NextChapter

Cities with the most jobs that need no experience in the West Coast

Bakersfield leads the West Coast: 5.4% of its professional openings say no experience is needed, against 0.7% 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 Bakersfield, CA: 5.4%
  • #2 Riverside, CA: 4.8%
  • #3 Spokane, WA: 2.9%
  • 66 cities ranked in the West Coast
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 0.7% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1Bakersfield CA5.4%
  2. 2Riverside CA4.8%
  3. 3Spokane WA2.9%
  4. 4Livermore CA1.9%
  5. 5Palmdale CA1.6%
  6. 6Renton WA1.6%
  7. 7Santa Clara CA1.5%
  8. 8Torrance CA1.5%
  9. 9Berkeley CA1.3%
  10. 10Pleasanton CA1.2%

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: Bakersfield (5.4%) is well clear of Pleasanton at #10 (1.2%).
  • Santa Clara is the largest market in the top ten, with 1,521 openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Some employers say plainly that no experience is needed, or that they will train people. The share of such openings shows where it is easiest to get started without a track record.

How to use it

If you are starting out or changing fields, apply to postings that say it. The city lists show where they are most common.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Bakersfield CA

    5.4%

    No-experience openings
    6
    All openings
    111
    All openings
    111

    Hiring most here: Creative Financial Staffing, Clinica Sierra Vista

    Based on 111 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Bakersfield

  2. 2

    Riverside CA

    4.8%

    No-experience openings
    8
    All openings
    168
    All openings
    168

    Hiring most here: Kaiser Permanente, Pyramid Global Hospitality

    Based on 168 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Riverside

  3. 3

    Spokane WA

    2.9%

    No-experience openings
    4
    All openings
    139
    All openings
    139

    Hiring most here: McKinstry, BDO USA

    Based on 139 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Spokane

  4. 4

    Livermore CA

    1.9%

    No-experience openings
    2
    All openings
    104
    All openings
    104

    Hiring most here: Formfactor, Fremont Bank, LAM Research

    Based on 104 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Livermore

  5. 5

    Palmdale CA

    1.6%

    No-experience openings
    2
    All openings
    125
    All openings
    125

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Systems

    Based on 125 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Palmdale

  6. 6

    Renton WA

    1.6%

    No-experience openings
    2
    All openings
    126
    All openings
    126

    Hiring most here: Hasbro, Providence Health & Services Washington, Michels

    Based on 126 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Renton

  7. 7

    Santa Clara CA

    1.5%

    No-experience openings
    23
    All openings
    1,521
    All openings
    1,521

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

    Based on 1,521 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Santa Clara

  8. 8

    Torrance CA

    1.5%

    No-experience openings
    11
    All openings
    731
    All openings
    731

    Hiring most here: Divergent Technologies, Valar Atomics, Neros

    Based on 731 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Torrance

  9. 9

    Berkeley CA

    1.3%

    No-experience openings
    3
    All openings
    237
    All openings
    237

    Hiring most here: Form Energy, University of California, Berkeley, Rigetti Computing

    Based on 237 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Berkeley

  10. 10

    Pleasanton CA

    1.2%

    No-experience openings
    2
    All openings
    173
    All openings
    173

    Hiring most here: Kaiser Permanente, 10X Genomics, IonQ

    Based on 173 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Pleasanton

  11. 11

    Long Beach CA

    1.1%

    No-experience openings
    9
    All openings
    839
    All openings
    839

    Hiring most here: Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, Vast

    Based on 839 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Long Beach

  12. 12

    Sunnyvale CA

    1.0%

    No-experience openings
    16
    All openings
    1,551
    All openings
    1,551

    Hiring most here: Applied Intuition, Wayve, Amazon

    Based on 1,551 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Sunnyvale

  13. 13

    Fresno CA

    1.0%

    No-experience openings
    2
    All openings
    198
    All openings
    198

    Hiring most here: Pacific Gas & Electric, University Of California San Francisco Foundation, Creative Financial Staffing

    Based on 198 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fresno

  14. 14

    San Leandro CA

    1.0%

    No-experience openings
    1
    All openings
    100
    All openings
    100

    Hiring most here: Fuse, Pacific Fusion, Sirenopt

    Based on 100 openings.

