Work and ADHD
Jobs for people with ADHD, and the support you can get at work
No job suits everyone with ADHD. The NHS describes it as a condition where the brain works differently, and Acas points out that the strengths and challenges it brings are not the same for everyone. So start with how a job is organised, then use the support UK law and government schemes give you: reasonable adjustments, flexible working and Access to Work grants.
Updated
Start with how the job is organised
The NHS page on ADHD in adults lists signs such as being easily distracted or forgetful, finding it hard to organise your time or finish tasks, and having a lot of energy or feeling restless. Most people have a mix of inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms; some have only one type. Which ones affect you, and how much, tells you more about the right job than any list of “ADHD jobs” can.
Before you apply for something, try these questions on the advert or at interview:
- How is the day split up? Short, varied tasks, or long stretches on one piece of work?
- Who sets the deadlines? Fixed outside deadlines help some people start; constant urgency wears others out.
- How much routine admin is there? Could templates, software or a colleague take some of it on?
- Where will you work? Open plan, hot desks and constant interruptions are harder for many people to focus in. Ask whether there is a quiet space.
- How are instructions given? In writing, in meetings, or on the fly?
- Can you move about? Some jobs keep you at a desk all day; others have you on your feet.
These are our suggestions, not findings from research. Use them to test whether a job fits the way you work, then use the adjustments and support further down this page to close the gaps.
Some jobs worth a look, and what they pay
Grouped by the kind of work involved. This is our own selection, not a ranking, and it is no reason to rule anything else out: with the right adjustments, the job that suits you may not be on this list. 5 of these 10 have an ONS median above the UK figure of £39,039 for full-time work.
| Job | What the work involves | Median pay | Way in |
|---|---|---|---|
| ElectricianPractical work where you move about | Installs, tests and repairs electrical wiring and equipment in homes, businesses or industrial sites.Worth knowing: Varied sites and hands-on problems. Training takes years, and the ONS figure leaves out self-employed electricians. | £39,647 | Domestic electrician apprenticeship (level 3, typically 36 months) |
| Vehicle technicianPractical work where you move about | Services, diagnoses and repairs cars and vans, using diagnostic equipment as well as traditional tools.Worth knowing: Each car or van brings a new problem to diagnose and fix. | £37,458 | Motor vehicle service and maintenance technician - light vehicle apprenticeship (level 3, typically 36 months) |
| Plumber or heating engineerPractical work where you move about | Installs and repairs water, heating and drainage systems, and with Gas Safe registration can work on gas boilers and appliances.Worth knowing: Work on gas needs Gas Safe registration. The ONS figure leaves out self-employed plumbers. | £37,881 | Gas engineering operative apprenticeship (level 3, typically 18 months)Also needs: Gas Safe registration, CSCS card |
| ParamedicResponse work, where each call is different | Responds to emergency calls, assesses and treats patients at the scene and decides whether they need to go to hospital.Worth knowing: You need an approved degree or degree apprenticeship and HCPC registration. Ambulance services run around the clock, so expect shifts. | £53,818 | Needs: HCPC registration |
| FirefighterResponse work, where each call is different | Responds to fires, road collisions and other emergencies, and works in the community to prevent fires.Worth knowing: The National Careers Service lists a fitness test, a medical and a full driving licence among the requirements. Expect shifts. | £44,033 | Operational firefighter apprenticeship (level 3, typically 24 months) |
| Software developerProject work with a clear finish | Designs, writes, tests and maintains the code behind applications and services, usually as part of a product team working in short cycles.Worth knowing: Work comes in short cycles with visible results, but there is also testing, documentation and long debugging sessions. | £56,914 | Software development technician apprenticeship (level 3, typically 18 months) |
| UX designerProject work with a clear finish | Works out how a website, app or service should behave so people can use it easily, using research, sketches, wireframes and prototypes that are tested with real users.Worth knowing: A mix of research, sketching and testing with users. The ONS group is small, so the pay estimate is less precise. | £48,629 | No apprenticeship below degree level in our data. See the National Careers Service profile for routes. |
| Events managerProject work with a clear finish | Plans and runs events such as conferences, exhibitions and festivals, from budgets and suppliers to the running order on the day.Worth knowing: Fixed deadlines and a busy day of delivery, with a lot of planning, budgets and supplier admin before it. | £32,163 | Event assistant apprenticeship (level 3, typically 18 months) |
| Business sales executivePeople-facing work with quick results | Sells products or services to other businesses, finding leads, running meetings and demonstrations and closing deals.Worth knowing: Targets give clear, short-term goals. Commission can make pay uneven from month to month. | £37,924 | Sales executive apprenticeship (level 4, typically 18 months) |
| Recruitment consultantPeople-facing work with quick results | Finds, screens and places candidates in jobs for client employers, usually working to targets and building long-term relationships on both sides.Worth knowing: Busy and varied, with a lot of calls. Usually target driven, which some people find motivating and others find draining. | £35,194 | Recruiter apprenticeship (level 3, typically 18 months) |
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a, published . Median gross annual pay for full-time employee jobs in the UK, tax year ending 5 April 2025. Figures are for whole SOC 2020 occupation groups and exclude the self-employed.
