Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree 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 Portland, OR: 19%
- #2 Salem, OR: 18%
- #3 Tacoma, WA: 17%
- 12 cities ranked in the Pacific Northwest
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: 10% across all cities in our data.
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Portland (19%) is well clear of Kirkland at #10 (10%).
- Bellevue is the largest market in the top ten, with 1,079 jobs matched to an occupation behind its figure.
- Cities with fewer than 80 jobs matched to an occupation are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Some cities hire for a bigger share of occupations that need no four-year degree. The share shows where a job seeker without a bachelor's has the largest part of the market to aim at.
How to use it
Use it to compare cities for a search without a four-year degree, and read it beside the count so you do not chase a small market with a high share.
The top 25
- 1
Portland OR
19%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 102
- Share of the city's jobs
- 19%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 546
Hiring most here: Oregon Health & Science University, Legacy Health, Keen Footwear
Based on 546 openings.
- 2
Salem OR
18%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 15
- Share of the city's jobs
- 18%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 82
Hiring most here: Agility Robotics, Garmin, Northwest Human Services
Based on 82 openings.
- 3
Tacoma WA
17%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 16
- Share of the city's jobs
- 17%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 92
Hiring most here: Globe Main, TOTE Maritime
Based on 92 openings.
- 5
Kent WA
14%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 14
- Share of the city's jobs
- 14%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 99
Hiring most here: Stoke Space, Cowboy Space, Amazon
Based on 99 openings.
- 6
Renton WA
14%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 13
- Share of the city's jobs
- 14%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 95
Hiring most here: Hasbro, Providence Health & Services Washington, Michels
Based on 95 openings.
- 7
Everett WA
13%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 19
- Share of the city's jobs
- 13%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 146
Hiring most here: Helion Energy, Fortive, TerraPower
Based on 146 openings.
- 8
Vancouver WA
12%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 12
- Share of the city's jobs
- 12%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 99
Hiring most here: HP, ZoomInfo, Ecolab USA
Based on 99 openings.
- 9
Bellevue WA
11%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 117
- Share of the city's jobs
- 11%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 1,079
Hiring most here: Amazon, TerraPower, Okta
Based on 1,079 openings.
- 11
Seattle WA
8%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 316
- Share of the city's jobs
- 8%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 4,071
Hiring most here: Amazon, Blue Origin, Shield AI
Based on 4,071 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 open professional roles whose occupation typically needs less than a bachelor's degree: an associate degree, a postsecondary certificate, some college, a high school diploma or no formal credential (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only cities with at least 12 such jobs and 80 matched jobs are ranked, and a city where one employer posts at least half the openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score. Our board is professional roles, so these are a small share everywhere.
Sample bar: cities with fewer than 80 openings are not ranked.
Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles, matched to standard occupation (SOC) codes; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-35: typical entry-level education and projected employment change by occupation. 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: cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the pacific northwest?
- Portland leads the Pacific Northwest: 19% of its jobs are in occupations that do not typically need a four-year degree, against 10% across all cities in our data.
- How many cities are ranked?
- 12 cities have at least 80 jobs matched to an occupation, so the list has 12 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose occupation typically needs less than a bachelor's degree: an associate degree, a postsecondary certificate, some college, a high school diploma or no formal credential (Bureau of Labor Statistics). A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only cities with at least 12 such jobs and 80 matched jobs are ranked, and a city where one employer posts at least half the openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score. Our board is professional roles, so these are a small share everywhere.
- 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
- Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Pacific Northwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-where-the-most-jobs-do-not-need-a-four-year-degree-in-the-pacific-northwest
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-where-the-most-jobs-do-not-need-a-four-year-degree-in-the-pacific-northwest">Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Pacific Northwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
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