Top 10 Ways to Make Money in Your 50s

Approaching retirement doesn't rule out earning extra income. A flexible side hustle, using existing space to generate revenue, or starting to invest are all practical options that don't require full-time commitment.

Entry-Level Investing

• Ease of Entry: Easy
• Earnings Potential: Low–High
• Flexibility: Very High

For anyone approaching retirement, investing is worth starting regardless of available capital. Apps like Stash, Fidelity, Vanguard, and Robinhood handle traditional investments automatically, while Coinbase and Gemini cover crypto. Many allow investing to begin with as little as $10.00.

Earning Sites

• Ease of Entry: Very Easy
• Earnings Potential: Low–Medium
• Flexibility: Very High

Earning sites — sometimes called task platforms — pay users to complete short tasks online, including answering surveys, trying new games, and testing products. Most tasks work on mobile.

Freecash is rated 4.7 on Trustpilot from over 282119 reviews. Withdrawals are available via PayPal and bank transfer. Sign-up is free using Google or Facebook.

Child Care

• Ease of Entry: Easy
• Earnings Potential: High
• Flexibility: Moderate

Paid child care opportunities have grown alongside demand from families where both parents work. The work is hard and the hours depend on the arrangement — daytime or evening, full-time nanny or occasional sitter — but flexibility in choosing gigs makes it manageable around other commitments.

Platforms like Care.com make it straightforward to create a profile and find local child care work without going through an agency.

Odd Jobs

• Ease of Entry: Moderate
• Earnings Potential: High
• Flexibility: High

Platforms like TaskRabbit connect people with paid local tasks — moving heavy items, assembling furniture, and general errands — without requiring a specific trade or technical background. Knowing a trade opens up higher-paying work, but it's not a prerequisite to get started.

TV and Movie Extra Work

• Ease of Entry: Easy
• Earnings Potential: Low
• Flexibility: High

Film crews regularly need background performers, and people in their 50s and older are often in short supply. Pay runs around $100.00 per day of filming — not a primary income source, but a worthwhile addition alongside other options.

Agencies like Central Casting, or a locally-focused equivalent, are the standard route to getting registered. Work is irregular but requires no prior experience.

Rideshare or Delivery

• Ease of Entry: Moderate
• Earnings Potential: High
• Flexibility: Very High

Drivers with a vehicle can sign up to platforms like Uber or DoorDash and choose their own hours. Work is plentiful, customer interaction is minimal, and both industries continue to grow.

The main friction at the start is getting set up correctly and understanding tax obligations. Requirements vary by state — the platform's onboarding process typically points new drivers toward the relevant local resources.

Rent Out a Room or Car

• Ease of Entry: Moderate
• Earnings Potential: High
• Flexibility: High

A spare room listed on Airbnb or an underused car listed on Turo can generate several hundred dollars a month with limited ongoing effort.

Car rental through Turo is close to passive once listed. Room rental through Airbnb involves roughly an hour a day for messages, guest check-ins, and cleaning — worth factoring in before treating it as hands-off income.

Selling Crafts

• Ease of Entry: Easy
• Earnings Potential: Moderate
• Flexibility: High

Etsy has made it viable to earn steady income from handmade goods. The platform covers an enormous range of products — painted commissions, personalised jewelry, crochet work, and more — so there's a buyer market for most crafts regardless of how niche they are.

Starting with a small, competitively priced range and focusing on fulfilling orders and building ratings is the most reliable path to becoming established. Profitability comes once the shop has reviews and repeat buyers.

Pet Sitting and Walking

• Ease of Entry: Very Easy
• Earnings Potential: Moderate
• Flexibility: High

Pet sitting and walking suits anyone free during standard working hours. Demand from busy professionals with pets is consistent, and the work combines paid time with outdoor activity.

Local advertising through NextDoor or listing on dedicated platforms like Rover and Wag are both effective starting points. Specific pets or clients that aren't a good fit can be declined, keeping the work manageable.

Notary

• Ease of Entry: Hard
• Earnings Potential: High
• Flexibility: Low

Becoming a notary requires a course and an exam — searching "become notary + your state" surfaces dozens of options — and qualification costs up to $400.00. Once qualified, the work itself is straightforward: attend as a witness, verify IDs, and oversee document signing. Online platforms like OneNotary make remote notary work possible, though in-person work typically pays more.

How to Make Money in Your 50s