Encore Careers: How to Find Meaningful Work After Retirement
May 09, 2025
What is an encore career?
An encore career is mission-driven work that professionals aged 55-65 pursue after their primary career ends, typically involving 10-30 hours weekly in roles that leverage decades of experience while creating meaningful community impact. These careers combine flexible income with purpose, allowing you to contribute expertise through nonprofit leadership, teaching, consulting, or mission-based entrepreneurship without the pressure and time demands of traditional full-time employment.
Here's what you'll learn in this guide:
- What makes an encore career different from traditional retirement work
- How to identify meaningful work that aligns with your values and expertise
- Real encore career paths professionals 55-70 are successfully pursuing in 2025-2026
- Practical steps to transition smoothly from full retirement into your second act
Recent data shows 67% of Americans aged 55-75 plan to work past traditional retirement age, up from 62% in 2023. Encore careers provide the framework for doing this work on your terms.
Your encore career should energize rather than exhaust you. In the following sections, we'll show you how to identify the right path, leverage your professional experience, and build a second act that delivers both meaning and financial confidence.
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What Is an Encore Career? (And What It's Not)
An encore career is more than just "working after retirement." It's a strategic choice to pursue work that matters to you and creates measurable impact for others, typically requiring 10-30 hours weekly rather than full-time commitment.
It's not about returning to corporate pressure or accepting low-wage jobs to stay busy. And while volunteering offers its own rewards, an encore career provides structured compensation alongside mission fulfillment. Think of it as contribution with fair pay, purpose without overwhelming pressure, and work designed around your retirement lifestyle rather than dictating it.
After 30 years as a CFO navigating corporate demands, I discovered that the most fulfilling second-act work comes from redirecting professional expertise toward causes that genuinely matter, not from recreating the intensity of peak career years.
Key Traits of an Encore Career
Encore careers come in many forms, but they tend to share a few defining qualities:
- Purpose-driven with mission alignment
You're doing work that creates meaningful impact, whether mentoring emerging professionals, supporting underserved communities, advancing causes you care about, or solving problems that matter beyond profit. - Built on existing professional strengths
Rather than starting from scratch, most encore careers leverage your decades of accumulated expertise, industry knowledge, and leadership capabilities. You bring immediate value through experience that can't be taught in classrooms. - Flexible structure with manageable hours
These roles are typically part-time (10-30 hours weekly), project-based with defined scopes, or seasonal with built-in breaks. No more 60-hour workweeks or constant availability expectations that defined your peak career years. - Fairly compensated for your expertise
Yes, you can and should earn income that reflects your value. Many encore careers offer $20,000-60,000 annually for part-time work, providing financial confidence without requiring full-time commitment.
Examples of Real Encore Careers in 2025-2026
To give you a clearer picture, here are encore career paths professionals aged 55-70 are successfully pursuing:
- Fractional executive leadership
Serve as a part-time CFO, COO, or strategic advisor for nonprofits, startups, or small mission-driven businesses. These roles typically pay $50-150 hourly for 10-20 hours weekly, letting you provide high-level guidance without full-time operational responsibility. - Specialized teaching and training
Share your expertise in community colleges, corporate training programs, or online education platforms. Retirees with business, technical, or trade expertise are particularly valued in adult education, professional development, and skills-based certification programs. - Coaching and professional mentoring
Guide others through career transitions, leadership challenges, or business growth using frameworks you've proven throughout your career. Many coaches charge $75-200 per session while maintaining complete schedule control. - Mission-driven entrepreneurship
Launch purpose-based businesses around causes you care about—sustainability consulting, wellness programs for aging populations, educational services, or businesses specifically serving the retirement community. The SCORE "Encore Entrepreneurs 2025" report notes a 24% rise in founders aged 55-70 launching these ventures.
An encore career isn't about going backward to recreate your past. It's about moving forward with clarity, leveraging what you've learned, and contributing in ways that align with who you are now.
Discovering Your "New Why" in Retirement
Finding the right encore career doesn't start with job boards or networking events—it starts with honest reflection about what truly matters to you at this stage of life.
