33 Awesome Retiree Side Hustles

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Regardless if you saved money for retirement, you might want to earn a little extra cash to help your cash flow since Social Security only covers the bills.

Maybe money is tight or you have a dream of taking an epic vacation and you don’t have the money for it.

Instead of going back into the working world or taking on a low paying part-time job, consider the gig economy.

There are plenty of things you can do to earn some extra income in your golden years.

In this post, I share with you 33 retiree side hustles you can use to starting earning money on the side.

Best Retiree Side Hustles To Boost Your Income

#1. Make And Sell Your Favorite Items From Home

retiree side hustles

Are you someone who likes to make homemade things and has all the materials needed to make these types of items in bulk?

If so, you can easily create a digital storefront and start making money selling these items.

Some popular items that people will buy online from home-based craftspeople include candles, soaps, small furniture, and custom works of art.

Now is the perfect time to take your hobby and create a stress-free side hustle out of it by starting up your own Etsy account and marketing your high-quality goods to the masses. 

#2. Start A Coaching Or Consulting Business

Many retirees use the skills and lessons they picked up throughout their life and career and turn them into a business making extra cash.

This is why using your deep life experience for coaching and consulting side hustles can be some of the best for a retiree to pursue.

As a life coach, you can leverage your own life experience and your passion for helping others to help people focus on improving their finances, love life, and other aspects of their day-to-day that they need support with.

If a life coach isn’t your thing, consider career coaching or resume coaching.

There are all sorts of ways you can use your knowledge to teach others.

On the other hand, you have professional consulting.

Consultants are responsible for helping organizations support their business by improving their skills and drafting strong business strategies to drive the company forward.

If you’re someone who worked in management or even owned your own company in the past, becoming a consultant is a great side hustle and one that can be quite lucrative. 

#3. Dropshipping

It seems like everyone has an online store these days, and this is due to the fact that it’s easy for anyone to do.

If you’re looking for something simple to do, you should consider starting your own dropshipping business.

The dropshipping business model entails starting your own online store, listing items that come from a specific manufacturer, and then sending those orders to the manufacturer so that they can deal with the fulfillment process.

Whether you want to work with Amazon or another manufacturer that you know and trust, opportunities abound in this space.

It will just take a little more marketing and some great customer reviews to make your side hustle really take off. 

#4. Leverage Professional Skills To Start A Freelance Business

Professional skills aren’t just helpful if you want to be a consultant.

In fact, plenty of retirees use the skills they’ve picked up from their main job and throughout their careers to find clients and work in a freelance capacity.

As a retiree who already has established investments and savings, you decide how little or how much you work with your client base to bring in some extra income.

But what type of skill set can you make money?

Some freelance projects you can look into include:

  • Copywriting
  • Content Writing
  • Editing
  • Transcription
  • Virtual Assistant Services
  • Graphic Design
  • Programming
  • Marketing
  • Voice-Over Work

Out of all of the side hustles on this list, freelancing may be able to help you strike the perfect balance between work and life while providing you with the type of money that you need in retirement. 

Freelance 5K

In fact, in some cases, you could earn a full time income working part time hours.

Plus there is a good chance you will have repeat business from your clients, offering a steady income stream.

#5. Rent Out Your Properties

Passive income is the bread and butter of any great retirement plan.

However, it can be difficult to develop passive income if you don’t know where to get started.

Arguably one of the best ways to bring this income in is through real estate.

While not technically a side hustle, there is still work involved, making rentals a fair mix of work and passive reward as you continue to get paid over time for your initial decision to rent out your property. 

If you only have a room or such to offer, you can rent out the space for someone to live in or rent it out for storage.

If you have an accessory dwelling unit, you can list this as a whole accommodation on Airbnb to make some money without having to commit to becoming a full-time landlord.

If you have a whole home that you can rent out, you could become a landlord or list your home on vacation rental sites or corporate housing sites.

