Felon Friendly Employers In 2024

Finding a felon-friendly job doesn’t have to be difficult. Numerous companies from different industries are open to hiring felons.

These companies believe in second chances and are willing to help felons get a fresh start.

Top Felon Friendly Employers

Here’s a list of felon-friendly companies and the jobs they offer.

Apple

Apple is a well-known name in the tech industry. The company specializes in consumer electronics and manufactures tablets, phones, laptops, watches, earphones, and other equipment. Apple is one of the companies that prides itself in treating candidates fairly.

There’s no discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, ethnic group, or the existence of a criminal record. Per Apple, every employee contributes to the company’s culture and is valued equally.

Just because Apple is a felon-friendly company doesn’t mean it doesn’t have background checks. The company states that some positions may require agreeing to a background check, which includes criminal record checks. Having a criminal record doesn’t automatically disqualify you from the process.

Whether or not you’ll get the job depends on the position itself, but also the nature and circumstances of the offense.

Here are some of the positions felons can apply for at Apple:

Retail
Apple has several retail positions: sales, support, and leadership. Salespeople are in direct contact with potential and existing customers.

They help buyers find exactly what they’re looking for, make recommendations, and assist in setting up the products. People working in support help customers resolve potential issues by guiding them through different steps.

Retail leadership is responsible for inspiring, guiding, and developing teams and ensuring everyone’s satisfaction.

The average hourly wage for salespeople and customer support is around $20. Retail managers have a base pay of approximately $68,000 per year but can receive bonuses of up to $30,000.

Software and Services

Apply is a tech giant that offers numerous positions in different branches, one of them being software and services.

Here, employees can do all sorts of jobs, from developing apps to managing Apple’s online services. The salary depends on your education, experience, and skills.

For example, a software engineer can make around $185,000 per year, a computer systems analyst makes around $160,000 per year, and an ASIC design engineer earns approximately $200,000.

Apple also offers jobs in hardware, machine learning and AI, and support and service.

Did you know? Apple’s first logo featured Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree and holding a book.

AT&T

AT&T is one of the largest mobile phone service and telecommunications providers in the U.S. The company has more than 200,000 employees and hundreds of stores nationwide. AT&T values inclusion and diversity, so the company won’t discriminate based on gender, age, race, religion, or physical or mental disability.

The company is open to hiring felons, but it will likely conduct background checks, including criminal history checks. Whether or not a particular candidate will get a job at AT&T depends on the position they applied for and the nature of the felony.

AT&T offers numerous part-time and full-time jobs in customer service, retail, sales, data and analytics, design, engineering, marketing, IT, etc. The salaries vary depending on the position, your experience, and education.

An average base salary for someone working in retail is around $40,000, with the possibility of receiving up to $15,000 in bonuses.

Those who work in retail interact with customers, help them find the right product or service, and assist in setting up different equipment. Store managers typically earn around $78,000.

Managers are in charge of scheduling employees and ensuring the store is operating smoothly. Customer service representatives make approximately $35,000 and can earn around $15,000-20,000 in bonuses.

They handle customer complaints, answer their questions and concerns, and help them resolve potential issues.

AT&T has hundreds of job openings at any given time, so it may be a good idea to try and apply for one.

Chipotle

Many felons look for a job in the hospitality industry, and Chipotle is one of the restaurant chains that are happy to give them an opportunity.

Chipotle was founded in 1993 and has expanded greatly since then. Today, Chipotle has restaurants in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, and Canada and employs around 95,000 people.

Chipotle is a felon-friendly company, but it will conduct a background check before hiring someone. A criminal record doesn’t necessarily mean a candidate will get rejected for a job at Chipotle, but it could be a red flag. Remember to be honest in your interview. Tell your story, and your chances will be much higher.

Chipotle offers jobs in three categories: restaurant crew, restaurant management, and corporate. Restaurant crew are individuals who communicate with customers, take their orders, prepare the food, and handle payment.

These positions typically don’t require any experience or a college degree. The average hourly wage for restaurant crew members at Chipotle is $14.

Since Chipotle likes to promote within the company, this job can be an excellent opportunity for anyone who wants to advance in the long run.

Restaurant managers oversee a team of people and ensure everything’s running smoothly inside the restaurant. This also means talking to customers and resolving potential issues.

Chipotle offers numerous restaurant manager positions, including kitchen manager, service manager, assistant general manager, etc.

Some jobs require experience and a college degree, while others don’t. Kitchen managers usually make around $16 per hour; the same goes for shift managers. Assistant general managers earn approximately $18 per hour.

Corporate jobs are vital for ensuring everything runs smoothly company-wide. Positions at corporate typically require some experience and a college degree. Chipotle offers numerous jobs in marketing, IT, legal, restaurant design, and human resources.

Dollar Tree

Dollar Tree is one of the most popular discount variety stores in the U.S. The company has more than a whopping 15,000 stores across the states, 24 distribution centers, and almost 200,000 employees. Dollar Tree is open to hiring felons, but whether or not they get a job depends on the felony.

Usually, the company won’t hire anyone with a violent or sexual offense. Moreover, there’s a lesser chance you’ll get the job if you were convicted of forgery or theft. Dollar Tree offers numerous positions in stores, distribution centers, and corporate.