Retirement gives you something your working years couldn't: uninterrupted time to ask fundamental questions about purpose, contribution, and legacy. What you choose to do next should feel aligned not just with your professional skills, but with your deepest values and the impact you want to create.
Before exploring specific opportunities, reconnect with your "why."
Questions to Clarify Your Direction
These prompts can help you uncover what would feel genuinely fulfilling in your second act:
- Which causes or communities genuinely move you?
Is it education access? Environmental sustainability? Supporting fellow retirees through transitions? Veterans? Youth development? Healthcare equity? Identify the issues that consistently capture your attention and concern. - Who do you most enjoy helping and why?
Do you energize when mentoring young professionals? Supporting small business owners? Teaching practical skills? Advising nonprofit leaders? Your ideal audience shapes your encore path significantly. - What would make a week feel meaningful and energizing?
Visualize a typical week that leaves you fulfilled rather than drained. Are you writing and creating content? Advising leaders one-on-one? Facilitating workshops? Managing projects? Building something tangible? Being part of a collaborative team? - What professional expertise do you want to keep using?
After decades developing specialized knowledge, which capabilities do you want to continue leveraging? Strategic planning? Financial analysis? Operations management? Sales and relationship building? Technical skills? Creative problem-solving?
Document your answers without self-editing. Patterns and priorities will emerge that point toward your authentic encore direction.
Life Experience = Your Competitive Advantage
One of the most powerful aspects of encore careers is that they transform your accumulated experience into immediate impact:
- You don't need new credentials to get started
You've already earned the expertise through decades of application. What you need now is clarity about how to redirect those capabilities toward mission-focused work that energizes you. - Your experience provides perspective organizations desperately need
You've navigated multiple economic cycles, led through crises, managed complex stakeholder relationships, and solved problems that can't be learned from textbooks. This wisdom is invaluable to nonprofits, startups, and community organizations. - Legacy isn't always measured in dollars
It's measured in the professionals you mentor, the organizations you strengthen, the communities you serve, and the positive changes that continue after you've stepped back. Encore careers let you intentionally build this legacy.
Whether you're advising a nonprofit, teaching practical skills, helping entrepreneurs navigate challenges, or building a purpose-driven venture, your encore path can create ripple effects that extend far beyond your direct involvement.
Matching Your Experience to Purpose-Driven Opportunities
You don't need to reinvent yourself to launch an encore career. The most successful second-act professionals build on what they already know—their professional strengths, industry expertise, and hard-won leadership capabilities.
Think of your encore career as a strategic bridge connecting your accumulated experience with organizations and causes that need exactly what you bring.
How to Audit Your Transferable Expertise
Start by cataloging the capabilities you've developed over decades, organized into categories that translate across industries:
- Technical/functional skills – financial analysis, project management, sales strategy, operations, technology implementation, regulatory compliance, marketing, human resources
- Leadership capabilities – strategic planning, decision-making under uncertainty, team building, crisis management, stakeholder communication, change leadership
- Interpersonal strengths – mentoring and developing others, negotiation, conflict resolution, building trust, facilitating groups, client relationship management
- Domain expertise – deep industry knowledge, regulatory understanding, market dynamics, competitive intelligence, specialized technical knowledge
📝 Practical approach:
- Create a comprehensive skills inventory listing what you're demonstrably good at and what genuinely energizes you (these aren't always the same).
- Request feedback from former colleagues, clients, or mentees about your distinctive strengths—what did people consistently come to you for?
- Review past performance evaluations, project successes, or client testimonials to identify patterns in what you delivered exceptionally well.
The goal isn't recreating your resume—it's understanding what unique value you bring now and how you want to deploy it in this chapter.
