Most people who continue working after retirement age don’t stay on in their current jobs, according to Boston College’s Sloan Center on Aging & Work. Instead, they leave for “bridge” jobs that span the period between quitting a career job and leaving the labor force for good.

A good bridge job has several key elements. A 2008 AARP survey of older workers found that 88% want a friendly work environment in their next position, and 74% want a flexible schedule. A total of 38% say they’re looking for part-time work, while 34% would like to work from home.

Plenty of online resources exist to help seniors find jobs like these. In addition to Retired Brains, the resources include Retirement Jobs, Senior Job Bank, PrimeCB, Retiree Workforce, and Seniors4Hire.

To provide a snapshot of the best jobs out there for older adults, we turned to the work of Kerry Hannon, AARP’s jobs expert. Her 2012 book “Great Jobs for Everyone 50+” groups the best positions for seniors into 10 categories. The jobs she identified fit seniors’ needs because they tend to be more professional (research shows seniors tend to hold more professional jobs), generally don’t require long hours and offer flexible schedules. Click ahead for a look at the top-paying jobs across all 10 categories. The pay scales are based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though Hannon notes that pay can vary widely based on location, experience and employer.

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By Steve Yoder