While getting a Job if you have a criminal record or a felony conviction can be very hard, you have to realize that there are THOUSANDS of Companies in the US that are willing to hire felons.

Many large corporations as well as medium size companies from a wide range of industries have a hiring policy that does not discriminate against applicants who have a felony conviction.

Many people mistakenly assume that this means a company will definitely hire you, and get disappointed and discouraged when they get rejected. What the policy means is that they will not discriminate against you based on your conviction. However, you must still demonstrate that you are the best person for the job in order to be considered for employment.

We have put together a comprehensive list of large companies that have a history of hiring felons and ex-cons. This list is regularly checked and updated, and more companies are added, when we learn that they are hiring felons.

To increase your chances of employment, its best to apply to as many open positions as possible. Don’t just stick to one industry, such as food, or hospitality, or retail. Most people can do entry level work pretty much in any industry, so don’t limit yourself!

List of companies hiring felons

Keep in mind that the companies on this list are not necessarily hiring right now. They are listed because they have a history of hiring people with felony convictions.

When you click on the name of the company you will be taken directly to their hiring/careers page. Take a look at what positions they have currently open and if you find something that may work for you start filling out the application. Its always a good idea to go back to companies that you liked and check whether any new positions have opened up.

To make your search easier, the list is broken down based on industry. Also, note that this is NOT a complete list. Across the US, there are hundreds more small companies, retail stores, restaurants, factories, construction businesses, offices, etc that are looking to hire employees on a regular basis.

To widen your search, look for local jobs on Craigslist and Indeed.com. While you may not know if a company will hire a felon, you can still apply. You don’t loose anything by trying!

Grocery Stores

Many grocery stores are open to giving felons a second chance. Most likely you can get a job stocking products, bagging food, etc. Some stores may allow you to work the cash register, but that will depend on the nature of your felony and their discretion.

ShopRite
Trader Joe’s
Restaurant Depot
Costco
Shaw’s
Stop and Shop
Publix
Safeway
Food Giant
Whole Foods Market
Krogers: includes 25 different brands, such as Metro Market, Gerbes, QFC, Ruler Foods, King Soopers, etc
Wegman’s
SuperValu
H.E.B.
Win Co. Foods
Ralphs

Hospitality

If you want to try your luck in the hotel industry, you can expect to work in the cleaning/maintenance services, helping customers with baggage, etc. These are strenuous jobs that usually pay at or slightly above minimum wage. However, they are a good way to start a track record of holding a steady job.

Marriott Hotels includes 30 brands, such as Ritz Carlton, Westin, Sheraton, W hotels, Gaylord Hotels, AC Hotels, Four Points, Courtyard by Marriot, etc.
IHG: includes Holiday Inn, Intercontinental, Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, Even Hotels and Hotel Indigo
Hilton Hotels
Homewood Suites by Hilton
Hyatt Hotels
Radisson Hotel Group: includes Radisson, Park Plaza, Red Raddison, Park Inn, Country Inn & Suites, Prizeotel.
Eldorado Resorts
Wyndham Hotels

Cellular/Cable

AT&T
Verizon
Motorola
T-Mobile
Sprint
US Cellular
Comcast
Clear Talk Wireless

Food Services/Restaurants

One of the easiest jobs for a felon to get is working at a restaurant or fast food service chain. Don’t expect a high salary, but if you work hard, there is a good chance of being promoted to a better position within the restaurant.

McDonald’s
Chick-fil-A
Red Lobster
Burger King
Taco Bell
KFC
Captain D’s
Pizza Hut
Wingstop
Domino’s Pizza
Jersey Mike’s Subs
Marco’s Pizza
Boston Market
Legal Seafoods
Golden Corral Buffet
TGI Friday’s
Chili’s
Old Country Buffet
Outback Steakhouse
Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant
Olive Garden
Sizzler
Cici’s Pizza
iHop
Shoney’s
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Papa Murphy’s Pizza
Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Panera Bread
Subway
Applebee’s
Texas Roadhouse
O’Charley’s
Buffalo Wild Wings
Red Robin Burgers
Maggiano’s Little Italy
The Cheesecake Factory
Qdoba Mexican Eats
Ben & Jerry’s
Dunkin Donuts
Wendy’s
Starbucks
Baskin Robbins
Village Inn
Dairy Queen

Food Production/Processing

There are huge food production and packaging facilities scattered all across the US. Workers are always needed in these places because the pay is usually minimum wage and the labor is strenuous. If you have had no luck finding a job, this may be a good industry to consider.

Tyson Foods
General Mills
Smithfield Foods
ConAgra Foods
Kraft
JBS USA
Coca Cola
Pepsi Co
US Foods
McLane Food Services
Food Services of America
Campbell’s Soup Co
Pactiv
Aramark
Del Monte Foods

Manufacturing

Entry level jobs in manufacturing are often manual labor and require a lot of physical strength. Some require working with heavy equipment and robots. Because these are huge companies there also may be opportunities for growth and improvement in salary, once you prove yourself in the first job.

Boeing
Exxon Mobile
Apple
General Motors
Ford
General Electric
Chevron
Phillips66
Microsoft
Tesla
Sealed Air Corporation
Stanley Black and Decker
Lubrizol Corp
The Washington Post
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Chemtura Corporation
General Cable
Lennox International (located in Texas)
SPX Corp (located in Charlotte, North Carolina)
Broadcom (located in California)
HollyFrontier Corp (located in Texas)
FMC Technologies (located in Houston, Texas)
Western Refining (located in El Paso, Texas)

Airlines

Delta
British Air
American Airlines
United Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Jet Blue Airlines
Virgin Atlantic
Alaska Airlines

Delivery Services

Delivery drivers are always in demand, but this job may be particularly hot during the holiday seasons. Starting from November through December may be your best chance of getting your foot in the door.

