NextChapter

Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Mid-Atlantic

Tysons leads the Mid-Atlantic: 27% 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 Tysons, VA: 27%
  • #2 New York, NY: 13%
  • #3 McLean, VA: 10%
  • 63 cities ranked in the Mid-Atlantic
  • Data as of November 2026

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

  1. 1Tysons VA27%
  2. 2New York NY13%
  3. 3McLean VA10%
  4. 4New York NY10%
  5. 5Reston VA10%
  6. 6Jersey City NJ10%
  7. 7Herndon VA9%
  8. 8Princeton NJ9%
  9. 9Arlington VA8%
  10. 10Newark NJ8%

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: Tysons (27%) is well clear of Newark at #10 (8%).
  • Tysons reaches #1 on a sample of 49 entry-level openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • New York is the largest market in the top ten, with 4,970 entry-level openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 40 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

    Tysons VA

    27%

    Entry-level AI openings
    13
    Entry-level openings
    49
    All openings
    190

    Hiring most here: M.C. Dean, Alarm.com Holdings, LMI

    Based on 49 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tysons

  2. 2

    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

  3. 3

    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

  4. 4

    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

  5. 5

    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

  6. 6

    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

  7. 7

    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

  8. 8

    Princeton NJ

    9%

    Entry-level AI openings
    7
    Entry-level openings
    74
    All openings
    396

    Hiring most here: Genmab A/S, Otsuka, ZS Associates

    Based on 74 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Princeton

  9. 9

    Arlington VA

    8%

    Entry-level AI openings
    46
    Entry-level openings
    559
    All openings
    1,989

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Bloomberg Industry Group

    Based on 559 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Arlington

  10. 10

    Newark NJ

    8%

    Entry-level AI openings
    9
    Entry-level openings
    110
    All openings
    426

    Hiring most here: Broadridge Financial Solutions, Amazon, Audible

    Based on 110 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Newark

  11. 11

    Chantilly VA

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    11
    Entry-level openings
    149
    All openings
    555

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Trinzic, Peraton

    Based on 149 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chantilly

  12. 12

    White Plains NY

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    5
    Entry-level openings
    69
    All openings
    222

    Hiring most here: New York Power Authority, FormativGroup, RWE Clean Energy

    Based on 69 openings.

    Jobs and employers in White Plains

  13. 13

    King of Prussia PA

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    9
    Entry-level openings
    126
    All openings
    334

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

    Based on 126 openings.

    Jobs and employers in King of Prussia

  14. 14

    Camden NJ

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    3
    Entry-level openings
    42
    All openings
    162

    Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, NFI Industries, Cooper University Health Care

    Based on 42 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Camden

  15. 15

    Vienna VA

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    4
    Entry-level openings
    57
    All openings
    163

    Hiring most here: Esri, Navy Federal Credit Union, Antithesis

    Based on 57 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Vienna

  16. 16

    Ashburn VA

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    4
    Entry-level openings
    58
    All openings
    260

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Caci Technologies, L3HARRIS Technologies

    Based on 58 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Ashburn

  17. 17

    Bethesda MD

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    7
    Entry-level openings
    107
    All openings
    443

    Hiring most here: Black Canyon Consulting, ZoomInfo, Leidos

    Based on 107 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Bethesda

  18. 18

    Washington DC

    6%

    Entry-level AI openings
    64
    Entry-level openings
    994
    All openings
    4,457

    Hiring most here: Anduril Industries, CACI International, Shield AI

    Based on 994 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Washington

  19. 19

    Sterling VA

    6%

    Entry-level AI openings
    5
    Entry-level openings
    81
    All openings
    305

    Hiring most here: CACI International, BAE Systems, Axon Enterprise

    Based on 81 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Sterling

  20. 20

    Brooklyn NY

    6%

    Entry-level AI openings
    11
    Entry-level openings
    186
    All openings
    680

    Hiring most here: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Williams-Sonoma, Altana AI

    Based on 186 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Brooklyn

  21. 21

    Rockville MD

    6%

    Entry-level AI openings
    6
    Entry-level openings
    103
    All openings
    355

    Hiring most here: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, The Emmes Company, BAE Systems

    Based on 103 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Rockville

  22. 22

    Frederick MD

    5%

    Entry-level AI openings
    3
    Entry-level openings
    55
    All openings
    163

    Hiring most here: Leidos Biomedical Research, Oshkosh, M.C. Dean

    Based on 55 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Frederick

  23. 23

    Lynchburg VA

    5%

    Entry-level AI openings
    3
    Entry-level openings
    55
    All openings
    113

    Hiring most here: BWX Technologies, BWXT, BWXT Ordnance Tennessee

    Based on 55 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Lynchburg

  24. 24

    Fort Meade MD

    5%

    Entry-level AI openings
    4
    Entry-level openings
    79
    All openings
    276

    Hiring most here: Peraton, CACI International, HII Mission Technologies

    Based on 79 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Meade

  25. 25

    Fort Belvoir VA

    5%

    Entry-level AI openings
    3
    Entry-level openings
    61
    All openings
    197

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Teksynap, LMI

    Based on 61 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Belvoir

Full ranking

All 63 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Tysons VA27%49
2New York NY13%4,970
3McLean VA10%229
4New York NY10%216
5Reston VA10%162
6Jersey City NJ10%133
7Herndon VA9%222
8Princeton NJ9%74
9Arlington VA8%559
10Newark NJ8%110
11Chantilly VA7%149
12White Plains NY7%69
13King of Prussia PA7%126
14Camden NJ7%42
15Vienna VA7%57
16Ashburn VA7%58
17Bethesda MD7%107
18Washington DC6%994
19Sterling VA6%81
20Brooklyn NY6%186
21Rockville MD6%103
22Frederick MD5%55
23Lynchburg VA5%55
24Fort Meade MD5%79
25Fort Belvoir VA5%61
26Edison NJ5%42
27Wilmington DE5%109
28Newark DE4%53
29Springfield VA4%54
30Falls Church VA4%55
31Pittsburgh PA4%533
32Syracuse NY3%143
33Albany NY3%115
34Baltimore MD3%292
35Philadelphia PA3%499
36Charlottesville VA3%206
37Annapolis Junction MD3%72
38Virginia Beach VA2%122
39Morristown NJ2%42
40Norfolk VA2%133
41Harrisburg PA2%95
42Conshohocken PA2%48
43Melville NY2%48
44Alexandria VA2%199
45Fairfax VA2%151
46Reading PA2%52
47Chesapeake VA2%59
48Columbia MD2%63
49Lancaster PA2%64
50Allentown PA2%65
51Buffalo NY1%134
52Richmond VA1%411
53Mc Lean VA1%72
54Rochester NY1%161
55Manassas VA1%88
56Annapolis MD1%164
57Roanoke VA0%74
58Bronx NY0%71
59United PA0%70
60Parsippany NJ0%68
61York PA0%59
62Mechanicsburg PA0%49
63Newport News VA0%40

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 40 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 in the mid-atlantic?
Tysons leads the Mid-Atlantic: 27% of its entry-level openings ask for AI skills, against 7% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
63 cities have at least 40 entry-level openings, so the list has 63 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 in the Mid-Atlantic,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-entry-level-ai-jobs-in-the-mid-atlantic

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

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

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