Apprenticeships: Skills England, apprenticeship standards (approved for delivery). Checked 28 September 2026. Typical length is the duration Skills England gives for each standard. Apprenticeship standards apply in England.
Access to Work: a grant for support at work
Access to Work is a government scheme that can pay for practical support if a health condition or disability affects how you do your job or get to it. GOV.UK names ADHD among the conditions it covers.
What it can pay for
According to GOV.UK, a grant can help pay for things like:
- specialist equipment and assistive software
- support workers, such as a job coach
- the cost of getting to work if you cannot use public transport
- changes to your workplace, which can include your home if you work there
There is also separate mental health support at work, such as a tailored plan and one-to-one sessions with a mental health professional, which you apply for directly through Able Futures or Maximus (one of them, not both). You can only get that support once.
A grant does not affect your other benefits and you do not pay it back. You or your employer may need to pay some costs first and claim them back. Access to Work will not pay for reasonable adjustments: those are your employer's legal responsibility.
Who can get it
The eligibility rules say you must be 16 or over, in paid work (or about to start or return to work within 12 weeks), and live and work in England, Scotland or Wales. Northern Ireland has a different system. Employment, self-employment, apprenticeships, work trials and internships count; voluntary work does not. You do not need a diagnosis to apply. If you are self-employed, your business needs an annual turnover of at least £6,500. Civil servants get support from their employer instead.
How to apply
You can apply online or through the Access to Work helpline on 0800 121 7479 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). You will need your workplace address, a description of how your condition affects your work and what support you think would help, and the details of a workplace contact who can confirm you work there. GOV.UK says that contact will not be approached without your permission. Someone from Access to Work will then talk to you about your application, may arrange an assessment of your workplace, and will send a decision letter setting out the grant.
Source: GOV.UK, Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition. Checked 28 September 2026.
Reasonable adjustments and your rights
When the Equality Act protects you
Under the Equality Act 2010 you are disabled if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a “substantial” and “long-term” negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. Substantial means more than minor or trivial; long-term means 12 months or more. The Act does not apply in Northern Ireland.
Acas says some neurodivergent people do not see themselves as disabled, but being neurodivergent will often amount to a disability under the Act, and a worker does not need a diagnosis to count. An employer may ask for proof, such as an NHS letter, but you are not legally required to provide it, and Acas says employers should offer support whether or not you have a diagnosis.
What adjustments look like
Employers must make reasonable adjustments so disabled workers are not put at a substantial disadvantage. Examples Acas gives for neurodivergent workers include:
- For concentration: headphones or ear defenders, a quiet place to work, a standing desk, regular breaks.
- For organisation and time: regular check-ins on how work is going, planners that highlight deadlines, extra reminders, work broken into smaller tasks, extra time to plan.
- For instructions: information talked through as well as written down, and instructions broken into clear steps.