Connecting Your Skills with Mission-Driven Needs
Once you have clarity on your expertise, identify organizations and causes that would genuinely benefit from what you offer. Here are strategic matches to consider:
- Financial/accounting background → Fractional CFO for nonprofits, financial literacy programs for underserved communities, treasurer roles on nonprofit boards, grant financial management
- Operations/project management → Help mission-driven organizations streamline processes, manage growth initiatives, implement systems, or lead strategic projects with defined scopes and timelines
- Sales/business development → Fundraising consulting for nonprofits, helping social enterprises scale, teaching entrepreneurship, supporting small business owners through mentorship programs
- Healthcare/medical background → Patient advocacy, community wellness program development, health education, care navigation services for aging populations
- Teaching/training expertise → Adult education, workforce development programs, professional skills training, creating educational content for underserved communities
- Technology/digital skills → Digital literacy training for seniors, helping nonprofits modernize systems, online education platform development, accessibility consulting
You don't have to change who you are—you just have to channel your proven expertise toward work that creates the impact you want to see in the world.
Best Encore Career Paths for Retirees (That Pay and Inspire)
Encore careers aren't just "nice to have"—they're actively needed. Mission-driven organizations across every sector are seeking professionals like you: experienced, reliable, strategically minded, and ready to contribute without requiring decades of runway to add value.
You bring something early-career professionals simply can't: proven judgment, hard-won perspective, and the confidence that comes from navigating real-world complexity. This makes you exceptionally valuable in the right contexts.
High-Demand Sectors for Purpose-Driven Second Acts
These fields actively welcome professionals aged 55-70 who want work that matters:
- Nonprofit and foundation leadership
Take on strategic roles in program development, operations management, fundraising strategy, board service, or executive advisory positions. Many nonprofits specifically seek experienced professionals for 10-25 hour weekly fractional leadership roles. - Education and skills development
Community colleges, corporate training programs, workforce development initiatives, and online education platforms consistently need subject matter experts. Popular areas include business fundamentals, technical skills, financial literacy, and career transition coaching. - Coaching and advisory services
Leverage your career journey to guide others through professional transitions, leadership challenges, entrepreneurship, or retirement planning. Many coaches build sustainable practices working 10-20 hours weekly at $75-200 per session. - Environmental and sustainability organizations
If you're concerned about leaving a better world for future generations, consider roles in conservation groups, clean energy initiatives, sustainable agriculture programs, or environmental education and advocacy. - Healthcare navigation and patient advocacy
Professionals with medical, insurance, or caregiving backgrounds are ideal for roles helping others navigate complex healthcare systems, particularly serving aging populations or chronic disease management. - Community development and local government
Your strategic planning and leadership capabilities can shape parks and recreation programs, senior services initiatives, economic development efforts, civic boards, and community planning. - Social enterprise and mission-driven businesses
For-profit businesses with clear social missions need experienced advisors and fractional executives. These hybrid organizations offer competitive compensation while pursuing measurable community impact.
Work Formats That Support Retirement Lifestyles
Encore careers work best when they flex to fit your priorities. Consider these formats:
- Part-time employment (10-30 hours weekly) – Provides structure, steady income, and team connection while preserving flexibility for travel and personal priorities
- Fractional/contract arrangements – Offer your expertise to multiple organizations on retained agreements, giving you variety and autonomy while commanding professional rates
- Project-based consulting – Take on defined initiatives with clear scopes and timelines, allowing you to work intensively then step back between engagements
- Teaching and facilitation – Share knowledge through workshops, courses, or speaking while controlling your calendar and choosing topics that energize you
- Hybrid volunteer-paid models – Many encore professionals donate some hours to causes they care about while getting compensated for specialized work that requires their unique expertise
In my experience transitioning from CFO to entrepreneur at 61, I discovered that the most sustainable encore work involves 15-25 hours weekly focused on high-impact activities rather than trying to replicate 40-50 hour work weeks from peak career years.
Encore careers prove you don't have to choose between purpose and paycheck—you can design work that delivers both while respecting the lifestyle flexibility you've earned.
Volunteering vs. Paid Encore Work: Finding Your Balance
When stepping into your second act, one question surfaces repeatedly: Should I volunteer my expertise or seek compensated work?
The honest answer is both approaches have merit, and there's no universally correct choice. What matters is understanding your financial situation, energy levels, and what you need from this chapter—then designing an approach that serves those realities.
