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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.

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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Author Details

Chris Lewis, CEPF

Chris Lewis has spent his career turning data into answers. As the Head of Research at FinanceBuzz and a Certified Educator in Personal Finance, he oversees the data journalism and media relations teams, digging into the personal finance topics that shape Americans' lives at every stage, from Social Security and retirement income to 401(k) strategies, jobs, and real estate.