According to reports, adults over 65 are twice as likely to be working today compared with 1985. In 1985, just 10% were either working or looking for work, compared to 20% in 2019.
In today’s post, I’ll cover job options for people who:
- Are over 62 years old (the age at which you can start claiming social security) and have retired. Perhaps you want a job to keep you active or because you want something to do? Or perhaps you aren’t getting as much Social Security as you expected and want more money.
- Have retired early. Perhaps you’re only in your 50s and have managed to retire but want a low-stress job to give your life more purpose.
Whatever the case, if your 9 to 5 days are behind you, then you may want to consider one of the jobs below.
These are low stress, some even slow paced jobs that can make you some extra money and keep your mind and your body, depending on the job, active during your retirement years.
I’ve included online jobs you can do from home – because what’s more relaxing than that? – and jobs that get you out of the house and socializing.
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Table of Contents
Top Fun & Low Stress Jobs After Retirement
Give these jobs a try if you’re a retiree.
1. Landscaper
- Average pay: $14 an hour
- Pay range: $10 to $20 an hour
Landscape work is on the more physical side, but it gets you out in nature and what’s more calming than that? It’s your job as a landscaper to maintain gardens and other outdoor areas, and you’ll do things like trimming hedges and cleaning outdoor facilities.
Here’s where you can find work:
2. Pet-sitter
- Average pay: $14 an hour
- Pay range: $5 to $44 an hour
Taking care of people’s pets can be a relaxing and rewarding job. Animals have an awesome energy and are great stress-busters!
As a pet-sitter, you take care of people’s pets while they are at work or on vacation. You’ll have a lot of downtime where you can watch TV and hang out with a cute pet for a while.
Here are a few places to find pet sitting work:
3. Data entry clerk
- Average pay: $13 an hour
- Pay range: $10 to $18 an hour
Data entry work is pretty straightforward making this a relatively low-stress job. As a data entry clerk, you’ll get paid to enter data into spreadsheets, documents, and other data management systems.
Here’s where you can find work:
4. Archivist
- Average pay: $22 an hour
- Pay range: $10 to $28 an hour
As an archivist, you appraise and research records and documents to determine their importance and their potential value. You help to decide which materials should be archived and which ones should destroyed.
Here’s where you can find work as an archivist:
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5. Florist
- Average pay: $14 an hour
- Pay range: $8 to $21 an hour
Being a florist is a slow-paced, relaxing job that’s perfect for retirees. If you don’t mind interacting with the public a little, it’s a good option. It’s low-stress and you get to socialize too.
Here’s where you can find work as a florist:
6. Dog walker
- Average pay: $14 an hour
- Pay range: $10 to $29 an hour
Taking a dog for a walk can be a good way to stay active and reduce stress which is why being a dog walker is such a good option for retirees looking for something more slow-paced.
Here’s where you can find work:
7. Furniture refurbisher
- Pay varies
Purchase used furniture, refurbish it, and sell it online or in person.
You can find cheap or even free furniture on sites like:
Resell this furniture for a 100% profit.
This is a relaxing job that’s pretty low stress too. Learn more about this job here.
8. Transcriptionist
- Average pay: $15 an hour
- Pay range: $10 to $28 an hour
Transcriptionists are paid to listen to audio and then type out, or “transcribe” what they hear. Then, they deliver the transcription document to the client. This is a job you can do on a freelance basis, from home, making this a pretty low-stress job.
Here’s where you can find work:
9. Proofreader and editor
- Average pay: $18 an hour for proofreaders. $25 an hour for editors.
- Pay range: $12 to $30 an hour for proofreaders. $9 to $60 an hour for editors.
Are you good with grammar? Then working as a proofreader or editor may be for you. You’ll get paid to check work like articles and books for mistakes and, in the case of an editor, structural elements. This job can be done from home making it relatively low-stress. There are deadlines though of course.
Here’s where you can find work:
10. Librarian
- Average pay: $27 an hour
- Pay range: $13 to $42 an hour
What’s more relaxing than a library? It’s quiet and you get to read. This is such a chill job for retirees who’re looking for a slower pace of life.
Here’s where you can find librarian jobs:
11. Be a house-sitter
- Pay varies
House-sitters get paid to look after people’s homes while they’re away. It’s a pretty relaxed job that can include lots of different tasks, such as watering the plants and bringing in the mail.
