What jobs can a felon not have?
Asked by: Prof. Liana Buckridge PhD | Last update: May 24, 2026Score: 4.8/5 (22 votes)
Felons often cannot hold jobs requiring professional licenses (law, medicine, teaching, finance, real estate), roles with high public trust (police, government security, childcare), or positions in sensitive sectors like healthcare, finance, and transportation, due to federal/state laws and licensing board discretion, though restrictions vary significantly by state and crime.
What jobs can I not have as a felon?
Felons face significant restrictions in jobs requiring licenses (law, medicine, teaching, finance, real estate, security) or involving public trust/vulnerable populations (childcare, elder care, law enforcement, healthcare), as well as roles handling valuables or operating heavy machinery, with specific bans depending on state law and the nature of the crime (e.g., theft, fraud, violent offenses). Industries like finance, education, transportation, and healthcare often have statutory bars or strict licensing requirements that exclude individuals with felony records, though some exceptions and review processes exist.
What jobs hire felons in AZ?
Many Arizona employers in sectors like construction, manufacturing, warehousing, food service, and retail are open to hiring felons, with major companies like Albertsons, Snapchat, Fox Corp, UPS, PetSmart, and various local restaurants frequently listed as felon-friendly. Key resources include Arizona@Work for events and local job boards like Indeed, focusing on roles like warehouse, machine operator, driver, and service industry jobs.
What states are felon friendly with jobs?
These Are the States Most Likely to Hire Former Felons
- California.
- Colorado.
- Kansas.
- Maryland.
- Massachusetts.
- Montana.
- Nevada.
- New Hampshire.
What is the hardest background check to pass?
The hardest background checks are typically for high-security government roles (like Top Secret clearance), involving deep dives into finances, criminal history, personal references, and lifestyle, often requiring interviews with associates; these are far more stringent than standard employment checks and focus on trustworthiness for sensitive information access, extending to personal habits, foreign contacts, and potential vulnerabilities.
Unlock Your Future: Learn How Convicted Felons Can Get Jobs!
What makes a person fail a background check?
You fail a background check due to criminal history, lying on your resume (inaccurate education, job titles, dates), failing a drug test, a poor driving record (especially for driving jobs), bad credit (for financial roles), negative references, or unverifiable employment/education, with serious offenses and discrepancies often leading to disqualification.
What looks bad on a background check?
What looks bad on a background check includes criminal records (especially job-related ones like theft or fraud), significant discrepancies in your application (lying about degrees, titles, dates), unexplained gaps in employment, frequent job changes (job-hopping), poor credit history, and unprofessional social media activity, all of which signal potential dishonesty, instability, or poor judgment to employers.
What jobs are felons most likely to get?
12 highest-paying jobs for people with criminal records
- Digital marketer. ...
- Freelance designer. ...
- Painter. ...
- Maintenance worker. ...
- Entrepreneur. ...
- Web developer. ...
- Truck driver. ...
- Barber.
What job makes $10,000 a month without a degree?
You can earn $10,000 a month without a degree in high-skill trades (elevator tech, electrician), sales (solar, real estate, insurance), specialized trucking (owner-operator), tech roles (web dev, drone pilot), or by starting your own business/freelancing in areas like content creation or digital marketing, often requiring specialized training, certifications, or strong commission-based performance rather than a traditional degree.
What jobs pay $2000 a day?
Earning $2,000 daily usually involves high-income skills or scaling businesses, with options like specialized freelancing (consulting, web design, high-ticket sales), digital products (courses, printables), e-commerce (dropshipping, flipping), or high-demand gig work (AI training, specialized rentals), often requiring significant upfront effort or existing expertise to reach that level quickly, with some options taking months or years to become consistent.
What is the easiest job but pays good?
The "easiest" high-paying jobs often involve leveraging existing skills like driving (Truck Driver, Chauffeur) or administration (Virtual Assistant, HR Assistant), specialized trades (Electrician, HVAC Tech) with good training, or remote roles in tech support/IT Help Desk, leveraging specific, in-demand skills (Medical Coding, SEO) without requiring advanced degrees, though "easy" is subjective and often means less physical strain or stress rather than zero effort, with some roles like Sales/Management or Insurance Broking becoming easier once established.
Does Amazon hire felons in AZ?
Individual circumstances are critical. Amazon does not exclude felons from applying or working for the company.
