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For a growing number of Americans, turning 65 no longer automatically means retirement. Between 2015 and 2025, the number of Americans 65 and older who worked increased by more than 33%, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data.
If you want to keep up the 9-to-5 into your golden years, there’s a wide range of options for you to explore. This is especially true if you’re a skilled senior interested in full-time employment.
Tips When Finding a Job as a Senior
There are pros and cons of working after retirement. If returning to the daily grind is right for you and your financial situation, then there are a few things you’ll want to keep top of mind:
• Weigh the pros and cons of working for a company versus freelancing or consulting.
• Think about whether you’d prefer to work from home or go into an office or to a job site.
• Read job listings carefully, paying close attention to the requirements listed.
• Remove graduation dates from your resume unless they’re fairly recent.
• Include a couple of your key accomplishments in a cover letter.
• During an interview, be sure to strategically share key career highlights from the past 10-15 years, and spotlight the ways in which you’ve kept your skills up to date.
• Move ahead with confidence!
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12 Jobs for Skilled Seniors That Pay Well
Working can help provide seniors with extra income as well as other benefits, such as connecting with coworkers and creating a sense of purpose. Take a closer look at jobs for skilled seniors that suit a variety of skills and interests.
#1: Teacher
If you have the appropriate credentials, teaching can be a rewarding job. But don’t fret if you don’t have the right credentials — you might still be able to land a position. Many high schools, career centers, and community colleges may be open to hiring experienced people to teach general interest or professional development courses. Educational organizations may also be seeking teaching assistants or tutors, both of which can be excellent jobs for skilled seniors.
#2: Pet Groomer
Have a way with four-legged friends? Consider a career as a pet groomer. The median annual wage for animal care and service workers is around $35,530 a year. You can find work in a number of settings, including grooming salons, veterinary clinics, pet stores, zoos, and animal shelters. Or you may decide to strike out on your own. The field is experiencing a boom right now. There are more than 410,000 jobs today, according to the BLS, and they are expected to grow by 11% between 2025 and 2035.
#3: Tax Preparer
Interested in becoming a tax preparer? If you have an accounting background, then this type of work may be a natural fit. That said, you don’t need to be a certified accountant. You just need to obtain a preparer tax identification number from the IRS and pass a competency exam.
#4: Real Estate Agent
You can earn a good income helping people buy and/or sell their homes or properties. But there’s another selling point to being a real estate agent: the ability to set your own schedule, as long as you can still satisfy your clients. In fact, this flexibility can be useful if you’re deciding whether you want to work part time or full time. Before you start working, you’ll need to get a license, and requirements vary by state.
#5: Bank Teller
You typically only need a high school diploma or the equivalent to qualify for a bank teller’s job, and you may be required to undergo a short period of on-the-job training. In this position, you’d handle the standard transactions at a financial institution. So if you’re comfortable handling a steady flow of cash and enjoy working with customers, this could be a job to consider.
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#6: Medical Biller
A medical biller works for a health care organization, such as a hospital or doctor’s office, and is responsible for appropriately billing insurance companies, managing the status of claims, and addressing problems that arise. This is one of those jobs for skilled seniors that require organization and the ability to follow through — in this case, with both patients and insurance companies.
Recommended: How to Negotiate Medical Bills
#7: Virtual Assistant
Plenty of small businesses in the United States need help with daily administration tasks. Depending on your skills, virtual tasks could include making phone calls, managing emails, scheduling appointments, maintaining calendars, offering bookkeeping services, handling social media, and so forth. Although many virtual assistant jobs are part time, if you wanted more work, you could have multiple clients to whom you provide your services.
#8: Telework Nurse or Doctor
Telehealth services have greatly expanded since 2020, and demand for remote health care providers remains high. If you’re a recently retired nurse or doctor and are still licensed, you may want to explore a telehealth position. It could allow you to continue providing care but from the comfort of home (or a home office).
#9: Counselor
As of December 2025, approximately 40% of all Americans live in an area with a shortage of mental health care professionals, according to data from the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. If you’re a retired counselor or therapist and are interested in working again, re-entering the field could allow you to provide much-needed services.
#10: HVAC Technicians
From installation to maintenance to repairs, HVAC pros can find themselves in great demand all year long. If you have this kind of experience or are handy and able to incorporate HVAC into your skill set, then this type of work can be a steady source of income.
Recommended: 25 High-Paying Trade Jobs in Demand
#11: Paralegal
Busy attorneys need plenty of help researching information, creating documentation, and contacting clients. If you have the education and experience and you’re highly organized and able to multitask, then a paralegal job may be right for you.
#12: Grant Writer
Grant writing is a specialized type of writing where you write proposals to help nonprofits and other agencies obtain funding for their programs. To succeed at grant writing, it’s important to research the requirements and deadlines of the funding, write compelling proposals to receive the grant dollars, follow up with the proposals, and write reports about them.
The Takeaway
Your golden years are what you make of them, and for some, that can mean re-entering the workforce or pursuing a new, rewarding career path. Fortunately, there are plenty of jobs for skilled seniors that suit different skills and interests and provide a source of extra income.
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FAQ
Can seniors still work full time and receive Social Security benefits?
According to the Social Security Administration, yes, if you’ve already reached your full retirement age, then you can work and earn as much as possible without a reduction in benefits. If you are under full retirement age for the whole year, then you can earn up to $24,480 in 2026 without a reduction. For income earned beyond that annual limit, your benefits would be lowered by $1 for each $2 earned.
What types of job skills are in high demand?
Generally speaking, management and leadership skills are appreciated by many employers, and these are skills seniors may have well developed over the years. It’s important to be able to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, and to work well with others. However, the specific skills you need may vary, depending on the job you’re applying for.
What type of work-life balance should working seniors expect?
Maintaining a work-life balance is especially important for working seniors. As you consider re-entering the workforce, you’ll want to consider your physical and mental health as well as your finances, and ensure that whatever job you take on will fit with your lifestyle. As an older adult, you may discover that you don’t have quite as much stamina as you once did, but you may also find that you have more time open in your schedule than before.
How many 65-year-olds are still working?
According to 2025 labor force data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 11.8 million workers out of a total of 170.1 million were age 65 and older. That translates to roughly 7% of the total labor force.
What’s the best job for a retired person?
The best job for a retiree or senior depends on factors such as their job experience, skills, and how much flexibility they are looking for. For example, a recently retired nurse or doctor who still has an active license may want to consider a telehealth position, which would allow them to work from home.
Photo credit: iStock/Vesnaandjic
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