The top 5 'age-friendly' jobs for working retirees and older employees

The top 5 'age-friendly' jobs for older workers

March 7, 2023 7:25 PM

According to a recent study, being a travel agent is the second-most age-friendly job in the U.S.

Americans are working longer in life than they used to. In some cases, it's to make ends meet, and in others it's simply to make retirement more enjoyable. The question for all these seniors is, which jobs will meet their needs?

New research offers some answers. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that is the top outlet for academic economic research, broke down what makes a job "age-friendly." The occupations most favored by workers over age 50, the study said, are physically undemanding, offer flexible hours, cause little stress, are inclusive of all age groups and allow seniors to flex their "soft skills," such as team building and solving interpersonal issues.

And the study has good news: According to these criteria, the U.S. economy added 49 million "age-friendly" jobs from 1990 to 2020.

"It's really wonderful that we're seeing so many more age-friendly jobs," said Carly Roszowski, the vice president of financial resilience programming at the senior citizens group AARP. "I think what's really important is … to make sure that we're not only creating these age-friendly jobs, but that they're a part of age-friendly and age-inclusive cultures."

Americans' working lives have been growing for the past three decades. A study by the polling company Gallup found that from 1991 to 2022, the average U.S. retirement age rose from 57 to 61. And even in retirement, an AARP survey found that 29% of retirees are either already working or expect that they'll need to do so.

In many cases, this is a matter of financial necessity. The tumult of today's economy has eroded seniors' cash savings and battered their retirement portfolios. Last year the S&P 500 fell 19.4%, its worst yearly performance since 2008. Meanwhile, persistent inflation has cut into savings — last June, the consumer price index rose year-on-year by 9.1%, a rate not seen since the early 1980s. While it's now down to 6.4%, that's still a hefty increase.

Aside from the income, holding a job in retirement can have many advantages. Many retirees have said that working — whether part-time or even at freelance gigs — keeps them socially, mentally and physically active. In some cases, their financial advisors have witnessed the benefits.

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"I highly recommend that all retirees find some form of work — freelance, volunteer or otherwise," said Kyle Simmons, the founder of Simmons Investment Management in Broomfield, Colorado. "Oftentimes, the switch from full-time employment to retirement can be quite difficult to go through, and part-time work can help tremendously with that."

So what are the best jobs for retirees and near-retirees? Based on its criteria for "age-friendliness," NBER put together a list, which AARP has analyzed. For seniors looking for work and advisors looking to point them in the right direction, here are the top five occupations:

1. Tour guide

If you're a social person and know all the sights and history of your hometown, this could be the job for you. It can't be done remotely, but it scores very highly on other age-friendly criteria: flexibility of hours, age inclusivity and an emphasis on soft skills like teaching and entertaining a group.

And the pay isn't bad either. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage of a tour and travel guide in 2021 was $15.96 an hour.

"This one not only provides older workers an extra source of income, but it also allows people to show things they're passionate about or have knowledge about from being in a certain area for a long period of time," Roszowski said. "It also allows an older worker to be both physically and socially active."

2. Travel agent

For retirees who love to travel, this pastime could also become a career. Seniors with a knack for booking flights and hotel rooms can put their skills to work as a travel agent, earning an average of $21.94 per hour.

The job has other advantages as well: It can be done from a desk, so it's not physically taxing, and as a bonus, many agencies offer their employees discounts on their own travel.

In the digital era, many Americans book their trips online — but that hasn't stopped the industry from growing. In fact, the BLS expects employment of travel agents to increase by 20% from 2021 to 2031, opening up 7,500 jobs per year.

3. Receptionist

Being a receptionist is a desk job, and in the post-pandemic world, that desk is often at home. Whether it's remote or in person, the work is not physically demanding, and it involves lots of social interaction with visitors and other employees. And since many receptionists are employed by large corporations, they often enjoy generous perks.

"This allows for light physical demands … but it usually includes a plethora of benefits: paid time off and health and medical benefits," Roszowski said. "And it tends to stay less stressful."

The average hourly wage for a receptionist is $14.40. Though the field isn't growing, the BLS expects attrition to open up 142,300 receptionist jobs every year until 2031.

4. Advertising sales agent

Advertising work has many advantages for seniors: It can be done remotely, the hours are often flexible, and the pay is substantial — according to the BLS, an ad sales agent makes an average of $25.16 per hour.

There's also another benefit: creativity. Roszowski believes retirees who miss the mental engagement of full-time work could find ad sales very gratifying.

"It's tapped into that creative part of your brain," Roszowski said. "If we're retired, sometimes that part of our brain doesn't get utilized as much as when we're in the workforce."

5. Secretary

Secretary jobs have changed, but they still retain many of their traditional, age-friendly qualities. The work is relatively light and not physically demanding, and it involves a good deal of social engagement. And in the age of remote work, many of these jobs are now fully or partly remote, which allows for more flexibility of hours.

"Working from home is a part of that work-life balance that we see older workers desire in their careers," Roszowski said.

The average wage for a receptionist is $19.08 per hour. And according to Barbara Pry, a 90-year-old church secretary in New Jersey, the work is enjoyable too.

"It keeps me busy and active, it's interesting, it's close to home," Pry said. "And I just like it. It's fun."