Here’s where you can find jobs as a house-sitter:
12. Freelance writing
- Average pay: $23 an hour
- Pay range: $12 to $58 an hour. $0.01 to $0.10 per word.
Freelance writers get to work from home meaning you can avoid things like a stressful commute and stressful coworkers! It’s not the easiest job, but it’s creative and, like I said, you get to work alone.
Although some positions pay hourly, most freelance jobs pay you per word or per article. This can work out great if you’re a fast writer.
Here are some sites to find writing work:
You can also use websites like UpWork and PeoplePerHour to find private clients.
13. Guest blogger
- Pay varies
With some freelance gigs you need to consistently deliver articles which some people can find stressful. If you don’t want deadlines or to consistently have to write, then you might want to work as a guest blogger instead.
Many websites take submissions. All you need to do is submit a blog post or idea, and if it’s approved, you’ll get paid for each post that you contribute.
Here are a few sites that take submissions:
14. Book reviewer
- Pay varies
Book reviewers help authors by providing them with feedback on their novels. This can help authors to sell more copies. This is a relaxing job if you like reading!
Here are a few sites that pay you to review books:
It’s a great way to make some extra money. Pay varies with OnlineBookClub.org paying $5 to $60 per review, and Booklist paying $15 per review.
15. Voiceover work
- Average pay: $30 an hour
- Pay range: $14 to $149 an hour
Voiceover artists provide narration for media such as tutorials, YouTube videos, and audiobooks. If you have the voice for it, then this could be a job for you. You can often do this job from home as well.
Here’s where you can find voiceover work:
16. Grocery shopping and delivery
- Pay varies
Get paid to shop for and deliver groceries. Customers place orders and you shop for their groceries and deliver them to the customer’s home.
Here’s where you can find work:
Pay varies from place to place:
- Shipt pays from $16 to $22 an hour.
- Instacart pays $5 to $25 an hour and the average pay is $14 an hour.
17. Movie extra
- Average pay: $28 an hour
- Pay range: $5 to $100 an hour
Ever dreamed of being in a movie? Well, you can be if you get a job as an extra. Movie extras are also called background actors because they appear in the background of movies. You don’t have to live in LA for this one either. There are movies shot all over the country. If you’re looking for a fun job after retirement, then being a movie extra is a good choice.
Here’s where you can find work as a movie extra:
18. Tour guide
- Average pay: $18 an hour
- Pay range: $6 to $40 an hour
For retirees looking for a fun job where they get to socialize, being a tour guide is a good option. You could get paid to take people around national parks near you or popular tourist attractions in your area.
Here’s where you can find tour guide jobs:
19. Home Staging
- Average pay: $23 an hour
- Pay range: $9 to $38 an hour
When people sell their homes, some use a home-staging service to ensure their homes look their best so that they sell as fast as possible.
You could set up your own home-staging business on the side. If you like home décor, rearranging furniture, or just improving the look of a home in general, home staging could be a job for you. You could even contact real estate agents to look for an opportunity if you brush up your skills.
Here’s where you can find work:
20. Handyman
- Average pay: $18 an hour
- Pay range: $9 to $27 an hour
If you’re handy around the house, why not work as a handyman? You could get paid for things like:
- Furniture assembly
- Home repairs
- Appliance repairs
- Hanging and mounting
- Carpentry work
You could advertise your services to people nearby and work on a freelance basis. Another option you can try is Handy. It’s an app where you can find handyman gigs.
21. Sell on Etsy
- Pay varies
Another relaxing job is selling things on Etsy.
You can sell items like:
- Clothing
- Crafts
- Furniture
- Vintage pieces
- Antiques
- Handmade items
Depending on how many items you sell and what each one sells for, you could make $100s or even $1,000s from your Etsy store.
22. Write or illustrate greeting cards
- Pay varies
Writing or illustrating greeting cards can be a relaxing and rewarding job that you can do from home.
Here are some places that pay you to write and illustrate greeting cards:
Each place will have its own pay rate.
23. Self-publish books with Kindle Direct Publishing
- Pay varies
Have you ever dreamed of writing a book? Then why not write one and publish it with Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)? With KDP, anyone can write and publish a book for sale on Amazon. You could opt for a fiction novel, like a romance novel or mystery novel. Or you could write a non-fiction book like a how-to guide, an educational book, or even a memoir. Amazon pays you between 35% and 70% commission on your book sales.
24. Adjunct Professor
- Average pay: $32 an hour
- Pay range: $5 to $74 an hour
Working as an adjunct professor can be one of the highest paying jobs for retirees.
