The 12 Best Jobs for Women Over 50 — and How to Get Them

Fifty and up is a great time to be looking for a job. Your life experiences allow you to know where your talents are, what you love to do and what you can't imagine spending 40 hours a week doing. 

Whether you're looking for a part-time gig to make some extra money or a new, full-time career to carry you through the rest of your professional life, these are the top-rated jobs for women aged 50 years and older, according to various sources. 

Financial Advisors provide clients with advice on investments, taxes, insurance policies and other personal finance topics. This role can be rewarding because Financial Advisors function as a helping hand to people trying to meet personal and financial goals. It is the perfect job for women over 50 because it is built on foundational knowledge about finances you've perhaps gathered with your life experience. Additionally, Financial Advisors tend to be self-employed and, as a result, have flexible schedules and goals. One Financial Advisor may build a practice out of their home that is just big enough to meet their own financial goals and work only a few days a week, while another may build a practice large enough to hire administrative assistances or an office space. It's a job that you can fit to you. 

A career in Financial Advising is best for people who are extroverted, love creating personal relationships, value flexibility and setting one's own goals, have an interest in personal finance and have a Bachelors degree. 

Real Estate Agents have the exciting job of helping clients buy, sell and rent properties. This job can include a variety of tasks, from preparing paperwork to showing a space to hosting open houses to negotiating deals. A job in Real Estate is the perfect fit for the over 50 demographic because it relies on strong communication and relationship building skills — both of which can be strongest after decades of interpersonal experiences. Real Estate agents tend to have flexible, odd hours and an exciting pace of work. As an often commission-based role, Real Estate Agents enjoy agency to control their income and workload. 

Being a Real Estate Agent is best for individuals who are natural business minds, who are creative, great communicators (and negotiators!), extroverted and self-starting. They tend to enjoy autonomy and working for oneself. A job as a Real Estate Agent often require real estate courses and passing a licensing exam. 

Freelance writers write for organizations of all types, usually on individual projects or longer-term contracts. Freelance writers generally choose a topic (or topics) of interest that are knowledgeable about and contribute anything from blog posts and marketing copy to curriculums and ghost written books on that topic. They may find work by pitching individual publications or blogs, answering classified ads or joining a writers' marketplace like Fiverr. Pursuing Freelance Writing can be a great path for women over 50 who are knowledgeable about a field they no longer want to work in, who have always loved writing and want to make it a career, or who have a knack for communication and want to start their own business. 

Freelance Writing tends to be best for people who consider themselves creative, flexible, strong communicators and self-starting. They tend to enjoy the benefits of the gig economy — like self-scheduling — and feel less pulled by the benefits of full-time employment. A job in Freelance Writing doesn't require any formal education, although a strong grasp on different disciplines of writing and a strong personal website are useful. 

If you have a passion for education or have raised kids to do their homework well, a job as a Tutor can be the perfect new track for your career. Tutors can be self-employed or employed through a business — either a small, independent business or a larger business like Kumon. They help students of all ages with topics from reading to standardized tests. A job in Tutoring allows you to focus in on a topic you are knowledgeable about or enjoy teaching — often without the additional baggage or tight scheduling of a traditional teaching job. Tutoring can be extremely rewarding, both in that you are helping people reach their goals and in that you are building what are sometimes lifelong relationships. 

A job tutoring is best for people with exceptional communication and instruction skills, who are organized, patient and flexible. The requirements for tutoring change depending on where you're hoping to work. 

Building or association managers coordinate and manage the goings on of a property — whether it's a residential building or community, an office building or a clubhouse. Their jobs include administrative tasks like registering tenants and dispersing bills, interpersonal tasks like hiring contractors or providing tours, and event planning tasks like hosting holiday parties or tenant meet ups.  A job as a building manager often means interpersonal and tangibly impactful work with a group of people you may build lifelong relationships with. It often comes with unpredictable hours and tasks, which can make the work exciting and also flexible. 

Being a building manager is best for people who are extremely organized, task-oriented and value work with an ever-changing nature. Being extroverted or just loving people is a huge perk. Any type of management experience — especially professionally — can be helpful in securing a role in building management. 

Tour Guides take people on tours of anything from a historical street or shopping district to a local museum or library. They can guide walking tours, bicycle tours, bus tours or anything in between! The major benefits of a job as a Tour Guide for women over 50 is it allows you to tap into several things you are passionate about — from how you like to move through the world to a topic or space in your area that you're passionate about. Tour guides can be employed by local landmarks or governments, tour businesses or themselves. 

