8 Part-Time Jobs Retirees Can Do From Home

Median hourly pay: $14.84

Satisfaction rating: 70 percent

High-meaning rating: 59 percent

Find remote administrative assistant jobs

You don't always have to be physically at the office to ensure that it runs efficiently. Virtual assistants are able to provide administrative support from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Specific duties can vary greatly from gig to gig, but tasks are likely to include a range of services, from scheduling and email management to social media strategizing and event planning. In addition to finding positions through the AARP Job Board, you can use freelance job boards such as FreeUp and Upwork to connect with potential clients.

4. Paralegal

Portion of part-time workers over age 55: 20 percent

Median hourly pay: $17.46

Satisfaction rating: 70 percent

High-meaning rating: 53 percent

Find remote paralegal jobs

Paralegals, along with legal assistants, provide support to lawyers by tackling a range of tasks, including conducting legal research, organizing and maintaining documents and files, and writing reports—all of which can be done from anywhere. You may need experience in a particular field or geographic location to qualify. One opportunity, for example, available through staffing agency Equivity, seeks candidates with litigation experience in California; another position requires estate planning experience.

5. Nanny of Tutor

Portion of part-time workers over age 55: 11 percent

Median hourly pay: $15.15

Satisfaction rating: 76 percent

High-meaning rating: 74 percent

Find nanny jobs

If you hadn't known it already, the weeks of required homeschooling at the beginning of the pandemic surely proved that child care assistance is an essential service for parents. And while care providers cannot exactly replicate their work via screens and remote services, they may be able to apply some of their skills in a work-from-home opportunity as a tutor, teacher or camp counselor.

Of course, you'd need expertise in a particular subject to teach it, but demand for knowledge goes beyond what you might think of as standard academic curriculum. For instance, Outschool, a marketplace for online classes, offers a platform for teachers to share their knowledge and talents in a wide range of activities, such as shoe tying, French braiding and creating a Dungeons and Dragons character. You can even host your own show-and-tell or storytime session.

6. Receptionist

Portion of part-time workers over age 55: 20 percent

Median hourly pay: $11.99

Satisfaction rating: 65 percent

High-meaning rating: 56 percent

Find remote receptionist jobs

You don't have to be on location to be the gatekeeper for an organization. Virtual receptionists can respond to calls, emails, web chats and other messages on behalf of one or more companies from any location. Traditionally, most receptionists have been employed in health care and social assistance, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but you can find opportunities in a variety of fields.

7. Customer service representative

Portion of part-time workers over age 55: 16 percent

Median hourly pay: $11.82

Satisfaction rating: 50 percent

High-meaning rating: 36 percent

Find customer service representative jobs

If you have a phone, computer and internet connectivity, you have a shot at making your home a one-person call center. Virtual customer service representatives assist people by phone for a variety of businesses in a range of industries, from retail to health care to technology. You may also provide your services online, helping customers via email, text messaging, online chat or social media.

Although these jobs are remote, you may have to live in a certain state to do them. Be sure to check the fine print before applying.

8. Sales associate

Portion of part-time workers over age 55: 13 percent

Median hourly pay: $10.72

Satisfaction rating: 53 percent

High-meaning rating: 33 percent

Find sales associate jobs

Companies across a range of industries, including retail, finance and health care, are seeking star salespeople with various experience levels (and a license to sell, if necessary) to push their products and services from a remote location. And despite the low hourly pay, you may be able to earn more through commissions — potentially much more if you're moving cars, electronics or other high-ticket items. Workers in some higher-level (and higher-earning) positions may even manage a sales team remotely.

Editor’s Note: This article originally published on June 3, 2020. It has been updated with current postings for part-time remote jobs.