Top Careers That Are Age Oblivious

“Age is just a number” is a popular saying.  But does it hold true in the workforce? Age discrimination is illegal in the United States under The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). However, certain career paths tend to be more age oblivious than others.  If you want to choose or transition to a career where age doesn’t matter, here are some of your best occupational prospects.

Doctors

According to the American Medical Association there are approximately one million doctors in the U.S., and roughly 42 percent of them are 55 and older. In fact, 21 percent are over 65. So, it is clear that physicians are rarely discriminated against because of their age.  If anything, patients often consider older doctors to be preferable to younger ones because of their experience.   

Health technicians

In general, the medical field is relatively age blind. One medical occupation in particular where age doesn’t seem to matter is the health technician.  Not only is there a projected shortage in this field, but there is also a limited amount of physical endurance required. Careers included under this category range from laboratory technicians to radiologic technologists to dental hygienists.

Repair professionals

If you’re the handy type, you can have a long and fruitful career in household repairs, regardless of your age. A recent study shows that the median age in this industry is 51.9, with around 15 percent being over 65—and almost 30 percent being between the ages of 55 and 64. And since people will always have appliances and other household items that need fixing, the likelihood of obsolescence is slim to none.  

Finance experts

Age is practically a non-factor when it comes to careers in finance.  Whether you’re looking at accounting, analytics, financial planning or underwriting, a career in finance is not age restrictive.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median age for Financial Managers is 44. And, it’s a field that is definitely not going anywhere. As long as people have some form of currency to spend, financial professionals will be needed in abundance.

Real estate agents

Whether you’re 21 or 81, if you have a knack for matching the right client with the right property, you’re going to do just fine. Real estate is all about being a great salesperson with excellent communication skills and a drive to succeed. Age has absolutely nothing to do with it, which is why it is a perfect transitional career. According to AARP “Few fields are as welcoming to midlife career changers as real estate. The National Association of Realtors says that the median age of its members is 52, and that only 5 percent report real estate as their first career.”

Graphic designers

Graphic design is another essentially age-oblivious choice, whether you’re just starting on your career path or switching gears halfway through. The median age for graphic designers is 40.5, and there is a wide variety of choices available, ranging from advertising to illustrations to web design.

Human resource managers

Human Resource Management is another one of those careers that will never be obsolete. So, if you’re looking to switch to a career that will keep you around for the long haul, HRM is a hot prospect.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics “Employment of human resources managers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations.” No matter what your age, if you can contribute to improving the organizational culture of your employer, you’re going to be appreciated.

Freelance writers

The beauty of being a freelance writer is that you can work from home. You make your own schedule, work at your own pace, and you can even work in your pajamas if you want to. No one cares how old the person is who’s writing the articles, web content, or product descriptions, as long as they’re doing a good job. You can just relax and get comfortable while getting paid to cultivate your talent and creativity. That’s probably why, according to Forbes, 53 million Americans today are technically considered freelancers.

Politicians

Truer now than it ever was, politics is open to people of any age. From local level administrators to the highest office in the nation, politics is about as age oblivious as it gets. There might be 99 reasons you don’t want to be a politician, but age constraints should not be one of them.   

You may not be able to be a professional athlete, a model, or a mountain climbing instructor forever. But there are plenty of careers out there where age is not an issue. So, don’t let it become one—for you, or your future employer.