Put simply, using your available space is a great way to bring in recurring income without necessarily having to put in as much effort doing it as you would some of the other ideas on this list. 

#6. Teach Or Tutor Online

side jobs for teachers

Are you a retired educator that misses the classroom?

Or maybe you are knowledgeable in certain subjects like math, science, or a second language?

There are plenty of opportunities online and in your community for you to use your passion to help students move further ahead in their educational journey.

If you’re someone who wants to save time and bring in passive income, you can create comprehensive online courses that people can take on their own time to hone their personal or professional skills. 

If you’re looking for something a bit more interactive, you can tutor students online at any age to help them in the subject of their choice.

There are many online platforms with varying levels of difficulty to get into so that you can diversify your options and bring in more money.

You could also look for remote teaching opportunities or even become a substitute teacher at local schools and universities for some part-time work.

When you have a passion for education, your skills and talent are needed almost everywhere. 

#7. Become A Babysitter

Side jobs don’t have to be confined to just professional work.

Instead, you may just want to do something that you love for a little extra cash.

Let’s imagine, for example, that you love children.

Making the decision to take on some babysitting work here and there when you want to can be the perfect side hustle for some retirees.

You get to choose what age you want to work with and can use platforms like Care.com to advertise your services.

If you prefer to work with people you already know, chances are that you have some friends and family members who would be more than happy to pay you to watch their little ones while they deal with work or take some time off for some self-care. 

In most cases you can earn $15 per hour or more.

#8. Become A Pet Sitter

Another great side hustle is pet sitting.

With pet sitting, you get to enjoy the company of an adorable, loving animal while its owner is away.

Whether you want to watch over a dog or cat (or a group of them), all you have to do is sign up with a pet care platform like Wag! or Rover.

Then, you just have to coordinate with their owners to determine when you’ll be watching the animals.

You will also need to know what special items you may need to accommodate them and what additional considerations you need to make for those special pups and kittens.

You could even use a site like Trusted House Sitters and stay in the owner’s home to watch their pets.

You have access to the entire home and these gigs are located all over the world!

#9. Online Surveys

A simple way to make a little extra money in your free time is to take online surveys.

These paid surveys last around 5 minutes and you make anywhere from $0.50 up to $2 per survey.

It’s not serious money, but if you enjoy completing the surveys, the money adds up.

Most survey companies pay you in cash through PayPal or they pay you in points that you can redeem for free gift cards.

You can use these gift cards to pay for Christmas presents or your entertainment expenses throughout the year.

Just make sure you stick to reputable companies as there are many shady companies out there that don’t pay.

#10. Focus Groups

Similar to paid surveys are focus groups.

Here you spend an afternoon reviewing a new product or service and provide honest feedback.

In return for your feedback and time, you are paid a few hundred dollars.

Some of the paid survey sites I recommend offer focus groups as well, but this isn’t the only way to find them.

You can do an online search for these groups in your local area and apply to be a participant.

#11. Plan Parties

party planner

If you enjoy throwing parties, you can turn this interest into a money making opportunity.

Many people don’t enjoy the logistics of planning a party or they simply don’t have the time.

This is where you come in.

You can do all the work and get paid for it.

You can even specialize in holiday parties, birthday parties, graduation parties and more.

By being your own boss, you determine how much you want to work.

You could even decide you only want seasonal work and opt for party planning a few months a year.

#12. Travel Agent

If you love to travel, consider helping others plan their perfect vacation.

You can work as a travel agent from home and help people plan every aspect of their trip, from booking their flights, finding the perfect hotel, and getting them discounts on activities.

As a travel agent, you get paid by the hour or you can receive a commission from the companies you book with.

An added bonus is you can travel to resorts and locations worldwide and write off your cost as business expenses since you are doing research to offer more travel ideas to your potential clients.

#13. Photographer

If you have a knack for photography, this is another great way to make money in retirement.

You can take pictures at events like weddings or you can offer your services to businesses who need headshots or product photos.

