While many associate the gig economy with younger generations, it isn’t exclusive to young adults. Retired seniors have more time and freedom to pick up multiple side hustles. In fact, a 2019 report from Wonolo, a platform to find gigs, found that 31 percent of seniors aged 55 to 73 were doing more than three gigs a week compared to 22 percent of millennials.
If you want to maximize your earning potential, there are some high-paying side hustles that you can do from the comfort of your home. The easiest way to find them is by searching online. To help kickstart your search, here are five to consider.
1. Life Coach
Hourly Wage: $30.72 per hour
Famous Irish playwright, author, and poet Oscar Wilde once said that “with age comes wisdom”. With just over a half century of experience, seniors have plenty of wisdom to share. So why not make some extra cash while sharing everything you’ve learned from life as a life coach?
In a general sense, a life coach is a professional that helps others better manage the problem areas in their life. From coaching people through addiction to helping improve relationships, life coaches can cover a broad range of problems. If you don’t feel like you have enough knowledge and/or experience to specialize in a particular problem area, you are able to take a more all-encompassing approach to coaching.
Unless it includes a major physical element like sports coaching, most types of life coaching scale well to remote work. With software like Zoom and Google Calendar, it is easy to arrange weekly virtual meetings with clients in either a group or one-on-one setting.
2. Music Teacher
Hourly Wage: $25 per hour
If you have a love of music or enjoy playing an instrument on a regular basis, don’t let that passion and/or talent go to waste. Help nurture the talent of young musicians and earn some money while doing so.
Generally, a music teacher helps foster the musical talent of students. This is done by teaching students the basics of music, along with instructing them on how to play an instrument or ways of training their voice for singing.
While most people associate teachers with a public-school setting, it is easy to set up private one-on-one lessons remotely with a web camera, microphone, and some basic presentation software.
3. Notary Signing Agent
Hourly Wage: $19 per hour
The process of notarization, the act of vetting and certifying transactions by an impartial third-party, plays an important part in deterring fraud among big business. This impartial third-party is known as a notary. As such, a notary signing agent is a type of notary that’s specifically trained to deal with loan documents.
Even if you don’t have any knowledge on the job, it is easy to get started. The National Notary Association estimates that it takes up to four weeks to receive certification as a traditional notary. After completing certification, the process to become an online notary can take as little as two more weeks.
4. Personal Chef
Hourly Wage: $30 per hour
Do you fancy yourself an exceptional cook? Then there is no time like the present to use your culinary skills to earn some extra pocket money.
The job of a personal chef is slightly more involved than preparing meals for clients. Personal chefs work closely with their clients, be it a single person or a small family, to plan out meals based on dietary needs and preferences, along with shopping for ingredients.
Those who plan to do everything remotely will also be responsible for:
- Preparing meals in advance;
- Packing meals to avoid spoiling;
- Labeling meal packages, and;
- Delivering the completed meals to the client.
5. Party Planner
Hourly Wage: $28 per hour
A lot of work goes into throwing a successful party. However, not everybody has the time or passion to do it themselves. Rather than let the party flounder, some individuals, families, and corporations look to professional party planners for help. And if you have a passion for planning and organization, there isn’t a better side hustle around.
Party planners work with clients to plan out and ultimately put on a party that:
- Stays on-budget;
- Meets the client’s requests, and;
- Is enjoyable for all attendees.
Meetings with the client and arranging food and entertainment can be done remotely. However, there are certain aspects of the job — like looking over the venue or setting up the party — that will need a personal touch.
Find a Side Hustle That Works for You
Side hustles aren’t exclusive to the younger generations. If you would like some extra pocket money, feel free to explore what is available in your local gig economy. A simple online search is all you need to find jobs in your area.
During your search, it is beneficial to consider the time commitment, pay, and possible requirements. Find a side hustle that works for you, not the other way around.
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