Here's how to determine what makes sense for you, and why many professionals successfully blend both paths.
When Volunteering Creates Value
Volunteering can provide an ideal entry point into encore work, particularly if you're financially secure and want low-pressure exploration:
- Test potential directions without commitment
If you're uncertain which causes or roles energize you, volunteering exposes you to different organizations, missions, and work styles without long-term obligations. - Build credibility in new sectors
When transitioning from corporate work to nonprofit leadership or from one industry to another, volunteering demonstrates genuine commitment while you learn the landscape. - Create networking pathways
Connect with professionals in fields you're exploring, discover unadvertised opportunities, and build relationships that often lead to paid roles once organizations recognize your value. - Re-engage gradually after full retirement
If you've been completely retired for a period, volunteering helps rebuild work rhythm and structure on your terms before committing to compensated responsibilities.
When Paid Work Makes More Sense
If you need supplemental income or want professional accountability, pursuing compensated encore roles may be more appropriate:
- Your retirement savings require supplementation
Whether for essential expenses, lifestyle goals, healthcare costs, or supporting family members, steady encore income of $20,000-60,000 annually provides financial confidence. - You want professional structure and accountability
Many professionals miss being part of teams, solving complex problems, and having their expertise valued through fair compensation. Paid work validates your contributions. - You're ready for meaningful responsibility
Compensated roles typically come with clearer expectations, defined deliverables, and the satisfaction of knowing organizations invested resources to secure your expertise. - You want to establish yourself in a new field
Being paid positions you as a professional in your encore career, not a hobbyist or dabbler. This matters when building credibility and attracting future opportunities.
The Hybrid Approach: Strategic and Common
You don't need to choose exclusively between volunteering and paid work. Many successful encore professionals strategically combine both:
- Volunteer on a nonprofit board while consulting to similar organizations for compensation, bringing insights from both perspectives
- Offer pro bono work to causes you deeply care about while maintaining paid client relationships in adjacent areas
- Start with volunteering to learn an organization's needs, then transition into paid project work or fractional roles as they recognize your value
- Donate strategic advice while charging for implementation support or specialized services that require significant time investment
Your time and expertise have genuine value. Whether donated or compensated, the right encore path should feel rewarding, sustainable, and authentically aligned with both your financial realities and your desire to contribute meaningfully.
How to Plan a Smooth Transition into an Encore Career
Starting an encore career isn't just about identifying the right opportunity—it's about preparing for the transition with realistic planning, clear expectations, and attention to both practical and emotional considerations.
After spending decades in structured professional roles, moving into something new can feel uncertain even when it's exciting. That's why a thoughtful transition strategy makes the difference between stumbling forward and stepping confidently into your second act.
Create Your Encore Career Transition Framework
You don't need elaborate business plans or detailed projections—just a clear framework addressing key transition elements:
- Define your realistic timeline
Do you want to begin actively working within 4-8 weeks? Or explore opportunities gradually over 3-6 months while maintaining full retirement flexibility? Neither approach is wrong—clarity about pace prevents frustration and false starts. - Assess your financial runway
Even if your encore career will generate income, building momentum typically takes 2-4 months. Ensure your retirement savings and cash flow can support this ramp-up period without creating financial stress. - Align with family and key relationships
Whether it's a spouse expecting full retirement togetherness, adult children relying on your availability, or friends with established routines, discuss how your encore commitments will affect shared expectations and schedules. - Identify skill gaps worth addressing
If your target role requires technology proficiency, updated industry knowledge, or new communication platforms, invest 20-40 hours in focused skill development before actively pursuing opportunities. This builds confidence and reduces early friction. - Clarify your non-negotiables
What boundaries matter most? Maximum weekly hours? Travel limitations? Required income threshold? Technology you won't use? Being clear about dealbreakers helps you evaluate opportunities objectively.
