Popular Online Jobs For Seniors To Make a Comfortable Living

Just because you’ve retired doesn’t mean that your career is over. Nowadays, with the advent of technology and a greater focus on work-from-home jobs, seniors have more possibilities than ever before to make a comfortable living.

For those looking to maintain their lifestyle without leaving the comfort of their own home, here are some of the most popular work-from-home jobs for seniors to consider. From freelance writing to virtual assistant roles and more, read on to learn why these jobs might be perfect for you.

How Can Seniors Make a Comfortable Living From Home?

As we age, many of us want to remain in our homes for as long as possible. But sometimes that’s not possible without a little extra income. If you’re a senior citizen who is looking for ways to make a comfortable living from home, here are some ideas for you.

Option 1: Running a Business

One option is to start a small business from home. This could be anything from affiliate marketing to selling handmade goods online, to offering consulting services. If you have a skill or talent that others could benefit from, there’s likely a market for it.

Option 2: Get a Job

Another option is to be hired by someone and get paid - look into becoming a virtual assistant or customer service representative. Many companies are now hiring employees to work remotely, so this is a great way to earn an income without having to leave your home.

Option 3: Selling Gigs (Freelancing) 

There are also many opportunities for seniors to work as freelance writers or editors. If you have experience in these fields, you can often find work by submitting proposals to clients online.

Many seniors work from home but there’s always a risk of health problems due to the lack of exercise. To solve the problem - to stay active and engaged, you may want to consider becoming a volunteer coordinator or tutor. Many organizations could use your help, and you’ll get the satisfaction of knowing you’re making a difference in your community.

Pros and Cons of Working From Home For Seniors

There are definitely some advantages of working from home for people in any age group, but the disadvantages can be particular to older people.

Pros:

i. Extra Money

Needless to say, it’s a great way to make some extra money to supplement their retirement income. 

ii. Sense of Purpose

Many people feel lost once they’ve retired - if they’re lucky, they have great hobbies to focus on, but many of them don’t know how to manage their time, they get bored and die. That’s a sad truth for many seniors.

A work-from-home job gives you a much-needed sense of purpose and routing. Especially if you choose to run your own business, there’ll be some creative sides to it.

iii. Flexibility

If you are a super-healthy at 70, you may be able to get up at the same time to get ready to go to work. But punctuality may become a stress factor easily. 

Working from home means flexibility and freedom in terms of your daily schedule. If you’re not feeling right, you can start late or have a whole day off. 

Cons:

i. Isolation

Unless your family members are with you at all times, the job can make you lonely. Your brain is shrinking as you age, so even if you don’t feel lonely, the life of not contacting anyone all day can make you mentally unbalanced. This is scary because this can happen over a long period of time. 

So you might want to think twice about working alone if you don't have anyone you can regularly talk to or meet up with.

ii. Health Deterioration

Sitting at home all day cannot be good for your health - even if you routinely exercise once or twice daily. You’ll slowly, little by little, lose your muscles. So you do need to go out and walk around frequently. 

iii. Motivation Issues

This happens to anyone in any age group - it’s hard to stay motivated when there’s no one around to hold you accountable. 

However, there’s a difference between youngsters and seniors; it’s highly important for youngsters to stay motivated as their future depends on the success or failure of their work-from-home business. Whereas for seniors, it’s as important to enjoy the remaining life, if not more. 

Even if you’ve already started, if you just cannot seem to be motivated, you may want to quit and look for something else that excites you.

Ultimately, whether or not working from home is a good fit for a senior depends on their individual circumstances. Seniors should carefully weigh the pros and cons of working from home before making a decision.

Tips for Finding Work-from-Home Jobs

Here are some of the few avenues you can explore when looking for work-from-home jobs as a senior. The internet has many job boards and websites specifically for seniors who are looking to work from home. 

If You’re Looking To Be Hired:

1. Utilize job boards and websites that focus on senior workers. AARP’s website is a great resource for finding job postings specifically for seniors.
2. Get creative with your searches. When searching job sites, use keywords like “telecommute” or “work from home” to find positions that will allow you to work remotely.
3. Don’t be afraid to apply for positions that may not be 100% remote. Many companies are open to hiring employees who work remotely part of the time or a few days each week. Even if a position isn’t 100% remote, it may still be worth applying for if the company is willing to accommodate your needs.

Popular Work-From-Home Jobs For Seniors

Here are some of the typical work-from-home jobs for seniors that can help them make a comfortable living. 

Transcriptionist

A transcriptionist is a person who converts audio or video recordings into written form. This can be anything from transcribing a lecture to transcribing an interview. As a transcriptionist, you will need to be able to type quickly and accurately. You will also need to have good listening skills and be able to follow directions.

There are many online transcription services that you can sign up for, and most of them will allow you to work from home. The pay for this job can vary depending on the company you work for and the speed at which you type. However, most transcriptionists make between $10 and $25 per hour.

Self-Development Coach

As a self-development coach, you'll help not only entrepreneurs and small business owners achieve their goals but any individual by providing them with the resources and support they need to succeed.

There are many younger self-development coaches out there, but one thing they can’t beat older coaches with is experience. You can teach your students invaluable lessons out of your decades-worth of life experience - trials and errors, ups and downs, happiness, tragic events and bereavement.