Tour Guide jobs are best for people who are extroverted and natural performers. Great tour guides are personable, strong oral communicators and knowledgeable about both the tour they're giving and the topic it pertains to more generally. The requirements for being a tour guide can change dramatically depending on where you are trying to work. 

Counselors use certified counseling methods to help the individuals they work with overcome emotional and mental challenges. They provide counseling sessions to patients in which they devise treatment plans and create coping strategies. Counselors can work in many environments, including hospitals, schools, mental health practices and more. This job is great for individuals over 50 who have had a wealth of interpersonal experiences, overcome their own hardships and have a passion for helping others. 

Great Counselors are strong listeners who are compassionate and good at assessing others' needs. They are natural problem solvers who like applying their analytical minds to real life issues and are driven by helping others. Counselors often pursue graduate-level degrees in their specialization of choice, although in some roles, certification processes are available instead. 

Personal trainers guide their clients through their fitness practice, whether their goal is to lose weight, build muscle or build health in another way. They usually work with clients to create individual exercise plans and provide supplemental nutritional information (although they are not usually registered dietitians). Working as a Personal Trainer can be a great job for anyone over the age of 50 who has a practiced passion for fitness — you have likely tried a variety of exercise and diet plans, and have foundational beliefs on how to approach fitness. This job is immediately impactful — it allows you to help people achieve some of their most intimate goals and work towards better physical and mental health. Personal Trainers can be self-employed or may work for a gym or other fitness organization. 

A great Personal Trainer has a true love for health, is a motivating communicator, is patient and enjoys working with people from all walks of life. They are organized, compassionate and interested in really getting to know the needs and desires of their clients. Personal Trainers generally need to take a certification course and train in CPR. 

Motor Vehicle Operators drive the vehicles that make life happen — from buses to delivery trucks. They can work for a variety of businesses and organizations to complete a variety of tasks. However, jobs in Motor Vehicle Operation share a variety of positive traits. It is a generally sedentary job that often has alternative schedules, perfect for someone who isn't interested in a 9 to 5. Being a Motor Vehicle Operator usually requires technical training and licensure, depending on the role, so Operators are usually offered a strong compensation. Many people over 50 are well-prepared for this role — they've been driving for decades, they have experience reacting quickly to problems on the road and they are perhaps more mature (and, as a result, disciplined) than their younger counterparts. 

A great Motor Vehicle Operator is detail-oriented, organized, punctual and a natural problem-solver who enjoys spending time on the road. They are often required to have certain licenses depending on the vehicle they are operating and the state they are working in. 

Lab technicians are skilled workers who perform tests or work with technical procedures in a medical or scientific laboratory. Depending on the type of role, Laboratory Technicians may perform tests on bodily fluids, study certain specimen or conduct experiments. Being a lab tech is a great role for women who are 50 or older who enjoy structure and dedicating themselves to a worthy cause. The job provides stable, routine work that has the chance to impact other peoples' health and wellness. 

Good Laboratory Technicians are strong collaborators, natural problem solvers and highly organized with a careful attention to detail. They generally have an Associate's Degree and have obtained the licensing and certifications required for the specific type of technician role they're looking for. 

It's a bad stereotype that older folks don't know how to use technology like their younger colleagues — and there's no better way to prove people wrong than taking up a role as a Computer Support Specialist. Support Specialists provide training, help and advice to individuals and organizations on computer softwares and other computer equipment. This role is great for people over 50 who are looking for work that looks a little different everyday and that builds on a lifetime of developing communication and collaboration skills. 

Good Computer Support Specialists are friendly, quick learners who are great at communicating orally and in writing. They love learning something new and sharing it with the people around them. While some Specialist jobs require Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science or a related field, others have a lower barrier to entry, like a High School diploma or its equivalent. 

Entrepreneurs take a business idea and make it a reality. Being an entrepreneur can be an amazing option for individuals over 50 who have always had a solution to a common problem, who have a passion they'd like to monetize, or who are passionate about building a personal venture from scratch. It provides the autonomy to make your own schedule, be your own boss and pursue something you've perhaps put on the back burner for too long!  Entrepreneurship is a diverse career path. Entrepreneurs may start a small brick and mortar business or online brand. They may fundraise or start with their own capital. They may work on their part-time or full-time.

Great entrepreneurs are creative problem solvers with a stick-to-it attitude. They are collaborative, confident and strong decision makers. There's no education required to be an entrepreneur, although experience in the school of life never hurts.