High-Paying Felon Jobs: Real Careers After a Criminal Record

When you have a felony record, the job market often feels like a locked door. But high-paying felon jobs, well-compensated careers available to people with criminal records, often overlooked by mainstream advice do exist—and they’re not just truck driving or construction. These roles pay $50K, $70K, even $100K+ a year, and they don’t always require a clean record if you know where to look and how to present yourself.

Criminal record employment, the process of finding work despite a past conviction isn’t about hiding your past. It’s about controlling the narrative. Employers in fields like IT, skilled trades, and logistics care more about your skills, reliability, and recent behavior than what happened five or ten years ago. Many companies, especially those in the skilled labor space, have formal reentry jobs, employment programs designed to hire people returning from incarceration because they’ve seen how loyal and hardworking these workers can be. Some states even offer tax credits to businesses that hire people with records—so it’s not charity, it’s smart business.

What you won’t find in most guides are the real jobs that pay well without a college degree. Think IT support specialists who fix networks for hospitals or government agencies. Or commercial electricians who earn six figures after apprenticeships. Or certified welders working on pipelines and offshore rigs. These aren’t side gigs—they’re careers with benefits, overtime, and upward mobility. You don’t need to be a genius. You need to show up on time, learn the trade, and prove you’re done with the past.

There’s also a growing number of remote and hybrid roles in digital marketing, data entry, and customer service that don’t require a background check beyond basic identity verification. Companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot have relaxed policies for non-violent offenses after a certain waiting period. And if you’re willing to get certified—through free or low-cost programs offered by nonprofits or community colleges—you can leapfrog over applicants with degrees but no skills.

The truth? A felony doesn’t define your future. It just means you have to work smarter, not harder. The people who succeed aren’t the ones who beg for a second chance. They’re the ones who show up with a tool belt, a certificate, and a quiet determination. Below, you’ll find real stories, real jobs, and real paths that people have taken—from conviction to paycheck. No fluff. No false hope. Just what actually works.