Lots of retired people might be feeling the pinch of inflation and rising healthcare costs, and want to earn extra income in retirement. Even if your bank account is in great shape, you might want to stay physically active, socialize more, and get out of the house more often. Side hustles for retirees can help.
Let’s look at a few ideas for the best side hustles for retirees.
1. Food delivery
There is a wide range of food delivery apps like DoorDash, Grubhub, Instacart, and Uber Eats, that enable people to make money with a flexible schedule. Recent research shows that the best food delivery apps pay $17-$20 per hour. You might earn more than that, based on prevailing wages in your local city or by earning extra tips.
Why this is a great side hustle for retirees: Driving for a food delivery app can help you get out of the house, see new neighborhoods in your city, and stay physically active by getting your steps in going from door to door. Delivering groceries and restaurant meals can also provide a valuable service to people in your community — some people rely on food delivery apps when they’re not feeling well, or caring for children or older adult loved ones.
2. Driving for ride-hailing apps
People love getting reliable, on-time transportation from a professional driver. Or if you want a driving-related side hustle that doesn’t involve apps, check with your local school district. Many school districts have shortages of bus drivers, especially if you’re a morning person; getting kids to school on time is a must-have community service.
Why this is a great side hustle for retirees: Driving for ride-hailing apps isn’t the highest-paying side hustle; recent research suggests that ride-hailing drivers earn about $19 per hour.
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But if you’re already retired and not worried about earning a full-time income or making the most money per hour, driving for ride-hailing apps can be a good way to earn some extra cash. Be sure to look into your options for getting extra insurance coverage to protect yourself from big costs in case you get into a car accident.
3. Taskrabbit
Taskrabbit can be a great choice for side hustles for retirees, because it offers a wide range of ways to make money, including running errands, doing household chores, or tackling handyperson projects. I recently interviewed a 79-year-old retiree in Minneapolis-St. Paul who makes $49 per hour on Taskrabbit by helping people assemble furniture.
Here are a few examples of well-paying Taskrabbit side hustles — average pay rates shown for my home city of Des Moines, Iowa:
- Running errands: $29 per hour
- Event staffing: $28 per hour
- Laundry and ironing: $24 per hour
- Packing and unpacking: $34 per hour
- Organizing: $30 per hour
- Branch and hedge trimming: $48 per hour
Why this is a great side hustle for retirees: Taskrabbit gigs are flexible and usually low-stress, and many do not require heavy lifting, physical labor, or specialized skills. You can set your own pay and choose your own schedule. This is the perfect way to stay active in retirement and put some extra cash in your savings account, without the commitments of a part-time job.
4. Dog walking (up to $43 per hour)
If you love dogs, being a professional dog walker can be a great side hustle. Research from Preply has found that dog walkers can earn an average of $43 per hour. That seems high based on where I live; the Rover app (rover.com) has dog walking gigs in my ZIP code where people charge around $15 per dog walk.
Why this is a great side hustle for retirees: Walking dogs every day can help you get out of the house, meet new people, enjoy nature, get exercise, and provide a valuable service for younger, time-starved pet parents who are still at a stage of life where they’re dealing with the pressures of a full-time job. (Save us, retirees! Please walk our dogs! We will pay you!)
5. Teaching online
If you’re a retired teacher, or even just love to connect with people and share your knowledge, teaching online can be a great side hustle for retirees.
You can make money as an online English tutor with Preply (preply.com), which says that its English tutors typically earn $15-$25 per hour. People all over the world are trying to learn English so they can get connected to better education and career opportunities.
Or if you’d rather teach other older adults, GetSetUp is a digital learning and health platform for adults ages 60 and over. You can apply to make money on GetSetUp as a guide who teaches online classes, earning $25 per hour. GetSetUp’s online classes include fitness classes, technology how-tos, job skills training, cooking classes, travel coaching, and more.
Why this is a great side hustle for retirees: Just because you’re retired from your full-time career doesn’t mean the world doesn’t need you anymore! You can share your talents and experience by teaching online. You can help people get informed and empowered.
Bottom line
Retirees have many good options to make extra money with a side hustle. Whether you want to drive for ride-hailing apps, deliver food, or teach English online, it’s easier than ever before to turn your free time into extra cash — with a flexible schedule and a low-stress way of life.