Amazon Flex
UPS
FedEx
DoorDash
Allied Van Lines

Retail

There are many retail stores around, both large chains, and privately owned ones. Many are willing to hire people with past felonies. You will need to do the leg work and apply to as many local stores as possible, to maximize your chances of getting hired.

Walmart
Kmart
Sam’s Club
Target
Kohl’s
Macy’s
Bed Bath and Beyond
PetSmart
Christmas Tree Shops
HH Gregg
Home Depot
Lowe’s
Ace Hardware
La-Z-Boy Furniture
Fred’s
Dollar Tree
Dollar General
Family Dollar
Bob’s Discount Furniture
Party City
Walgreens
Men’s Wear House
Best Buy
IKEA
Pilot Travel Centers
QuickTrip

Ride Sharing Services

If you like driving, you can try making some cash in the ride sharing industry. Drivers are in high demand, and many felons report having success driving for Lyft and Uber. The benefits are flexible schedule, and ability to work as much or as little as you want.

Lyft
Uber

Automotive and Car Rental Services

If you like cars and are good at fixing/servicing them, the automotive industry is a good place to start looking for a job. Many places will be open to hiring an ex-con, especially if you have relevant skills and experience.

Avis
Budget
Enterprise
Hertz
Sixt
Firestone Services
Pep Boys
Meineke
O’Reilly Auto Parts
AAMCO
AutoZone
Jiffy Lube
Good Year Tire
Valvoline Instant Oil Change

Trucking

This industry is considered to be felon friendly. Many companies even often on the job training for qualifying applicants. Its a hard job, since you are alone on the road for many days. However, the big perks are decent pay and independence.

National Carrier
Knight Transportation
Swift Transportation
Trans Am Transportation
TMC
J.B.Hunt
Boyd Bros. Transportation
Stevens Transport
Crete Carrier
Western Express
CR England
PGT Trucking
deBoer Transportation
Carolina Cargo
Celadon Trucking
Roehl
Trans Way
Uhaul
Cheeseman Transportation

Freelancing/Online Jobs

If you are into coding, blogging, web design, etc, you can get a freelancing job online. There is no background check or interview required. All you need is a portfolio of previous work and a few good reviews on your page. This is a great way to start your own business and make a 6 figure salary! If you don’t have any technical skills now, consider learning them, because this is a great way to earn a living.

Upwork
Craigslist
Transcriptionjobshq.com
Fiverr
Zirtual
iFreelance
SimplyHired

Warehouse

Working at a warehouse requires a lot of physical strength and endurance. This is by no means an easy job, and the pay is often minimal wage. However, historically many people with felony convictions have been able to land a job at a warehouse. Hence, this may be a good place to start!

Caruso Logistics
Champion Logistics
Common Wealth Inc
DM Fulfillment
Distribution Alternatives
Preferred Freezer Services
RIM Logistics
Reliable Transportation Solutions
Source Logistics
Amazon Warehouse

Will the company preform a criminal background check?

The short answer is “yes”. By law, the company is allowed to check criminal records and other types of legal and financial history of every prospective employee. However, depending on the state and the company, there are different policies regarding criminal background check .

For most companies the standard policy is to look back at criminal records up to 7 years. In some places, this time period is as little as 3 or 5 years. Some states allow the company to access records without a time limit. This means that if you committed a felony 35 years ago, the company will still find out about it.

Some states report even the None-Guilty verdicts (Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming).

Unfortunately, what this means is that you may have an easier or harder time getting a job as a felon, simply depending on where you live. If you have been struggling without a job and continuously get turned down, consider moving to a state with more lenient laws when it comes to background checks.

These are: California, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, and Washington.

Employment is offered on a case by case basis

When you are looking through the list and filling out applications, the most important thing to keep in mind is that each company will judge your felony on a case by case basis. For example, a trucking company will be more concerned with driving violations, drug related crimes, car theft, etc, than other types of violations. Similarly, a hotel will be more concerned with theft and violent crimes than other felonies.

This means that you need to think about whether your felony would be admissible in the type of work your are pursuing. Don’t apply to be a cashier if you have theft or other financial fraud charges on your record!

Also, be ready to take up entry level, minimum wage jobs that don’t require any major skills. Most companies will also be hesitant to hire a felon for positions where a lot of customer service is involved.

In general, registered sex offenders, and people with history of violent crimes and assault, will have the hardest time getting employment.

Your goal should be just to get your foot in the door. Once you land your first job as a felon, you will have much easier time looking for better, higher paying jobs in the future. You will also have a chance to move up in rank with the company that hired you in the first place.

Still no luck finding a job?

Many felons come to us for advice because they have applied to all kinds of jobs and just continue getting rejected. The mantra: “just keep trying!” does not seem to work anymore. In this case, maybe you need to shift your gears all together and start thinking outside the box.

Instead of looking for manual labor, entry-level jobs, you need to consider opening up a small business, improving your education, getting technical training, etc.

The on-demand economy is rapidly growing in the US. These jobs are like freelancing, they often don’t require interviews or background checks, just your skills, and willingness to work hard. Perhaps you can look for a job in this niche.

Share your feedback and let us know whether you have been hired by any of the companies on our list.

The post Best Jobs for Felons – 200+ Companies that Hire Felons Updated for 2018-2019 appeared first on Jobs That Hire Felons.