You can start your own coaching business and communicate with students, helping them identify and overcome any challenges they may be facing.

If you're interested in becoming a self-development coach, there are many online resources that can help you get started, including books, articles, and courses. Once you've built up your knowledge and skills, you can start marketing your services to potential students.

Freelance Writer

As a freelance writer, you can choose to work with clients who interest you and write on topics that are stimulating to you. You can work from anywhere - your home, a café, or even while traveling. 

Although this flexibility is great for seniors who may not be able to commit to a traditional 9-to-5 job, there are still deadlines to follow when hired by someone as a writer.

For example, you offer to write a 1,500-word article within 2 days about any fishing-related topic. Someone asks you to write about fishing in the Mediterranean sea. If you know about it, or you think you can search online and write about it, agree, and start writing but you must finish and submit it within 2 days. If you don’t think you can manage it, you are free to reject the request when asked. You just need to keep the promise to build your reputation.

If you have strong writing skills and are organized and motivated, freelancing could be a great option for you.

Retired Teacher

If you're a retiree with teaching experience, there are many online teaching opportunities available. You can often find work teaching English as a second language, or working with students in an online tutoring capacity. A lot of companies offer online courses in a variety of subject areas; you can usually find work as an instructor for these courses as well. 

The drawback may be the curriculums that you may need to stick to. You may have vast knowledge from your lifelong experience, but you may not be allowed to teach in the way you want to. Instead, you may have to simply follow the daily agenda.

That kind of flexibility as well as the pay varies depending on the institution and your position, but it can be a great way to use your skills and knowledge to earn extra income in retirement.

Virtual Bookkeeper

As a virtual bookkeeper, you will be responsible for keeping track of a company’s financial transactions and ensuring that all records are accurate and up to date. This may include preparing invoices, reconciling bank statements, and managing payroll. Obviously, you will need experience in accounting and bookkeeping, as well as strong organizational skills.

The disadvantages may be;

• You are likely to have to adapt a few different accounting software packages.
• You cannot really work on a laptop (you’ll need an external number keypad)
• You often need hardcopy paperwork to reference to, as well as pen, paper, and calculator. So you can’t just “work anywhere.”

The deadline depends - you know from your past bookkeeping experience. So long as you can agree in advance, you have no other immediate plans and you can stick to the promise, you’ll be fine.

Virtual Assistant

As a virtual assistant, you will provide administrative, secretarial, and/or personal support to clients. This can include tasks such as scheduling appointments, managing emails, conducting research, writing content, etc.

Virtual assistant jobs are very popular and competitive, so you are likely to prove your past experience before you are hired by someone. 

You can work with clients from all over the world and set your own hours – making this an ideal job for seniors who want to stay active and earn some extra money.

Strong organizational skills are a must, but one of the biggest problems many executives have with their assistants is a lack of communication (in English.) Many assistants may be punctual and do the job they’re told to do, but when it comes to a complicated arrangement, assistants misunderstand it or take time to understand it. 

So if you are a native or a fluent English speaker, that will already be an advantage.

You should also be comfortable using computers and various software programs. If you have experience working in a particular industry, that can be helpful in landing clients who need assistance in that area.

Online Customer Service Representative

I don’t need to tell you what a customer service representative does - you will be responsible for providing assistance and support to customers via email, phone, and online chat. Your duties will include responding to customer inquiries, handling customer complaints, and managing customer accounts. You’re expected to;

• Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Be polite and helpful to maintain the company’s reputation.
• Be able to multitask and handle multiple customer requests at one time.

Other Freelancing Options

Try Fiverr. It’s a job marketplace where freelancers advertise their services (“gigs”) for free. You can sell your skill for as low as $5, but as high as hundreds or even thousands of dollars. 

For example, you can sell a tarot reading service for any amount you wish. You can do a simple 5-card spread and answer any open question from a customer for $10. Or give a much more detailed, lengthy reading via Zoom for $100.

Fiverr is particularly popular among small business owners for its convenience. For example, if their virtual assistant is off-sick, they can come to Fiverr to find someone to fill the position temporarily. 

Customers (people who hire you) pay in advance but the money will be withheld by the Fiverr admin. You will receive your money once the work has been completed and the customer is satisfied. If they are super-happy, they will give you some tips.

Tips To Get Started With a Work-From-Home Job

There are many work-from-home jobs for seniors that can provide a comfortable living. Here are some tips on how to get started: 

Start with Something Small

If you're not sure about a particular work-from-home job, start with something small and see how it goes. You can always quit if it's not a good fit.

Talk to Others who Work from Home

Getting advice from others who have experience with working from home can be very helpful. You can learn about their experiences, both good and bad, and get some tips on what does and doesn't work well.

Be Prepared for Isolation

Working from home can be isolating, so it's important to be prepared for that before you start. Make sure you have a support system in place, whether it's friends or family members you can talk to or an online community you can participate in.

Popular Online Jobs For Seniors To Make a Comfortable Living: Wrapping Up

The best thing about most of these work-from-home jobs is that they can be done from the comfort of your home. Whether you’re in it for a bit of extra cash or looking to make a comfortable living, there are plenty of options available for seniors.