In general, remote workers earn more than in-person workers. Work that can be performed in disembodied environments tends to command higher pay, with employees in lucrative industries like tech and consulting able to produce high-value work with just a laptop and strong internet connection. Remote employers also have lower overhead costs relative to companies paying for office space, and can pass those savings on to their employees.
Nationwide, the median earnings for remote workers is $70,280, 1.4 times the $48,755 median for all workers. In some cities, the delta is far greater, with remote workers outearning the in-person workforce by a factor of two or higher. In recent years, many high-earning remote workers have moved to either low-cost cities in the Midwest or vacation towns on the coast or in the country, boosting their purchasing power and enlarging local disparities in pay among the remote and non-remote workforce. A closer look at the earnings gap between remote and in-person workers reveals a diverse mix of cities with high educational attainment, low cost of living, or natural amenities like beaches and mountains.
To determine the cities where remote workers outearn in-person workers the most, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on commuting characteristics from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey. Metropolitan statistical areas were ranked based on the ratio of median earnings for the workforce 16 years and over who worked from home to the median earnings for all workers 16 years and over. Supplemental data on remote employment by industry is also from the ACS. Data on median earnings for remote workers, median earnings for all workers, and the percentage of workers who work from home are one-year estimates for 2023, while data on employment by industry are based on five-year estimates for 2022.
50. Fort Wayne, IN
Median earnings for remote workers: $61,228 (1.4 times all workers)
Median earnings for all workers: $42,583
Workers who work from home: 9.2%
Biggest WFH industry: Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services
49. Columbus, OH
Median earnings for remote workers: $73,044 (1.4 times all workers)
Median earnings for all workers: $50,769
Workers who work from home: 16.8%
Biggest WFH industry: Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services
48. Bend, OR
Median earnings for remote workers: $73,193 (1.4 times all workers)
Median earnings for all workers: $50,749
Workers who work from home: 20.8%
Biggest WFH industry: Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services
47. Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA
Median earnings for remote workers: $61,222 (1.4 times all workers)
Median earnings for all workers: $42,430
Workers who work from home: 7.9%
Biggest WFH industry: Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services
46. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Median earnings for remote workers: $79,183 (1.4 times all workers)
Median earnings for all workers: $54,740
Workers who work from home: 15.1%
Biggest WFH industry: Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services
45. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Median earnings for remote workers: $94,126 (1.4 times all workers)
Median earnings for all workers: $65,012
Workers who work from home: 17.7%
Biggest WFH industry: Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services
44. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
Median earnings for remote workers: $60,649 (1.4 times all workers)
Median earnings for all workers: $41,880
Workers who work from home: 17.1%
Biggest WFH industry: Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services
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