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12 Companies Desperately Hiring Older Workers Right Now (Some Pay $25+ per Hour)

These employers value the judgment and steadiness that younger hires and AI tend to lack.

By Josh Koebert , Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Aug. 19, 2026

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Employers in 2026 are actively courting older, experienced workers, and not out of charity. Judgment built over decades, steady communication skills, and deep industry knowledge are exactly what younger hires and AI tools tend to lack, and a number of companies chasing that experience pay $25 an hour or more for it.

This list draws on the AARP Employer Pledge and its successor, the AARP Employer Alliance, a framework that vets employers committed to hiring and retaining the 50-plus workforce.

Pay varies widely by role, location, and experience, so treat the $25-plus figure as a reflection of specific positions rather than every opening at these companies, and confirm current listings before applying if the goal is to earn extra money rather than just any job. Here is where to start looking.

Editor's note: Company pay data comes from Glassdoor, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and employer job postings.

WAHVE

Average hourly salary: $42

WAHVE places "pretiring" insurance, accounting, and HR professionals into remote contract roles, a business built entirely around the idea that decades of experience beat a fresh credential. Roles range from customer service (closer to $25 an hour) to underwriting and actuarial work, which pulls the overall average up considerably.

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Intuit

Average hourly salary: $33

TurboTax Live hires credentialed tax preparers for seasonal, remote work, with pay that scales alongside credentials like an EA or CPA license. The seasonal structure suits someone easing out of full-time work and Intuit even has a Silver 50+ Network resource group.

Apple

Average hourly salary: $26

Apple retail leans on patience and clear communication as much as technical chops, qualities that come with experience. Genius Bar and technical specialist roles pay well above minimum wage, with benefits similar to full-time corporate positions.

H&R Block

Average hourly salary: $28

An AARP Employer Pledge signer, H&R Block hires seasonal tax preparers who bring a financial or accounting background, then trains them on the company's specific software. The seasonal structure suits someone who wants meaningful, temporary work.

U.S. Census Bureau

Average hourly salary: $19

The Census Bureau hires for everything from door-to-door enumerator work to office and data roles, with pay that varies by position and region. It's a flexible, short-term option for someone involved in their community.

National Park Service

Average hourly salary: $40

Through the Experienced Services Program, the National Park Service hires workers 55 and older for budget, engineering, facilities, administrative, and IT assignments, not just seasonal park jobs, a clear example of a government employer seeking the judgment a finished career brings.

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UnitedHealth Group and Humana

Average hourly salary: $22

Both are longtime AARP-aligned health insurers that hire heavily for customer service and member advocacy work, roles that reward the patience and clear communication that come naturally to experienced workers navigating a regulated industry.

Walgreens

Average hourly salary: $21

An AARP Employer Pledge signer, Walgreens hires older workers into pharmacy support and retail roles nationwide. Pharmacy technician work sits closer to the $25 mark than general retail, and the health care-adjacent setting fits the "regulated industry" pattern well.

Amazon

Average hourly salary: $22

Amazon's warehouse jobs are physically demanding and may not suit every older applicant, but the company also hires for administrative, remote, and customer service roles that lean more on communication than physical stamina.

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Getty Images

Average hourly salary: $23

Getty Images hires older workers into customer service and licensing-support roles, often with flexible scheduling and health benefits attached.

Wegmans

Average hourly salary: $16.50

Wegmans actively recruits older workers for flexible, part-time shopper, receiving, and cashier roles. The pay is modest compared to the roles above, but the flexibility and reputation for treating part-time staff well make it worth a look for supplemental income.

Ace Hardware

Average hourly salary: $17

Ace Hardware values the product knowledge and customer rapport that experienced workers bring to its stores, hiring for flexible full- and part-time sales and cashier positions.

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Bottom line

The strongest options here sit in regulated industries, finance, health care, and government, and in high-touch roles like sales, recruiting, and customer service, work that rewards judgment and communication over speed or novelty. Start with the AARP Job Board and the Employer Pledge and Employer Alliance company lists, target employers with a documented commitment to age diversity, and confirm the actual pay and flexibility of a specific opening before applying.

The $25-plus figure applies to particular roles rather than every job at these companies. A little research upfront could help you make money from home or in person, on your own terms, instead of settling for the first listing you see.

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Author Details

Josh Koebert

Josh Koebert has spent more than 16 years digging into the data behind how Americans earn, save, and retire. As a Senior Data Journalist at FinanceBuzz, his work covers both ends of that challenge: the job market and real estate pressures that shape how much people can save, and the Social Security policies, 401(k) strategies, and retirement income gaps that determine what they'll actually have when they get there.