The Worst Jobs for People with ADHD

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By: Vanessa Blanchard

ADHD is an unpredictable thing sometimes.  There’s a significant range to the symptoms that someone with ADHD could have.  That means that there’s also a range to the kinds of jobs that people with ADHD should avoid.  Whether or not a job is a good fit depends largely on the type of ADHD you have.  

If you’re curious about the type of ADHD you have and the kind of job that is good for you, take our quiz, 18 Best Jobs for ADHD.

Regardless of what type of ADHD you have, there are a number of career options that many folks with ADHD would struggle to thrive in.  

Here are a few examples of the worst jobs for people with ADHD:

• Data entry

• Accounting

• Librarian

• Laboratory work

• Assembly lines or factory work

• Fast food

• Retail

• Clerical work

Why are these bad jobs for ADHD?

The biggest problem with any job will be whether or not the person with ADHD has the freedom to self-regulate.  There are a number of employment factors that can hinder that freedom:

• The job is overstimulating

• The job is understimulating

• The job is not flexible enough 

• The job is never predictable

• The job is too predictable

This might sound like a lot of contradiction, but ADHD is, at its core, about dysregulation.  Our attention, our motivation, our executive functioning, and even our emotions can all be dysregulated.  There are myriad ways for this to express itself in an individual.  And there are even more variations of our symptoms based on other neurological, health, and environmental factors. 

That’s why flexibility is so important in the work we choose.  People with ADHD need to avoid jobs that will be rigid and inflexible in their expectations.  We need to avoid jobs that will drain our energy to the point of burnout.  ADHD burnout is its own kind of burnout, specifically because struggling against dysregulation makes even everyday tasks harder for us to accomplish.

Why the worst job for some won’t be the worst job for others

A lot of what are viewed as deficits in ADHD are also our strengths.  For example, we can be impulsive, but that same impulsivity makes us flexible problem solvers and innovators.  We are adaptable often because we’re able to pivot on cue.

The same symptom can also present itself differently in different people.  Hyperfocus for a person with inattentive ADHD often means that the person focuses deeply on a detailed task while shutting out the rest of the world.  Alternatively, hyperfocus in hyperactive ADHD types translates into being especially able to navigate chaotic or emergency situations.  Hyperactivity can mean being constantly “on the go” or it can mean being very fidgeting.  It can also look like someone who is very talkative and anxious.  It just depends on the individual’s neurology and brain development.

So a job like fast food might be great for someone who has hyperactive ADHD but absolutely awful for someone who has inattentive ADHD.  It’s included in the list above specifically because most people with ADHD would avoid such a hectic and inflexible job.

The Key is Balance

Most people with ADHD will find that the worst jobs are the ones that don’t let them balance their work responsibilities with their disability needs. Accordingly, some of the best jobs for people with ADHD do exactly the opposite.

Jobs like data entry were included in the list because data entry tasks are likely to be understimulating if it’s the core part of the workday.  However, when they’re not the majority of our job, tasks like accounting or data entry can be “grounding” tasks that assist with certain ADHD symptoms.  Grounding tasks are predictable routines, which helps clear hurdles around executive dysfunction and attention regulation.  While we thrive with novelty in many ways, novelty can also trigger dysregulation.  Perfectionism and avoidance are symptoms of ADHD.

A friend once likened this issue to a pinball machine.  Sometimes, if a task is new or intimidating, the uncertainty can prevent ADHD focus from settling in.  Rather, it tends to ping around like a ball in a pinball machine.  Ironically, it’s times like these when the ADHD brain seems to be craving hyperfocus rather than creative, abstract thinking.  Having a routine task to fall back on during times like this can remove the uncertainty obstacle and bridge the gap between “pinball brain'' and a hyper focused state.  

Too much novelty and our attention will bounce around. That being said, if there’s too much repetition, then boredom sets in.  

Boredom in this case isn’t an attitude or lack of interest.  Rather, it’s a physical state of under-stimulation that people with ADHD find kind of painful.  Even super fascinating topics can lead to boredom states if we’re forced to engage in ways that aren’t friendly to the ADHD brain.

Takeaway: Avoid Jobs That Don’t Accommodate Your ADHD

The best way to know what jobs to avoid when you have ADHD is to know your ADHD.  Know what type you have, what your symptoms are, and what works to help you cope with them.  With this information in mind, you’ll know what kinds of jobs to look for. Here are a few examples to help you conceptualize of how this balancing act can work:

• Writing is better for someone who likes projects and a mix of autonomous and collaborative workflows.  

• Event planning is better for someone who’s more extroverted, focuses up in a pinch, and craves frequent, new challenges.

• Content production is great for creative types who benefit from small-group collaboration to help stay motivated and on track.

Whatever you choose, pick the jobs that support your needs and utilize your unique strengths.  You’ll find that the worst jobs for people with ADHD are the ones that make you pretend like you don’t have it.

Now it’s your turn to tell us in the comments 👇 what is the worst job you have ever had as an ADHD

About me

I’m a writer, artist, and advocate who loves living in Maine among the trees and oceanside villages.  I’m also autistic, ADHD, and PTSD.  My education, both academic and personal, has centered around mental health and neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as discrimination and the socioeconomic consequences of living disabled in America.