The United States crime statistics say that nearly 8% of Americans are convicted felons. It is difficult for a person with a criminal record to find a respectful job. In fact, this is one of the biggest challenges for our country to secure employment for an ex-convicted felon. So, what kind of job is perfect for you as a felon? You don’t need to think too much about it. This article will outline the 5 most promising careers for felons in the United States.
However, as a convicted felon, you can find several jobs that offer you good pay despite limited opportunities. But you need determination and commitment to avail yourself of those second chance jobs for felons.
Welding
According to many felons, this is one of the most rewarding careers for felons. Being a welder, you have to do lots of welding jobs depending on the industry you are serving. Some welders are busy creating new materials to help with construction works. Others have complete mastery in repairing broken pieces to keep a structure safe.
Even an automobile shop requires a welder for welding jobs. So, the demand for welding jobs is going up day by day. Therefore, as a felon, welding is the best-suited job for you.
If you have specialized skills in welding, you can easily earn around $41,380 per year. And if you are a fresher in this profession, you can earn at least $25,000 annually. But before getting started, you should join some training programs to enhance your welding skills. Usually, these training programs take less than a year. So, you can easily join these training programs for a rewarding career that pays decent.
Carpentry
We have seen many felons have chosen carpentry to earn well. In fact, they consider it one of the promising careers for felons. It offers a pay of approximately $46,509 per year. Besides, it offers a stable employment opportunity. But before starting your career, you should completely understand the role and responsibility of a carpenter.
As a carpenter, you have to perform lots of indoor and outdoor jobs in different weather conditions. Your main job responsibility is working with small tools to shape various materials. These may be wood, steel, and concrete materials. Besides, sometimes you have to be involved in the construction, demolition, or repair works. If you have proper skills, you can even operate cranes or other heavy equipment. So, the opportunities are endless.
However, every state has different requirements to work as a carpenter. Some states need a license. So, you should check your state’s requirements carefully. At the same time, also check whether your felony conviction will be a problem for attaining that or not.
Electrician
There is no doubt this is one of the fruitful careers for felons. In our country, a qualified electrician can earn nearly $55,000 per year. As an electrician, your main job responsibility is to install, repair, and maintain different types of electrical systems. Besides, you should know how to repair short circuits and prevent fire hazards. So, you should be good at working as an electrician to earn well.
But what should you do if you have no experience of working as an electrician? Well, you can join different electrician training programs. This will definitely enhance your skills. Initially, it may cost you little, but over time, it will pay you back more.
However, don’t forget to know the certain criteria of different states. Some states require a license for every electrician. Some only require liability insurance. Besides that, you should also check whether your felony conviction disqualifies you from attaining that.
From our experience, we have seen many electrical contracting companies prefer to hire felons as electricians. Most of these companies are owned by felons. And the reason is very simple. They want to create opportunities to offer careers for felons.
Commercial Truck Driver
Nowadays, more and more people prefer to buy items online. As a result, the transportation industry has experienced significant growth in recent years. And this opens up a huge job opportunity for felons. That’s why we always consider commercial truck driving as one of the promising careers for felons. As a commercial truck driver, you can easily earn around $43,690 per year. All you need is to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
However, you have to consider certain things before starting your career as a commercial truck driver. This profession is often stressful. But in the long run, this stress will contribute to a high reward. Commercial truck driving is always considered a lifestyle choice. You have to stay away from your family for a certain period. If you don’t prefer to stay away from your family, this is not ideal for you.
However, always remember that transportation companies don’t offer job opportunities for parolees. And the reason is very simple. Most of the parolees are not allowed to travel out of their respective states.
Online Freelancing
Last but not the least, online freelancing is another promising career path for any felon. In fact, it offers multiple careers for felons. It may be content writing, graphic designing, web development, or many more. Most importantly, it offers to work independently and earn from home. You can use your skill and experience to easily start your freelancing career. All you need is to have a computer and steady internet connectivity. As a freelancer, you can enjoy numerous benefits. These include the ability to set and control your own schedule, work from anywhere, and many more.
However, the competition is high in the freelance market. So, you have to enhance your skills to attract freelance job providers. If you’ve no previous experience in working as a freelancer, don’t worry. Nowadays, you can find many freelance courses available on the internet. You should join one of them to enhance your skills and explore.
So, working as an online freelancer is a great option for every convicted felon. Being self-employed, there is no need to worried about background checks. That’s why we always consider it one of the bright careers for felons.
Conclusion
We hope now you have a complete understanding of the 5 most promising careers for felons in the USA. You may be a convicted felon or a parolee. But you should have the skills and the ability to learn new things. If you have these two things, you can surely find a job for a living. Probably, this will be the second chance to start your life in a better way. And we know you don’t want to miss it.