Start Small: Test Before You Fully Commit
The smartest encore career launches begin with low-risk experimentation rather than immediate full commitment:
- Accept one small consulting project in your area of expertise (4-6 week engagement maximum)
- Tutor one student or lead one workshop to test your enjoyment of teaching
- Join a single nonprofit board or advisory committee to experience mission-driven governance
- Facilitate one peer learning circle or mastermind group to gauge your interest in group coaching
These pilot experiences provide invaluable data about what energizes you, what feels like obligation, and where you want to invest more deeply. You'll discover preferences and boundaries you couldn't have predicted from research alone.
Navigate the Psychological Transition
It's completely normal to feel hesitant when stepping into new territory in your 60s. Common internal resistance includes:
- "I'm too far removed from professional life to add value now"
- "I don't have the energy for learning new systems and processes"
- "Younger professionals won't respect guidance from someone my age"
These are normal transition thoughts, not objective reality. Counter them by focusing on what you demonstrably bring: strategic judgment from navigating decades of business cycles, emotional intelligence from leading through crises, and perspective that can only come from extensive real-world experience.
You're not starting over from scratch—you're redirecting accumulated expertise toward work that aligns with who you are now and the impact you want to create in this chapter.
Tools, Resources, and Support for Your Encore Career Journey
Launching an encore career doesn't require going it alone. The smartest approach involves leveraging platforms, communities, and resources specifically designed to support professionals 55+ transitioning into purpose-driven work.
From opportunity discovery to skill refreshers to professional presentation, the right resources accelerate your journey while reducing trial-and-error frustration.
Where to Find Mission-Aligned Opportunities
If you're wondering where to discover meaningful encore roles, these platforms specialize in purpose-driven work:
- CoGenerate.org (formerly Encore.org)
Following a 2024 merger, CoGenerate now serves as the central hub for second-act careers focused on social impact. The site offers fellowships, intergenerational partnership programs, inspiring stories, and curated opportunities specifically for professionals 50+. - Idealist.org
One of the most comprehensive databases for mission-driven positions in nonprofits, education, and social enterprises. Filter by location, remote options, part-time arrangements, and cause areas to find roles matching your criteria. - Catchafire.org
Excellent for skilled volunteering that can lead to paid relationships. Nonprofits post specific short-term projects—strategic planning, financial modeling, marketing strategy—and you contribute expertise on a flexible schedule while building portfolio and connections. - LinkedIn "Purpose Pathways" (Beta)
LinkedIn's 2025 initiative uses AI to recommend encore roles based on your career history, skills, volunteer experience, and stated cause interests. Set your profile to indicate interest in part-time or consulting arrangements.
Tools for Professional Positioning
Once you're ready to pursue specific opportunities, these resources help you present your experience effectively:
- Resume modernization platforms
Use AI-assisted tools like Teal HQ, Careerflow AI, or Canva's Resume Builder (2025 AI version) for contemporary templates emphasizing leadership, strategic impact, and transferable skills rather than chronological job histories. - LinkedIn profile optimization
Update your headline to reflect your encore direction using mission-impact keywords: "Fractional CFO for Nonprofits | 30+ Years Financial Leadership" or "Education Equity Advocate | Former School Administrator." Your summary should articulate your "why" and the specific value you bring to mission-driven organizations. - Personal positioning clarity
Tools like SCORE's "Encore Entrepreneurs 2025" resources or Stanford Longevity Center's "Work After 60" materials help you articulate your unique value proposition beyond generic resume bullets.
Skill Development and Community Support
For addressing specific capability gaps or connecting with fellow encore professionals:
- Targeted skill development
Platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and Skillshare offer focused courses (10-20 hours) on topics like nonprofit management, digital tools, coaching fundamentals, or modern project management approaches—enough to build confidence without requiring months of study. - Peer learning networks
Join communities like Wisdom Works Network where retirees collaborate on short-term purpose projects, or local SCORE chapters where experienced professionals mentor others while staying connected to business problem-solving. - Age-bias navigation tools
Resources like AARP's "Work Reimagined" program or RetirementJobs.com provide strategies for addressing potential age bias in applications and interviews, though mission-driven organizations typically value experience more than corporate employers.
You already possess the core expertise needed for encore success. These resources simply help you organize your approach, present your value effectively, and connect with opportunities faster than trial-and-error exploration alone.
