How to Start a New Career at 50

Make the switch easier with these expert tips

Laura Petrecca,

Updated October 15, 2025

AARP

Comments

En español

Published April 10, 2023

/ Updated October 15, 2025

open briefcase with symbols of many professions exploding out of it

Dan Saelinger

At age 50, Patti Thull ditched her 60-hour-a-week job in executive communications and became a freelance writer. “I had stayed in corporate life because I was a single mom and needed the steady income and medical insurance for my daughter,” recalls the Warren, Michigan resident.

For Tim Bodor of Sterling, Virginia, the turning point came at 54: He wanted more control over his schedule. With just two weeks of paid leave per year, he left his job in call-center operations to help run a family-owned home care services franchise. That was the end of “working under other people’s rules.”

Both stories reflect a growing trend: Nearly a quarter of Americans 50 and older are planning a job change this year, according to AARP research.

Whether you’re seeking more flexibility, purpose or a fresh challenge, starting a new career at 50 is more common than ever. Here’s what to know, plus expert tips to make the switch easier.

Why are so many people considering a new career at 50?

Join Our Fight Against Age Discrimination

Sign up to become an AARP activist for the latest news and alerts on issues you care about.
Find out more about how we’re urging Congress to protect workers from age bias.
AARP is your fierce defender on the issues that matter to people 50-plus. Become a member or renew your membership today.

Turning 50 no longer signals winding down a career; it can mean starting a new one. Today’s labor market remains strong, creating opportunities for workers of all ages. In August 2025, the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, while the rate among workers 55 and older was just 2.9 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Expanded remote and hybrid opportunities have also made working from home easier. In early 2024, about 23 percent of people teleworked, including 1 in 4 workers 55 and older.

These trends reflect a long-term shift. Since the late 1980s, the share of adults 65 and older who are working has nearly doubled, and the number of workers 75 and up has quadrupled since 1964, according to the Pew Research Center. Several factors are driving that change, including:

Longer, healthier lives
Higher education levels
The move from pensions to 401(k)s
Policy shifts discouraging early retirement
Growth of less physically demanding jobs

How to start a new career at 50: Expert tips for success

Changing your career trajectory — even when it’s your idea — can feel daunting in your 50s, says Kerry Hannon, a workplace futurist and author of Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future.

One challenge is ageism. Some employers may view you as overqualified or question your technology skills. It can also be hard to give up the status that comes with a long track record of good work. “That can be demotivating and depressing to some workers,” says John Dooney, a human resources knowledge adviser and senior certified professional with the Society for Human Resource Management. “They may think, I’ve worked my whole life, and nobody is valuing my experience.”

A career downshift often means a reduction in pay, and that can cause angst if you’re not prepared for it, says Vicki Salemi, a career expert for the employment website Monster. You’re not the only one who needs to be prepared, either: If you’re in a relationship, your partner may balk at seeing the household’s finances reduced during your prime earning and saving years.

For many, the biggest deterrent to a successful shift is self-imposed ageism, according to Michael Clinton, author of ROAR into the Second Half of Your Life (Before It’s Too Late). “There’s a lot of negative self-talk that people pick up,” he explains. The key is to recognize pessimistic thoughts and replacing them with kinder and more accurate ones.

So, is 50 too late to switch careers? No — many people successfully start a new career at 50 and the labor market continues to offer openings for experienced workers. Instead, focus on these essentials:

Turn experience into value
Upgrade your tech fluency and show it off
Make a financial transition plan
Rewrite the negative script
Lead with skills

Looking For a Job?

You'll leave AARP and go to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply

How to plan your career change

It’s important to be realistic about any job transition. Expect challenges and prepare for them. A savings cushion and, if possible, a career coach can help you navigate the shift.

If you’re considering a job change at 50 or beyond, experts recommend these steps:

Look within. Think about the type of work you find fulfilling, hobbies you enjoy, businesses you admire, even contemporaries whose jobs cause a twinge of envy. Those clues can help you determine where to look for your next role.
Mine your current company. Your organization may have other jobs to explore. “Look around where you are right now,” Hannon advises. “You could make an internal career transition.”
Redeploy skills. “You don’t need to reinvent yourself,” Hannon says. Many tools in a mature worker’s toolbox are applicable to more than one field.
Keep learning. Especially amid the growth of online courses, it has never been easier to sharpen your skills, or develop new ones, before making a leap. Short, targeted upskilling can speed a pivot without the cost of a full degree.
Honor your partner. Recognize that a downshift will affect your whole household. After crunching the numbers, talk to your spouse about what you want and what it would mean financially, Salemi suggests.
Map out a 6 to 12-month transition budget and confirm your health coverage. Losing job-based insurances qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period on Healthcare.gov (typically within 60 days).
Stay realistic. Expect stumbling blocks and prepare for them. A savings cushion and a career coach can help you navigate the change.

The share of those unemployed long-term rose over the past year. So, expect extra time for a pivot and plan multiple applications per week.

Tip: Use the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook to check pay, training needs, physical demands and long‑term outlook before you commit.
Remember, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects workers 40 and older from discrimination in hiring, pay and training. If you believe you’ve been treated unfairly, you can file a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Commission.

%{postComment}%

Laura Petrecca is a contributing writer for AARP. She has written for USA Today, Real Simple, Digiday’s WorkLife, Kiplinger, AARP, Men’s Health, Worth, Crain’s New York Business and Advertising Age.