The Best Jobs for People With ADHD

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFind a Job You LoveBest OccupationsStaying Motivated

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Find a Job You Love

Best Occupations

Staying Motivated

Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) is a common mental health disorder that affects children and adults. While it can be managed with proper treatment and care, symptoms don’t just go away on their own, and this can prove challenging for people with ADHD when it comes to finding and maintaining a job.

ADHD can make it hard to function in the workplace.Depending on your diagnosis and the severity of your disorder, you may find it challenging to stay focused, complete tasks, maintain interest, or meet deadlines. You may alsostruggle with boredom, affecting your work performance and your overall health and well-being.

If ADHD is getting in the way of your professional success, it may be time to reconsider your career path. To thrive at work, you want to find a job that matches your skills, interests, and talents. Learn some of the best jobs for people with ADHD, along with how to stay motivated at work.

A Day in the Work Life With ADHD

The biggest work-related challenge isn’t necessarily managing your ADHD symptoms, though this can prove difficult, but rather maintaining interest in the work you’re doing.

If you take a job as a dental assistant but have zero interest in dentistry, you’re going to struggle with seemingly easy tasks. This is why you need to find a job that interests you.

“If pointed in the right direction, ADHD can be a superpower,” says Billy Roberts, LISW-S, a therapist atFocused Mind ADHD Counseling.

An online career assessment can offer you some ideas, but it’s important to take time for self-reflection. So, grab a notebook or journal and think about and answer the following questions:

To find the best job for your unique ADHD brain, you need to figure out what lights your fire.—BILLY ROBERTS, LISW-S

To find the best job for your unique ADHD brain, you need to figure out what lights your fire.

—BILLY ROBERTS, LISW-S

A study published in theJournal of Attention Disordersfound that those with ADHD reported more real-world creative achievements than those without ADHD, but also revealed that adults with ADHD are selective with their output, choosing creative tasks and environments that fit their skills and preferences.

Best Occupations for People with ADHD

Because of their uniqueability to solve problemsand create systems when interested in their work, Roberts says many people with ADHD do well as entrepreneurs, computer programmers, and within creative industries.

People with ADHD would do well in the following roles, too:

You can do any job you want, but often individuals with ADHD do well with flexible or non-traditional schedules. They also tend to be calm under pressure and thrive in fast-paced environments, such as classrooms, hospitals, or restaurants.

Can You Join the Military With ADHD?

How to Stay Motivated

A 2021 study on ADHD in the workplace found that between 55% and 69% of individuals with ADHD reported impairments in getting work done efficiently and working to their full potential. The same study found that between 20% and 23% of individuals with ADHD reported impairments in getting fired from work and problems with attendance.

No matter what job you take, you may experiencecognitive difficulties:

None of these things make you a bad employee. These are simply challenges.

Here’s what you can do to maintain your motivation, avoid boredom, andstay productive, regardless of what job you do:

Maximize Your Energy

Because individuals [with ADHD] can laser focus on a task for hours, they are capable of massive bursts of creativity, which they can lean on for larger creative projects,” says Roberts.

There may be moments when everything feels like a struggle. There may be other moments when you feel extremely energized and want to accomplish every item on your to-do list.

When these moments hit, take full advantage of them. And if there’s a specific time of the day when you feel most motivated, try and work your schedule around that. If you work best at night, for instance, you may want to work the night shift.

Build a Routine

Motivation may never come, so you want tobuild a simple routine. This is often difficult for individuals with ADHD, saysKojo Sarfo, DNP, PMHNP-BC, but it can help you get started and follow through on specific tasks, even if they’re boring.

You could choose to exercise at the same time each morning or complete the most comprehensive work tasks first, in case you get sidetracked. The more prepared you are, the easier it will be to avoid distractions.

Take Breaks

ADHD affects your brain chemistry and sustaining attention and focus for long periods can be difficult, Roberts says, so you may need to take more breaks to regenerate your energy. How long you should work or break depends on the person.

You may fade or become distracted after 45 minutes or an hour of working, says Roberts. If this is the case, try setting your alarm and allocating that set amount of time to a specific task. When the alarm goes off, give yourself a break. Go for a walk, make a snack, or call a friend.

Running at full speed 24/7 will lead to burnout, sogive yourself breaksand take advantage of mental health days.

Set Goals and Expectations

If you feel comfortable, let your manager know about your ADHD and see what adjustments or changes can be made to ensure you stay productive and on task. Make sure you discuss expectations and goals, as well. Find out what promotional and growth opportunities exist.

If you work for yourself, set your own expectations. UseSMART goalsto build a plan that is both flexible and achievable.

A Word From Verywell

Individuals with ADHD may become easily bored, unfocused, or unmotivated in the workplace, but that doesn’t mean they don’t work hard. In fact, individuals with ADHD can becomeaddicted to workor a “workaholic.”

