Low-Stress Retirement Jobs to Keep You Happy and Healthy

After working so many years, it feels great to be able to retire. All those years playing with the best retirement calculators and planning how to retire early have finally paid off. So many plans, like travel, relaxing, working in the yard and doing other things you’ve put off for years. But after a while, many retirees get bored. Getting a job after retiring is a great way to stay active physically and mentally.

Most retirees want to stay stress-free while still working at a new job. Retirees have a lot of knowledge and skills to offer. There are many low-stress jobs that retirees can do. Thankfully, some of the best low-stress jobs are some of the more exciting jobs a retiree can do. Here is a good list of some of the best low-stress jobs that anyone can do after retiring.

The Benefits of Finding a Job After Retirement

Many retirees look forward to retirement, and with good reason. After working all their lives, they finally get time to themselves. They have time for hobbies, traveling, and just staying home and relaxing.

After a while, some retirees might find that they’re getting fidgety and want to do something and still be able to enjoy retirement. Finding a low-stress job once they’ve retired could be the best choice. There are quite a few benefits of finding a low-stress job for retirees.

Stay Physically Fit

Getting a new job is a great way to stay physically fit and keeps their body moving. Too many retirees end up sitting around and hardly moving. Many jobs require moving, walking, and maybe even light lifting. By staying physically active, retirees can stay fit and healthy. Even if the new job involves sitting at a desk, you will still get out and about instead of sitting on the couch all day.

Stay Mentally Healthy

Most jobs will require some mental effort. It has been proven that keeping your brain busy and active is one of the best ways to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Working at any job, even low-stress jobs, will require thinking, making decisions, and using your memory. One of the most common reasons retirement is overrated is the decline in the mental capabilities of retirees.

Stay Socially Active

Another benefit of working a new job is you will meet new people and interact with new people. These interactions will expand your group of acquaintances and friends. Interacting with others is another excellent way to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Part of planning when I can retire is filling the social vacuum due to the loss of coworkers. 

Helps with Financial Stability

After retiring, many retirees get a pension or can start withdrawing from the IRA and 401k plans. Retiring early with 401(k) is possible. 

But an additional income allows you to save more and have money to spend without dipping into retirement savings. One can spend extra income on other things like a hobby, travel, and home improvement projects.

Social Security and Working

When planning how to FI, we ignore social security, assuming it may no longer exist in a few decades.

Anyone who retires and claims their Social Security benefits before their full retirement age could have the benefits reduced by as much as 30%.

When you get a job after retirement, you are better able to delay the start of benefits. Another benefit is that the longer you wait to get your Social Security benefits, the bigger your Social Security check will be each month.

There are income limits if you have already started receiving your SS benefits and decided to return to work. If you retire before your official retirement and start making over $18,240, for every $2 you make, $1 will be deducted from your Social Security check after you make over $18,240. 

Once you reach full retirement age, you can work as much as you want without any Social Security deductions. Check with the Social Security Administration for current rules and limits.

Health Insurance

Once someone retires, they can get sticker shock from medical care and health insurance costs. Many are no longer part of the company’s health insurance plan by retiring. 

It is a genuine concern if you retire before age 65, the age at which you qualify for Medicare. Even after Medicare, there can be high out-of-pocket prescription costs. 

Healthcare costs are one of the main reasons to invest the money saved in the Health Savings Account (HSA) into income-producing assets. Due to the tax code, one can use HSA funds only to invest in stocks. Although it might seem restricted, stock investments like investing in S&P 500 have produced outstanding results while providing portfolio diversification benefits.

Even after you start getting Medicare, working at a new company, you could qualify for additional health coverage through your new employer.

You could receive additional health insurance like Medicare Supplement Insurance, which covers gaps in Medicare coverage. Working for a company that gets you medical benefits could save retirees thousands of dollars yearly in medical costs.

