NextChapter

Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills

San Francisco leads the United States: 35% of its entry-level openings ask for AI skills, against 7% across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

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Key facts

  • #1 San Francisco, CA: 35%
  • #2 Mountain View, CA: 30%
  • #3 Palo Alto, CA: 28%
  • 100 cities ranked in the United States
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 7% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1San Francisco CA35%
  2. 2Mountain View CA30%
  3. 3Palo Alto CA28%
  4. 4Bellevue WA26%
  5. 5San Mateo CA24%
  6. 6Littleton CO23%
  7. 7Sunnyvale CA21%
  8. 8Santa Clara CA18%
  9. 9Boston MA18%
  10. 10Seattle WA17%

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: San Francisco (35%) is well clear of Seattle at #10 (17%).
  • Littleton reaches #6 on a sample of 83 entry-level openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • San Francisco is the largest market in the top ten, with 2,312 entry-level openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 80 entry-level openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Entry-level roles used to ask for little technical background. When they ask for AI skills, the starting line has moved. This list shows where that has happened most.

How to use it

If you are applying for first roles, learn the tools named in the postings you want and show a small project that uses them.

The top 25

  1. 1

    San Francisco CA

    35%

    Entry-level AI openings
    803
    Entry-level openings
    2,312
    All openings
    11,798

    Hiring most here: OpenAI, Anthropic, University Of California San Francisco Foundation

    Based on 2,312 openings.

    Jobs and employers in San Francisco

  2. 2

    Mountain View CA

    30%

    Entry-level AI openings
    61
    Entry-level openings
    206
    All openings
    1,515

    Hiring most here: Intuit, Waymo, Google

    Based on 206 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Mountain View

  3. 3

    Palo Alto CA

    28%

    Entry-level AI openings
    74
    Entry-level openings
    264
    All openings
    1,237

    Hiring most here: SpaceX, Rivian Automotive, Stanford Health Care

    Based on 264 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Palo Alto

  4. 4

    Bellevue WA

    26%

    Entry-level AI openings
    69
    Entry-level openings
    268
    All openings
    1,396

    Hiring most here: Amazon, TerraPower, Okta

    Based on 268 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Bellevue

  5. 5

    San Mateo CA

    24%

    Entry-level AI openings
    35
    Entry-level openings
    147
    All openings
    894

    Hiring most here: Roblox, Verkada, Skydio

    Based on 147 openings.

    Jobs and employers in San Mateo

  6. 6

    Littleton CO

    23%

    Entry-level AI openings
    19
    Entry-level openings
    83
    All openings
    281

    Hiring most here: Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky Aircraft, Lockheed Martin Services

    Based on 83 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Littleton

  7. 7

    Sunnyvale CA

    21%

    Entry-level AI openings
    69
    Entry-level openings
    323
    All openings
    1,556

    Hiring most here: Applied Intuition, Wayve, Amazon

    Based on 323 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Sunnyvale

  8. 8

    Santa Clara CA

    18%

    Entry-level AI openings
    47
    Entry-level openings
    262
    All openings
    1,530

    Hiring most here: Pure Storage, Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon

    Based on 262 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Santa Clara

  9. 9

    Boston MA

    18%

    Entry-level AI openings
    174
    Entry-level openings
    984
    All openings
    5,143

    Hiring most here: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, State Street, Confidential

    Based on 984 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boston

  10. 10

    Seattle WA

    17%

    Entry-level AI openings
    212
    Entry-level openings
    1,216
    All openings
    5,343

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Blue Origin, Shield AI

    Based on 1,216 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Seattle

  11. 11

    Redwood City CA

    17%

    Entry-level AI openings
    14
    Entry-level openings
    82
    All openings
    471

    Hiring most here: Corcept Therapeutics, SB Energy, C3 AI

    Based on 82 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Redwood City

  12. 12

    Cambridge MA

    14%

    Entry-level AI openings
    22
    Entry-level openings
    153
    All openings
    1,141

    Hiring most here: Harvard University, Biogen, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

    Based on 153 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cambridge

  13. 13

    Austin TX

    14%

    Entry-level AI openings
    215
    Entry-level openings
    1,560
    All openings
    5,903

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Advanced Micro Devices, Cloudflare

    Based on 1,560 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Austin

  14. 14

    San Jose CA

    13%

    Entry-level AI openings
    64
    Entry-level openings
    486
    All openings
    2,379

    Hiring most here: Super Micro Computer, Advanced Micro Devices, Cisco Systems

    Based on 486 openings.

    Jobs and employers in San Jose

  15. 15

    Alpharetta GA

    13%

    Entry-level AI openings
    22
    Entry-level openings
    168
    All openings
    576

    Hiring most here: Morgan Stanley, Fiserv, Landis+Gyr

    Based on 168 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Alpharetta

  16. 16

    New York NY

    13%

    Entry-level AI openings
    632
    Entry-level openings
    4,970
    All openings
    20,589

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 4,970 openings.

    Jobs and employers in New York

  17. 17

    Ann Arbor MI

    12%

    Entry-level AI openings
    11
    Entry-level openings
    92
    All openings
    350

    Hiring most here: May Mobility, Torc Robotics, Thomson Reuters

    Based on 92 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Ann Arbor

  18. 18

    McLean VA

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    24
    Entry-level openings
    229
    All openings
    1,155

    Hiring most here: Capital One, The MITRE, Steampunk

    Based on 229 openings.

