Jul 12, 2024 8 min read

17 TOP Side Hustles for Retirees [2024]

Looking for a side hustle that's perfect for retirees? Check out these top 17 side hustles for seniors that are great retirement gigs.

Retirement can be a new beginning if your spirit is young, boisterous and you want to keep on trying out what life can offer you. So starting a side hustle when you're a senior is an amazing way to keep yourself engaged, both mentally and socially, AND earn some money at the same time.

Aside from the fact that it may pump in some dollars into your pocket, a side hustle can be very rewarding: the world is at your fingertips, and you can try conquering business niches, be that in the sphere where you worked all your life or something completely unexpected. So without further ado, here are 17 best side hustles for retirees for the year 2024 to keep you occupied, bring in extra cash, and keep your gray cells working.

1. Freelance Consulting

Every senior man or woman likely has a specific area of expertise where they can teach the youth about the ins and outs of the process. Yes, it might not be IT but your professional skills can be helpful to inexperienced people in your sphere of knowledge. Many companies would love to use the experience that retirees have – so offer it to them.

If you're hesitant about immersing yourself into a consulting business, there is a whole bunch of consulting podcast channels hosted by consulting firms that can help you. Give it a listen and see how many nuances of this job you are already know!

2. Tutoring and Teaching

Every retiree has a great set of skills that could be useful and taught while making a considerable retirement fund. The most basic example is teaching English to foreigners or young students – the skills of speaking and writing in English will definitely remain in demand for many years to come.

Check out this video to kickstart teaching English after retirement.

3. Pet Sitting and Dog Walking

If you are an animal lover, then this side hustle will be both fun and lucrative for you. Pet sitting businesses are a pretty rare breed but if your affection to animals knows no limits, we are encouraging you to try it out. Decide for yourself – it may just what you were looking for.

Watch this helpful video to learn how much it costs to start a pet sitting business.

4. Freelance Writing

Write articles, blog posts, or even books based on your life experience, valuable insights and fun stories that young people or your fellow retirees will love. Start by contributing to small publications or creating a blog to build your portfolio.

To get started, check out this amazing podcast by successful freelance writer Melanie Green – and embrace the intricacies of the freelance writing profession.

If you especially love the idea of tutoring and teaching, communicating with the less experienced people and giving them your knowledge, here are some more ideas:

5. Gardening and Landscaping

Turn your green thumb skills into cash by offering gardening and landscaping services. Many homeowners prefer to hire experienced gardeners, so you can create a portfolio of your work to impress your future clients. Then grab your shovel and rakes – and dive into it!

In this podcast, you will find the latest most competent knowledge about gardening. Combine this knowledge with your own dedication and resources – and this area may become your dream job.

6. Etsy Shop Owner

If you're creative and handy, what you can do is sell handmade crafts and vintage items on Etsy – a website targeting customers who are interested in handmade products.

There are many videos on YouTube describing business and routines that you can have when working with Etsy. We suggest you start with this one. You can begin with manufacturing some small items and distributing them via Etsy.

7. Airbnb Host

If you have some spare space at your home, lend it on Airbnb. It's a great way to earn extra money by hosting people in your place. A pro tip here is to treat them nicely so they rate you positively and refer to other customers.

This podcast will get you started on the subject very fast. Each episode is an interview with an Airbnb host from around the world. Choose the one with the most interesting topic and make a decision if this is the right retiree side hustle for you.

Drive for companies like Uber and Lyft – this type of hustle is flexible and is considered of the most popular part-time or seasonal jobs. A pro tip here is to drive at peak hours to make the most money out of it.

So If you have a car and some free time, it’s the easiest and the most natural occupation you can have.

9. Home Organization

Decluttering and organizing services for clients' homes are an increasingly popular business – and you can become a professional cleaner and organizer if you have the strength and the vision for it.

And if you are hesitating, check one of the most popular podcasts on the topic. The hostess – Lauren White – shares her experience in the field of home organization, revealing some of the most important steps in creating an accessible environment at your home.

10. Personal Chef

Are you an enthusiastic cook? Offer in-home, personal chef services and cook meals for busy people or individuals with special diets. You can specialize in one kind of cuisine or diet to find your clients.

The Prosperous Personal Chef podcast can help you get started. The Chef herself, namely Jessica Leibovich, created a podcast blog exactly for cooking enthusiasts who wish to become professionals. If you are looking for applications for your dear hobby, you have to check that out.

11. Handyman Services

Use your DIY skills to help people with house repairs and maintenance. Most people hire experienced handymen for this purpose – so if you get a license or certification, you can kick off this hustle without hesitation.

With this introductive video, you will learn the basics of transforming your handiwork into something that could bring pleasure to you and the people who are in need of a craftsman.

12. Craft Beer or Wine Making

Grow your hobby of brewing craft beer or making wine into a business. The world has increasing demand for artisan beverages — so you can go into the market, too. Of course, always keep and eye on the local regulations and get permits if needed.

You can also listen to this podcast, made by people who are enjoying homebrewing. Its episodes will be perfect for people eager to get started in creating their own beverages. So believe it or not, the fun hobby of wine or beer making is very possible to turn in nice net profits.

13. Virtual Assistant

We live in a very busy time. And if you are not busy, you're lucky! And you may want to try and help other people by being a virtual assistant. This is actually a pretty popular side-job, so if you're tech-savvy and can keep up with lots of things at the same time, this gig can be just for you.

Find your clients on Upwork or Fiverr, and you can watch this training lesson for virtual assistants and measure your possibilities.

14. Antique Dealing

We bet you saw those antique stores downtown and the prices there sometimes are… interesting, to say the least. Such antique items can often be really valuable, so if you're ready to part with some items from the past, you can make it a profitable side hustle.

Check out this podcast channel hosted by an experienced antique dealer – and make some notes while you're at it.

15. House Sitting

Offer house sitting for travelers and busy people who are often away at business trips – you can take care of their pets and plants. Join known house-sitting websites to get clients and then build trust through reviews.

This YouTube video will get you started on house sitting, no experience needed. It will help you understand your strong sides in this endeavor and even give you advice on where and how you can find a house-sitting job right now.

On a related note, here are some hustle ideas for working moms:

16. Event Planning

Use the organizational skills you have to plan events, be that weddings, parties, birthdays, romantic dates, Christmas and New Year parties, or corporate team-building meetings! Your attention to detail and experience will help you create a really memorable event – and of course, you can start small and slowly build up your portfolio.

Listen to the Better Events podcast: its hostesses believe that with the right resources, anyone can create beautiful events. Your previous occupations don’t matter here. Check it out – it’s surprisingly easy to start working in the even planning field.

17. Blogging or Starting a Channel

You will be surprised at how many people are interested in your life if you post consistently. Share your experiences, interests, funny stories, and life lessons; at the same time, keep your content well monetized by ad running, sponsored content, and affiliate marketing. Focus on the niche you are most passionate about and find a targeted audience for it.

And the Ultimate Blog podcast on Spotify will give you ideas and motivation on how to start your own blog.

People change, eras change, trends come and go, but having a side hustle in retirement will always be a win-win. Not only does it keep seniors active and engaged, but it also enables the retirees to use their experience and talents effectively with some earnings. So be curious, and keep an eye out for new possibilities. Enjoy this stage of your life. And with the right mindset, a retirement gig can also become the right thing for you.