10 Low-Stress Jobs for Boomers
By: PrimeCB
Today’s shaky economy has everyone a little strained. As job losses increase and positions are eliminated daily, people are thinking harder, putting in longer hours and willingly increasing their workloads, all in hopes of a little job security. All of the extra effort and worrying have workers feeling like they have the most stressful job in the world.
In addition to feeling the stress of the economy, the holidays are right around the corner. (Actually, they are even closer than that.) The last thing anyone needs — or wants — is to have added stress from their job.
So, in the spirit of a less-stress holiday and new year, career expert Laurence Shatkin identifies many rewarding, low-stress occupations in his recently released book, “150 Best Low-Stress Jobs.”
“Many of these occupations have a high concentration of older workers because their low level of stress permits them to avoid burnout and postpone retirement. Some of these jobs might be good choices for baby boomers planning a career change late in life, perhaps in retirement,” Shatkin says.
After determining which jobs were associated with the least amount of stress, Shatkin identified the best occupations for people age 55 and older, according to a combined score based on each job’s annual earnings, percent growth and annual openings.
Here are Shatkin’s top 10 low-stress jobs for baby boomers:
Annual Earnings: $68,600
Percent Growth: 18.0 percent
Annual Openings: 15,979
Construction and building inspectors
Annual Earnings: $46,570
Percent Growth: 18.2 percent
Annual Openings: 12,606
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
Annual Earnings: $37,660
Percent Growth: 11.5 percent
Annual Openings: 25,428
Industrial machinery mechanics
Annual Earnings: $41,050
Percent Growth: 9.0 percent
Annual Openings: 23,361
Maintenance and repair workers, general
Annual Earnings: $31,910
Percent Growth: 10.1 percent
Annual Openings: 165,502
Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
Annual Earnings: $40,440
Percent Growth: 12.3 percent
Annual Openings: 11,037
Annual Earnings: $46,300
Percent Growth: 23.3 percent
Annual Openings: 1,416
Annual Earnings: $49,060
Percent Growth: 3.6 percent
Annual Openings: 18,945
Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators
Annual Earnings: $36,070
Percent Growth: 13.8 percent
Annual Openings: 9,575
Farm, ranch and other agricultural managers
Annual Earnings: $52,070
Percent Growth: 1.1 percent
Annual Openings: 18,101
February 26th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
What kind of thing is that to do to a person, the 10 low stress jobs for boomers, I don’t have the experience and alot of other people don’t have the experience. I said that I’ve been looking for over 1 year I didn’t say that I needed to go back to college to get the experience for the 10 low stress jobs, and if I did have the experience who would hire a over 55 year old for the position. So be for real and come up with a better solution like finding a on the job training positions for someone with the years and the experience and the knowledge to do any job the comes there way. I have the experience, it’s been over 1 year and I have not had a bite, and you know the saying if you don’t use it you lose it. I was an Accounts Receivable Clerk at a well known Bakery Wonderbread. They just up and moved out of Southern California and I worked for them for over 27 years and we did not even get a severence pay. The reasoning was a clause with a coma or and or in our contract that was decided that we weren’t entitled to the pay. So know I’m still looking and can’t find anything in the field that I worked for, for over 27 years and that’s what I call stress. I was not prepared for retiring or been laid off, so I’m in a financial mess. So give help finding a job or don’t even email me again, or ask for a comment.
Thank You