What benefits can felons get?
While a felony conviction doesn't automatically block all benefits, felons can access certain Social Security (SSA), VA benefits, and specific state/federal programs, though eligibility depends heavily on the conviction type, time served, disability status, and program rules, with SSA benefits often suspended during incarceration but potentially reinstated post-release. Key areas include Social Security (SSI/SSDI) (for disability/retirement), Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, housing assistance, and food stamps (SNAP), with reinstatement often requiring new applications or proving continued eligibility after release, particularly for longer incarcerations.
What's the best trade for a felon?
While getting a job depends on various factors, some industries are more open to hiring individuals with a record: Construction and skilled trades: Carpenters, plumbers, welders, and electricians are in demand, and employers often focus on skills and experience.
How difficult is it for a convicted felon to get a job?
Yes, getting a job with a felony conviction is often harder due to stigma, legal restrictions in certain fields (like healthcare, education, finance), and employer concerns about risk, but it's not impossible; success often hinges on the felony's nature, how long ago it was, "Ban the Box" laws, and proactive strategies like knowing your record, highlighting transferable skills, and seeking fair-chance employers.
What are the best job boards for felons?
The best job boards for felons focus on "fair chance" hiring, with Honest Jobs being a top dedicated platform, while major sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, and CareerOneStop (Justice-Impacted) offer filters or resources to find employers open to hiring individuals with criminal records, alongside specialized agencies like Adecco and Express Employment.
Who makes $30 an hour without a degree?
Many skilled trades, tech roles, healthcare support, and sales/logistics jobs pay $30+ an hour without a degree, including electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, truck drivers, IT support, physical therapist assistants, real estate agents, and distribution managers, often requiring apprenticeships, certifications, or on-the-job training instead of a four-year degree, with areas like construction, healthcare, and tech offering high potential.
What job pays $400,000 a year without a degree?
Yes, jobs paying $400,000 without a degree exist, notably Walmart Supercenter Managers, who can earn that much with bonuses and stock, but other paths include high-stakes sales, software development, commercial real estate, skilled trades (like power plant operators), and successful entrepreneurship/influencing, all requiring expertise and performance over formal education.
What trade pays 10K a month?
High-Earning Sales, Real Estate, and Commission Jobs
Sales and real estate are fast ways to earn a high salary. These jobs pay based on commission, not time. There's no income cap, which means top performers can reach $10K/month or more—especially in real estate or tech sales.
Which jobs don't hire felons?
Felons face significant restrictions in jobs requiring licenses (law, medicine, teaching, finance, real estate, security) or involving public trust/vulnerable populations (childcare, elder care, law enforcement, healthcare), as well as roles handling valuables or operating heavy machinery, with specific bans depending on state law and the nature of the crime (e.g., theft, fraud, violent offenses). Industries like finance, education, transportation, and healthcare often have statutory bars or strict licensing requirements that exclude individuals with felony records, though some exceptions and review processes exist.
What state is felon friendly?
California has taken significant measures to alleviate the burden on individuals with criminal records. In 2018, they passed the Fair Chance Act, which prohibits employers with five or more employees from inquiring about a candidate's conviction history before making a job offer.
What kind of business can a felon own?
The good news is that being a felon doesn't disqualify you from owning your own business or entity, but the bad news is that there might be restrictions on what kind of business you can legally operate. For example: if you are thinking of opening a casino you would not be able to obtain a gaming license.
What is a red flag in a background check?
Red flags on a background check are discrepancies or concerning findings like criminal records (especially violent, financial, or drug-related), significant inconsistencies in employment/education history, poor credit history (for finance roles), negative references, failed drug tests, or unprofessional social media activity, all raising concerns about a candidate's integrity, judgment, or suitability for a role.
What crimes stop you from getting a job?
A petty theft conviction, even a misdemeanor, can be an insurmountable hurdle for many employment opportunities. Employers view any theft crime as a breach of trust that puts assets, inventory, and workplace security at risk.
How do I clear a background check?
A "clear background check" means no significant criminal history, negative records, or red flags were found, indicating a clean record for employment, housing, or other screening, often achieved through legal expungement or simply having no reportable issues. To actively clear your record from future checks, you'd typically pursue court-ordered expungement or sealing for past offenses, using legal documents to erase certain records from databases, though this requires specific legal processes.