As inflation increases the cost of living, many seniors are having to stretch their savings further or even go back to work. In fact, 46% of seniors between the ages of 60-75 say they plan to work part time in retirement.
Working doesn’t mean you have to go back to your old job, as advancements in technology have made working from home a possibility for many Americans. A recent survey data from McKinsey & Company found that 58% of respondents have the option to work from home at least one day a week and 35% of respondents have the option to work from home five days a week.
If you’re a retiree who’s considering going back to work, check out these hand-picked jobs ideal for seniors who want to work from home. In general, each of these work-from-home jobs require phone service, an internet connection, and some basic experience with tools like email, calendars, word-processing and spreadsheet software.
1. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants handle responsibilities for executives or the office of a business, but the role can be done entirely from home. Responsibilities include tasks like scheduling meetings, answering and making phone calls, managing emails, and booking travel plans. Organizational and time management skills are essential for succeeding in this role, as you’ll need to keep track of various things going on within the organization or for the person you’re assisting.
The job offers an average salary of $27.47 per hour, but can range from $17.07 to $44.20 based on skills and experience.
2. Bookkeeper
Bookkeepers manage a company’s financial records by doing things like sending invoices, receiving and uploading payment receipts, and handling payroll for the organization’s employees. Bookkeepers may also work closely with HR to help onboard new employees and help with filings for disability insurance and workers’ compensation. Familiarity with business finance concepts is a plus for this role, along with experience in data entry.
The average salary for a bookkeeper in the U.S. is $21.29 per hour, with a low range of $15.05 and high of $30.13.
3. Customer Service Representative
Many call and contact centers now allow people to work in a service role from home, and these roles are ideal for seniors because they require very little experience or hard skills. Customer service representatives provide support for a business’ customers, and their responsibilities include answering questions about pricing, features, order status, and troubleshooting issues with the product or service. Companies may use their own software to manage customer requests, which you’ll be trained on during onboarding. Since you’ll be trained on the hard skills, the most important thing is for you to have good soft skills like communication, patience, multitasking, and organization.
On average, customer service representatives make $17.32 per hour, though this can range from $10.15-$29.54 depending on company and your skills.
4. Online Tutor
If you have expertise in education or a particular subject like math, science, or history — you may be able to work as an online tutor for students. You can sign up on a tutoring platform like Tutor.com or Preply and earn money hourly, with some options allowing you to set your rate and teach anytime you want. This can be appealing if you only plan to work part time or want a flexible schedule, as you can choose your preferred hours.
The average salary for a tutor is $24.20 per hour, with a range from $16.09-$36.68. Your earning potential will likely be correlated with the subject you have experience in (STEM fields tend to earn the most) and your experience in that field.
5. Sales Associate
Sales is a field where there’s always opportunity and roles, and you’ll find plenty of sales jobs across a mix of industries including tech, finance, healthcare, and online retail. Responsibilities for a sales associate may include identifying potential customers and contacting them through phone or email to set up a meeting where you’ll present the product or service offered by your business. Hard skills aren’t very important for sales, but you will need strong soft skills in areas like communication, research, time management, and problem solving.
The average salary for a sales associate is $14.53 per hour, with a range from $10.12-$20.86. However, sales salaries are often tied heavily to commissions from selling the business’ solution, so you should see what the commission structure looks like when applying for these roles.
6. Freelance Writer
Freelance writing allows seniors to write articles or content for different types of businesses to use in their blog or other areas of their website. All that’s required is the proper technology and some basic knowledge about grammar (though you can use tools like Grammarly to help). To start, you can sign up on a website like Upwork, where you’ll create a profile discussing your knowledge, skills, and sometimes writing samples. From there, businesses can contact you to hire you for assignments, or you can search and apply for different projects posted by companies. The job can be a great way to make money while working flexible hours, as you can take on as many or few assignments as you want at any point.
On average, freelance writers make $22.52 per hour, with a range from $8.97-$56.53. Writers may also be paid using a flat fee for each project (such as $50 per blog post), or even by word (such as $0.10 per word in a piece).
7. Transcriptionist
Many businesses need people to transcribe meetings, presentations, and calls so that they can be shared in a written-format with others. A transcriptionist listens to recordings or attends events and types out what is said and done using a word-processing program. The job is time-consuming and can be tedious, but requires very few skills other than good listening and the ability to type quickly and accurately.
A transcriptionist makes an average of $19.90 per hour, with a range of $13.12-$30.18.
8. Proofreader
Even with advances in technology, many businesses still rely on proofreaders to review documents and ensure they’re free of mistakes like spelling, punctuation, and grammar issues. In addition to checking for issues with the text itself, proofreaders also formatting to spot potential issues like mistakes with spacing or information missing from the heading. Since all that’s required is reading and editing, the job can be done completely remotely, which can be enticing for seniors who enjoy reading and want to make extra money without having to commute.
On average, proofreaders make $22.25 per hour, with a range from $12.95-$37.90.
Other ways to earn money as a senior
If working one of these jobs still isn’t enough to take care of living expenses, you’ll need to consider other options like downscaling expenses or selling assets. Instead of selling your home or car, it’s a good idea to check the value of your life insurance and see if it can be sold. Selling your policy allows you to cut down expenses by avoiding expensive premiums, and you’ll get a lump-sum payment that can be used however you’d like. To learn more, request a free estimate for your policy today!
