The 15 Best States for Remote Jobs in 2019

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african american Mother Baby telecommute remote work from home
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Hoping to work from home? One way to do that is with a remote job, which lets you work away from the office.

You might think it doesn’t matter where you live if you work remotely. But that’s often not the case.

About 95% of remote job listings on FlexJobs.com include a location where the worker needs to be based, according to the job search website that specializes in remote and other flexible jobs. The reasons for that may include taxes, licensing, legal, training or face-to-face meetings.

A recent analysis by FlexJobs reveals which states have the greatest number of location-specific remote job postings.

Read on to see the ranking. We also show the percentage of a state’s working population employed in remote jobs, which FlexJobs pulled from U.S. Census data, and common industries for remote employment in the state.

15. Ohio

Cincinnati
Anne Kitzman / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 4.3%
  • Top remote job categories: HR (Human resources) and recruiting; data entry; computer and IT (information technology).

The average Ohioan has a commute of 23.4 minutes, FlexJobs says. So, in Ohio, you could save almost an hour a day by telecommuting. Some remote-friendly companies headquartered in Ohio include Ohio State University, Cardinal Health and Progressive.

If you’re looking for remote-friendly cities, consider Cincinnati, where 5.9% of the worker population clocks in remotely.

14. Minnesota

Man working from home, with dog.
Masson / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 5.8%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; accounting and finance; engineering

Minnesota has a state telework policy. It’s part of the state’s effort to “provide a flexible work environment … to aid agencies in attracting, motivating, and retaining a highly qualified and skilled workforce.”

In the city of Plymouth, Minnesota, the remote worker population is 9.2%.

13. Arizona

Woman working from home
EdBockStock / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 6.3%
  • Top remote job categories: Nonprofit and philanthropy; HR and recruiting; data entry

If you want to work from home and enjoy a sense of purpose in your work, it’s good to know that FlexJobs’ top remote-worker career category in Arizona is nonprofit and philanthropy.

Not only can you do good work, but you can also save on commute time, since the average commute in the state is 25.3 minutes.

12. New Jersey

Newark, New Jersey at night
mandritoiu / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 4.4%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; legal; HR and recruiting

Even though New Jersey has a lower remote worker population than some states on this list, FlexJobs’ job listings in New Jersey are many. In fact, five New Jersey companies made FlexJobs’ Top 100 Companies with Remote Jobs in 2019:

  • Cactus Communications
  • ADP
  • Covance
  • Sanofi
  • Johnson & Johnson

For those with an interest in telecommuting, New Jersey might not be a bad choice.

11. Washington

Seattle, Washington
kwest / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 5.9%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; graphic design; editing

For creative types who want a work-from-home job, Washington might be a good choice.

Graphic design and editing jobs are among the top three remote career categories here. Writing is among the top 10 categories, making Washington a departure from the mundane.

In two of Washington’s powerhouse towns for jobs, Seattle and Bellevue, the remote worker populations are 7.6% and 8.2%, respectively.

10. Massachusetts

Boston skyline summer day.
Danica Chang / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 5.1%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; computer and IT; accounting and finance

The average commute time in Massachusetts is 29.6 minutes. Looking to reclaim those precious minutes? Remote work might be the right move for you.

This forward-thinking state was promoting telecommuting back in 2000, long before remote work was cool or as common as today. A Massachusetts Human Resources Division statement published that year says: “It is the policy of the Commonwealth to encourage, in appropriate circumstances, the creation of telecommuting opportunities for state employees.”

9. North Carolina

working from home
goodluz / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 5.4%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; nonprofit and philanthropy; computer and IT

Some of the top cities in North Carolina for telecommuters include Asheville, Charlotte and Raleigh. They have the highest percentages, all above 6%, of remote workers among large cities in the state.

What’s more, Raleigh and Charlotte made one list of the top 25 cities that are attracting millennials.

That’s no surprise when you consider how friendly these cities are for remote workers.

