Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy ... And Pays the Bills

CHAPTER 4

Great Snowbird Jobs

Snowbirds are on the move in December and January. Biting cold in the North has sparked the annual migration of retirees and semi-retirees south for the winter. In parts of Florida and Arizona, especially, populations swell as warm-weather seekers make the seasonal shift. But changing locales for a few months doesn’t mean you need (or want) to be in vacation mode the entire time.

While climate is the No. 1 motive, it’s not the only draw. Unique employment opportunities await snowbirds who are interested in making money while they soak up the sun. Disney, for example, does brisk hiring for its theme parks during winter months, as do resorts, to handle the influx of tourists. The job possibilities, both full-time and part-time, don’t end there.

When I interviewed Bill Armbrecht, a lifelong baseball fan, the Sandusky, Ohio resident had found work at the Cleveland Indians’ spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona. It’s 18 miles from the Sun City condo where he and his wife spend winters.

Armbrecht’s job title: Security. For the most part, that translates into making sure fans and reporters are respectful of the players and their time, but he has worked the parking lot and special events, too. “I do a lot of different things,” says Armbrecht, who is in his 70s. “Whatever needs to be done.”

The pay clocks in around $8 an hour, but it’s not just about ...