17 Side Hustles for Seniors to Bring in Money after Retirement

Average rates: $15–$27 per hour

This isn’t just a side hustle for the retired teachers out there. Even if you haven’t set foot in a classroom since you (or your children) were in school, you can earn money teaching online.

You can teach classes in school subjects you have a knack for, provide music lessons, teach English as a second language, or even create your own course about a favorite hobby you’ve picked up over the years.

Online teaching is flexible and gives you a great opportunity to interact with the world from the comfort of your home while sharing your knowledge with the next generation.

Where to get started

• Udemy
• Skillshare
• Cambly
• English Hunt
• Outschool

Average rates: $20–$30 per hour

If teaching feels like too much responsibility, consider tutoring instead. As with teaching, you have a huge range of possibilities in front of you, from helping students with test prep to aiding language learners.

Tutoring has lower barriers to entry than teaching. Some teaching roles will require you to get some sort of certification, whereas to get into tutoring, all you need is a good attitude—and knowledge to share.

Where to get started

• Superprof
• Skooli
• Wyzant
• Tutor
• Preply
• TutorMe

Average rates: $25–$35 per hour

This is another great option for seniors and retirees who want to make money from home rather than trekking around town. Freelance writing is a fun and potentially lucrative way to keep your mind sharp.

There are many freelancing opportunities online. You can write web content (e.g., blog posts), journalistic articles, textbooks, ad copy, and more.

It’s possible to find entry-level freelance writing gigs, so you don’t need experience in the field to get going. As freelance writing work spans many different industries, you can look for something that’s relevant to your previous field of employment to get a leg up over the competition.

Where to get started

• LinkedIn
• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Freelancer
• WritersWork
• Contently

Average rates: $25–$40 per hour or $.02–$0.03 per word

If you prefer reading other people’s work to writing from scratch, look into becoming a proofreader.

Proofreading plays an important role in the life cycle of written content. It consists of looking over someone else’s writing and marking any errors in spelling, grammar, or style.

Proofreading is done online and usually in solitude, meaning it’s not the best choice for seniors looking to socialize when they perform their side hustle. On the other hand, if you just want to make money and not be bothered by other people, proofreading could be your perfect gig.

Where to get started

• Upwork
• Freelancer
• Scribbr
• Proofreading Pal

Average rates: $19–$25 per hour

By this point in your life, you’ve probably developed a unique appreciation for the world’s beauty. Share your perspective with others through a photography side hustle.

You can photograph people, places, or things, and sell them in person or online. Photography has a ton of flexibility, so you can personalize your hustle to fit your needs.

Be aware that while anyone can take up photography at any time, this one will require a little more financial investment if you’re just getting started taking pictures, as you’ll need to purchase a camera and other equipment along with photo-editing software.

Where to get started

• Etsy
• Upwork
• Facebook Marketplace
• ShootProof
• SmugMug
• Shutterstock

Average rates: 93.5% of the sale price (on Etsy)

Many experts recommend spending time crafting. It has cognitive benefits and combats many of the side effects of aging—and, of course, it’s just plain fun. 1

You can take your crafting hobby one step further by selling what you make. All types of handmade goods are in demand online, including soaps and bath products, woodwork, artwork, and metalwork.

Create what makes you happy, then find a paying audience to share your work with.

Where to get started

• Etsy
• Facebook Marketplace
• Handmade Artists

Average rates: Varies, potentially $200–$1,000 per week (depending on volume sold)

Crafts aren’t the only things you can sell, of course. If you love making cookies for your grandchildren (a bit of a stereotype, but a true one in many families!), you might be in a great position to start a side hustle selling baked goods online or at local markets.

You can bake whatever you like. Before you begin, look up the regulations in your area governing cottage food production to make sure you stay on the right side of the law—the last thing you want is to have your operation shut down before it really begins!

After that, the only thing left to do is to start baking and put the word out that you have treats for sale (or create an account on a platform like Etsy if you want to reach a much larger market).

Where to get started

• Etsy
• Amazon
• Local farmers’ markets

Average rates: $25–$55 per hour

You’ve probably spent decades working in one or more industries, collecting knowledge and experience. Now it’s time to share that knowledge with other professionals by working as a freelance consultant.

You can consult in whatever industry and capacity you see fit, providing advice, frameworks, and solutions to companies and individuals in need of your expertise.

Where to get started

• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Catalant
• Zintro
• MeasureMatch

Average rates: $10–$18 per hour

This is another great way to combat some of the side effects of aging—spending quality time with animals.

If having your own pet is too much of a commitment, becoming a pet sitter is a great way to get in some furry love and bring in extra cash.