You may be highly motivated to do certain things and complete a lot of tasks that you’re interested in, says Dr. Kojo, causing you to run out of energy. This type of energy can be translated to the work environment, where you may overwork yourself.

It’s important to find a job that you love. Dr. Kojo recommends scheduling rest times, practicing positive self-talk, and exercising. These strategies can keep you motivated and prevent you from burnout.

Living With ADHD: Strategies for Well-Being

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fuermaier ABM, Tucha L, Butzbach M, Weisbrod M, Aschenbrenner S, Tucha O.ADHD at the workplace: ADHD symptoms, diagnostic status, and work-related functioning.J Neural Transm. 2021;128(7):1021-1031. doi:10.1007/s00702-021-02309-zBoot N, Nevicka B, Baas M.Creativity in adhd: goal-directed motivation and domain specificity.J Atten Disord. 2020;24(13):1857-1866. doi:10.1177/1087054717727352Boot N, Nevicka B, Baas M.Creativity in ADHD: Goal-directed motivation and domain specificity.J Atten Disord. 2020;24(13):1857-1866. doi:10.1177/1087054717727352Robbins R.The untapped potential of the ADHD employee in the workplace.Cogent Bus Manage. 2017;4(1):1271384. doi:10.1080/23311975.2016.1271384Andreassen CS, Griffiths MD, Sinha R, Hetland J, Pallesen S.The relationships between workaholism and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: a large-scale cross-sectional study.PLoS One. 2016;11(5):e0152978. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0152978

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fuermaier ABM, Tucha L, Butzbach M, Weisbrod M, Aschenbrenner S, Tucha O.ADHD at the workplace: ADHD symptoms, diagnostic status, and work-related functioning.J Neural Transm. 2021;128(7):1021-1031. doi:10.1007/s00702-021-02309-zBoot N, Nevicka B, Baas M.Creativity in adhd: goal-directed motivation and domain specificity.J Atten Disord. 2020;24(13):1857-1866. doi:10.1177/1087054717727352Boot N, Nevicka B, Baas M.Creativity in ADHD: Goal-directed motivation and domain specificity.J Atten Disord. 2020;24(13):1857-1866. doi:10.1177/1087054717727352Robbins R.The untapped potential of the ADHD employee in the workplace.Cogent Bus Manage. 2017;4(1):1271384. doi:10.1080/23311975.2016.1271384Andreassen CS, Griffiths MD, Sinha R, Hetland J, Pallesen S.The relationships between workaholism and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: a large-scale cross-sectional study.PLoS One. 2016;11(5):e0152978. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0152978

Fuermaier ABM, Tucha L, Butzbach M, Weisbrod M, Aschenbrenner S, Tucha O.ADHD at the workplace: ADHD symptoms, diagnostic status, and work-related functioning.J Neural Transm. 2021;128(7):1021-1031. doi:10.1007/s00702-021-02309-zBoot N, Nevicka B, Baas M.Creativity in adhd: goal-directed motivation and domain specificity.J Atten Disord. 2020;24(13):1857-1866. doi:10.1177/1087054717727352Boot N, Nevicka B, Baas M.Creativity in ADHD: Goal-directed motivation and domain specificity.J Atten Disord. 2020;24(13):1857-1866. doi:10.1177/1087054717727352Robbins R.The untapped potential of the ADHD employee in the workplace.Cogent Bus Manage. 2017;4(1):1271384. doi:10.1080/23311975.2016.1271384Andreassen CS, Griffiths MD, Sinha R, Hetland J, Pallesen S.The relationships between workaholism and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: a large-scale cross-sectional study.PLoS One. 2016;11(5):e0152978. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0152978

Boot N, Nevicka B, Baas M.Creativity in adhd: goal-directed motivation and domain specificity.J Atten Disord. 2020;24(13):1857-1866. doi:10.1177/1087054717727352

Boot N, Nevicka B, Baas M.Creativity in ADHD: Goal-directed motivation and domain specificity.J Atten Disord. 2020;24(13):1857-1866. doi:10.1177/1087054717727352

Robbins R.The untapped potential of the ADHD employee in the workplace.Cogent Bus Manage. 2017;4(1):1271384. doi:10.1080/23311975.2016.1271384

Andreassen CS, Griffiths MD, Sinha R, Hetland J, Pallesen S.The relationships between workaholism and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: a large-scale cross-sectional study.PLoS One. 2016;11(5):e0152978. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0152978

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Best Occupations for People with ADHD#

How to Stay Motivated#

Maximize Your Energy#

Build a Routine#

Take Breaks#

Set Goals and Expectations#

A Word From Verywell#