Who Is the Typical Remote Worker in America’s Midwestern Region? Insights Into Demographics, Income, Education & More

Photo of Maria Zidaru Maria Zidaru
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The rise of remote work has created a new rhythm for professionals across industries. Without the implications of a fixed office, workers find fresh ways to structure their days, prioritize their professional goals and balance their personal lives. However, this transition is more than a location change: It’s a shift in perspective, encouraging both individuals and companies to embrace flexibility while finding new ways to maintain productivity and connection.

In previous articles, we examined the national landscape of the average remote worker. To dig deeper, we also analyzed regional trends to uncover insights into this evolving workforce. For a closer look, explore our profiles on remote workers in the Western, Southern and Northeastern United States.

The Midwestern United States profile offers a unique perspective on remote work, shaped by the region’s distinct opportunities. For a detailed overview of our methodology, please see the end of the article.

Geographical Distribution, Gender Balance & Generational Diversity in the Midwest: Minneapolis Takes Lead with Highest Percentage of Remote Workers

At just above 12%, the Midwest has the smallest proportion of remote workers nationwide. This creates unique opportunities for remote workers to stand out, tap into affordable living and thrive in a growing remote work landscape.

For a comprehensive local profile, hover over the preferred metro area from the drop-down menu.

 

Percentage Distribution of Remote Workers

Although the average share of remote workers in the Midwest is above 12%, some metropolitan areas exceed this figure. For instance, the teleworker rates in Minneapolis, MN and Columbus, OH boast more than 19% and almost 17%, respectively.

Even so, this trend is not consistent across the region or even in the same state. As an example, in Ohio, metros such as Toledo and Youngstown-Warren report lower rates with only around 9% of their workforce being remote. A step behind, Wichita, KS presents the lowest rate of remote workers at 7%. Despite this uneven distribution, the appeal of remote work in the Midwest remains strong due to the desire for flexibility and autonomy in the daily schedule.

Gender Distribution of Remote Workers

Women make up 53% of the remote workforce in the Midwest — a sign of how flexible work environments are empowering female professionals. At a metro level, Dayton, OH and Lansing, MI are presenting the greatest percentages of female remote workers at almost 59%.

Additionally, Chicago, IL stands out for gender balance with remote workforces almost evenly split. This metric also underscores the evolving dynamics of remote work as a space for greater equity and representation in the modern workforce.

Generational Distribution of Remote Workers

Millennials make up more than 39% of remote workers in the Midwest with metros such as Toledo, OH leading the way at almost 49%. This highlights the pivotal role of younger professionals in the cultural shift toward flexible careers.

Meanwhile, Gen Xers account for approximately 34% of the region’s remote workforce — a share similar to that of the South. In particular, the Des Moines, IA metro stands out with Gen Xers being close to 44% of their teleworking population.

At the same time, Generation Z is also making its mark at more than 9% of the total remote workforce. This generation has the largest percentage in Wichita, KS and Lansing, MI  where it stands at almost 15%, showcasing the growing appeal of remote work among the youngest entrants to the workforce.

The Midwest region also has a great representation of the Baby Boomer generation at almost 17%. In this case, Akron, OH is a notable outlier. Here, almost 22% of the remote workforce comes from the Baby Boomers, emphasizing the staying power of older professionals in the remote work landscape. This generational diversity underscores the flexibility of remote work as a model for all stages of life.

Education Level of America’s Midwestern Remote Workforce: Close to 70% of Chicago’s Remote Workforce Is Highly Educated

Remote work in the Midwest reflects a similar trend to other U.S. regions with education levels playing a key role in shaping its workforce. Specifically, around 58% of teleworkers across the Midwest hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, making this group the largest segment of the remote workforce. At the metro level, Chicago, IL sets the standard with nearly 69% of its teleworkers holding a BA degree. Notably, with the exception of Wichita, KS and Youngstown-Warren, OH, every metro area in the Midwestern United States presents a remote workforce where at least half hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Interestingly, the Midwest stands out for having the highest proportion of remote workers with some college education or an associate’s degree — close to 26%. Locally, the Wichita, KS metro reports the largest percentage of teleworkers with a college degree at 35%.