While pet sitting usually takes place at the animal owner’s home, you can also opt to pet sit out of your own home if you don’t feel comfortable spending hours (or days) in someone else’s space.

Where to get started

• Rover
• Care
• PetBacker
• Wag! 
• Meowtel

Average rates: $12–$20 per hour

Customer service is always an in-demand industry, and it’s one that’s been around as long as you’ve been in (and out) of the workforce.

After retiring, many people find themselves becoming isolated without the daily social interaction of their workplace. If you find yourself craving company, you can work in a people-forward role, such as customer service, in which you’ll take calls from individuals who have questions or issues that you can address.

This isn’t a job for the faint of heart; dealing with people can be a dream, but it can also sometimes be a nightmare (especially since many of the people you talk to will be frustrated and irritable). However, if you’re able to shrug off the stress, a job like this can be energizing and profitable.

Where to get started

• Upwork
• Helpwise
• Fiverr
• Indeed
• ZipRecruiter
• FlexJobs

Average rates: $12–$22 per hour

Keep your hearing sharp and your fingers flexible with a part-time job in transcription. This line of work consists of typing out a record of the dialogue you hear in audio or video files.

While this is a good way to earn money as a retiree, it’s another solitary line of work that won’t involve much socializing, so it’s best for seniors who are comfortable being by themselves or who have plenty of company outside of work (e.g., a partner, children or grandchildren, or pets).

Where to get started

• Scribie
• TranscribeMe!
• SpeechPad
• CrowdSurf
• Rev

Average rates: $14–$19 per hour

If you’ve spent many years living in your area, share your knowledge and love of it with locals and tourists alike by working as a tour guide.

You can run simple tours that show folks the quintessential sights of your city, or you can work specialized tours, such as ghost, history, or true crime tours.

This is a great way to stay active and social in your retirement while making money and flexing your local expertise.

Where to get started

• Local tour agencies
• Local hotels

Average rates: $15–$23 per hour

As a senior, you’ve probably collected your fair share of life experiences. If those have involved exploring the world, you’re the perfect candidate for a role as an online travel agent.

You can perform this job on a freelance basis, so you can commit as few or many hours of your life to it as you please.

As a travel agent, you’ll help people plan and book the details of their upcoming trips, like transportation, excursions, and reservations. Even if you’re not well-traveled, you can excel in this line of work if you’re skilled at making arrangements and organizing plans.

Where to get started

• ADTRAV Travel Management
• CWT (formerly Carlson Wagonlit Travel)
• Ovation Travel Group
• Tripadvisor 

Average rates: $19–$24 per hour

Calling all green thumbs! If you have a passion for plants and deep knowledge of lawns and gardens, help beautify your community and exercise your gardening skills by working in lawn maintenance.

This side hustle can be as low-key or intensive as your body allows. You can even work as a yard and garden design consultant if physical labor isn’t ideal for you.

Where to get started

• Home Advisor Pros
• Neighborly
• Thumbtack
• Fiverr

Average rates: $20–$25 per day

Now that you’re not working, you might not need your vehicle as regularly as you used to. If your auto is sitting in the garage or driveway for large chunks of time, earn some passive income by renting out your car.

There are apps that make hourly or daily car rentals easy and include built-in protections like insurance. Look into the ones listed below.

Where to get started

• Turo
• Getaround
• HyreCar

Average rates: N/A

Make good use of your extra space and meet new people by renting out your home, spare room, garage, or even backyard.

There are a few ways you can make money renting out spare space:

1. Home rental: Rent out an extra property you own or a spare room in your house to vacationers, renters, or traveling nurses. If your home is feeling a bit too quiet, this is a great way to enjoy the company of others while making money.
2. Storage rental: If you don’t want people in your space 24/7 but you have extra square footage (like a spare bedroom, unused garage, or even shed), you can rent it out as a private storage unit.
3. Yard rental: Make use of your extra green space by renting out your yard as a private dog park for space-lacking pet owners.

Where to get started

• Neighbor
• Sniffspot
• Airbnb
• Vrbo

Average rates: $25–$200 per hour

Companies use focus groups to get feedback from consumers. Focus group sessions—which involve a moderator-guided discussion wherein you’ll give your thoughts on a product or service—can be held in person or online.

Participating in focus groups isn’t a particularly highly paid side hustle, but it’s simple, easy, and low-stress. What’s more, it’s another good way to meet people, something that gets more important (and more difficult!) the older you get.

Where to get started

• User Interviews
• Respondent
• Rare Patient Voices (RPV)
• Focus Group
• American Consumer Opinion