NextChapter

Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Mountain West

Lehi leads the Mountain West: 28% 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.

Question 1

Where are you right now?

Why we ask: a laid-off week and a thinking-about-a-move week look nothing alike. No résumé, no account.

Get new professional jobs by email

We’ll email you when new matches are posted. No account needed.

Key facts

  • #1 Lehi, UT: 28%
  • #2 Littleton, CO: 23%
  • #3 Fort Collins, CO: 18%
  • 16 cities ranked in the Mountain West
  • Data as of November 2026

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

  1. 1Lehi UT28%
  2. 2Littleton CO23%
  3. 3Fort Collins CO18%
  4. 4Broomfield CO12%
  5. 5Denver CO10%
  6. 6Salt Lake City UT9%
  7. 7Englewood CO8%
  8. 8Westminster CO7%
  9. 9Las Vegas NV6%
  10. 10Boulder CO5%

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: Lehi (28%) is well clear of Boulder at #10 (5%).
  • Denver is the largest market in the top ten, with 766 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

    Lehi UT

    28%

    Entry-level AI openings
    21
    Entry-level openings
    74
    All openings
    255

    Hiring most here: Pattern, Podium, Weave

    Based on 74 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Lehi

  2. 2

    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

  3. 3

    Fort Collins CO

    18%

    Entry-level AI openings
    11
    Entry-level openings
    60
    All openings
    169

    Hiring most here: Broadcom, Anduril Industries, Advanced Energy

    Based on 60 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Collins

  4. 4

    Broomfield CO

    12%

    Entry-level AI openings
    9
    Entry-level openings
    77
    All openings
    285

    Hiring most here: BAE Systems, Crocs, Katalyst Ventures

    Based on 77 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Broomfield

  5. 5

    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

  6. 6

    Salt Lake City UT

    9%

    Entry-level AI openings
    27
    Entry-level openings
    315
    All openings
    1,048

    Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, iCapital, Harris Health Strategic Fund

    Based on 315 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Salt Lake City

  7. 7

    Englewood CO

    8%

    Entry-level AI openings
    6
    Entry-level openings
    75
    All openings
    250

    Hiring most here: General Atomics, Sargent & Lundy, Lockheed Martin

    Based on 75 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Englewood

  8. 8

    Westminster CO

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    4
    Entry-level openings
    58
    All openings
    258

    Hiring most here: CesiumAstro, BAE Systems, Loenbro

    Based on 58 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Westminster

  9. 9

    Las Vegas NV

    6%

    Entry-level AI openings
    18
    Entry-level openings
    312
    All openings
    932

    Hiring most here: Caesars Entertainment, Allegiant Travel Company, Jt4

    Based on 312 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Las Vegas

  10. 10

    Boulder CO

    5%

    Entry-level AI openings
    6
    Entry-level openings
    119
    All openings
    423

    Hiring most here: BAE Systems, Scitec Innovations, Atom Computing

    Based on 119 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boulder

  11. 11

    Centennial CO

    4%

    Entry-level AI openings
    2
    Entry-level openings
    49
    All openings
    158

    Hiring most here: United Launch Alliance, Mastec, American Civil Constructors

    Based on 49 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Centennial

  12. 12

    Boise ID

    4%

    Entry-level AI openings
    5
    Entry-level openings
    126
    All openings
    360

    Hiring most here: Simplot Company Foundation, Micron Technology, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

    Based on 126 openings.

  13. 13

    Colorado Springs CO

    3%

    Entry-level AI openings
    6
    Entry-level openings
    193
    All openings
    692

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Trinzic, Odyssey Systems Consulting

    Based on 193 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Colorado Springs

  14. 14

    Aurora CO

    2%

    Entry-level AI openings
    2
    Entry-level openings
    101
    All openings
    335

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, CACI International, RTX

    Based on 101 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Aurora

  15. 15

    Reno NV

    1%

    Entry-level AI openings
    1
    Entry-level openings
    95
    All openings
    296

    Hiring most here: IGT, Amperesand, Caesars Entertainment

    Based on 95 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Reno

  16. 16

    Sparks NV

    0%

    Entry-level AI openings
    0
    Entry-level openings
    42
    All openings
    121

    Hiring most here: Panasonic Energy North America, Amazon, Fleet

    Based on 42 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Sparks

Full ranking

All 16 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Lehi UT28%74
2Littleton CO23%83
3Fort Collins CO18%60
4Broomfield CO12%77
5Denver CO10%766
6Salt Lake City UT9%315
7Englewood CO8%75
8Westminster CO7%58
9Las Vegas NV6%312
10Boulder CO5%119
11Centennial CO4%49
12Boise ID4%126
13Colorado Springs CO3%193
14Aurora CO2%101
15Reno NV1%95
16Sparks NV0%42

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 mountain west?
Lehi leads the Mountain West: 28% of its entry-level openings ask for AI skills, against 7% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
16 cities have at least 40 entry-level openings, so the list has 16 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 Mountain West,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-entry-level-ai-jobs-in-the-mountain-west

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

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

The job market, once a week

One email every Tuesday with the week's most useful read on the job market and the search, plus occasional news from NextChapter. No account needed. Unsubscribe any time.

Run a workforce board, job center or economic development office, or hire in the places and industries on this list?

Leave your work email. We'll send how organizations use NextChapter to reach job seekers.

See how organizations use it