From 6 figures to minimum wage: America's oldest workers are taking pay cuts

When Vince Scidone showed up for work on his 90th birthday, the top brass was waiting for him.

"Don't go climbing any ladders now," Scidone recalled one of his colleagues saying amid a chorus of cheers, gallons of ice cream, gift cards, and a bouquet of balloons.

Stopping by the OnCue convenience store outside Oklahoma City, where Scidone works the grab-and-go bar, customers congratulated him, saying he didn't look a day over 70. He agreed — earlier that week, he'd played golf and mowed his lawn.

Scidone retired from a higher-paying career in carpentry over two decades ago. He now works about 20 hours a week at OnCue, earning $14.90 cooking pizzas, quesadillas, and tacos, because he and his wife need the money.

They receive $104,000 annually from Social Security and his pension, but their monthly expenses add up: $2,500 for two cars, nearly $2,700 in mortgage payments, $1,400 in church tithes, and utilities. His savings account holds under $100.

"My goal is to get us into a position where we both could retire and maybe take a trip to see our children and grandchildren," Scidone said. "Every parent would like to give their children a lot of money or material things, but I'm not in the position to do that."

For many of the US's oldest workers, job opportunities are sparse. It's common for those in their 80s to land low-paying roles as grocery cashiers, front-desk assistants, or retail salespeople, according to a Business Insider analysis of Census Bureau data. The median income for this demographic is about $57,000 annually, slightly higher than earnings for all workers at about $45,000.

Business Insider interviewed more than 140 workers ages 80 and older, and dozens said they earn less than $20 an hour. Nearly all jobs pay above the $7.25 federal minimum wage, which hasn't increased since 2009. Inflation has risen by over 50% since then.

Many of these workers held white-collar or higher-paying blue-collar jobs earlier in their careers, but had to accept lower pay as they aged. Some were veterans who pivoted careers after their service. While a few have managed to stay in their higher-paying roles, others — often sidelined by health issues or layoffs — said that at this stage, any job is better than none.

That said, some of the workers earning slightly above the minimum wage in their state — which ranges for most workers from the federal minimum of $7.25 to $17.95 — say they aren't in it for the paycheck, but for a sense of purpose. In these cases, they often use the money for gifts or discretionary purchases.

Leanne Clark-Shirley, president and CEO of the American Society on Aging, said that there are too many barriers for this demographic to get fair consideration for many jobs outside of clerical or retail work. As America's workforce ages and Americans stay healthier longer, Clark-Shirley said workplaces should be more thoughtful about eliminating ageism in the hiring process and rewarding older talent.

"We treat people differently based on their birthday, ignoring all of their attributes," said Clark-Shirley. "We talk about older workers as if something magic happens when you turn 65, that all of a sudden, the work you were doing when you were 64 is different."

Getting by working retail after a white-collar career

The trope of the 80-year-old Walmart greeter is at least somewhat anchored in reality. Nearly 17,000 of the US's nearly 550,000 workers age 80 and older work as retail salespeople, while over 8,300 are cashiers, according to a Business Insider analysis of 2023 Census Bureau data.

Many of these positions pay slightly above the state minimum wage. The average retail worker, not including managers, earns $21.65 an hour, compared to $31.34 an hour for all non-manager positions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some retail workers in their 80s and 90s told Business Insider that the work is manageable but can be physically challenging, and the pay isn't always sustainable.

At 88, John Fahy is on his feet for hours, starting his daily shifts at the crack of dawn in customer service at a Home Depot in Washington.

Fahy earns $23 an hour, which is $7 above his state's minimum wage, but he says it's well below what he made in his former career as an engineer. He gets a small US and UK pension, as well as an IRA, and says he couldn't make ends meet without the additional income.

Fahy's wife became ill a few years ago; it was a financial shock, prompting them to spend more carefully. She died last year after 59 years together. His health is stable, though he has some physical stress from moving heavy items.

"Working keeps me alive because I'm in contact with people, some with the same or similar problems as mine," Fahy said. "I don't see an end to working. I'd like to see my granddaughter graduate from college in a few years."

