Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Pacific Northwest
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.
Key facts
- #1 Bellevue, WA: 25%
- #2 Seattle, WA: 17%
- #3 Redmond, WA: 9%
- 12 cities ranked in the Pacific Northwest
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: 11% across all cities in our data.
What stands out
- Seattle is the largest market in the top ten, with 1,213 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
Bellevue WA
25%
- Entry-level AI openings
- 68
- Entry-level openings
- 267
- All openings
- 1,389
Hiring most here: Amazon, TerraPower, Okta
Based on 267 openings.
- 2
Seattle WA
17%
- Entry-level AI openings
- 212
- Entry-level openings
- 1,213
- All openings
- 5,296
Hiring most here: Amazon, Blue Origin, Shield AI
Based on 1,213 openings.
- 4
Everett WA
4%
- Entry-level AI openings
- 2
- Entry-level openings
- 45
- All openings
- 185
Hiring most here: Helion Energy, Fortive, TerraPower
Based on 45 openings.
- 5
Hillsboro OR
4%
- Entry-level AI openings
- 2
- Entry-level openings
- 46
- All openings
- 175
Hiring most here: American Society for Microbiology, Microsoft, Synopsys
Based on 46 openings.
- 7
Vancouver WA
2%
- Entry-level AI openings
- 1
- Entry-level openings
- 44
- All openings
- 154
Hiring most here: HP, ZoomInfo, Ecolab USA
Based on 44 openings.
- 8
Kent WA
2%
- Entry-level AI openings
- 1
- Entry-level openings
- 57
- All openings
- 145
Hiring most here: Stoke Space, Cowboy Space, Amazon
Based on 57 openings.
- 9
Portland OR
2%
- Entry-level AI openings
- 4
- Entry-level openings
- 229
- All openings
- 785
Hiring most here: Oregon Health & Science University, Legacy Health, Keen Footwear
Based on 229 openings.
- 10
Salem OR
0%
- Entry-level AI openings
- 0
- Entry-level openings
- 47
- All openings
- 119
Hiring most here: Agility Robotics, Garmin, Northwest Human Services
Based on 47 openings.
- 11
Tacoma WA
0%
- Entry-level AI openings
- 0
- Entry-level openings
- 42
- All openings
- 119
Hiring most here: Globe Main, TOTE Maritime
Based on 42 openings.
Full ranking
All 12 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
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 pacific northwest?
- Bellevue leads the Pacific Northwest: 25% of its entry-level openings ask for AI skills, against 11% across all cities in our data.
- How many cities are ranked?
- 12 cities have at least 40 entry-level openings, so the list has 12 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
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Pacific Northwest
- Best college towns for junior jobs in the Pacific Northwest
- Counties with the lowest unemployment in the Pacific Northwest
- Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Pacific Northwest
- Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Pacific Northwest
- Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the Pacific Northwest
- Job families where entry-level jobs want AI skills
- Industries where entry-level jobs want AI skills
- Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Pacific Northwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-entry-level-ai-jobs-in-the-pacific-northwest
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-entry-level-ai-jobs-in-the-pacific-northwest">Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Pacific Northwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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