Store positions involve working on the register, stocking shelves, handling payments, interacting with customers, and ensuring the store is organized and clean.

A salesperson can make anything between $8 and $11 per hour, depending on their experience and the exact position. Typically, cashiers will make a bit more than stockers.

Department managers are in charge of an entire department and ensure everything’s running smoothly. They receive a yearly salary of approximately $72,000, including base pay and bonuses.

Warehouse workers earn around $18 per hour, while warehouse associates make around $25.

Did you know? Dollar Tree wasn’t called that way in the beginning. The company was born out of K&K Toys, a mall concept toy store founded in 1940.

Home Depot

Home Depot is an American home improvement retail corporation with more than 400,000 employees. The company is open to hiring felons and supports the Ban the Box campaign.

This campaign was initiated to remove the check box that asks people about their criminal convictions on job applications. Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean Home Depot won’t do a background check at a later stage of the hiring process.

Also, Home Depot can decide against hiring an individual if they establish they’re unsuitable for a specific position for whatever reason. But thanks to Ban the Box, felons will at least get a chance to apply and interview for the company.

Home Depot offers a wide range of jobs in its stores, offices, and distribution centers. Some of the most popular positions Home Depot often hires for are cashiers, administrative assistants, delivery drivers, store managers, customer service representatives, and merchandisers.

In terms of salary, it depends on the position and one’s experience and qualifications. Entry-level jobs like cashiers usually pay the lowest but can be a great entry point for anyone who wants a fresh start. If you do well, you may be promoted to a managerial position over time.

The average hourly wage for cashiers at Home Depot is between $10 and $14. They handle the register and work with credit cards and cash. Keep in mind that individuals with convictions of theft or robbery may not be hired for the cashier position due to their criminal history.

Sales associates and merchandisers can earn up to $16 depending on their experience and qualifications.

Delivery and distribution drivers make around $15 per hour and need a driving license and a clean driving record. Distribution workers in the warehouse with a forklift license might earn more.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s is a multi-national fast food chain founded in 1940. The company has more than 36,000 restaurants worldwide and employs more than 200,000 people. McDonald’s is an equal opportunity employer, meaning it doesn’t discriminate based on gender, sex, age, religion, ethnicity, physical or mental disabilities, or race.

The company has hired felons in the past and offers plenty of felon-friendly jobs. As with other companies, it’s important to keep in mind that not all positions are available to all felons.

For example, if an individual was convicted of theft, they probably won’t get hired as a cashier. However, this doesn’t mean such individuals can’t work as truck drivers, customer service representatives, or cooks.

McDonald’s divides its jobs into two categories: restaurant and corporate. Restaurant positions include cashiers, cooks, assistant managers, shift leaders, and maintenance people.

Cashiers and cooks make around $10 per hour, while managers earn approximately $18 per hour or more, depending on their experience and qualifications. McDonald’s typically doesn’t require experience for cashier and cook positions.

Corporate positions involve jobs in marketing, technology, finance, people, and global impact. These are jobs that ensure everything’s running smoothly behind the curtain.

Such jobs usually require some experience and a college degree, but this depends on the specific position, and will usually have stricter background requirements.

McDonald’s also offers internships, allowing individuals to gain valuable skills and potentially seek employment with the company after completing it. The yearly salary for corporate jobs ranges greatly, and it can be anywhere from around $60,000 to more than $150,000.

Did you know? McDonald’s is one of the largest toy distributors in the world. Around 20% of all McDonald’s sales include a toy.

US Foods

US Foods is one of the major food suppliers and distributors in the U.S., founded in 1989. The company hires more than 25,000 people in over 60 locations nationwide.

US Foods is one of the companies that welcome felons and are more than happy to give them a second chance. Of course, this doesn’t mean US Foods will hire every felon that applies.

Whether or not US Foods will hire a felon depends on the nature of the felony and the job position. For example, if an individual was convicted of driving under the influence several times and is applying for a driver’s position, they will likely get rejected.

However, the person may have great communication skills, so they could apply for a customer representative position.

US Foods is a huge company and offers hundreds of jobs, from truck drivers and dispatchers to customer service representatives, managers, and account executives.

Drivers drive the trucks and unload the products to the respective customers. They’re in charge of ensuring everything’s in order, and if there’s a discrepancy, they report it to the account executive.

Drivers at US Foods make between $25 and $30 per hour, depending on their experience.
Dispatchers design routes and inform the drivers about their upcoming deliveries.

At US Foods, dispatchers earn around $22 per hour. Managers can perform different duties, including managing particular accounts and territories and ensuring their team is well-organized and punctual. Their yearly can range depending on their experience, skills, and formal education.

Did you know? US Foods is actively working on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The company plans to add 30 electric trucks to its fleet by the end of 2022.

Many Jobs Are Felon-Friendly

Just because someone has a felony in their history doesn’t mean they can’t find a good job. Many companies encourage felons to apply and don’t discriminate against candidates based on their past.

Keep in mind that just because a company is open to hiring felons doesn’t mean that every position within the company is felon-friendly.

Remember to be honest about your history and show off your best skills to get the job you want.