The days of retiring in your early 60s are largely gone. And while some workers stay on the payroll out of necessity, not everyone who turns 65 chooses to shed their work uniforms. Some, like Warren Buffett and others, work into their 90s.
No matter why you want to keep working, some careers are more likely than others to be available to seniors. Following is a list of jobs with particularly large numbers of folks 65 and older, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
1. Health Services
Nearly 1.6 million health care and social assistance employees were 65 and older in 2023, according to the latest BLS data. If you’re interested in medicine or advising others on their well-being, this industry could be a great option for you.
Potential careers in this space include registered nurse, pharmacist, dietitian, physician assistant and even medical or dental assistant.
2. Wholesale and Retail Trade
If you’re good with people, this industry — which employs approximately 271,000 seniors — will need you. You can often even work part-time.
If you enjoy driving, you might even be able to work as a courier or delivery driver.
3. Professional and Business Services
You could work as an administrative assistant, project or program manager, consultant or even IT focus group participant, among other roles. This field employed 214,000 seniors in 2023.
4. Education
If you have a passion for helping others learn, maybe it’s time for you to get into education. In 2023, about 205,000 state and local government education workers were 65 and older, and a similar number of non-government education employees were in the same age group.
You could become a teacher’s assistant or classroom aide to teachers. You could become a substitute teacher, or tutor students, particularly those in math and reading.
5. Manufacturing
Companies that focus on producing goods need employees, who often don’t need anything more than on-the-job training. The BLS estimates more than 173,000 seniors were in this industry in 2023.
Equipment operators, quality assurance inspectors and machine operators are a few possible roles you could fill.
6. Construction
If you like working with your hands and find manual labor rewarding, this could be a good fit. About 642,000 employees in this field were seniors in 2023.
7. Transportation
Taking a job as a driver might be appealing to those who enjoy spending time on the road. In 2023, 522,000 seniors worked in transportation and warehousing, as reported by the BLS. A delivery truck driver can earn an average of $18 an hour.
You may be able to choose your hours, depending on the company.
8. Finance and Insurance
Banks, financial institutions and insurance carriers often need reliable help and trustworthy employees. Seniors held 408,000 finance- and insurance-related jobs in 2023, according to the BLS. You might be able to do some of this work remotely or ask to work part time.
If you prefer to be around people and socialize, look for in-person opportunities at local branches. Financial specialists earn a median of $39 an hour.
9. Real Estate
You may enjoy helping others buy and sell homes or businesses. Among workers age 65 and older, 382,000 worked in real estate during 2023, according to the BLS. Real estate agents earn an average of $69,610 a year. If you’re a self-starter, you may prefer to pick up this gig alone.
Those who prefer to work with others can check local offices to see if they are hiring.
10. Hospitality
If you were involved in the service industry during your career, catering to diners and travelers may come naturally. Among seniors, 377,000 worked in the accommodation and food services segments in 2023, per the BLS.
These jobs offer the chance to engage with others and stay active. Hotel, motel and resort desk clerks earn a median wage of $15 an hour.
11. Leisure
Working at a theater or performing arts center comes with perks like seeing shows for free. Getting involved at a recreation facility or museum can yield discounts, too.
There were 325,000 seniors involved in the leisure industry in 2023, according to the BLS. Ushers, lobby attendants and ticket-takers earn a median of $14 an hour.
12. Land-Related Work
If you’ve had an office job for decades, you might find working outside a nice change of pace.
In 2023, there were an estimated 170,000 farming, forestry, and logging workers who were seniors. Workers 65 and older held another 185,000 jobs in mining and oil and gas extraction.
13. Information
If you have media skills or enjoy storytelling, broadcasting may suit you. There are also opportunities for quiet work as a librarian or as an editor in publishing. Seniors accounted for about 160,000 information jobs in 2023.
14. Animal Care
You can take a class or undergo on-the-job training to become a veterinary assistant. You can also work in an animal shelter or as a dog walker.
An estimated 159,000 seniors were involved in animal production and aquaculture in 2023.
15. Utilities
If you enjoy home maintenance and repairs, there are part-time positions available and often with flexible schedules.
About 44,000 utilities workers were age 65 or older in 2023.
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