistants
According to Plume, these jobs pay anywhere between $25 to $35 per hour.
“Most of the time, these are doctors, lawyers, shop owners and other small businesses that can’t afford to have a full-time employee but need to make sure clients or customers are attended to, whether it’s to set an appointment or ask a question,” he said, adding that it usually requires some knowledge of some form of CRM like Salesforce or Hubstuff, email and a communication platform, such as Slack.
Nicole Spector contributed to the reporting for this article.
Survey methodology: GOBankingRates surveyed 1,395 Americans aged 18 and older from across the country between Feb. 26 and Feb. 28, 2024, asking twelve different questions: (1) Do you have a specific retirement savings goal?; (2) Will you need to work part time in retirement?; (3) In retirement, what type of housing/living situation would/do you you prefer?; (4) How important is/was proximity to family and friends in choosing a location to retire?; (5) Are you considering downsizing in retirement?; (6) Do you plan to or did you move for your retirement?; (7) Where is your ideal location for retirement?; (8) Which of the following will you consider/considered when deciding where to live in retirement? (Select all that apply); (9) What is the MOST important factor in deciding where you want to retire?; (10) What are you looking forward to in retirement?; (11) How much do you plan to spend monthly in retirement (outside of housing/rent)?; and (12) Which of the following countries would you be most interested in spending your retirement?. GOBankingRates used PureSpectrum’s survey platform to conduct the poll.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Many Americans Plan To Work Part-Time in Retirement: 6 Jobs That Pay Well