A tough job market pushes some toward more physical jobs

Sharon Albrecht, 84, wanted to earn between $1,500 and $2,000 a month to supplement her Social Security, as she felt her five-figure investments weren't enough to live comfortably. She earned a little over $100,000 in 2009 working night shifts at a hospital, but she hadn't made near that since. To get back on track, she started driving for Uber a few years ago and found work last year at a home healthcare agency.

If traffic is light, Albrecht can earn about $20 an hour driving part-time during the day and on weekends, not factoring in expenses like gas and car maintenance. She drives no more than three or four hours at a time to avoid aggravating the arthritis in her back. She said her driving record has been spotless over the last four years, though she's opted not to drive in conditions that would be risky at her age.

"I have no major regrets because I feel that the universe is unfolding my life as it should," Albrecht said. "I'm 84, and I've just gotten started. I don't worry much about the future."

Many of the lower-paying jobs that workers in their 80s and 90s land are physically laborious. Over 15,000 work as truck drivers and on-the-road salespeople — the fourth largest occupation among workers in this age group — while over 11,500 are janitors and building cleaners. Another 10,000 are farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers, while over 3,000 are cooks or construction laborers.

Some older Americans are jeopardizing their health by taking on certain roles at their age, said Helen Dennis, a columnist and author on aging. With few options, though, some told Business Insider they have no choice but to keep working, even if it means putting their lives at risk.

Kenn Hildebrand, 89, estimates his monthly salary is about what he earned in a week in the 1970s — and, of course, it buys a lot less these days. He lives paycheck to paycheck, delivering auto parts for nine hours a day, three days a week; conducting Census Bureau surveys three days a week; and selling final expense life insurance.

Hildebrand considered himself well-compensated for much of his career. Working in sales and paid on commission, he said he wasn't always responsible with his spending; he would earn $1 and spend $2. A divorce 30 years ago cost him his assets, and he struggled to recover financially, he said.

Now, finding stable work has been a struggle; jobs aren't abundant in rural Michigan. Social Security picks up the slack on his bills, including his mortgage, but he wishes he could have a more stable financial future and a better salary. He thanks powerful hearing aids, bifocal glasses, and full dentures for his ability to keep working.

"As Ella Fitzgerald said, I've been rich and I've been poor. Rich is better," Hildebrand said. "Life takes twists and turns, and though I'm able to work, and am grateful that I can, I don't have the energy for the 80-hour-plus weeks that enabled me to enjoy an upscale lifestyle."

Staying confident, even if the job pays little

Many workers in their 80s told BI they are grateful to have a job that treats them well, and experts said they've noticed companies becoming more conscious about hiring older workers.

Ignacio Salazar, president and CEO of SER Jobs for Progress National, a network of training providers and employers, said training programs for lower-income adults, like the Senior Community Service Employment Program, whose federal funding was paused in July, are critical to enhancing and refining older workers' job skills.

SER offers computer boot camps and certification programs to get older workers up to speed, and Salazar said many SCSEP recipients work for nonprofits that fit their needs. Though some earn lower wages after their training, some make upward of $80,000 in tech roles.

"If you're in your 80s and you've been disconnected from a lot of things in life, like evolving technology, this is a pretty rude awakening for you, and you've got to go through a whole series of events to get to a point where you can be employed," said Salazar.

Still, all four dozen aging and retirement experts Business Insider spoke with agree that more funding and attention need to be devoted to hiring older workers and compensating them fairly.

"Employers say that older workers are some of the most reliable workers they have because this is their sense of purpose," Salazar said. "They're not wealthy enough just to be grandparents and have that as their identity. This is their identity."

Patricia Wheatley, 82, agrees that holding down a job at her friend's boat shop has been key to her refreshed career. The former music teacher in Pennsylvania took years off to raise kids and care for her mother. Her income peaked in 2014 at around $45,000. Now, she answers phones, does notary work, and keeps the store tidy to supplement her Social Security.

Wheatley earns $16 an hour, which helps her pay her bills and give gifts to her 26 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. She hasn't worried much about how her finances may look down the road.

"Between what I get from Social Security, my retirement check, and work income, it makes it easy to keep things balanced," Wheatley said. "By the world's standards, I am far from a success story, though my life is comfortable and I have peace."