You can also sell your photos online through sites like Shutterstock and iStockphoto.

With these sites, you upload your photos and when someone buys them, you get a percent of the sale.

Pay varies depending on the site and the quality of your photos, but you can make quite a bit of money if you have a large portfolio of high-quality photos.

#14. Music Teacher

As a music teacher, you can teach private lessons in your home or you can even offer group classes at a local community center or senior center.

Prices vary depending on your location and the type of instrument you teach, but you can typically charge $20-$30 per half-hour lesson.

#15. Notary

Becoming a notary in retirement is a smart option because of the simplicity of the work and the pay.

As a notary public, you witness the signing of important documents like wills, contracts, and mortgages.

You then sign and stamp the document to make it official.

The good news is it is easy to become a notary public.

You can usually do it through your local county clerk’s office.

Notaries typically charge by the document or by the hour, so this is a great way to make some extra money without having to commit to a long-term gig.

#16. Laundry Service

laundry services

While few people can say they love to do loads of laundry, if you are good at removing stains and don’t mind doing laundry, you can earn side money washing other people clothes.

You can either set up your services so that you pick up the dirty laundry, wash and fold it at your home, and deliver it back to your customer, or do the laundry at their home.

#17. Alterations

If you can sew, you can consider offering alternations as your side gig.

There are a lot of people who need their clothes altered and you can make a decent amount of money doing this.

For example, you could specialize in wedding dresses.

The average cost to alter a wedding gown runs from $150 up to $1,000.

You can undercut these prices and have a wealth of business.

#18. Personal Chef

If you’re a great cook, why not get paid to make meals for others?

You can work as a personal chef and prepare meals for people in their homes.

You can even specialize in healthy meals, gluten-free meals, or meals for people with food allergies.

The average personal chef charges $35-$50 per hour, but you can charge more or less depending on your experience and the area you live in.

#19. Personal Friend

friends

More and more people are lonely and could use a friend.

If you are outgoing and enjoy other people’s company, consider becoming a personal friend.

Note these are platonic relationships that could be with someone new to the area or who simply has tickets to a concert and no one to go with.

If you aren’t comfortable meeting in person, you could become a virtual friend as well.

Finally, consider visiting local senior and community centers, as they might have people who are lonely and in need of company.

It’s a great way to stay connected and meet interesting people.

#20. Personal Shopper

If you love to shop, this could be the perfect side gig for you.

There are a lot of people who are too busy to go shopping or don’t know how to put together an outfit.

You could advertise your services online or through word-of-mouth.

Prices vary depending on the service but you could charge a flat fee or a per hour rate.

And it doesn’t have to be about clothing either.

You could simply be a personal assistant and run errands for someone or pick up their dry cleaning.

You figure out what you want to do and then offer that service.

#21. Virtual Bookkeepper

If you have a head for numbers, you could offer your bookkeeping services to small businesses.

There are a lot of small businesses who don’t have the time or resources to do their own bookkeeping and would be happy to outsource this task.

You could charge an hourly rate or a monthly flat fee.

And most times, you can do this job remotely.

Find a couple of clients and work 10 hours a week to supplement your income.

#22. Rideshare Driver

Becoming a rideshare driver is a perfect side hustle for baby boomers because you can set your own hours and make some extra money.

To become a rideshare driver, you need to sign up with a gig platform like Uber or Lyft.

Once you’re approved, you can start picking up passengers and earning money.

And if you would rather not deal with people, you can opt for food delivery services.

Here you pick up orders from local restaurants and deliver them to customers.

Uber Eats and Door Dash are just two of the many options here.

#23. In-Home Care Provider

There are a lot of seniors who need assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating.

Some even need grocery shopping and errands run for them.

In some cases, they might even just want someone to be around so they are not alone all the time.

You could offer your services to help them out.

In-home care providers typically charge by the hour or by the day.

The pay arrangement you set up will be a compromise between you and the person you are providing care for.