Why Companies Like Older Employees

If you are a retiree, don’t be afraid that employers won’t be interested in hiring you. Older employees make better and more loyal employees for the following reasons:

• They stay at their jobs longer and take fewer days off. The median age of workers in the age group of 55-64 was 10.4 years, which is much longer than workers in the 25-34 age group. Specific industries with a high turnover rate prefer to hire older workers.
• Older workers are more experienced and skilled. It is well-known that older workers bring a higher level of critical thinking, experience, and knowledge that cannot be taught but only learned through experience and time. All those years spent honing your high-income skills can prove desirable.
• They have a stronger work ethic. Businesses often say that older workers are usually the first to arrive at work and remain focused throughout the day. They aren’t playing on their phones all day, don’t have as many problems as younger workers, and don’t miss much work.
• Older workers fit in nicely. The best teams at work are teams made of different age groups or multi-generational.
• They retain a company’s knowledge better than younger workers. Older workers can pick up what the new business is all about and understand it, allowing them to fit in quickly.
• They pick up newer technology. Even though the older generation is not as familiar with computers and specific programs, many have used plenty of technology in their former careers. If they come across something they don’t understand, they can learn it just fine if taught correctly.
• Older workers can attract more business to the company and more age-diverse customers. Older adults hold the most significant amount of discretionary income in the country. Hiring older workers can attract older customers with more money to spend.
• Older employees provide a higher level of attention to customers. Customers frequently spoke about how they appreciated seeing older workers, which conveys that the business values its employees, customers, and community.
• Older workers are valuable in training the next generation of workers to improve their human capital. They can teach work ethic and skills. If the retiree’s new low-stress job is in the same field they used to work in, they can teach less skilled new employers valuable skills.
• Older employees could be a part of your brand. Depending on what you sell, your customers could also be more senior. Having older workers makes customers feel more comfortable.

The Best Low-Stress Retirement Jobs

Retirees can do many low-stress jobs, regardless of the experiences they learned while working at their regular job. And there are low-stress jobs for any type of personality a person has. As a retiree, you might also have preferences like you don’t want to deal with many people while others like interacting with people. There is the right job for anyone, no matter your personality. Personalities like:

• People lovers
• People who would rather not deal with many others
• Retirees that love to be out and about around town
• Creative people
• People that have always wanted to teach their skills to others
• Retirees that love pets
• People that love working from their own home
• Extroverts and introverts

Whether you want the job to supplement your retirement income, stay busy and active, or for other reasons, there is a stress-free job for you.

Pet Sitting

Pet sitting can be the right job if you love pets and get paid simultaneously. Depending on your location, pet sitting can make $50 an hour. As a pet sitter, when pet owners are out of town for work or a vacation, they need someone to watch over and take of their pets. Some pet owners will even pay a good pet sitter daily while they are away.

Some pets, especially dogs, can get depressed and stressed when their owners leave them alone. Hiring a pet sitter will give the owners peace of mind that their pets are doing fine while away.

Pet sitting requires that your care for the pet whenever the owner needs it. It could require working overnight or during the day. While pet sitting, the sitter will feed the pet, take the dog out, keep busy, and feel comfortable and less stressed.

Pet sitters can connect with pet owners by using apps like Rover and other apps. The apps will connect your job offer with pet owners in your local area.

Dog Walking

An excellent job for anyone who loves dogs is dog walking. A dog walker will take the owner’s dogs out at specific times of the day or night and make sure the dog gets the required exercise. Dog walking is excellent because it doesn’t take a lot of time. If you have other interests or other side jobs, this job allows you to continue your other employment.

Walking dogs is fun and healthy. You get to enjoy time with different dogs and dog breeds. Dog walkers also get to spend time outdoors and stay physically fit and healthy since walking is one of the best ways to keep fit, and it’s a fun job. 

Dog walkers usually charge by how many dogs they care for and walk instead of an hourly fee. Walking more dogs in the same time slot can increase your earnings. 

