From the rugged landscapes of the Upper Peninsula to the bright lights of Detroit Motor City, Michigan offers plenty of remote work opportunities. Whether you have always wanted to work from home or are exploring new options following a job loss, get started with these Michigan remote work resources.
About Michigan
Michigan is famed for its dramatic coastlines and remote forests that offer endless activities for nature lovers all year round. It’s also a great place to find waterfront property with no shortage of freshwater coastline. The state boasts the second-longest coastline in the U.S. (after Alaska) with 3,000+ miles along four Great Lakes. If that’s not enough, there are another 11,000 lakes throughout the state to choose from.
There’s a lot more to Michigan than pretty sights, however. If you’re a fan of cherries, apples, or Kellogg’s cereal, you will feel right at home. After a delicious snack, dance your way to Detroit and celebrate the birthplace of Motown and Techno music. In addition to great music, Detroiters love their sports. Despite their perennial underdog status, fans of the Detroit Lions, Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings, are loyal to the end.
“The morning light shimmered through the trees and gave the lake an otherworldly hue. Everything in summer Michigan seemed to have a soft shimmer to it, as though God had hung gauze over the sky and softly scattered glitter on all His creations.” – Viola Shipman, The Charm Bracelet
Five Fast Facts about Working in Michigan
Michigan’s powerhouse automotive manufacturing industry has led to strong growth in innovation and technology companies, scoring an A on CNBC’s Top States for Business.
A recent softening of demand and the imposition of high steel tariffs has led to job losses and financial difficulties for Detroit as well as many steel-producing communities that rely on the auto industry.
Job gains in professional and business services, education, and healthcare should offset most job losses tied to transportation manufacturing (2020).
The unemployment rate in Michigan as of December 2019 was 3.9%, just a little higher than the national average of 3.5% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
According to the website Zillow, the median Michigan home prices vary starkly within the state from $333,000+ in Ann Arbor to just $41,500 in Detroit.
Michigan Mean Wages
The BLS reports mean wages in Michigan are $23.80 hourly and $49,510 annually which is just slightly below the national averages of $24.98 per hour and $51,960 annually for 2018.
In 2018, fourth quarter wages in 3 Michigan counties were above the $1,144 weekly national average and placed in the top 100 nationwide. These counties were Oakland ($1,262) and Wayne ($1,218), in the Detroit metropolitan area, and Ann Arbor’s county, Washtenaw ($1,172).
Mean weekly wages are trending upward with Washtenaw County seeing the greatest increase of 3.4%. This was followed by increases in the smaller urban areas of Kalamazoo of 3.2% and Saginaw of 3.1%.
Remote Work Incentives in Michigan
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP) is leading the way in developing incentive programs and resources for remote workers. This push is being spurred on by a continuing decline in population combined with an aging population. Although acknowledged as a great place to live, the UP lacks high-paying jobs needed to attract young workers. Organizations such as Invest UP and Michigan Tech Enterprise Corporation (MTEC) SmartZone are providing entrepreneurial services working collaboratively with businesses, local municipalities, and educational institutions to develop facilities and resources.
In the UP’s largest city of Marquette, Innovate Marquette Smartzone is currently participating in the 2020 cohort of the Rural Innovation Initiative designed to support rural communities in developing a technology-based entrepreneurial ecosystem. 20 Fathoms in Traverse City, a small community in the mitten of Michigan also participated in this project as part of the 2019 cohort of this project to support rural economic development in northern Michigan.
In addition, government employees can request a variety of telecommute and flexible schedule work arrangements.
Remote-Enabled Companies with Hubs in Michigan
Michigan companies of all kinds are relying on telecommute employees for a wide variety of roles. Several high-profile corporations have headquarters in the state in diverse industries that include software development, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Kelly Services, Inc.
Ranked #9 on Virtual Vocations’ list of Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Jobs in 2020 is Troy-based Kelly Services, Inc. A global staffing and recruiting agency, Kelly provides temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire services. The companies they service span a range of industries including education, engineering, finance, law, information technology, and science industries. Examples of recently advertised remote positions include Telecommute Process Optimization Consultant and Recruitment Marketing Analytics Specialist.
Michigan Farm Bureau
Michigan Farm Bureau is the state’s largest farm organization and represents farms of all sizes, specialties, and styles of production. Their mission is to represent and protect the political, economic, social, and educational interests of their members. The Farm Bureau is a telecommute-friendly organization and frequently advertises remote positions including Telecommute After Hours Insurance Customer Support Representative, Remote Senior Commercial Underwriter in the Monroe County Area, and Remote Healthcare Sales Specialist.