As an adjunct professor, you work part-time teaching students. If you have a degree, then this could be the career for you. Many universities, like the Southern New Hampshire University, offer adjunct faculty positions.
Check to see if any universities near you are hiring adjunct faculty.
Here are a couple of places to find work:
25. Sell t-shirts and more with Merch by Amazon
- Pay varies
Merch by Amazon is a program for designers who want to sell merch, like t-shirts, on Amazon.
Just upload a design, and Amazon will print it and ship it to the customer for you. Amazon handles payment, customer service, and everything else for you.
Pay varies but you could earn $100s a month selling print-on-demand products.
26. Virtual assistant
- Average pay: $16 an hour
- Pay range: $10 to $27 an hour
Virtual assistants are hired to help with tasks like making phone calls, bookkeeping, scheduling appointments, and organizing meetings.
Make sure you read my post on how to become a virtual assistant for tips on how to get started and for a list of virtual assistant jobs.
27. Online tutoring
- Average pay: $19 an hour
- Pay range: $15 to $20 an hour
Tutoring people online is a job you can do from home, and you often get to set your own hours.
Here’s where you can find work:
28. Take surveys
- Pay range: $0.05 to $25 per survey
With survey websites you’re paid to take surveys on your computer or phone.
Basically, you get paid for giving your opinion. This is a good way for retirees to earn some extra money.
Here are some survey sites that’ll pay you to take surveys:
29. Search engine tester
- Average pay: $26 an hour
- Pay range: $10 to $49 an hour
To ensure that the correct results are generated by the algorithm, search engines like Google and Bing hire search engine evaluators.
As a search engine evaluator, you enter specific words or phrases into a search engine and check to see if the right results appear. This helps to improve search engines.
Here’s where you can find search engine evaluator jobs:
30. Park ranger
- Average pay: $19 an hour
- Pay range: $9 to $29 an hour
Being a park ranger does come with a lot of responsibilities as you’re responsible for protecting our state and national parks, including the wildlife within them and the people who visit them. But, you get to be out in nature and socialize with visitors, making this a fun job for retirees.
What’s good about this job is that there are seasonal jobs available in addition to permanent positions, which means that you can do this job at certain times of the year if you want.
You can find work as a park ranger here.
31. Postal worker
- Average pay: $19 an hour
- Pay range: $8 to $34 an hour
If you’re an early riser then getting a job with the USPS could be for you. This is a good job for retirees who’re looking for a slower paced, low-stress job. You get paid to deliver mail to homes and businesses. Mostly, you’ll work alone, you get to be active, and many jobs finish early so you have the rest of the day to spend as you choose.
You can find postal worker jobs on the USPS website.
32. Online ESL teacher
- Average pay: $19 an hour
- Pay range: $8 to $24 an hour
You could get paid to teach English as a second language (ESL). ESL teachers get paid to teach people in a variety of countries how to speak English. The best part about this job is that it can be done online. So you get to work from home. This is definitely one of the more rewarding jobs for seniors.
Here’s where you can find ESL teacher jobs:
33. Baker
- Average pay: $13 an hour
- Pay range: $7 to $18 an hour
Being a baker is a pretty low-stress job. And, it’s one that allows you to start your work day early, and then finish early, leaving you with the rest of the day to enjoy!
Here’s where you can find baking jobs:
34. Test scorer
- Average pay: $14 an hour
- Pay range: $11 to $16 an hour
Get paid to score people’s tests as a test scorer. This is another job you could do from home. As an online test scorer, you score assessment tests, exams, and other tests from a remote location or office. Although there are office-based positions available, there are plenty of remote test scoring jobs out there.
Here’s where you can find work as a test scorer:
35. Mentor
- Average pay: $13 an hour
- Pay range: $8 to $24 an hour
Use your experience to help others by becoming a mentor to a younger person. You could inspire a whole new generation with your knowledge, insight, and ideas in a specific field. You could become a mentor at a university, sports team, church, or school. Or you could mentor coworkers at your old job or a different company within the field you used to work in.
Find work as a mentor at The Mentor Network.
36. Babysitting
- Average pay: $11 an hour
- Pay range: $8 to $17 an hour
Kids can be really fun, so why not give babysitting a try? Sure, it can be hard work but it can also be rewarding. Parents are always looking for a babysitter, and you could work when it suits you like at the weekends or during the evenings.