Animal Shelter Worker

Animal shelters are always looking for animal shelter workers. Anyone who loves pets will find taking care of homeless pets a loving and fulfilling job. This job is not for everyone, but if you love caring for pets, this could be the right job.

As an animal shelter worker, my primary responsibilities will be to bathe the pets, feed them, and keep them clean and fed. And give the occasional belly rub to those lonely dogs.

Virtual Assistant

Being a virtual assistant (VA) is about providing services for clients over the internet. These services include tasks like technical support, creative support, and administrative work for clients that can be located anywhere in the world. Many clients will work online with the virtual assistant.

Depending on a retiree’s personality, this job is another one of the good low-stress jobs after retirement. A virtual assistant gets paid for doing the tasks you already love, like working from home or anywhere you like, as long as you have a computer and internet connection.

Usually, virtual assistants located in the United States can make anywhere from $35 to $50 per hour. If the assistant provides an even more specialized service, the pay can be as much as $100 per hour. Many assistants work from home as freelancers, but some companies hire virtual assistants full-time for the position.

Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is another excellent low-stress job. Freelancers can work from home or anywhere as long as they have a computer and internet connection. They can set their hours and write about what they love and know. Anyone can become a freelance writer as long as they have a good grasp of the English language, spelling, and grammar.

The most popular topics include food, travel, health, parenting advice, finance, etc. If you worked in a particular field before retirement, it would be easy to turn your experience into a freelance writing job. Topic ideas are endless.

To learn about being a freelance writer, you can take courses. Courses are offered in various places like Udemy and other online schools. Learning about search engine optimization (SEO) could help in some instances.

Online Surveys

Another low-stress job is taking surveys online. Before you can do surveys, you must go to internet survey sites. Online surveys will not make you much money, but they could give you enough to fill your tank with gas.

Online survey sites offer different types of surveys and other tasks you can do for extra money. Some offer surveys and are interested in your answers and opinions. Others will have survey takers watch a video and then fill out the survey based on that.

Paid Focus Groups

Another job after retirement retirees can do is to join a focus group. Being a focus group participant is fun, especially if you’re looking for a low-stress job. They are generally small groups of people who gather to discuss new trends, products, services, and issues.

A moderator will lead the discussion while everyone else will listen to their presentation and take notes and information. Participants in the focus groups will be paid for their time, depending on how much time they are involved in a conversation. The pay can either be in cash or gift cards.

If you don’t live near a big city but still want to participate, there are online groups you can get involved in. Online or in-person focus groups can pay as much as $150 per hour.

Online Tutoring

If you have a skill or a degree in a specific field and love teaching others, becoming an online tutor would be an excellent, stress-free job. Tutors help students of all ages and stages of learning, from kindergarten through college, advancing a career and continuing education for everyone.

You can find students on your own or join a tutoring platform and find students to tutor through the platform. With increasing focus on STEM education, many people are looking for tutors to help their children learn better and get better grades. Some people want to and need further training and education in specific topics to further their careers. Some of the most popular categories include:

• Computers and computer programming
• Business
• Science
• Math
• Languages like English, Spanish, and French
• Social studies and geography
• Law
• Test Prep
• Health
• Home

There are many subjects in each category. There is something for everyone to tutor someone. And, if you have a niche subject, you could become a teacher to many people if there aren’t many tutors in that category. Some people like to tutor others in the hobby they love. Some hobby and enjoyment categories include:

• Baking and cooking
• Chess
• Photography
• Craft making
• Art
• Music and musical theory topics
• Starting your own online business
• Writing
• Coding
• Graphic design
• Massage therapist

There are many more topics that one can add to these categories. Tutors make decent money and could be the perfect job for retirees. Online tutors get all of this from working from their own homes. Tutors are paid depending on their subject and level of knowledge. A degree is not necessary to become a tutor. 

According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for tutors in the United States today is $35 per hour. The pay can go as high as $100 and even more for more advanced subjects. And retirees can work as many hours per day as they choose. You could make some good money if you take on several students daily.

