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Best Sites to Find Jobs for Felons
JobGet
Create a JobGet profile in less than 60 seconds. No resumes or cover letters
Search for jobs close to home and apply with 1-click in the mobile app
Start chatting with employers. No more waiting for emails, hear back instantly
FlexJobs
Remote, work from home, and flexible jobs in 50+ career categories
Unlimited access to 25k+ jobs from $0.96 per week (3 jobs free trial)
FlexJobs guarantees that all its jobs are 100% scam-free (verified ads)
5 Jobs for Felons
Photography Jobs
(Earn on average $15 as a beginner photographer)
Photography jobs might be one of the most exciting jobs for felons because you can express your creativity and get yourself out to take photos.
While becoming a photographer requires some technical knowledge, you could easily acquire it through SkillShare courses.
| Entry-level hourly wage | Average hourly wage | Typical qualifications |
| $15.75 | $41.97 | Certificate or portfolio |
Photography is also something that you can do as a freelancer or just sell your photos.
Truck Driver Jobs
(Earn on average $14 to $22.5 per hour)
Truck driver jobs for felons often become available when transportation companies experience a shortage of workers due to a period of strong economic growth.
You just need a commercial driver’s license (CDL), and you might want to approach small transportation companies first. It’s easier to get jobs with small companies because they may be less likely to disqualify ex-cons or run background checks.
| Entry-level hourly wage | Average hourly wage | Typical qualifications |
| $14.01 | $22.52 | Commercial driver’s license (CDL) |
Related: How to Make Money With a Truck or Pickup Truck (29 Ways)
Marketing Jobs
(Earn on average $16 – $35 per hour)
People with different perspectives on the world than the typical business professional create some of the best marketing strategies. Organizations and firms of all kinds need effective marketing, often resulting from new ideas you as an ex-felon might have.
That’s why second chance jobs for felons are available in the marketing industry at times. By polishing your creative and analytical skills, you can contribute your ideas to this field.
| Entry-level hourly wage | Average hourly wage | Typical qualifications |
| $16.51 | $34.41 | Bachelor’s degree |
Related: 10 Best Digital Marketing Jobs (How To Become Marketing Manager?)
Entrepreneur Jobs
(Unlimited earning potential)
Being an ex-felon doesn’t limit you from starting your business. It opens all doors for you even to give job opportunities to other ex-felons.
The list is as vast as anyone else’s without a criminal record. You can be a business owner of a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, physical or digital store.
Related: 29 Online Business Ideas: Great Ventures for Your New Career
Pro tip: If you’re not confident how to get started a new business, you could buy an established online business and continue managing it.
Freelance Jobs
(Earn as much as $100 per hour as an experienced freelancer)
Freelance jobs allow you to work from anywhere you’d like to, providing specific services that you’ve mastered.Â
What’s good about freelance jobs is that you’re usually not required to clear a background check. Plus, you don’t even need a college degree.
All you need to start freelancing is the will to get started and a skillset you can offer to your clients.
Some of the most common freelance jobs that are on-demand include:
- Writing & translation
- Graphic design
- Web design
- Web development
- Video editing
However, these are not the only options. There is a whole range of possibilities when it comes to choosing what services to provide.
4 Best Self Employment Resources for Felons
1. Freelance Platforms
(Earn $20 to $100 per hour)
Upwork Summary
- Earn up to $34 per hour as a freelancer
- Get 10 free Connects every month
- Get 40 extra Connects when you pass a test
- Time tracker ensures you get paid
Fiverr Summary
- Set your own prices for your services
- Choose from over 500 service categories
- 3 different options for cashing out
- Protection from fradulent chargebacks
Freelance platforms like Fiverr or Upwork allow you as a freelancer to create profiles for free, display your work portfolios, and chat with potential clients. Businesses can search for freelancers based on specific criteria such as level, skills, location, etc.
Both Upwork and Fiverr are marketplaces of professional services. Their main difference is that Fiverr focuses on gigs with a fixed price, and Upwork focuses on job proposals.
