IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
This guide provides general information about employment opportunities in the state or jurisdiction covered by this guide. While we strive for accuracy, hiring policies change frequently. Always verify current hiring practices directly with employers. Individual results vary based on offense type, time since conviction, and specific job requirements. This is not legal advice. Consult an attorney for guidance on your specific situation.
Felon Friendly Jobs in Milwaukee, WI
2026 Employers, Free Reentry Help and Record Clearing
November 3, 2026
Looking for felon friendly jobs in Milwaukee? The Milwaukee metro has about 857,500 nonfarm jobs (BLS, September 2026, preliminary). Education and health services is the largest sector, followed by trade, transportation and utilities, and professional and business services, and manufacturing still has about 109,000 jobs. Hiring decisions are made case by case, so always check the current job posting for the role and location you want. Last reviewed November 2026.
Employers hiring in the Milwaukee area
Health systems lead the area's largest employers, including Advocate Aurora Health, Froedtert Health and Ascension Wisconsin, and Quad, Kohl's, GE Healthcare, Northwestern Mutual and Rockwell Automation are also major employers. The national employers below hire across the metro; start with our guides, then search each careers site for openings near you.
Browse all 370+ employer guides
Free job and reentry help in Milwaukee
Wisconsin Job Center (Milwaukee County): The state's public American Job Center network, with job search help, hiring events and Federal Bonding. Call (888) 258-9966.
Employ Milwaukee Reentry Services: The local workforce agency's reentry team, based at the City's hub at 4830 W. Fond du Lac Ave., with pre- and post-release coaching, job readiness, case management and referrals.
Project RETURN: Resume help, job leads, interview prep, work clothes and tools, transportation and free job training for people coming home from incarceration. New-client walk-ins Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 a.m. to noon. Call (414) 374-8029.
Legal Action of Wisconsin: Free civil legal aid for eligible people, including record correction, pardons and expungement, driver's license recovery and occupational license problems. Call (855) 947-2529.
Milwaukee Justice Center Expungement & Pardon Clinic: Free, confidential advice on Wisconsin expungement and pardon applications. Its listing says services are paused August through December 2026.
Clearing your record in Wisconsin
Wisconsin's expungement law (Wis. Stat. 973.015) is one of the narrowest in the country.
You must have been under 25 at the time of the offense, the maximum penalty must be 6 years or less, a felony doesn't qualify if you already had a prior felony, and the judge must order expungement at sentencing.
If the judge orders it, the record is expunged after you successfully finish your sentence. Expungement seals the court file and removes the case from the online court records site (WCCA), but the state Department of Justice keeps the conviction in its database, so some background checks can still show it.
Courts can't expunge dismissed cases or arrests, but a form to the state Crime Information Bureau may remove some of that information. A governor's pardon doesn't expunge a record.
Bills to drop the age limit and allow requests after sentencing have been proposed but, as of 2026, haven't become law. Free help: Legal Action of Wisconsin at (855) 947-2529.
Your rights when applying in Milwaukee
The Wisconsin Fair Employment Act bars employers of any size from discriminating based on arrest or conviction records unless the conviction is substantially related to the job. It covers hiring, pay, promotion and firing, and each case is judged on its own facts.
Employers may ask about convictions and pending charges, but can use them only if they're substantially related to the job, and generally may not use arrests that didn't lead to a conviction. There's no ban-the-box law for private employers.
Public employers: Wisconsin state jobs haven't asked about records on the application since 2016, Milwaukee County dropped the question in 2011, and the City of Milwaukee removed it from city job applications in 2016.
To complain, file form ERD-4206 with the DWD Equal Rights Division within 300 days, online or by mail. Call (608) 266-3131 with questions.
Federal Bonding: Wisconsin DWD offers a free $5,000 bond for your first six months on the job once you have an offer. The federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit lapsed for hires after December 31, 2025; DWD marks 2026 applications pending unless Congress renews it.
Next steps
Sources
This page is for general information and is not legal advice. Employer policies and laws change; confirm details with the employer or a legal aid organization before you rely on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Milwaukee employer turn me down because of my record?
Only if the conviction is substantially related to the job. Wisconsin law bars record-based discrimination in other cases.
What does substantially related mean?
It means the facts of the offense overlap with the duties of the job, like a theft conviction for a cashier job. Each case is judged on its own.
Can an employer ask about arrests that didn't lead to a conviction?
Generally they can't use them, except for charges that are still pending. Employers may ask about convictions.
How do I file a complaint?
File form ERD-4206 with the DWD Equal Rights Division within 300 days, online or by mail. You can call (608) 266-3131 with questions.
Can I expunge my record in Wisconsin?
Only in limited cases. You generally must have been under 25 at the time of the offense, and the judge must order it at sentencing.
Does expungement remove my record from every background check?
No. It seals the court file, but the state Department of Justice keeps conviction records, so some checks may still show them.
Is a pardon the same as expungement?
No. A pardon is noted on your record, but the record stays public.
Where can I get free help with my record in Milwaukee?
Legal Action of Wisconsin helps with expungement, pardons and record errors at (855) 947-2529. The Milwaukee Justice Center clinic is paused through December 2026.
Where can I get job help after release?
Project RETURN at (414) 374-8029 and Employ Milwaukee's reentry team both help with job readiness, and Wisconsin Job Centers offer job search help at (888) 258-9966.
Can employers still get the WOTC tax credit for hiring me?
Not for people hired after December 31, 2025. Wisconsin holds 2026 applications as pending in case Congress renews it.