50 Jobs for a Second Career
Whether you’re looking for a specific job or a popular field, this list will help you find an encore career
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Jumping to a second career can be exciting.
The number of workers age 50 and over is soaring — from 20 percent of the workforce in 1996 to 31 percent today. So is the number of new jobs.
AARP Discounts
See also: 2013 Best Employers
Now that you've wrapped up one career, do you wonder what's next?
They Want You
Fastest-Growing Jobs (Projected by 2018)
|
2008 Median Wages |
Required Training
|
| Home health aide: 460,900 new jobs |
$20,460 | short-term on-the-job training |
| Personal and home care aide: 375,800 jobs | $19,180 | short-term on-the-job training |
| Computer software engineer: 175,100 jobs |
$85,430 | bachelor’s degree |
| Medical assistant: 163,900 jobs | $28,300 | moderate-term on-the-job training |
| Network systems and data communications analyst: 155,800 jobs | $71,100 | bachelor’s degree |
| Dental assistant: 105,600 jobs | $32,380 | moderate-term on-the-job training |
| Self-enrichment education teacher: 81,300 jobs | $35,720 | work experience in a related occupation |
| Compliance officer (except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation): 80,800 jobs | $48,890 | long-term on-the-job training |
| Dental hygienist: 62,900 jobs | $66,570 | associate degree |
| Veterinary technologist and technician: 28,500 jobs | $28,900 | associate degree |
| Physical therapist assistant: 21,200 jobs | $46,140 | associate degree |
| Physical therapist aide: 16,700 jobs | $23,760 | short-term on-the-job training |
| Skin care specialist: 14,700 jobs | $28,730 | postsecondary vocational award |
| Biomedical engineer: 11,600 jobs | $77,400 | bachelor’s degree |
| Financial examiner: 11,100 jobs | $70,930 | bachelor’s degree |
You Want Them
Most Desired Fields |
Percentage of Those Interested in an Encore Career |
| Advocacy | 36% |
| Work with children/youth |
32% |
| Conservation | 31% |
| Teaching | 31% |
| Community safety | 24% |
| Local or global poverty alleviation | 24% |
| Spiritual/religious work |
23% |
| Work with older people |
17% |
| Health care: hospital, hospice, nurse | 17% |
Start Tomorrow
Lucrative jobs with no college required |
Average Salary |
| Loan officer | $61,928 |
| Medical appliance technician |
$57,484 |
| Stationary engineer or boiler operator | $55,373 |
| Postal service mail carrier |
$49,499 |
| Line installer and repairer | $47,759 |
| Quality control inspector | $46,378 |
| Floral designer | $45,234 |
| Hazardous materials removal worker | $45,220 |
Already Doing It
Most common occupations for people ages 55+ in 2010 |
Number of people with occupation |
| Secretary, administrative assistant | 877,000 |
| Driver/sales worker, truck driver | 682,000 |
| Retail salesperson | 650,000 |
| Registered nurse | 636,000 |
| Elementary, middle-school teacher | 631,000 |
| Supervisor/manager of retail sales workers |
627,000 |
| Counselor, social worker, religious worker | 602,000 |
| Janitor, building cleaner | 588,000 |
| Chief executive | 532,000 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations | 517,000 |
Keep Your Tee Time
Part-time jobs employing more than 1.5 million |
Average Hourly Wage |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, auditing clerk | $16.08 |
| Customer service | $14.56 |
| Office clerk | $12.57 |
| Laborer, material mover | $11.11 |
| Janitor | $10.56 |
| Stock clerk | $10.08 |
| Retail salesperson | $9.74 |
| Waitress or waiter | $8.50 plus tips |
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