Final Thoughts: There's No Age Limit on Creating Impact
Retirement isn't an ending—it's a strategic inflection point where you decide what comes next based on decades of accumulated wisdom about what truly matters.
You've spent your career building knowledge, developing judgment, and proving your capabilities. Now you have the opportunity to redirect that expertise toward work that feels genuinely meaningful, creates measurable community impact, and fits the lifestyle you've earned through decades of professional commitment.
Whether you're seeking structured purpose, supplemental income, continued professional engagement, or the satisfaction of building something that outlasts your direct involvement, an encore career offers what traditional full retirement often can't: ongoing contribution with complete autonomy over your terms of engagement.
Let's recap your path forward:
✅ Clarify your authentic "why" through honest reflection about values, causes, and the impact you want to create
✅ Inventory your transferable expertise and identify mission-driven organizations that genuinely need what you bring
✅ Explore specific opportunities in sectors actively seeking experienced professionals: nonprofits, education, coaching, fractional leadership, or purpose-driven entrepreneurship
✅ Start with pilot projects that let you test fit and build confidence before making larger commitments
This isn't about reinventing who you are or proving yourself all over again. It's about strategically deploying your proven capabilities toward work that energizes you while maintaining the flexibility retirement promises.
Your next chapter is waiting—and with clarity about your direction and the right resources, it can become the most professionally satisfying period of your career.
✅ Frequently Asked Questions
What is an encore career?
An encore career is purpose-driven work professionals aged 55-70 pursue after their primary career ends, combining meaningful contribution with flexible income. Unlike traditional employment, encore careers prioritize mission and legacy over maximizing earnings, typically involving 10-30 hours weekly in roles like nonprofit leadership, teaching, coaching, or mission-based consulting. These careers let you leverage decades of experience while maintaining the lifestyle flexibility retirement promises.
How is an encore career different from a retirement side hustle?
Encore careers focus on mission-driven contribution and legacy-building through structured work commitments, while side hustles prioritize flexible income generation with minimal commitment. Encore careers typically require 10-30 hours weekly in roles aligned with your values, often in nonprofits or community service. Side hustles offer 5-15 hours of work with complete schedule control, designed primarily to supplement retirement income rather than create lasting community impact.
Do encore careers require going back to school?
Most professionals aged 55-65 launch encore careers using their existing skills without additional degrees. Your decades of experience provide the foundation; you simply redirect expertise toward mission-focused organizations. If specific skills need updating, short online courses or certifications typically suffice. Platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and industry-specific workshops offer targeted skill refreshers, many free or low-cost, that prepare you for encore roles in weeks rather than years.
How long does it take to transition into an encore career?
Transition timelines vary based on your approach and financial situation. Some retirees secure freelance consulting or part-time roles within 4-8 weeks through professional networks. Others spend 3-6 months exploring volunteer positions that evolve into paid opportunities. The key factors are clarity about your purpose, willingness to start small with pilot projects, and realistic expectations about building momentum. Starting with one low-commitment role helps you test fit before making larger commitments.
People Also Ask: What are good encore career options for retirees?
High-demand encore careers for professionals aged 55-70 include fractional executive roles (CFO, COO for nonprofits and startups), consulting in your expertise area, coaching and mentoring emerging professionals, teaching in community colleges or corporate training programs, nonprofit board service and leadership, and mission-driven small business ownership. These roles leverage your professional experience while offering flexible scheduling, typically 10-30 hours weekly, with compensation ranging from $20,000-60,000 annually for part-time work.
How much can I realistically earn from an encore career in 2025-2026?
Encore career income typically ranges from $20,000-60,000 annually for part-time work (10-30 hours weekly), depending on your expertise and role type. Fractional executive positions and specialized consulting command $50-150 per hour. Nonprofit leadership roles often pay $25,000-45,000 for 20-hour work weeks. Teaching and coaching typically generate $30-75 per hour. While encore careers rarely match peak career earnings, they provide meaningful income that supplements retirement savings while maintaining the lifestyle flexibility most professionals 55-65 seek.
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