On Upwork, clients expect to pay:
- Less than $20 per hour for Entry Level freelancers
- Between $20 and $40 per hour for Intermediate freelancers
- More than $40 per hour for Expert freelancers
On Fiverr, clients expect to pay:
- About $5 and $15 per service if you’re a new seller
- Between $20 and $70 per service if you’re a seller Level One or Two
- Around $75 and $100 minimum if you’re a Fiverr Pro seller
2. SkillShare
(Earn $200 to $3,000+ per month)
Skillshare Summary
- Earn over $100,000 per year as a teacher
- Large target audience of over 12 million
- Short class length of 30-40 minutes
- 2 ways to earn – royalties and referrals
Skillshare classes are authentic, practical, and designed to empower students to implement what they learn in the real world.
And you can be part of it by teaching, even as an ex-felon. Especially if you have creative and entrepreneurial skills, Skillshare will be an excellent place for you.
As a Skillshare teacher, you earn monthly revenue based on a royalty system. Each month, 30% of Skillshare’s total Premium Membership revenue goes to a royalty pool for teachers.
- On average, first-time teachers earn $200 in their first month
- Top teachers earn more than $3,000 per month
3. Udemy
(Earn $15 to $3,000+ per month)
Udemy Summary
- Wide target audience of learners
- Earn passive income from your courses
- Get your payments within 1 to 2 days
- Short minimum course duration (30 min)
Udemy is a popular online learning platform. The primary difference between Skillshare and Udemy is their cost. On Skillshare, students pay a monthly/annual subscription to unlock access to the platform courses. And, on Udemy, people pay for each class.
- The average monthly income from selling Udemy courses is around $15 to $200
- Still, the top-rated courses get up to $2,000-$3,000 per month
4. CraigslistÂ
Craigslist Summary
- Posts are anonymous
- Quick and easy listing in a matter of minutes
- Little to no seller fees, most auctions are free
- Sell within your local area
Craigslist is a multi-function website where people post their job ads. Through Craigslist, you can find interesting, felony-friendly job listings in your neighborhood. Alternatively, you can also post that you’re looking for a specific job.Â
What’s good, Craigslist’s staff don’t get involved in any discussions or transactions unless someone reports a problem. This means there are no background checks required, and you can get paid in cash.
Be aware of potential scams. Since the Craigslist staff doesn’t filter out any job ads posted on the platform, you’re the one responsible for detecting fraud and protecting yourself.
What Are the Best Jobs for Felons?
The best jobs for felons are those that fit your needs, and needs vary. You could answer the following questions to have a better understanding of what you’re looking for:
- Do you want an office-based position with regular hours?
- Are you someone who prefers working from home as much as possible?
Whichever type of job you prefer, there are plenty of opportunities out there. And you’ll find them later in this article.
List of Felon Friendly Employers
Let’s take a look at companies that hire felons:
Please note that the employers on this list are not necessarily hiring at this time. This list simply contains employers who have a track record of hiring people with a felony history.
List of Felon Friendly Industries
The following industries have the highest potential and chances of hiring people with criminal records. If an industry isn’t listed here, feel free to apply anyway.Â
If you consider having the opportunity to advance in the selection process, give it a try; maybe you’re dealing with a company who will hire a felon.
- Grocery stores
- Hospitality
- Cellular/Cable
- Food services/Restaurants
- Food production/Processing
- Manufacturing
- Airlines
- Delivery services
- Retail
- Ride-sharing services
- Automotive and car rental services
- Trucking
- Freelancing/Online jobs
- Warehouse
- Oil and gas
Jobs for Felons FAQ
Can a felon drive for Uber?
It depends. Uber base their hiring process on a combination of criteria specified in local laws and regulations and internal safety standards. If you have less severe crimes in your background check, feel free to apply.
Convictions for murder, sexual assault, terrorism, felonies, and violent crimes may disqualify you, among other types of criminal records.
Does Amazon hire felons?
Yes, Amazon does hire people with a felony history. Depending on what job you are looking for and the level of your crime. The best place to start is the warehouse.
Is Coca-Cola felon friendly?
Yes, Coca-Cola is felon-friendly. Still, they run a background check and drug screening on all applicants. Convicts with specific crimes may run into problems. Everything will depend on how long ago you were convicted and the job you are applying for.
