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There’s good news if you’re looking for a job that meets your needs and preferences as you grow older. The number of openings for jobs that are “age-friendly” increased by 49 million positions between 1990 and 2020, according to a new report from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
To determine what makes a job age-friendly, researchers looked at U.S. Department of Labor descriptions of 873 occupations to find ones with qualities older adults indicate they prefer. Those characteristics include schedule flexibility, telecommuting options, fewer physical job demands, a comfortable pace of work, autonomy on the job, paid time off, teamwork, job training opportunities and work that is meaningful.
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It turns out that making jobs more suitable for older adults benefits workers of all ages, the researchers say, with younger college graduates and women also flocking to the professions that were found to be the most age-friendly. “[T]he creation of age-friendly jobs is effectively part of a broader policy of creating good jobs,” the report says.
The following 10 jobs are the occupations that were identified as the most age-friendly. Clicking on the “Find jobs” link will take you to a list of the current postings available in that field on the AARP Job Board. (Occupations without a link on the job title tend to be freelance or contract work and thus have fewer postings on the job board.) All wage data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
1. Tour and travel guide
- Average hourly wage: $16.56
- Find tour and travel guide jobs
While these jobs can sometimes require a fair amount of walking and generally can’t be done remotely, they still are age-friendly because of the flexible hours. If you’ve spent years getting acquainted with the details and history of your city, nearby parks or museums, becoming a tour guide can be a friendly way to turn that knowledge into income.
2. Transportation ticket agent
- Average hourly wage: $21.84
- Find transportation ticket agent jobs
While many people book their own travel online, there still are jobs for travel agents who can help customers plan trips and make reservations, which can be especially valuable when airlines cancel flights. One perk of this job is that many of the companies offer employee discounts for personal travel.
3. Receptionist
- Average hourly wage: $16.33
- Find receptionist jobs
There is still steady demand for receptionists, even though the number of jobs available in this field isn’t expected to increase much in the near future. Paid time off and light physical demands are some of the qualities that make these jobs age-friendly.
4. Advertising sales agent
- Average hourly wage: $28.10
- Find advertising jobs
Most of the new jobs in this field are for internet and other types of digital advertising. That means you’ll need both the creativity to get customers’ attention and an understanding of where and how to find them online.
5. Secretary
- Average hourly wage: $21.19
- Find secretary jobs
This traditional office job has gained new energy in recent years by adding the option to work from home. The typical duties of light administrative and clerical tasks are still the same but the added flexibility can give the job fresh appeal.
