12 Best Side Hustles for People in Their 50s

Earning potential: Varies depending on your location and the condition of your space

What it is and how it works: If you have a spare room in your house—which isn’t unlikely if you’re an empty nester—you can rent it out to people who are looking for short-term or long-term rentals.

Alternatively, if you don’t feel comfortable sharing your house, you can rent out storage space. This is less lucrative, but it doesn’t require you to invite strangers into your home.

Why it suits people over 50: Since you’re not using the space anyway, renting it out is a great way to earn passive income. Some people downsize their homes in retirement, but until you get there, you might as well take advantage of your spare rooms to turn a profit.

How to get started: First and foremost, familiarize yourself with your local renting regulations, including your state’s landlord-tenant laws. You should also look into how to create a legally binding lease agreement and properly screen tenants.

Once you’re prepared, it’s time to put up ads where your target demographic will look for rental listings, such as in local or student newspapers. Consider also posting your listings on rental websites.

You can start by checking out Avail, which lets you simultaneously post your listing on various rental websites. You can also check out the following platforms:

• Short-term rentals: To rent to tenants on a short-term basis, check out Airbnb and Vrbo.
• Renting storage space: You can advertise on StoreAtMyHouse and Stache, as well as Neighbor,

Note that not all rental websites allow you to advertise for individual rooms, so do your due diligence to make sure your listing doesn’t get taken down.

Earning potential: $15–$30 per hour

What it is and how it works: You can tutor in any subject you’re knowledgeable in, whether it’s an academic subject like math or something else.

With the rise of online tutoring, this side hustle is easier to pursue than ever. You’re not limited by geography; you can tutor students living in different states or even countries.

Of course, if you go down that route, you may occasionally have to teach at odd hours if your student is in a different time zone. The two of you will have to work together to come up with a schedule that works for both of you.

Why it suits people over 50: As an older adult, you have a lot of wisdom and knowledge to pass on. Whatever you do for a living—whether you’re a musician, an engineer, or something else entirely—you can leverage your years of experience to earn some extra cash and do your part to mold the next generation.

How to get started: First, decide on:

• The subject you’ll tutor
• What kinds of students you’ll teach (e.g., children, college students, young professionals, etc.)
• Where you’ll teach (in person, online, etc.)

Once you have a firm plan, it’s time to look for pupils. You can find people in your personal network, as well as on online tutoring platforms like the following:

• Tutor.com
• Pear Deck Tutor
• Skooli
• Wyzant

Earning potential: $50–$150 per hour

What it is and how it works: Consultants help their clients—which may be individuals or businesses—solve issues so that they can perform more efficiently.

The type of client you’ll work for (and the precise nature of your work) will depend on your area of expertise, whether it’s financial planning, marketing, fitness, interior design, or something else.

Why it suits people over 50: This is another job that requires extensive experience, which means it’s usually a late-career side hustle. As a younger professional, it’s rare to have the clout or the connections to set up a lucrative consulting operation. As a 50+-year-old, you’re probably reaching the apex of your career, and gigs like this are finally on the table.

How to get started: There are online platforms that are specifically designed to connect consultants with clients, including:

• Catalant
• MeasureMatch
• Zintro

You can also post your services and apply for jobs on regular freelancing platforms, such as:

• Fiverr
• Upwork
• Freelancer.com

Earning potential: $70–$200 per hour

What it is and how it works: Life coaches provide support and guidance, helping people set and achieve personal goals. They mostly hold one-on-one coaching sessions with clients, either in person or online.

You can be a general life coach or focus on a specific niche, such as:

• Relationship coaching
• Career coaching
• Health coaching
• Mindset coaching
• Productivity coaching
• Social skills coaching

Why it suits people over 50: With the wisdom and life lessons you’ve accumulated over the years, you can help younger people build confidence and navigate their problems.

If your kids have moved out and retirement is on the horizon, this is also a great way to stay connected with people, and you’ll have the satisfaction of making a positive impact on their lives.

How to get started: You aren’t required to undergo formal training to become a life coach. However, if you’re serious about this line of work and want to improve your coaching skills, you may want to obtain credentials anyway.

Search for reputable coaching programs to sign up for, such as those offered by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) or the Certified Coaches Federation (CCF).

Once you’re ready to look for clients, contact local schools, community centers, gyms, health centers, and other organizations. They may have coaching opportunities for you, and if not, they’re still good places to put up flyers to advertise your services.

