Top 10 Fun Part-time Jobs for Retirees

Letting go of a lifetime of working can feel challenging or freeing … most often both at the same time. No matter how ready you were to retire, though, many people find themselves wondering What now?

If you’re in that camp, never fear. There exist innumerable ways to fill your time post-career, and many of them will even make you good money! Here are 10 fun jobs for retirees to consider today.

1. Local Tour Guide

Pretty much every city, and many a small town, offers tours to learn more about the local history, culture, and cuisine. These can take almost any form, from pub crawls to bus excursions to walking tours, and they all need guides to shuttle groups from the A to Z of noteworthy destinations.

If you love chatting and would love to make some extra cash, the role of tour guide could be your calling. Ghost tours in big cities are huge, for instance, and you can rake in as much as $150 a night for two to three tours. Plus, you can get discounts on tours for yourself and your friends and family.

2. Retail Worker

For those who enjoy shooting the breeze and getting discounts, a part-time gig in a retail shop can be a great way to while away the hours after retirement. Lifelong foodies will love working in a kitchen store, while clothes horses will enjoy boutiques where they can buy high-end items for literal pennies on the dollar.

3. Blogger

Know something about something? Want to learn more and take others with you on the journey? Simply relish exploring philosophical ideas or tracking the latest space news? Blogging is one of the most fun jobs for retirees, and it can potentially net you major part-time income too.

If you’re hoping to make money blogging, you first need a good concept. It doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, but you do have to be passionate about it. Make sure it’s nicely designed and fill it with posts ASAP – no one likes an empty storefront. Once you begin to see major traffic, you can strategically (and tastefully) place ads around your blog to earn extra funds.

4. Pet Sitter

Who doesn’t need a dog or cat sitter from time to time? If you enjoy taking care of animals, then pet sitter is a great gig. You make serious money, starting at $35 a night on up for doggos. If you decide to convert a room of your house or a garage into a pet area, you can leverage economies of scale for real income. Or you can take it to the next level …

5. Groomer

Have a little seed money and a true adoration of furry friends? Renovate a van and provide mobile grooming services and is one of the most fulfilling fun jobs for retirees. While this certainly takes more startup capital than the other options on this list, it’s perfect for those seeking flexible hours and looking for a dog fix.

For those of us who have been clipping doodles for years, this is a natural extension of existing skills. However, if grooming sounds hard, you can take a class or even apprentice with a professional. Start with friends and family while you get your sea legs under you, then start cultivating your own clients by leaving your card at vets’ offices and pet stores.

6. Photographer

With the quality of today’s cameras, anyone can point and shoot and take a good snap. It’s difficult to make money selling your photography to online buyers, as they are pretty saturated. However, if you have skill with a DSLR or even a good camera phone, you can start making money right away by posting portrait services on Nextdoor.

7. Ski Instructor

Lifelong skier? Becoming an instructor is a great way to fit in more time on the slopes once you retire. If you’re a true pro, you can teach adults. If you’re more of a dilettante, your local resort may need help on the bunny slopes. And if you prefer to stay warm and pour hot cocoa indoors, you can do that too.

Different resorts have different rules about employment, certification standards, and possible benefits. Start by asking your local establishment to learn more.

8. Tutor

Whether you’re interested in tutoring grownups in English or kiddos in math, there’s a role for that. Tutors make good money these days. A general tutor can make around $20 an hour, while a specialist can bring in $50 an hour or more.

9. Artist

Did you know Grandma Moses, the famed folk painter, didn’t pick up a brush until she was 77 years old? Her husband had just died and she was looking for a way to keep busy, et voilà: now the world has a beautiful collection of works to remember her by.

But Grandma Moses isn’t the only one to have come to fame late in life. Today, social media and the internet have made it possible for anyone to develop an artistic leaning later in life. If you’ve been eying that loom for years, now could be the time.

10. Community College Instructor

Many retirees have a lifetime of experience to draw on when it comes to career specialties, and working at a community college can be a nice way to profit from that knowledge. Best of all, you needn’t make a full-time commitment to the job.

Community college instructor salaries range widely, with the average hovering around $60,000 a year for full-time professors. A part-time gig, therefore, would net you at least enough to take a nice annual vacation and would get you out of the house and using your brain on the regular.

The bottom line is, fun jobs for retirees can be a great way to continue using your brain and having fun in the golden years, so why not give it a shot?