    Jobs and employers in McLean

  19. 19

    El Segundo CA

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    26
    Entry-level openings
    255
    All openings
    949

    Hiring most here: Chaos Industries, Radiant, Varda Space Industries

    Based on 255 openings.

    Jobs and employers in El Segundo

  20. 20

    New York NY

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    22
    Entry-level openings
    216
    All openings
    1,084

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 216 openings.

    Jobs and employers in New York

  21. 21

    Denver CO

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    78
    Entry-level openings
    766
    All openings
    2,867

    Hiring most here: True Anomaly, Blue Origin, Amazon

    Based on 766 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Denver

  22. 22

    Reston VA

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    16
    Entry-level openings
    162
    All openings
    783

    Hiring most here: ICF International, CACI International, Anduril Industries

    Based on 162 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Reston

  23. 23

    Jersey City NJ

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    13
    Entry-level openings
    133
    All openings
    618

    Hiring most here: DTCC, Verisk Analytics, JPMorgan Chase

    Based on 133 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Jersey City

  24. 24

    Herndon VA

    9%

    Entry-level AI openings
    21
    Entry-level openings
    222
    All openings
    821

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Peraton

    Based on 222 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Herndon

  25. 25

    Stamford CT

    9%

    Entry-level AI openings
    8
    Entry-level openings
    88
    All openings
    331

    Hiring most here: Philip Morris International, Gartner, Charter Communications

    Based on 88 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Stamford

Full ranking

All 100 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1San Francisco CA35%2,312
2Mountain View CA30%206
3Palo Alto CA28%264
4Bellevue WA26%268
5San Mateo CA24%147
6Littleton CO23%83
7Sunnyvale CA21%323
8Santa Clara CA18%262
9Boston MA18%984
10Seattle WA17%1,216
11Redwood City CA17%82
12Cambridge MA14%153
13Austin TX14%1,560
14San Jose CA13%486
15Alpharetta GA13%168
16New York NY13%4,970
17Ann Arbor MI12%92
18McLean VA10%229
19El Segundo CA10%255
20New York NY10%216
21Denver CO10%766
22Reston VA10%162
23Jersey City NJ10%133
24Herndon VA9%222
25Stamford CT9%88
26Irving TX9%234
27Redmond WA9%400
28Salt Lake City UT9%315
29Chicago IL9%1,794
30San Diego CA8%742
31Arlington VA8%559
32Newark NJ8%110
33Oklahoma City OK8%186
34Scottsdale AZ8%250
35Tempe AZ8%232
36Chantilly VA7%149
37King of Prussia PA7%126
38Fremont CA7%119
39Irvine CA7%381
40Bethesda MD7%107
41Atlanta GA7%1,529
42Detroit MI6%232
43Los Angeles CA6%1,319
44Washington DC6%994
45Durham NC6%203
46Waltham MA6%126
47Sterling VA6%81
48Dallas TX6%1,180
49Fort Worth TX6%404
50Brooklyn NY6%186
51Rockville MD6%103
52Las Vegas NV6%312
53Boca Raton FL5%132
54Milwaukee WI5%271
55Miami FL5%682
56Huntsville AL5%294
57Jacksonville FL5%376
58Boulder CO5%119
59Des Moines IA5%87
60Wilmington DE5%109
61Indianapolis IN5%438
62St. Louis MO4%113
63Cedar Rapids IA4%95
64Minneapolis MN4%334
65Raleigh NC4%505
66Plano TX4%314
67Torrance CA4%194
68Madison WI4%196
69Long Beach CA4%271
70Omaha NE4%173
71Nashville TN4%447
72Charleston SC4%100
73Boise ID4%126
74Houston TX4%1,254
75Charlotte NC4%1,026
76Little Rock AR4%111
77Pittsburgh PA4%533
78Oakland CA4%113
79Syracuse NY3%143
80Albany NY3%115
81Columbia SC3%115
82Birmingham AL3%202
83Baltimore MD3%292
84Fort Wayne IN3%88
85Lincoln NE3%92
86Akron OH3%124
87Philadelphia PA3%499
88Grand Rapids MI3%157
89Richardson TX3%96
90Colorado Springs CO3%193
91Hartford CT3%100
92Cincinnati OH3%549
93Charlottesville VA3%206
94Columbus OH3%689
95Albuquerque NM3%145
96Dayton OH3%147
97Chandler AZ3%153
98Orlando FL3%398
99Phoenix AZ2%843
100Virginia Beach VA2%122

How this ranking works

A city's score is the share of its entry-level and early-career roles whose posting names at least one AI skill or tool.

Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. A city where one employer posts at least half the openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 80 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles on employer career sites, verified in the last week. Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which city ranks first: best cities for entry-level jobs that want ai skills?
San Francisco leads the United States: 35% of its entry-level openings ask for AI skills, against 7% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
100 cities have at least 80 entry-level openings, so the list has 100 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the share of its entry-level and early-career roles whose posting names at least one AI skill or tool. Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. A city where one employer posts at least half the openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-entry-level-ai-jobs

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-entry-level-ai-jobs">Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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