    Jobs and employers in San Leandro

  15. 15

    Hayward CA

    1.0%

    No-experience openings
    1
    All openings
    102
    All openings
    102

    Hiring most here: Skydio, Pulse Biosciences, 1X Technologies

    Based on 102 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Hayward

  16. 16

    Beaverton OR

    0.9%

    No-experience openings
    1
    All openings
    107
    All openings
    107

    Hiring most here: Ralliant, Apple, Software Specialists

    Based on 107 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Beaverton

  17. 17

    Eugene OR

    0.9%

    No-experience openings
    1
    All openings
    110
    All openings
    110

    Hiring most here: University of Oregon, Sinclair

    Based on 110 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Eugene

  18. 18

    Stockton CA

    0.9%

    No-experience openings
    1
    All openings
    116
    All openings
    116

    Hiring most here: Amazon

    Based on 116 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Stockton

  19. 19

    Tacoma WA

    0.8%

    No-experience openings
    1
    All openings
    119
    All openings
    119

    Hiring most here: Globe Main, TOTE Maritime

    Based on 119 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tacoma

  20. 20

    Los Angeles CA

    0.8%

    No-experience openings
    41
    All openings
    5,076
    All openings
    5,076

    Hiring most here: K2 Space, Cedars-sinai Medical Center, Apex Space

    Based on 5,076 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Los Angeles

  21. 21

    Milpitas CA

    0.8%

    No-experience openings
    2
    All openings
    255
    All openings
    255

    Hiring most here: Cisco Systems, Psiquantum, KLA

    Based on 255 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Milpitas

  22. 22

    San Jose CA

    0.8%

    No-experience openings
    18
    All openings
    2,353
    All openings
    2,353

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

    Based on 2,353 openings.

    Jobs and employers in San Jose

  23. 23

    Portland OR

    0.8%

    No-experience openings
    6
    All openings
    785
    All openings
    785

    Hiring most here: Oregon Health & Science University, Legacy Health, Keen Footwear

    Based on 785 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Portland

  24. 24

    Bothell WA

    0.8%

    No-experience openings
    1
    All openings
    131
    All openings
    131

    Hiring most here: Verathon, IonQ, Koninklijke Philips

    Based on 131 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Bothell

  25. 25

    Burbank CA

    0.7%

    No-experience openings
    1
    All openings
    143
    All openings
    143

    Hiring most here: Paramount, Crane, Sphere Entertainment

    Based on 143 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Burbank

Full ranking

All 66 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Bakersfield CA5.4%111
2Riverside CA4.8%168
3Spokane WA2.9%139
4Livermore CA1.9%104
5Palmdale CA1.6%125
6Renton WA1.6%126
7Santa Clara CA1.5%1,521
8Torrance CA1.5%731
9Berkeley CA1.3%237
10Pleasanton CA1.2%173
11Long Beach CA1.1%839
12Sunnyvale CA1.0%1,551
13Fresno CA1.0%198
14San Leandro CA1.0%100
15Hayward CA1.0%102
16Beaverton OR0.9%107
17Eugene OR0.9%110
18Stockton CA0.9%116
19Tacoma WA0.8%119
20Los Angeles CA0.8%5,076
21Milpitas CA0.8%255
22San Jose CA0.8%2,353
23Portland OR0.8%785
24Bothell WA0.8%131
25Burbank CA0.7%143
26Kent WA0.7%145
27Santa Rosa CA0.7%147
28Carlsbad CA0.7%296
29Sacramento CA0.7%1,355
30Vancouver WA0.6%154
31Redwood City CA0.6%471
32Kirkland WA0.6%157
33Roseville CA0.6%161
34Walnut Creek CA0.6%168
35Anaheim CA0.6%169
36Palo Alto CA0.6%1,231
37San Mateo CA0.6%893
38San Francisco CA0.6%11,695
39Glendale CA0.6%181
40El Segundo CA0.5%928
41Alameda CA0.5%189
42San Diego CA0.5%3,040
43Redmond WA0.5%1,145
44Seattle WA0.5%5,296
45Irvine CA0.5%1,487
46Mountain View CA0.5%1,513
47Culver City CA0.4%241
48Newport Beach CA0.4%282
49Oakland CA0.3%577
50Bellevue WA0.2%1,389
51Fremont CA0.2%468
52Foster CA0.2%517
53Menlo Park CA0.0%436
54Santa Monica CA0.0%299
55Santa Ana CA0.0%258
56Pasadena CA0.0%256
57San Carlos CA0.0%210
58Everett WA0.0%185
59Hillsboro OR0.0%175
60Santa Barbara CA0.0%144
61Corona CA0.0%142
62Beverly Hills CA0.0%141
63Orange CA0.0%132
64Newark CA0.0%130
65Salem OR0.0%119
66Emeryville CA0.0%111

How this ranking works

A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose posting says no experience is needed, or welcomes recent graduates or people the employer will train.

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 100 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: cities with the most jobs that need no experience in the west coast?
Bakersfield leads the West Coast: 5.4% of its professional openings say no experience is needed, against 0.7% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
66 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 66 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose posting says no experience is needed, or welcomes recent graduates or people the employer will train. 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, “Cities with the most jobs that need no experience in the West Coast,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-with-the-most-no-experience-jobs-in-the-west-coast

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-with-the-most-no-experience-jobs-in-the-west-coast">Cities with the most jobs that need no experience in the West Coast (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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

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