The next group includes those with a high school diploma (13%), which is second only to the South. In the Youngstown-Warren, OH metro, close to 23% of the remote workforce are in this category. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, only about 3% of teleworkers in the Midwest have less than a high school diploma. These distinctions highlight how education intersects with remote work opportunities, underscoring the diverse profiles of teleworkers across the Midwest.

Remote Work & Higher Earnings: Most Remote Workers in Midwest Earn $60,000+ Per Year 

Remote workers in the Midwest enjoy a median income of around $66,500, which reflects strong earning potential across the region. Even more impressively, more than 44% of remote workers report annual incomes of $75,000 or more, thereby demonstrating the financial viability of telework in the region. Additionally, more than 13% of remote workers earn between $50,000 and $64,999, while an additional 13% fall within the $35,000 to $49,999 range. It’s worth mentioning here that only around 7% of teleworkers earn less than $10,000 annually — a trend partly influenced by part-time remote roles.

At the metro level, Minneapolis, MN and Chicago, IL lead the region in remote worker earnings with a median income of more than $81,000 and the leading share of teleworkers earning $75,000 or more.

Of course, not all metros in the Midwest share this level of prosperity. That said, only Wichita, KS and Youngstown-Warren, OH fall below the $60,000 category. This income variability reflects the diverse economic landscape of the Midwest.

Remote Work Revolution: From Office Jobs to Manufacturing, Industries Embrace Versatility in Midwestern U.S. Workforce

Remote work has become a mainstay across various industries in the Midwest with professional and business services leading the way with more than 24% of teleworkers. In this case, Chicago, IL leads with almost 31% of its remote workers employed in this sector. Cincinnati, OH and Indianapolis, IN are close contenders with more than 28% of their remote workforce in the field.

The education and health care sectors take the second spot regionally and nationally, accounting for almost 18% of the Midwest’s remote workforce. More precisely, metros like Toledo, OH and Lansing, MI are front-runners with more than 20% of their teleworkers employed in these industries.

Otherwise, finance ranks third in the Midwest with Des Moines, IA emerging as a standout: Nearly one-third of Des Moines’ remote workers are employed in financial services.

Interestingly, manufacturing claims more than 10% of remote positions across the Midwest, which is also the greatest percentage nationally. Detroit, MI leads the way with 19% of its teleworkers in these services. This signals a shift toward remote-friendly roles in the manual industries.

Overall, these trends illustrate the diverse opportunities for remote work across the Midwest that spans traditional office sectors, as well as industries less commonly associated with telework, such as manufacturing.

Methodology

For the purposes of this article, we used data from the following public sources:

U.S. Census Bureau:

For the local breakdown, we included metros with populations of at least 500,000 and with available data on both IPUMS USA and Census Bureau.

IPUMS USA: Steven Ruggles, Sarah Flood, Matthew Sobek, Daniel Backman, Annie Chen, Grace Cooper, Stephanie Richards, Renae Rodgers and Megan Schouweiler. IPUMS USA: Version 15.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2024. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V15.0

  • Generational breakdown of remote workers (the generations were defined based on Pew Research Center classification) in 2023
  • Distribution of remote workers by education level in 2023
  • The metropolitan statistical areas were defined by 2023 OMB delineations.
  • The U.S. Census Bureau is the source of the underlying data.
Photo of Maria Zidaru Maria Zidaru
Photo of Maria Zidaru

Maria Zidaru

Maria Zidaru is a creative writer at CoworkingCafe and CoworkingMag, with degrees in Literature and Marketing. Her background in both accounting and publishing provides a diverse perspective to her writings. From arts to chess and real estate, Maria is enthusiastic about engaging in subjects that provide value to her readers.
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