Earning potential: Varies depending on the products you’re selling

What it is and how it works: These days, you can sell almost anything online, including:

• Baked goods
• Clothes, including sneakers and designer shoes
• Collectibles, such as baseball cards and Pokémon cards
• Furniture, especially antique furniture

Prior to listing your items online, do some research on how to manage your inventory, price your products competitively, and market them to buyers.

Why it suits people over 50: Especially if you have varied hobbies and interests, you’ve probably accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. If you have kids, you almost certainly have a deep collection of old toys and children’s clothes that you’ll never need again.

Opening an online store is a good way to earn while decluttering your house. You can make real money by offloading items that are just lying around collecting dust.

How to get started: Go through your belongings and sort out the items you’re ready to part ways with. The easiest way to sell your items is to list them on an online marketplace, like:

• eBay
• Amazon
• Facebook Marketplace
• Craigslist
• OfferUp
• Etsy

Before you start selling on Etsy or any of the other sites we’ve listed, check the items’ condition and research their market value so you can set a fair price.

Earning potential: Varies depending on the products you’re selling

What it is and how it works: If you grow your own vegetables and fruit—or you have a passion for making products like baked goods, soap, or candles—you can sell them at a local farmers’ market.

You’ll need a vehicle to transport your products to the market and the stamina to tend to your stall (i.e., to interact with customers and handle transactions) for several hours at a time. You’ll also need to learn how to package your products properly, especially if they’re perishable.

Why it suits people over 50: As you age, it’s important to take steps to ensure you stay connected with your community. Selling regularly at a local farmers’ market is a good way to do this. It also has a relatively low startup cost and barrier to entry—in many cases, you’ll be able to monetize a hobby you already have.

How to get started: Once you’ve decided what you want to sell and have figured out how to produce the items, apply for a space in the market. You may need to obtain certain licenses and permits first; for example, in many jurisdictions, you’ll need a license to sell prepared food.

Earning potential: $20–$50 per hour

What it is and how it works: Freelance writers create various types of written content for their clients. These may include blog posts, academic papers, social media copy, and video scripts.

As you’d expect, the most important skill for this side hustle is writing, but you should also be well-organized (to keep track of and meet deadlines) and good at researching new topics.

Certain assignments may also require you to conduct interviews. This is particularly likely if you’re interested in getting into freelance journalism or ghostwriting.

Why it suits people over 50: Freelance writing is one of the most flexible lines of work out there. It allows you to create your own schedule and work from home (or anywhere else you want).

Whether your primary career is still going strong or you’re starting to wind it down, you’ll be able to fit your freelance writing side job around your schedule, and you can easily take it with you if you decide to retire and relocate elsewhere (even abroad).

How to get started: You don’t need any formal qualifications to become a freelance writer, but the field is quite competitive. To stand out, you need to put together a stellar portfolio that demonstrates your writing abilities.

Pick a few of your best works (they don’t have to be paid pieces; hobby projects are fine) and add them to your portfolio. You can gradually add to it as you land more jobs.

There are plenty of websites you can use to find work, including:

• BloggingPros
• Contently
• Crowd Content
• Compose.ly
• Constant Content

If you want to earn more money than those platforms typically pay, you can also approach clients directly. You may have built up a substantial network over the course of your career—take advantage of it!

Earning potential: $15–$25 per hour

What it is and how it works: A transcriptionist’s job is to listen to audio recordings, such as interviews or lectures, and transcribe them into written documents.

Transcriptionists need solid keyboarding skills, since this job largely boils down to typing accurately and quickly. Ideally, you should be able to type at least 40–50 words per minute (WPM), but the faster you can go, the better.

Why it suits people over 50: You don’t need prior experience to become a transcriptionist, and this is a fairly low-stress job. If you’ve spent your career in an office role and you’re a touch-typing wizard by this point, it might be a great fit.

Like many of the gigs on this list, this also offers great flexibility, allowing you to work from home or wherever you prefer.

How to get started: Many transcriptionists find gigs on freelancing job platforms, including:

• Fiverr
• Upwork
• FlexJobs (a job board that’s devoted to remote and flex-time work)

You can also sign up as a freelancer for these transcription companies:

• Rev
• TranscribeMe
• eScribers
• Allegis

Be aware that you may need specialized credentials to transcribe files in certain fields, such as medicine or law.

