Top Felon Friendly Jobs – Complete Guide 2024

Just because someone has a felony in their history doesn’t mean they can’t find a good job.

Many companies offer felon friendly jobs and encourage felons to apply. These businesses have a policy not to 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.

List of Popular Felon Friendly Jobs

Here is a list of the most popular employment opportunities for ex cons that bring in a reliable pay check.

Many of these jobs can serve as a springboard to start your own small business, after you have learned all the ropes of the trade.

Average hourly wages are listed from high to low.

Commercial truck driver: (requires a CDL licence): $20-35 per hour
Oil/gas derrick operator (requires living in remote locations): $16-27 per hour
Wind energy technician : $15-25 per hour
Solar panels installer: $13-18 per hour
Administrative assistant/office clerk/secretary: $12-18 per hour
Carpentry/flooring/framing/cabinetry: $14-18 per hour
Plumbing/electric/HVAC apprentice: $13-19 per hour
Roofing/siding/windows/painting worker: $12-17 per hour
Auto glass installer: $11-17 per hour
Construction/building worker: $12-13 per hour
Dog trainer: $12-20 per hour
Gardening/landscaping: $10-14 per hour
Uber/Lyft driver: $12-17 per hour
Food packing and distribution clerk: $10-12 per hour
Delivery driver: $11-13 per hour
Telemarketing representative: $10-12 per hour
Customer service representative: $10-12 per hour
Warehouse/stockroom worker: $10-11 per hour
Cook: $9-12 per hour
Fast food restaurant server: $9-11 per hour

Where Can I get A Felon Friendly Job?

When looking for a job with a felony conviction, its best to first apply to large local store chains as well as restaurant chains and grocery stores.

Typically, many of these employers have a corporate policy of not discriminating against felons.

Popular companies that have a history of hiring felons include, but are not limited to:

Walmart
Pulbix
Starbucks
Home Depot
Lowes
Chick-Fil-A
Uber
McDonalds
Amazon
FedEx
DoorDash
USPS

How To Increase Your Chances Of Landing A Job After Incarceration

Here are a few tried and true tips that have helped many felons land a job in the past. Realize that a job search is a full time job in it of itself and it will take time to find a company that is going to be willing to give you a second chance.

1. Apply to every job opening in your area. Make sure that its a job that you can do and simply apply even if you are not sure that this is a felon-friendly employer.

2. Create a solid resume before applying. A good resume is very important to get your foot in the door. There are many agencies, churches and libraries that offer free resume writing help. Take advantage of these services and make the best possible resume.

3. Practice your interview skills. First impressions matter a lot, and how you dress and conduct yourself during your interview will be a huge determining factor in whether or not you land the job. Interviewing can be a challenge at first, but practice makes perfect.

4. Be honest. There is really no point in hiding your past because the employer will find out about it when they run the background check after the interview. Its always best to be honest about what happened and focus on how you have grown and learned from your past mistakes.

5. Spend some time volunteering Its a good idea to dedicate a few hours a week to volunteer while you are in the process of searching for a job. This will give you an extra good thing to put on your resume, an extra good reference of your character and will help you fill your time with a meaningful activity.

Keep in mind that if your crimes have been sex of violence related, it will be a lot harder for you to find a job.

However, nothing is impossible!

There are also jobs for sex offenders or for felons who committed violent crimes.

Should A Felon Move To Find A Job?

Across the US, different states and cities have different policies and efforts in place to help felons integrate back into society.

Depending on where you are located, you may find there are more or less companies that are interested in giving felons a second chance.

For example, California is considered to be one of the most felon-friendly states to live in and there are a lot more job opportunities available.

In recent years, many states and local companies have adopted the Ban the Box law, which basically enables the employer to not ask about the prospective candidates criminal background right in the beginning of the hiring process, such as on the application.

This question typically comes up later, for example during the interview or after the initial conditional offer of employment. This allows a felon the chance to show off their skills and qualifications for a job before being turned out because of their past.

Thus, if you are finding that the place you live is very unfriendly toward ex-cons, consider moving to a different part of the country.