Here’s where you can find babysitting work:
37. Reward websites
- Pay varies
Reward websites will pay you do to easy tasks, including:
- Shopping online
- Browsing the internet
- Watching videos
- Playing games
- Taking surveys
You can get payment sent to your PayPal account. Many places offer gift cards too for retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
Reward websites don’t pay you a ton of money, but they give you an easy way to make extra money.
Here are some legit rewards sites:
38. Start a blog
- Average pay: Varies
If you’re passionate about a particular topic, you may want to start a blog about it.
You can get a domain name and hosting from sites like Bluehost, HostGator, and GoDaddy. And you can publish your blog posts through WordPress.org.
While you won’t make money from your posts from the outset, as you build traffic to your site, it will get more visitors.
There are a few ways to earn money from a blog:
- Ads on your site with Google AdSense
- Sponsored posts
- Affiliate links
- Selling products
Some people make $1,000s a month blogging so this can be a high paying job for retirees.
39. Sell courses online
- Pay varies
Use your knowledge of a particular topic and sell a course on it.
Create a course on a topic that you’re knowledgeable about and then sell it online.
Here’s where you can sell your courses:
You could earn hundreds or even 1,000s a month selling courses online.
40. Podcaster
- Average pay: $42 an hour
- Pay range: $7 to $78 an hour
Podcasts are super popular now and while it’s a pretty competitive market, you could still have success with your own podcast.
Choose a topic for your podcast, learn about how the podcasting process works, and then launch your podcast. Check out this guide from ThePodcastHost.com on how to start a podcast.
Podcasters make money through sponsors and advertisers. You’ll need to take time and effort building your audience before you start making money.
41. Mystery shopper
- Average pay: $20 an hour
- Pay range: $5 to $50 an hour
Mystery shoppers get paid to visit stores, movie theaters, restaurants, and other local businesses to provide feedback on things like how clean the place was and how well they were treated by the staff.
Here are some places to find mystery shopping jobs:
- IntelliShop
- BestMark
- Sinclair Customer Metrics
- Market Force
- SurveyMini
- Mobee
- EasyShift
- iSecretShop
- Field Agent
42. Real Estate Agent
- Average pay: $40 an hour
- Pay range: $6 to $72 an hour
Being a real estate agent is one of the highest paying jobs you can do after retirement.
As a real estate agent, you help people to buy, sell, or rent property. You’ll help clients through every step of the way from searching for properties to closing the deal.
Take a look at this guide on how to become a real estate agent to learn more about this job.
43. Video editor
- Average pay: $23 an hour
- Pay range: $8 to $40 an hour
You could provide a video editing service if you know how to edit videos.
For this job, you’ll need a fast computer and the right software.
Here’s where you can find video editing jobs:
You could also advertise your video editing services to individuals and businesses near you.
44. Golf course maintenance
- Average pay: $12 an hour
- Pay range: $7 to $15 an hour
You might be able to find a job at your local golf course. Your local golf course may need help with tasks like cleaning up, collecting balls, or even working in the pro shop. Golf course maintenance can be a fun and relaxing job for people over 55.
45. Focus group participant
- Pay range: $20 to $400 per study
With focus groups, you can get paid for giving your opinion. Focus groups are sort of like online surveys, except you talk about a product or service with a group of people. Focus group studies can be conducted in-person or online.
Here are some places where you can find paid focus groups:
46. Personal Stylist
- Average pay: $25 an hour
- Pay range: $23 and $27 an hour
If you like fashion, then being a personal stylist could be the perfect job for you after retirement. It’s pretty low-stress and it can be a lot of fun too. As a personal stylist, you’ll help people to dress better and improved their overall wardrobe.
Here’s where you can find work as a personal stylist:
47. Social media manager
- Average pay: $16 an hour
- Pay range: $10 to $27 an hour
Social media managers help companies and individuals to manage their social media accounts. If you’re knowledgeable about social media, this could be a good job for you. Your job could include things like uploading posts to sites like Instagram and Twitter and responding to comments on social media.
Here’s where you can find work:
48. Cleaning
- Average pay: $12 an hour
- Pay range: $9 to $20 an hour
Cleaning can be therapeutic and it’s something that you can do part-time as well. You’ll earn money cleaning people’s homes or workplaces. Cleaning jobs can be found on sites like Housekeeper.com, or you could advertise your services locally.
