15 Best Work-From-Home Jobs for Retirees

Working from home after retirement can be an ideal way to bring in much-needed income without sacrificing valuable time and energy on things like commuting to and from an office. Some remote jobs can be a particularly good option depending on your previous experience and skill set, according to the experts at FlexJobs. “We often see remote jobs that would be a great fit for retirees,” says Brie Weiler Reynolds, a career development manager and coach for FlexJobs. With help from FlexJobs, Cheapism has compiled a list of some of the top remote jobs opportunities for retirees.

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A job that typically involves reconciling accounts and processing payroll, says Weiler Reynolds, many bookkeeper opportunities even allow for working part-time. The pay for some of these roles can be from $25 to $30 per hour.

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Thanks to Zoom meetings, Skype, and Facetime, career coaching is easier than ever to conduct remotely. Retirees can draw on their decades of experience for this job, which Weiler Reynolds says typically involves providing career guidance, interview tips, and resume reviews.

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Working as a consultant is another way for retirees to draw on decades of career expertise, says Weiler Reynolds. Those who fill this role typically work with companies to help identify and resolve problems. Consultant opportunities exist in a variety of fields, including human resources, finance, high-tech, and more. 

Related: Fulfilling, Productive Things to Do in Retirement

A role that relies heavily on good phone etiquette and a giant dose of people skills, technology has made remote customer service opportunities plentiful. “Customer service reps can work from home to answer calls and respond to emails,” says Weiler Reynolds. The advertised pay for these jobs ranges from $10 to $18 per hour.

Did you know that AARP hosts a job board that you can access online? You can check for local opportunities for experienced workers there, as well.

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Those in data entry typically spend their time entering and updating data on a computer system, says Weiler Reynolds. “You’ll need to be tech savvy and may need to know how to use a 10-key number pad,” she says.

For retirees who are obsessive about grammar, punctuation, and clarity, and have a few years’ experience reviewing written content, a remote editor role may be an ideal fit. Some of these roles require working as little as five to 10 hours per week. Opportunities range from editing manuscripts to proofreading newsletters.

Conducting orientations for new hires, processing enrollments, and helping employees coordinate benefits are just some of the tasks involved in an HR coordinator role. “Sourcing candidates, assessing potential candidates, screening resumes, conducting phone interviews, and performing background checks,” are a few more of the duties, says Weiler Reynolds.

Some instructional designer roles pay as much as $35 to $40 per hour. The job involves designing and developing a learning curriculum, says Weiler Reynolds, a need that crops up in a variety of industries including healthcare, business, IT, and graphic design. With often decades of experience in a particular industry, retirees can use their well of knowledge to help educate others.

Drawing upon similar skills as many of the roles already mentioned, legal assistants handle administrative needs, including responding to client communications by phone, email, and text, says Weiler Reynolds.

For seniors who spent their careers in marketing roles, working remotely as a marketing coordinator offers an opportunity to keep using well-honed professional skills. Coordinators, says Weiler Reynolds, typically develop and implement marketing campaigns, track data, maintain databases, handle social media, and more.

This one’s pretty straightforward. Whether it’s teaching classes for children or ESL learners, instruction can be provided remotely via video or an online learning platform, says Weiler Reynolds. Opportunities currently advertised in this field pay anywhere from $16 to $22 an hour and offer part-time and provide flexible schedules. Many require an English teaching certificate.

After a lifetime in the workforce, retirees can share their wisdom and expertise with others by helping to polish and improve resumes. “Resume writers will rewrite and edit client resumes and consult with clients using phone and email,” says Weiler Reynolds. This job typically requires a substantial understanding of various industries and job functions. And often these openings require previous resume writing experience.

A job that involves transcribing speech or recordings into text, this role also requires attention to detail, says Weiler Reynolds. Additional requirements typically include strong English and grammar skills. Some opportunities only require working two to three hours per day, allowing retirees to make extra income without entirely upending their post-workforce life.

It’s kind of a no-brainer that IT roles can be done from anywhere, given that this job function is all about the use of technology. For retirees who have serious technology skills, this is a natural option. Job duties typically include planning, managing, and controlling a company’s IT operations.

Virtual assistants do everything from arrange travel to coordinate events and projects and answer emails. Though it’s not a strenuous job, it does require outstanding organizational and communications skills as well as being tech savvy. But for retirees with a computer and the time, this is another solid option. Some of these roles pay about $17 to $19 per hour, while others pay just $10 to $12 per hour.