One of Acas's own examples is a worker with ADHD in a call centre who uses a standing desk to help them focus. Acas also says adjustments that suit one person may not help someone else with the same condition, so try them and review them. If an employer fails to make reasonable adjustments, that can be disability discrimination.
Flexible working
Separately from adjustments, all employees can make a statutory request for flexible working from their first day in a job: different hours, start and finish times, days or place of work. You can make 2 requests in any 12 months. The employer must decide within 2 months (or longer if you agree) and can only refuse for one of the business reasons set out in the rules. Northern Ireland has its own rules.
Source: Acas, Adjustments for neurodiversity. Page last updated 30 January 2025; checked 28 September 2026.
Also: GOV.UK guidance on the definition of disability, reasonable adjustments and flexible working. Checked 28 September 2026.
Do you have to tell an employer?
No. Acas says nobody has to tell their employer they are neurodivergent, and if you choose to, it is up to you when and how. An employer should take you seriously and offer support whenever you tell them, even if that is only once a formal procedure has started, and whether or not you have a diagnosis.
Telling your employer can make it easier to get adjustments. Acas also notes it can matter for health and safety: its example is an employee with ADHD who is struggling to concentrate while using heavy machinery.
During recruitment, GOV.UK says an employer can only ask about your health or disability for limited reasons, such as working out whether you can do a task that is essential to the job, whether you can take part in an interview, or what adjustments you need for the selection process.
If the job involves driving, the rules are different. GOV.UK says you must tell DVLA if your ADHD or your ADHD medication affects your ability to drive safely, and you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not. If your driving is not affected, you do not need to tell DVLA. Ask your doctor if you are unsure.
Source: Acas, Talking about neurodiversity. Page last updated 16 December 2025; checked 28 September 2026.
Getting assessed as an adult
If ADHD symptoms are affecting your work, the NHS suggests seeing a GP, who may refer you for an assessment with an ADHD specialist such as a psychiatrist. The NHS says waiting times vary and you may wait several months or years. In England you may be able to find a clinic with a shorter wait through the Right to Choose scheme, via your GP.
You do not have to wait for a diagnosis to get help at work. Access to Work does not require one, and Acas says employers should support workers and make reasonable adjustments whether or not they have a diagnosis.
Source: NHS, ADHD in adults. Page last reviewed 19 March 2025; checked 28 September 2026.
Common questions
Is ADHD classed as a disability at work?
It can be. Under the Equality Act 2010 you are disabled if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial (more than minor or trivial) and long-term (12 months or more) negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. Acas says being neurodivergent, which includes having ADHD, will often amount to a disability under the Act, and that you do not need a diagnosis to be treated as disabled. The Equality Act does not apply in Northern Ireland.
Do I have to tell my employer I have ADHD?
No. Acas says nobody has to tell their employer they are neurodivergent, and if you do decide to, it is up to you when and how. Telling them can help you get support and adjustments, and it matters if there is a health and safety risk. Separately, GOV.UK says you must tell DVLA if your ADHD or your ADHD medication affects your ability to drive safely.
Can Access to Work help if I have ADHD?
It can. GOV.UK lists ADHD among the conditions that can qualify, and you do not need a diagnosis to apply. You must be 16 or over, in paid work (or starting within 12 weeks) and live and work in England, Scotland or Wales. A grant can pay for things like assistive software, specialist equipment or a job coach. It does not pay for reasonable adjustments, which your employer must make itself.
What adjustments can I ask for with ADHD?
Acas gives examples such as noise-cancelling headphones or a quiet place to work, regular breaks, a standing desk, instructions broken into clear steps, planners that highlight deadlines, extra reminders, regular check-ins with your manager and breaking work into smaller tasks. The NHS adds written instructions as well as spoken ones. What helps one person may not help another, so agree adjustments with your employer and review them.
Can I ask to change my hours or work from home?
Yes. All employees in England, Scotland and Wales can make a statutory request for flexible working from their first day in a job, and can make 2 requests in any 12 months. The employer must deal with it reasonably and decide within 2 months, unless you agree to longer. They can refuse for one of the business reasons set out in law. Northern Ireland has different rules.