8. Georgia

Atlanta at night.
cate_89 / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 5.6%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; accounting and finance; computer and IT

As in many other states, the top career category for remote workers here is data entry. If you can handle that work, you are likely to find a remote or telecommuting job in Georgia.

Plus, while the average commute time in the state is 28.5 minutes, the reality is that many commuters spend much more time on the road. For example, U.S. Census data show Atlanta has one of the 10 worst daily commutes in the U.S., according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report. Getting a remote job there could be a huge stress reliever.

7. Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 4.8%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; computer and IT; legal

If you’re looking for a good telecommuting job, Pennsylvania might be a good location. Some remote-friendly companies here include research and analysis firm Haynes & Co., staffing and recruitment company IT Pros, pharmaceutical service company AmerisourceBergen and food company Kraft Heinz.

Pennsylvania cities with larger remote worker populations include Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Allentown and Reading.

6. Illinois

De Visu / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 4.9%
  • Top remote job categories: Graphic design; data entry; accounting and finance

Graphic design takes the top spot for careers offering remote-friendly work in Illinois.

Event planning and writing also make FlexJobs’ top 10 remote jobs here. The variety of work types provides a way potentially to do what you love without the need to go to an office every day.

Another benefit: A remote job would save you almost an hour a day by eliminating a traditional job commute, which averages 28.9 minutes in Illinois, FlexJobs notes.

5. Florida

Man on hammock on beach using laptop
Pavel Ilyukhin / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 6%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; legal; editing

With Florida’s state government as one of the top three remote-friendly employers in the state, it’s not surprising to see Florida on this list. The other two in the top three are Sykes, a provider of customer contact management solutions, and Kaplan, a for-profit educational institution.

Some Florida cities have a stronger-than-average remote worker presence, with 9.5% in Delray Beach, 9% in Clearwater and 8.5% in Miami Beach. Considering you could do some of this work with your feet in the sand, there are many worse states for remote workers.

4. Virginia

Homes in Alexandria, Virginia
Jon Bilous / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 5%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; computer and IT; legal

If you’re interested in a remote job, some of the best employers in Virginia for you include Hilton (the hotel chain), the Commonwealth of Virginia (state government) and Leidos (a science and technology company). Those are some fairly large employers.

Virginia even for a time offered a telework tax credit for businesses. The credit expired this past February, but it can’t hurt to keep your fingers crossed that it will be revived.

3. New York

woman cat work from home
Creative Lab / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 4.3%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; legal; accounting and finance

To no one’s surprise, the state containing the nation’s largest metropolis, New York City, has one of the worst average commutes with 33.4 minutes.

You can trim some of that wasted time from your life by scoring a remote-friendly job. Among the Empire State’s remote-friendly companies are Sutherland, Nielsen, American Express, JPMorgan Chase and EXL.

2. Texas

austin texas bridge Town Lake
By Roschetzky Photography / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 4.8%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; accounting and finance; software development

The Woodlands, a planned community in the Houston metro area, has the biggest remote worker population of Texas’ largest cities, with 13% of workers engaged in remote jobs.

In the state capital of Austin, according to some measures, remote workers earn 40% more than traditional commuters. On top of that, Texas-based Dell is one of the companies that’s consistently remote-friendly. No wonder Texas ranks so high.

1. California

working from home
Kinga / Shutterstock.com
  • Remote worker population: 5.8%
  • Top remote job categories: Data entry; legal; nonprofit and philanthropy

With the highest number of remote job listings on FlexJobs, California takes first place on this list.

The average commute time for traditional workers in California is 29.4 minutes, but many Golden State cities have longer commutes. So it makes sense that San Francisco, for example, where commute times are some of the worst, has a remote worker population of 6.4%. California cities with the largest proportions of remote workers include Berkeley (11.6%), Santa Monica (9.6%), Pleasanton (9.5%) and Palo Alto (9.3%).

The City of Berkeley even has a “right to request” law that gives employees the right to ask for flexible work arrangements. Employers can refuse for business reasons.

What’s your experience with remote work and other newer work arrangements? Tell us in a comment below or at Money Talks News’ page on Facebook.

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