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12 Part-Time Jobs for Retirees That Pay at Least $20 an Hour

Flexible, well-paying work no longer means full-time hours or heavy lifting.

By Chris Lewis, CEPF , Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Aug. 14, 2026

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More retirees are taking on part-time work to make extra money, and the timing works in their favor. A growing set of flexible, well-paying roles does not demand full-time hours or heavy physical labor, and clearing $20 an hour is realistic across a surprising range of them, not just a handful of specialized fields.

The best fits tend to lean on skills a retiree already has, whether from a prior career or a longtime hobby, rather than asking them to learn something new from scratch. Here is a rundown of the roles, what each pays, and how to think about picking one.

Editor's note: All salary data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Tax preparer

Median hourly wage: $23.56

Seasonal by nature, tax prep offers real flexibility outside of filing season and steady demand each spring for anyone comfortable with numbers, detail, and a bit of tax software. Many firms train seasonal hires directly, so prior tax experience helps, but it is not always required.

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Bookkeeping, accounting, or auditing clerk

Median hourly wage: $23.66

Many small businesses hire part-time help to manage invoices, reconcile accounts, and prep records for a tax preparer, a natural fit for retirees with a finance or admin background.

Real estate sales agent

Median hourly wage: $28.35

Commission-based and entirely self-scheduled, real estate work rewards local knowledge and people skills, though showings sometimes fall on evenings or weekends, and getting licensed takes some upfront time and cost. Retirees who already know a community well often have a real advantage.

Interpreter or translator

Median hourly wage: $28.58

Bilingual retirees could pick up on-call or scheduled assignments for hospitals, courts, or local businesses, work built entirely around a language skill they likely already have. Certification exists for specialized settings like medical or legal interpreting, but is not always required to start.

Paralegal or legal assistant

Median hourly wage: $29.33

Small firms and solo attorneys often welcome part-time help with filings, research, and client intake, especially from retirees with legal, admin, or research experience already in hand.

Writer or author

Median hourly wage: $34.75

Freelance writing work is entirely self-scheduled and rewards existing subject-matter expertise from a prior career, whether that is business, health care, or a technical field, more than any new credential.

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Technical writer

Median hourly wage: $44.07

Retirees from engineering, IT, or scientific fields could turn that background into freelance documentation or manual-writing work, one of the higher-paying options on this list and a strong match for a specialized former career.

Photographer

Median hourly wage: $20.44

Freelance and event photography, from weddings to family portraits, runs on the photographer's own schedule, a natural next step for retirees who already treat photography as a serious hobby.

Statistical assistant

Median hourly wage: $24.29

Research offices, universities, and government agencies sometimes need part-time help organizing, entering, and checking data, low-physical-demand work suited to a detail-oriented retiree with an analytical bent.

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Loan interviewer or clerk

Median hourly wage: $22.78

Banks and credit unions often bring on part-time staff to process loan applications and verify paperwork, desk-based work that draws on organizational and people skills built over any office career.

Secretary and administrative assistant

Median hourly wage: $22.82

Secretaries and administrative assistants handle clerical and organizational tasks, making this a good fit for retirees with strong communication, organization, and basic computer skills. While many in this occupation work full time, retirees looking for part-time opportunities may find roles across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, education, and professional services.

New accounts clerk

Median hourly wage: $21.46

Community banks and credit unions use these desk-based roles to open accounts and answer customer questions, with steady part-time hours and little physical demand and predictable daytime scheduling.

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Bottom line

The strongest retiree jobs share four traits: flexible hours, manageable physical demand, no mandatory overtime, and skills already built over a career, traits unpredictable retail scheduling rarely offers. Social Security adds one wrinkle worth knowing first: retirees past full retirement age could earn freely, early claimers face a temporary $24,480 limit in 2026 (or $65,160 in their full-retirement-age year), and combined income above $25,000 single or $32,000 married could make part of a benefit taxable.

Pick one role, start with a single shift or gig a week, and check the Social Security and tax impact before scaling up, one of several smart moves for seniors worth weighing first.

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