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

CHAPTER 5

Great Work-at-Home Jobs

Returning to work is an economic necessity for some and a personal choice for others. Either way, the prospect of long commutes and annoying co-workers can be off-putting. A good compromise might be to find a work-at-home job.

That’s what Jackie Booley did. In 2007, she retired from her position as an AT&T call center manager. Her husband had recently died from chronic kidney failure, and Booley, then 61, was exhausted from serving as his primary caregiver while holding down full-time employment.

But retirement proved to be short-lived. Two years later, with her energy restored and nest egg depleted, she found a part-time job that allowed her to work from home. Now, when you dial Office Depot’s toll-free number, you may be speaking with Booley in the spare bedroom of her Ocala, Florida home.

She doesn’t work for the office-supply retailer, however. Rather, Booley’s employed by Alpine Access, a call center service headquartered in Denver. Incoming calls to Office Depot are routed to her in Florida. Alpine has 4,500 work-at-home customer service agents in 1,700 cities.

Booley logs in anywhere from 18 to 30 hours each week answering questions and processing orders. At $9 an hour, she usually earns between $500 and $600 per month. It’s not a fortune, but the extra money does allow her to go out to dinner and a movie without worry.

“I absolutely love ...