Plex Systems, Inc.
Another Troy-based company is Plex Systems, Inc. This is a software-as-a-service (SAAS) company that offers an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for manufacturing companies. Plex offers a wide variety of remote job opportunities such as Remote React Web App Developer, Remote Senior Software Sales Value Engineer, and Remote SaaS Software Customer Success Manager.
ProQuest
With headquarters in Ann Arbor and locations world-wide, ProQuest is a research database company. They collect, preserve, and curate a vast array of content for digital access by researchers and other scholarly institutions. Numerous times per year, ProQuest hires telecommuting workers for positions that include technical support analyst.
Stryker
Stryker is a leading medical technology company specializing in the research and development of a wide range of medical devices. Their products include medical and surgical equipment, reconstructive surgery tools, and neurotechnology and spinal devices. With headquarters in Kalamazoo, they offer a variety of telecommuting opportunities, many of which are location-specific sales or clinical positions. Recent examples include Telecommute Trauma Sales Associate in New York City or Remote Advance Guidance Technologies Clinical Specialist in Kentucky.
Trinity Health
Trinity Health is a Catholic non-profit healthcare system that provides services to low-income and under-served community members. Based in Livonia outside Detroit, it’s one of the largest Catholic health systems in the nation. Trinity frequently hires for remote positions, primarily location specific medical coding positions, including Remote Coding Payment Resolution Specialist in Kentwood and Remote Certified Coding Specialist in Livonia.
University of Michigan
With four campuses state-wide, the University of Michigan is a public university with 19 schools and colleges offering 250 graduate and undergraduate degrees. The University also offers a variety of online degree programs and sometimes advertises jobs with the option to telecommute including Remote Intermittent Data Science Lecturer.
VocoVision
VocoVision offers therapy and educational services for children using mobile and online applications to provide access to specialized professionals regardless of location or disability. Although headquartered in Skokie, Illinois, the company fills positions for multiple school districts in Michigan that require state licensing and residence. Examples of jobs offered include Telecommute School Psychologist in Taylor, Remote School Speech Language Pathologist in Detroit, and Telecommute Distance Learning School Psychologist in Saint Clair Shores.
Whirlpool Corporation
Headquartered in the small city of Benton Harbor, Whirlpool Corporation is a global manufacturer of home appliances. Recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies, the corporation produces Whirlpool, KitchenAid, and Maytag products. Whirlpool frequently advertises for remote positions including Remote Technical Appliance Senior Consumer Care Expert and Remote UX Design and Accessibility Senior Analyst. Some positions are location specific.
Workforce Software
WorkForce Software, LLC develops workforce management solutions for mid- to large-sized companies and is located Livonia, just outside Detroit. Its cloud-based platform automates labor management tasks such as scheduling and attendance to engage employees and reduce costs. This is a remote-friendly company and advertises a variety of telecommute positions including Remote Workforce Management Software Proposal Writer, Remote Software Customer Marketing Manager, and Remote Product Demand Generation Director.
Michigan Coworking Centers for Remote Work
Telecommuting or working remotely doesn’t mean you have to work in isolation. In order to accommodate the growing number of remote workers, coworking spaces are popping up all over Michigan. Coworking centers are communal workspaces offering access to a desk, fast Wi-Fi, office supplies and equipment, conference rooms, and more. Perhaps more important, it’s a great way to get connected in the community and network, make friends, and share ideas.
Southeastern Michigan especially has seen a proliferation of communal workplaces targeted to niche audiences such as technology companies or women entrepreneurs. However, there are now coworking options in almost every corner of Michigan.
You’ll find even more Michigan remote work resources and stats in our infographic below! You may also view the Michigan Remote Work Resources Infographic as a PDF, which will allow you to access the URLs hyperlinked throughout the image as well as the links attached to the Virtual Vocations logo and social media icons.
How Virtual Vocations Can Assist You in Your Michigan Remote Job Search
Stunning landscapes and friendly communities make Michigan a wonderful place to live and work. Whether you are new to remote work or a seasoned veteran, you can rely on the Virtual Vocations jobs database to hook you up with the best Michigan remote jobs available. Every position on our extensive database is verified as a legitimate position to provide our members with a safe and easy remote job search.
Offering remote work certification, a telecommute toolkit, LinkedIn profile customization, and more, Virtual Vocations is sure to take your Michigan remote job hunt to a successful conclusion.
Are you searching for a Michigan remote job, or are you a current remote worker in Michigan? Share your story when you connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook and Twitter. We’d love to know your thoughts about our Michigan remote work resources!
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