Read me a story

For $40 per hour, in San Francisco, that's the going rate;

[Rosie] Vidaver is The Reading Lady. For a fee, she reads out loud to people who can no longer read themselves due to medical or eyesight problems.....

Most of Ms. Vidaver's clients are elderly neighbors, but she will travel anywhere in San Francisco to read to customers, including hospitals, hotels and offices. She conducts as many as five two-hour sessions a week—more than that is too tiring for her voice. Each session costs $80, providing Ms. Vidaver with income that supplements her pension from a career as a public school teacher.

"Many of my clients have the money to spend on wine, getting their hair done or going to the opera, so it's not a stretch to pay for a personal reader," says Ms. Vidaver, who founded her business in 2011. "They look forward to our sessions because they love having company, as well as keeping their minds intellectually engaged."

No government imposed minimum rate?