Unretiring? 4 Best Jobs To Ease Back into Work in Retirement
Written by
Jordan Rosenfeld
Edited by
Ashleigh Ray
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With careful planning, many retirees can find themselves in retirement exactly how they envisioned it. However, unexpected costs and life events can sometimes put a retiree in the position to have to “unretire” and go back to work part time.
If you’ve set aside a long career or stepped out of work you haven’t done in a while, it can be difficult to figure out how to get back into the routine at this late stage of the game.
Chad Gammon, a certified financial planner (CFP) with Custom Fit Financial, offered some suggestions for jobs and ways to get back into work.
A Hobby or Interest Turned Job
If you’ve always had a hobby or an interest that could lend itself to work, Gammon said that sometimes you can parlay this into a money-making path or job.
Gammon has some personal experience in this, having retired from information technology (IT) after twenty-five years in it, but not exactly retiring from work.
For him, personal finance had always been a passion, so when he was ready to set down the IT work, he made a pivot into the line of work that felt right to him, which he can carry into true retirement.
Consulting Based on Your Former Career
Additionally, if you worked in a field where you can offer consulting for others, drawing on your years of wisdom, Gammon suggested, “… that sometimes can be kind of a perfect bridge of staying involved in that industry that you’re in, but maintaining a flexible part-time schedule.”
He continued, “If you’ve got years in engineering or years in operations or something like that, a lot of times people will do that and go into that for like 20 hours per week. You can dial that up or down as you need it.”
Seasonal or Travel Related Work
Though going back to work after retiring might feel disappointing, Gammon said that some people might be able to incorporate travel into their part-time unretirement.
“I know a lot of people who do seasonal jobs,” said Gammon. “I’ve got a retired friend that went out to Utah to help teach skiing and then went to another place to do biking trips and things like that.
“So, you can be creative a bit too, really thinking outside the box and maybe doing other kinds of seasonal part-time work,” he added.
Jobs That Require Low or Flexible Commitment
Other jobs that are great for retirees returning to work are those that require a low commitment or have flexible hours, so that you can continue to enjoy some of the benefits of your retirement life.
Some of these, as GOBankingRates has previously reported, include things like substitute teaching, delivery driving (using platforms like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash), caregiving, pet sitting and more.
More for Retirees To Consider
Be Aware of Income’s Effect on Social Security Benefits
While it’s great to get back into work, be careful that you don’t earn so much that you threaten your Social Security benefits.
According to the Social Security Administration (as of 2024), if you’re still below the full retirement age (FRA), you are limited to earning no more than $59,520 annually while you are earning Social Security benefits.
Once you reach FRA, you can earn as much as you like, though do keep your tax bracket in mind, as well. Speaking with a tax planning professional or financial advisor can help you balance these issues.
Reap the Benefits of Social Contact
In addition to bringing in more income, Gammon pointed out that going back to work can bring with it all the additional benefits that come with social time.
“I know a lot of retirees miss the people that they work with, and they don’t realize that until they leave,” he said. “So, it’s nice to still have that relationship.”
Gammon noted, “… it also is just helpful too from a schedule perspective; even if you’re working 10 hours a week, at least it provides some schedule which has benefits as well.”
While unretiring might not feel ideal, it doesn’t have to carry with it the same burdens you may have felt when working full time.
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