Freelance Writing

You can become a freelance writer if you enjoy writing and know English spelling and grammar well. When a person first becomes a writer, it can seem confusing. Being a writer takes dedication and learning. As a writer, freelancers must be self-motivated and desire more flexibility in their jobs. Writers have a choice of writing:

• Blogs – your blog or other people’s blogs
• Articles for magazines and business websites
• Instruction manuals
• Scripts
• short stories
• Advertisements
• Promotions
• And many different types of articles

Freelancers get to work from anywhere they want and usually communicate with their clients via the internet, email, or video conferencing like Zoom. Before a person begins to be a freelancer, they should find out about the industry. 

You can find freelance writer’s groups around the internet, like on Reddit. You can read about successful writers by going to their websites and blogs.

Other writers like to share information and answer questions. Questions like how they manage their freelance business, where they look for work, how they set their rates, how they build a portfolio, and where they find writing work.

Freelance writing is a business, and you are the owner, which means you have to treat it like a serious business. You will learn time management and organizational skills, create your schedule and stick to it. 

Most writers work from home. And being a writer requires a quiet environment and no interruptions. Writers make sure they set up a home office where they can work in peace.

Tools of the writing profession include the following:

• A laptop or computer and access to the internet
• Writing software like Microsoft Word or Google Docs
• Task management software to track your jobs and invoices
• Photo-editing software, since some writers are asked to supply images with their content
• A website where you can display your portfolio and articles
• A business email account and a video conferencing account if you talk to clients frequently.
• A bank account or somewhere set up to accept payments from clients.
• Tax software, since you own your own business, you are responsible for all tax records and paying the proper amount of taxes.

Writers also have to know the proper conventions for each type of writing. Specific articles need unique search engine optimization (SEO). Writing academic papers are very different from writing a blog post. 

Some articles require you to list your citations and sources. Writing online is a little different than writing in Word. And knowing about HTML and the basics of SEO is also helpful.

Writers can also improve their writing and grammar skills. Read books and online articles, and see how they write. Also, read grammar books. Read books and articles in the same writing niche or profession as your own. Practice writing and read what you write out loud.

You will need to put together a portfolio to showcase your work. If you don’t, online courses on sites like Udemy or LinkedIn Learning teach you how to get clients and create a portfolio.

You should design and put together a professional website where you will display your work and samples for potential clients. Do you enjoy writing in just one niche or category, or can you write about numerous topics? Make sure you show all examples of the different subjects you write about in your portfolio.

My friend started a kitchen herb garden and now sells e-books on herb gardening from her website. Another friend is offering keto recipes on his website. There is no reason not to start an online business with low costs. Check out my guide on how to create a website in 10 minutes.

Create Online Courses

Another remarkable low-stress job after retirement is creating online video courses. Everyone has skills and knowledge they can share and teach others. Just about any subject can be put into a video. Maybe you have skills in a particular programming language, home repair, or unique hobby other people want to learn.

There are many podcasts and YouTube videos on the internet where people teach their skills and make money from views and advertising. The more popular they become, the more viewers and the more money they can drive.

Another great way to sell your video courses is on learning websites like Udemy. You set the prices you want for others to take your course, and Udemy takes a percentage. 

And you can sell various courses for more money. For example, you can create online courses about becoming a photographer and how to take good pictures. Another course on how to select a camera. A third course on how to pick the best spots for a photoshoot.

You can develop numerous courses with this one topic alone, which would create repeat customers. It doesn’t cost much money to start creating online courses. You might have to buy a new computer camera and editing software. Learn how to make videos, and you are ready to create your online courses. 

Consultant

Becoming a consultant after retiring is an excellent low-stress job. Many professionals don’t want to retire. Before retiring, their jobs were exciting and fulfilling, but they were high-stress and stressful.

