Submit Link To This Article or It's Content To Your Personal Blogs

ook around the bank, the bookshop, drugstore and doctor’s office. Jobs once filled by 25-year-olds now go to older adults. Industries facing labor shortages realize that older candidates are more reliable, experienced and have a strong work ethic -- and they are available. That’s why you see so many 50-plus bank tellers, customer service representatives, accountants, medical technicians -- now even Starbucks baristas.

Some of these “age-friendly” jobs pay as much as $70 an hour. Many offer excellent health benefits plus flexible schedules that appeal to retirees seeking to earn extra income yet still leave time for travel, hobbies, volunteering and visiting grandchildren.

Over the next decade, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the number of workers over age 55 to grow at five times the rate of the overall workforce. The demand is already here. At RetirementJobs.com, the Web site that I work for, more than 30,000 jobs are listed, with more than 500 employers actively seeking older adults. The Web site also includes advice on résumé-writing, interviewing and online learning opportunities to retrain or update your skills.

As a start, here are some of the fastest-growing industries eager to hire mature workers, with pay rates of about $10 an hour or better. Salary.com, the online compensation consulting firm, provided the median hourly wages.

STAFFING COMPANIES

You may not think of temp agencies as employers, but companies like Manpower, Robert Half International, Kelly Services and Adecco offer some of the highest paid professional and managerial limited-duration contract work.

Workers with relevant experience and background can expect $30 to $70 an hour for project work in accounting, engineering, human resources, law, information technology and project management. Clerical and administrative jobs can pay from $9 to $16 an hour for entry-level to skilled administrative positions. Computer skills are a must, but companies often provide training.

HEALTH CARE

With an aging US population, there’s a huge need for health-care workers in hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, laboratories and patients’ homes. Many jobs don’t require special training, certification or hands-on patient care. Clerical workers can earn up to $15 an hour. Higher-level administrators and managers, who supervise staff and plan work, earn from $20 to $25, sometimes more. Jobs involving patient care, such as nursing, as well as physical and occupational therapy, pay well but usually require at least an associate’s degree and a license. Assistants to physical therapists and occupational therapists earn nearly $20 an hour and dental hygienists around $30 an hour. Nurses are among the most sought-after health workers, earning $20 to $60 or more an hour depending on training and specialization.

There’s a big demand now for pharmacists. But if you don’t have a doctor of pharmacy degree and license, consider that chains like CVS provide training for pharmacy aides and technicians and pay about $14 an hour.

Demand is strong for home health-care and personal aides, some positions not even requiring a high school diploma, with hourly wages up to $11 for personal care and up to $15 for advanced care. (Go to the Web site of large home health agencies in your area and contact them for job listings.)

ACCOUNTING AND TAX PREPARATION

There’s a very large demand for accountants due to increased regulations created in response to the collapse of the energy-trading company Enron. Trained accountants with a bachelor’s degree in business can earn $25 to $40 an hour, with temporary, contract or full-time positions available. If you lack the educational credentials, but are handy with numbers and details, tax preparation firms like H&R Block provide training and pay $15 to $30 an hour depending on education and experience. You’ll stay busy from December through April.

INSURANCE, INVESTMENT AND BANKING SERVICES

Financial institutions, such as Fidelity, John Hancock and Vanguard, have learned that their customers don’t want a 20-something telling them how to handle their money. Some office-support positions don’t require a college degree. Other positions, such as financial analyst, require a business degree and industry-specific licensing and certification. (Or they need to know that you are working toward those designations.) Entry-level workers at investment companies can expect $12 to $18 an hour, and $15 to $25 for technical or licensed jobs. Sales commissions often plump up those hourly wages.

Jobs are available at banking and lending institutions at all levels -- from bank tellers and customer service reps earning $10 to $15 an hour... up to $30 for loan officers... and from $20 to $35 for supervisors and managers with backgrounds and education in business, finance or accounting.

SPECIALTY RETAIL

Specialty stores selling sporting goods, cosmetics, office supplies, furniture and electronics (such as Eastern Mountain Sports, Sephora, Staples, IKEA and Best Buy) offer flexible schedules with good benefits, a pleasant environment and wages of $15 to $25 an hour.

Examples: Barnes & Noble likes to hire retired librarians, teachers and others with a passion for books. Starbucks just earned our “age-friendly” employer designation because of the company’s generous health benefits, even for employees working just 20 hours a week.

GENERAL RETAIL

If selling and customer service are your strengths, check out general merchandisers like Macy’s and even grocery chains like Safeway and Trader Joe’s. Wages start at $7 to $22 an hour for sales associates and customer service representatives and can range from $10 to $29 an hour at the supervisory/managerial level.

GOVERNMENT

From 2000 to 2007, more than half of senior-level federal executives left their jobs or retired, and many workforce experts predict labor shortages in the federal workforce. State and local governments face a similar challenge.

Federal jobs are scattered all around the country and cover a huge range of professions. Jobs listed recently on our Web site ranged from management analyst to translator to summer playground leader. Pay depends on qualifications and experience, but many openings are expected from entry-level to managerial and professional. Agencies such as the IRS, Peace Corps and US Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance are seeking age 50-plus adults for seasonal, part-time and full-time work.

TRANSPORTATION

Got a good driving record? There are nearly 3,000 openings for drivers posted at RetirementJobs.com -- for example, with Schneider National, Inc., the nation’s largest truckload carrier. Just type in your zip code and the keyword “driver” to see what’s available. Drivers are needed for limousines, school buses, medical transport vehicles -- even tractor trailers. Training is often provided, although special licenses may be needed. Expect $10 to $15 an hour for small vehicles and $12 to $24 an hour for larger trucks.