The first of the 76 million or so baby boomers who will be hitting traditional retirement age of 62 in the next two decades are doing so now. If all of these boomers decide to stop working when they hit this milestone, businesses will need to scramble to fill the gaps, since the succeeding generation of workers is much smaller.

Not all businesses are planning for the coming shortage. In fact, in a Manpower study of 1,000 U.S. employers last year, 78% had no concern that an aging workforce could hamper recruitment and retention of talented workers. Just 28% have a strategy to retain workers past retirement age and only 18% have an older-worker recruitment strategy.

"Businesses are slowly becoming aware that older workers tend to have highly desirable attributes," says Robert Skladany, vice president of research and certification at Waltham, Mass.-based RetirementJobs.com, a national job clearinghouse focused specifically on jobs for people 50 and older.

RetirementJobs runs an "Age Friendly Employer Certification" program that recognizes employers who meet their best practices, from management style to recruiting practices, flexible scheduling, and health care benefits. Some companies that make the grade include banks like Bank of America  and JPMorgan Chase, as well as retailers like Starbucks and Target.

Based on information from jobs posted on the site, and from the feedback of job seekers, RetirementJobs produced a list of the 20 best jobs for retirees. Skladany says the jobs were scored on the desirability of the work, the pay, and whether they were obtainable.

• Nursing

  Qualifications: Formal education (two to six years plus) and licensing required for registered and practical nurses.

  Pay: $20 to $60-plus per hour based on training, level and specialization.

• Health Care Technician

  Qualifications: One to four years of training beyond high school in health care specialty (laboratory, X-ray, nutrition, nursing assistant).

  Pay: $12 to $25 per hour based on training, responsibility level and specialization.

• Health Care Administration (Non-Medical)

  Qualifications: A wide range of health care specific and general education skills based on job requirements from clerical to administrative management.

  Pay: $10 to $15 per hour for clerical; $20 to $30 for professional; and $25-plus for managerial positions.

• Teaching Aide

  Qualifications: A background in education and child care helpful as well as formal education beyond high school.

  Pay: $8 to $15 per hour based on level of responsibility and qualifications.

• Contract & Temporary Professional

  Qualifications: Formal education (four to eight years) and relevant experience within profession (i.e., law, information technology, human resources, engineering, sciences, accounting and finance, project management).

  Pay: $30 to $70 per hour based on profession and level of experience and knowledge.

• Merchandise & Grocery Retailing

  Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training to four years or more beyond high school based on position.

  Pay: $8 to $15 per hour for sales associates and customer service; $15 to $30 for supervisor and manager.

• Specialty Retail Sales

  Qualifications: Can range from no formal education to several years or industry experience and training within specialty (i.e., cosmetics, automotive, furniture, electronics).

  Pay: $15 to $30 per hour based on product and personal sales.

• Accounting & Finance and Tax Preparers

  Qualifications: Can range from no formal education, to technical training such as tax preparation, up to formal education of four to six years plus relevant experience.

  Pay: $12 to $15 per hour for clerical and bookkeeping; $15 to $30 for tax preparers and specialists; $25 to $40 for formally trained professionals.

• Banking and Lending

  Qualifications: Can range from no formal education to technical training up to formal education of four to six years plus relevant experience.

  Pay: $10 to $15 per hour for teller and customer service; $15 to $30 for lending, $20 to $35 for supervisor and manager.

• Car/Van/Light Truck and Bus Driver

  Qualifications: Passenger vehicle license up to special vehicle licensing and certification with ?clean? driving record.

  Pay: $10 to $15 per hour for small vehicle; $12 to $20 for larger vehicles.

• Customer Service Representative

  Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training up to two to four years formal education or technical training; telephone and interpersonal skills vital.

  Pay: $10 to $14 per hour for non-technical positions, $14 to $20 for technology-related jobs.

• Nonprofit Services Delivery & Administration

  Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training up to four years or more beyond high school based on position.

  Pay: $8 to $14 per hour for service delivery and clerical; $14 to $25 for professional.

• Insurance & Investment Services

  Qualifications: Can range from no formal education up to four years+ education/training and ability to secure industry-specific certifications and licenses.

  Pay: $12 to $18 per hour for entry sales and service; $15 to $25 for technical/licensed jobs; sales commissions often available.

• Home Care & Personal Aide

  Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training to four years or more beyond high school based on position as well as licenses and certifications.

  Pay: $8 to $14 per hour for personal care providers; $12 to $20 for advanced care providers (medication, etc.)

• Hospitality and Food Service Staff

  Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training to four years or more beyond high school based on position.

  Pay: $8 to $12 per hour for entry-level service providers; $10 to $15 for front desk/reception staff; $12 to $16 for sales and supervision.

• Office Clerical & Administrative

  Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training to four years beyond high school based on position; computer skills often essential.

  Pay: $9 to $12 for entry clerical and administrative; $12 to $16 for skilled administrative staff.

• Self-Employment

  Qualifications: No formal education up to four years-plus; small business management, sales, customer service and technical abilities important; licenses and certification may be required based on trade or profession.

  Pay: Earnings can vary widely based on type of trade or business and personal capabilities (self-employment tax and liability insurance often required).

• Franchise and Business Owner

  Qualifications: No formal education required though small business management, sales, customer service and technical abilities important; personal investment may be required for franchised or licensed operations.

  Pay: Earnings can vary widely based on cost of franchise, business revenue, type of business and personal capabilities.

• Small Employers

  Qualifications: More than 97% of employers have fewer than 100 employees. Small employers can provide diverse and challenging jobs requiring little formal education and training up to four years or more beyond high school.

  Pay: Earnings can vary widely based on the industry, type of job and scope of responsibilities.

• Federal, State and Municipal Government

  Qualifications: The government sector is expecting that retiring employees will create large numbers of openings ranging from entry level to senior professional and management. Qualifications vary widely.

  Pay: Earnings can vary widely based on organization, profession and scope of responsibilities.