Earning potential: $10–20 per hour

What it is and how it works: This side hustle consists of taking care of someone’s home, child, or pet while they’re away. Of these three gigs, babysitting is probably the most demanding, whereas house sitting doesn’t require you to do much except show up (although you may be expected to perform small chores, e.g., watering plants).

Why it suits people over 50: These are usually relatively relaxed jobs. What’s more, as someone in your 50s, you may have a sizable network of family members and friends who need reliable sitters now and then. (By this point, your own kids might even be in that boat!)

How to get started: If you want to become a babysitter, you should obtain a CPR certification. Similarly, there are pet first aid certifications you can (and probably should) get if you want to become a professional pet sitter.

Whatever kind of sitter you want to become, there are online platforms you can use to find work. Check out these options:

House, Baby and Pet Sitting Websites

Note that some house sitting jobs (including ones that may be advertised on the platforms listed above) aren’t paid; you’ll perform your sit in exchange for being allowed to stay for the night. Make sure you’re clear about the terms of your employment before you take any sitting jobs.

Earning potential: $20 per hour

What it is and how it works: A rideshare driver is essentially a taxi driver who uses their own vehicle. Your job will be to ensure that your passengers have safe and comfortable rides and arrive on time.

Uber and Lyft are currently the most popular rideshare gig apps. You don’t have to drive for just one app; you can juggle both of them and accept rides on whichever is paying the most at any given moment.

Why it suits people over 50: With ridesharing, you can work as many or as few hours as you like and take breaks whenever you want.

This side hustle will also keep you active without being physically demanding. That’s a tough set of criteria to meet, and a valuable one now that you’re at an age when you may be less mobile than you used to be even though it’s more important to stay active than ever.

How to get started: Pick a gig app to drive for and review its requirements to see if you meet them. Assuming you’re licensed to drive and don’t have a criminal record, you probably will. Then, complete the signup process in the app and wait for the company’s approval.

Earning potential: $20–$40 per hour

What it is and how it works: As a tour guide, you’ll take visitors around a destination, sharing interesting information and stories about it with them. It’ll be your responsibility to keep the group safe and resolve any issues that come up in the middle of your tour.

There are plenty of tour guide niches you can choose from depending on your interests. You can become a:

• Historical site guide
• Museum guide
• City guide
• Nature guide
• Culture guide
• Walking tour guide (this may overlap with any of the above niches)

Why it suits people over 50: There’s a good chance that you’ve lived in your city for several decades and have a wealth of knowledge about its history and culture. If you’ve raised a family there, you’re also probably familiar with attractions that are suitable for people at every stage of life.

If that sounds like your situation, then with just a bit of training, you’d probably make an excellent tour guide. Why not earn extra money by showing off what you know?

Of course, if you prefer to travel, there’s no rule saying that you have to become a tour guide in your hometown. Many guides also have the opportunity to travel to faraway places and show people around.

How to get started: First off, visit your local government’s website and check if your area has any requirements you need to meet (in some states and cities, you need a license to give guided tours).

If you’re interested in working for a company, keep an eye out for openings on popular job boards, like Indeed. If you’d rather be an independent or freelance guide, then register on these directories for tour guides:

• Viator
• GetYourGuide
• ToursByLocals

Advertise yourself on social media so that tour groups and solo travelers can find your services.

Earning potential: Varies depending on the type of surveys you take

What it is and how it works: Believe it or not, you can make money simply by taking surveys. You won’t be able to make big bucks from this, but it’s a very easy way to fill your time, and the money is real—there’s just less of it than with most of the other hustles on this list.

When you take surveys for money, you’ll be asked for your honest feedback on a company’s products or services. You may receive a cash payment, but many survey websites also pay in the form of gift cards.

Why it suits people over 50: Taking paid surveys is an easy and low-commitment job, and it doesn’t require you to move around, which is ideal if you’re mobility-challenged (or if you just have a more limited energy budget than you used to).

This is a very simple way to earn a little extra spending money, although your earnings probably won’t amount to a true second income. If you’re looking for something to sustain you through your coming retirement, you’d do better to look elsewhere.

How to get started: You don’t need much to start taking surveys for money—just a smartphone or computer and a stable internet connection. You can sign up with multiple survey sites at once to avoid running out of surveys to take.