49. Rent out your car with Turo
- Pay varies
If you’re at home often and not using your car, why not rent it out? You can list your car for rent on Turo. You can set the daily price for the rental or allow Turo to automatically adjust your price to maximize your income.
50. Dog Groomer
- Average pay: $16 an hour
- Pay range: $7 to $28 an hour
If you like dogs, you could work as a dog groomer. Since many pet owners require a dog groomer, this can be a good way to earn money.
Generally, you’ll need to complete a dog grooming apprenticeship, which can take anywhere from 6 to 10 weeks, to get started in this field. However, the requirements for getting a job as a dog groomer vary from employer to employer.
Here’s where you can find dog grooming jobs:
51. Golf Caddie
- Average pay: $19 an hour
- Pay range: $7 to $41 an hour
Working as a golf caddie gets you outside and taking with people making this a fun and relaxing job after retirement.
As a golf caddy, you assist golfers with carrying their equipment. And, more experienced caddies will even provide advice on the course.
Here’s where you can find golf caddy jobs:
52. Sommelier
- Average pay: $28 an hour
- Pay range: $22 to $35 an hour
A sommelier is a person who’s knowledgeable about all aspects of wine. Sometimes, sommeliers are called wine stewards. Usually, they work in fine restaurants and specialize in wine service and wind and food pairings. This is a pretty relaxing job to do after you retire.
Here’s where you can find sommelier jobs:
53. Lawn mower
- Average pay: $20 an hour
- Pay range: $17 to $23 an hour
Mowing people’s lawns is something you could do to make money during your retirement. You could advertise your services on neighborhood Facebook groups, or just let people know nearby that you’re offering a grass cutting service.
Pretty much anyone with a lawn mower can get started with this one, and this job gets you outdoors and keeps you active.
54. Gaming dealer
- Average pay: $9 an hour
- Pay range: $6 to $21 an hour
Casinos rely on dealers to run their games. This can be a fun way to make money during retirement.
Here’s where you can find work as a gaming dealer:
55. Casino Host
- Average pay: $28 an hour
- Pay range: $22 to $43 an hour
It’s a casino host’s job to cultivate relationships between loyal patrons and the casino. So, they can offer freebies to players that can range from free drinks to a free room. It’s another pretty fun job.
Here’s where you can find work as a casino host:
56. Personal Shopper
- Average pay: $20 an hour
- Pay range: $6 to $49 an hour
Personal shoppers get paid to shop for other people. You can shop for everything from groceries to furniture. Most personal shoppers purchase clothes and accessories though for their clients.
Here’s where you can find personal shopper jobs:
57. Professional Organizer
- Average pay: $25 an hour
- Pay range: $15 to $62 an hour
Professional organizers are paid to help companies and individuals with everything from organizing offices to creating better organizing systems for homes.
Here’s where you can find work as a professional organizer:
58. Interior designer
- Average pay: $25 an hour
- Pay range: $9 to $38 an hour
Interior design could be a great job for you if you’ve retired. As an interior designer, you work with clients to create rooms and spaces that are functional and safe and that look great too. Your job could include things like determining space requirements and choosing essential and decorative items such as paint colors, lighting, and flooring.
Here’s where you can find work as an interior designer:
59. Errand runner
- Average pay: $26 an hour
- Pay range: $3 to $78 an hour
Errand runners are paid to help people with a variety of tasks. One place where you can find jobs is on TaskRabbit. This is an app that pays you to help people with their everyday to-dos. On TaskRabbit, you can get paid for things like assembling furniture, picking up groceries, and yard work.
60. Food delivery
- Pay varies
Get paid to deliver food from restaurants and other eateries. You can often work when you want to, so you can pick up some extra money whenever you want.
Here are a few places where you can find food delivery jobs:
Each company has its own pay rate.
Here are some examples:
- UberEats will pay you $15 an hour on average. Pay ranges from $12 to $17 an hour.
- DoorDash pays you a base pay of between $2 and $10 for each delivery that you complete.
- You’ll earn up to $25 an hour with Caviar. Plus, you get to keep all of your tips.
Closing Thoughts
If you’re looking for low stress jobs after retirement, make sure that you give some of the jobs on the list above a try. What’s your ideal way to make money after retirement? Let us know in the comments section below.
library jobs are not necessarily as relaxing as most people think. I’m retiring from that and looking for something else.
Thanks fort sharing your experience Gayle. I guess every job has some level of stress associated with it. Would you say it’s less stressful than most other jobs?