Go work in a kitchen, or any small-town business. My uncle has a heroine-releated felony and he was able to get a job no-problem paying 20/hr at a local company due to his ability to weld. The restaurant I work at regularly hires felons without blinking an eye. One of my best workers is heading to jail for a couple of weeks and he'll have a job when he gets back. It is ran by a hard-core farm family that has been a pillar of the town for decades upon decades.

When my uncle lost that job (He didn't want to go to New York for several months after having just gotten back together with his family) he used a job finding service to get a job within a couple of days that pays relatively well, while he searches for another well paying job.

Most of these places will hire you without any experience (for lesser wages, of course) but will teach you skills that will last you a life time of employment. It might take a handful of years, but you can get to a point where you're making $90,000 or so a year once you've learned a decent skill and have actually applied yourself to it.

Also, move to the midwest if you don't already live there. Many places here (avoid the obvious ones that aren't like this) are short on employees but are doing great business.

Really, it comes down to being a decent person despite your past, having a willingness to learn a much-needed skill (carpentry, welding, construction, cooking, etc...), and the ability to stick out 60 or so hours a week.

If you have no skills, a shitty attitude, and a general disrespect for everyone (including yourself), you're not going to get far in life. Felony or not.