The beauty of becoming a consultant is it is much lower stress, flexible hours, good pay, and is independent of where you live. You can move to a new city and still be a consultant. You can work online or at a client’s location. Consultants can dictate their salary and how many hours they want to work.

It takes time to get started. It is best to create a consulting business before you retire. By the time you retire, your new company will be running smoothly. And if you find you don’t like it, you still have your main job.

While you’re still working, start networking and meet as new people as possible. Attend conferences and seminars in your industry, and have an excellent page on LinkedIn and other social media places.

When someone becomes an independent consultant, they become a small business owner. They need to understand what being a business owner requires and will probably have to hire someone who understands taxes and being a small business owner. Some of the advantages of being a consultant include:

• After retiring, there is a significant drawdown of your financial resources during the first few years of retirement. Sometimes this drawdown is more than a retiree can recover from. The money earned as a consultant will fill the gap of the loss of regular wages.
• Continuing employment after retirement can increase Social Security benefits. When you increase your income after retiring, you can delay when you start taking Social Security benefits. The longer you wait to take the benefits, the more you will get, sometimes as much as 70% depending on your age.
• As a small business owner, you will get certain tax advantages. When you’re self-employed, you can deduct numerous expenses and employ tax-saving strategies.
• Many retirees lose their health insurance plans when they retire. You can deduct premiums for long-term care and health insurance, including all parts of Medicare, which become above-line-deduction for you and your spouse.
• Working for yourself as a consultant removes many of the hassles of working for a company. No more employee reviews and those annoying HR training sessions. You can focus strictly on your job and your client’s needs without those hassles.
• Making the transition directly from a job to full retirement can be challenging. Many newly retired people thought they would love all the extra time and soon found they had too much time on their hands. And they miss parts of their former job. Being a consultant can fill some time and allow you to continue in your chosen profession and earn an average to an above-average salary. It makes the transition easier, and you can work at your own pace and enjoy your retirement years

More Low-Stress Jobs

What is a low-stress job for one person could be a high-stress job for someone else. Working for a ridesharing company or delivering food orders to customers can be a low-stress job if you love driving in any traffic, while for others, this can be a high-stress job if you hate driving and traffic. Other low-stress jobs include:

• Food delivery driver
• Tour guide jobs as a tour guide
• Personal shopper
• Massage therapist
• Survey sites
• Sell crafts
• Park ranger
• A substitute teacher at your local schools
• Event planner
• A rideshare driver for companies like Uber and Lyft
• Real estate agent
• Interior designer
• Painting jobs
• Become a receptionist and make phone calls for a local business
• House sitter
• A store customer greeter
• Video editing jobs
• Personal finance expert working in the personal finance industry

Any of these are good retiree jobs, fun jobs, and many of them would be a tremendous low-stress job and will help you earn money and extra cash, and could keep you from getting bored after retiring from your primary career.

Summary of Low-Stress Retirement Jobs

At first, after retiring, it is excellent—more free time to do all these things you’ve wanted to. After a couple of months or so, many retirees find themselves getting bored. That is where finding good, low-stress retirement jobs can help.

The old saying is the best jobs someone can have are the ones you enjoy. After working your entire adult life, you might have enjoyed your careers, but now you can find even more enjoyable work. And some are high-paying jobs where you can make some serious money.

You can set your hours and work from your own house with a retiree job. A high-paying job is usually the kind where you start your own business. Working for yourself brings advantages like making certain tax deductions and postponing when you begin taking Social Security benefits. The longer you delay getting benefits, the higher your monthly Social Security check will be.

Making money with either a part or full-time job also allows you to plan for your financial freedom and save money. A retiree job is any job you enjoy, and several choices exist. You can choose to become a business owner or work for someone else.

The Survey of Consumer Finance indicates that a business person’s average net worth is at least four times as much as someone who works as an employee. Creating a business in retirement with low-stress jobs can not only help your liquid net worth but may also create generational wealth for your family.