You might even reach out to local senior centers to see if they need help as well.

#24. Online Mock Juror

mock juror

Mock jurors are used by lawyers to get feedback on their cases before they go to trial.

As a mock juror, you would read the facts of the case and give your opinion on what you think the outcome should be.

You can sign up with a service like eJury.com to start mock jury duty.

The great part with them is you can do this gig from the comfort of your own home.

Payment for this gig varies but you could earn anywhere from $5 to $100 per case.

#25. Write Books

If you have a knack for writing and have solid writing skills, you could write books in retirement.

This is a great way to share your knowledge and expertise with the world.

The easiest route here is to self-publish your book on Amazon.

Drum up some excitement about your upcoming book on social media and you could be a #1 seller in your book category.

This will help your book show up more often in search results, leading to more sales.

And once you have a routine down, you can publish as often as you like.

#26. Drive A School Bus

This is another great option to make money in your spare time because it’s flexible and you can set your own hours.

As an added bonus, it’s seasonal work as you get your summers off as well as major holidays.

To become a school bus driver, you need to have a clean driving record and pass a background check.

Most school districts require you to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL), but this could be waived if you are driving a van.

You can get training from your local school district or from a private company.

Pay for this gig varies but you could earn around $15 per hour or more.

#27. Get An Expat Job

Do you have a desire to live in another country? If so, you could look for an expat job.

Expat jobs are typically jobs that are available to foreigners in another country.

There are a lot of expat jobs available in countries all over the world.

You could find an expat job in teaching, healthcare, business, or any other field.

To find an expat job, you can search online job boards or contact companies directly.

The pay is competitive and in some cases the benefits are great.

#28. Become A Local Tour Guide

There are a few different ways to get started as a tour guide.

You could start your own tour company or work for an existing one.

You could also lead walking tours or give tours by car, bike, or boat.

Pay for this gig varies but you could earn around $20 per hour.

And depending on your location, you might only work a few months out of the year during tourist season.

#29. Movie Or TV Extra

If you’ve ever wanted to be in a movie or TV show, now is your chance.

As a retiree, you have the time and flexibility to work as an extra.

Extras are background actors who fill in the scene.

You don’t need any experience to become an extra and it’s a great way to meet new people.

Pay for this gig varies but you could earn around $100 per day.

Simply search for casting agency in your area.

Once you sign up, you will be sent casting calls for potential opportunities.

Some may require headshots and a resume, but for a role as an extra or walk on, as long as you are available on the day and time of filming, you are in.

#30. Virtual Proofreader

proofreader

Can you spot spelling errors and grammar mistakes easily?

If so, you could become a virtual proofreader.

As a proofreader, you would read documents or books and look for errors.

You would then correct any errors that you find.

There is a lot of demand for proofreading services and you can usually set your own hours.

#31. Tax Preparer

Preparing taxes is a great way to make money during your retirement.

You control how many clients you want to take on and you only work a few months out of the year.

The downside is these months can have long hours if you take on a lot of clients.

But you will be making $100 or more per tax return, so the income is more than worth it.

#32. Adjunct Professor

If you have a background in a particular subject, you could become an adjunct professor at a local college or even a community college.

You teach a few hours a week and earn a good income.

Depending on the subject, you can choose if you want to work one semester during the year or more.

You might even be able to do online learning and skip the commute to the college entirely.

#33. Start A New Career

Finally, maybe you have realized that retirement isn’t all you thought it would be.

If this is the case, you can consider starting a new career.

This doesn’t mean you have to go back to working 40 hours a week, but it could mean starting a new business or finding a part-time job that is more fulfilling.

Final Thoughts

There are the best retiree side hustles to consider.

Once you reach retirement age, the income doesn’t have to stop.

In fact, more and more people are finding it necessary to earn a retirement income during their golden years.

The great thing about side hustles is you can earn extra money without having to work a full-time job.

The key is finding the right gig for you so you not only make money, but you also enjoy what you are doing.

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