Best jobs for autistic people with no college experience?

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I currently work fast food and it's honestly killing me to stay there. I've tried applying to other places, but they don't get back to me or just don't hire me. I miss retail at this point, but I can't seem to get into anything else. I was hoping people had some ideas for beginner jobs I could try that are more autism friendly?

What do you enjoy doing? Are there people doing any of that professionally?
I generally tried to make my own work. I most enjoyed artistic metalwork, except for dealing with people who could afford to pay minimum wage for it. In the construction trades, I enjoyed doing the extra-odd jobs that others didn't want. I was never as fast as a specialist on the easy stuff, but special problems barely slowed me down. I did some factory work, and moved on to setting up production to improve it. I did apartment maintenance, and sometimes slid over into management. I have also done delivery, driven taxi, taught a bit, cut firewood, gardened, and done massage.
I had a friend who did quite well by going to garage sales where where what didn't sell would be junked, so prices were low, and looking for special bargains. Often, it would be something that needed a bit of cleaning or minor repair. Then, she'd sell it for a huge profit by holding onto it until she found the right buyer at her own garage sales. I knew a couple who were not allowed to work in this country, but were doing fine by buying vehicles, fixing them up, and re-selling them, after using them while waiting for a good price.
The other half of the equation is learning how not to need much money. I get most of my stuff very cheap by watching for sales and by fixing up junk. I make most of my food from ingredients. I minimize my communication bills. For decades, I got along fine with a bicycle instead of a car. I don't pay finance charges, or go to shows. My batteries are re-chargeable, and my clothes pre-owned. I know how to live in a vehicle, and how to be a preferred house guest.

My first real job was as an evening janitor at a school.
It was a dream. I started work when everybody else left, so I had the whole school for myself. It was quiet and calm, perfect for me.
My job was to do a bit of cleaning but mainly just guarding the place, I spent most of the time trying to learn to play the drums in the music classroom.
Those kind of jobs probably don't grow on trees, but a fun fact was that my then best friend got exactly the same job at a nearby school.

/Mats

If you are physically healthy and not completely out of shape, how about farm work? Lots of seasonal workers will have difficulty coming over due to covid, so there should be spots open. If there are no such farms close enough to your home, see if any would offer a temporary place to stay along with work. That's pretty common since it's seasonal work.

A quick Google search turned up the following.

No Experience:

• Administrative Assistant (e.g., Secretary/Receptionist).
• Customer Care Specialist (e.g., Salesperson).
• Customer Service Representative (e.g., Salesperson).
• Legal Assistant (e.g., Secretary/Receptionist).
• Medical Assistant (e.g., Secretary/Receptionist/Vomit-Mopper).
• Real Estate Agent (e.g., Salesperson).
• Sales Account Representative (e.g., Salesperson).
• Veterinary Assistant (e.g., Secretary/Receptionist/Poop-Scooper/Pet-Feeder).

No Degree:

• Aircraft Mechanic (Requires Training & Certification).
• Claims Adjustors (Requires Training & Certification).
• Commercial Pilot (Requires Training & Certification).
• Elevator Technician (Requires Training & Certification).
• Fire-Fighting Supervisors (Requires Training & Certification).
• Power Plant Operators (Requires Training & Certification).
• Theater Makeup Artist.
• Transportation & Distribution Manager.

For Aspies:

• Computer Programming.
• Drafting.
• Photography.
• Equipment Installation/Maintenance.
• Auto/Truck Mechanic.
• Accounting.
• Taxi Driver.

Some of these make no sense to me.

Something where there’s few changes and you can learn to master the same technique over and over again.

Sadly these type of jobs are getting fewer.

Tech jobs may sound great but the frequent changes and need to retrain will cause a lot of stress also they are some of the most Ageist.

Very difficult to get IT jobs after a certain age.

Landscaping may be good

Telecommute

Medical transcription

Programming

Accounting

Barber

Construction trades

I heard from my local mail carrier that USPS cannot get enough people. And they make it easy to apply at their website: usps.com. Scroll to the bottom and click on careers on the left.

I don't think I could ever be in construction or anything with loud "industrial" noises. I spent a single day working in a factory and sure it was hard work but the worst thing was the noise. It was so loud, and the following morning I was literally shaking and crying at the thought of putting up with all that noise again. I quit and never went back. If you have auditory issues, OP, I would watch out for that.

As for night janitor, I'm working something kind of similar right now because one of our overnight guys is on vacation. It's great to be able to put my headphones in and relax without worrying about other people. But I have a lot of duties, no supervision, and am pretty clumsy. I have issues with time blindness, time management, poor working memory and other issues with executive function that make it hard for me.

I can see why both of those would be good recommendations for OP, but I'm offering a counterargument so OP can consider if they have similar issues.

After talking with some job recruiters about, I was able to see a pattern form in the way people get hired.

It goes something like this...

"Autism Spectrum Disorder.  No College Degree.  No Relevant Work Experience.  Choose any two."

OP, you're only 20. The best job for you is one that you do well in and feel good about. Apply for a wide variety of temporary jobs (example might be census worker, food service for an event like a state fair, or Christmas extra staffing in retail or shipping). Also, apply at temp agencies. Specify that you want a variety of work experiences so shoot for positions that might be limited to 3-6 months.

Do that for a couple years, and you will (a) have a much better feel of where you fit in the work world, (b) have more self-confidence about your employability, and (c) actually have some work experience!

Source: my own life experience.

Sadly these days in the USA most of the entry level jobs are pretty much fast-food restaurants, customer service, or retail. There aren't many that are actually autism friendly(and trust me I have searched for jobs for a while). For many of us we are blocked off by needing a college degree to get a job that suits people on the spectrum and even then it isn't guaranteed(learned that from talking with peers in real life and all the many stories you can find online about people with college degrees and either working entry level jobs or unemployed).

Depending on the area you live in, those may be your only options as far as jobs go(unless you happen upon dumb luck). I would keep trying but I'm gonna be honest with you, I wouldn't get your hopes too high.

This is all too much to reply to, but thank you for all of the advice and options!

People often assume that cars are necessary, when a bicycle is quite adequate. It is not a direct replacement, but a lifestyle integration. If you use a bike to find your home, shops, and jobs, they will be within bike range, and you can do a finer-grained search, finding just as many choices, provided you stay out of the middle of vast single-zoned areas. Your comfortable range increases with use, to tens of kilometers if necessary. An electric booster is good for giving beginners more useful range, avoiding sweat, and other enhancements.
Ivan Illich calculated that by the time someone commutes from the suburbs through typical traffic by car, finds parking, walks from there to work, and then works long enough to pay for it, they average a fast walking pace. Bikes let you work less, and stay healthier without making time for exercise.