NextChapter

Best all-round cities for AI careers in the Mid-Atlantic

New York is the best all-round city for AI careers in the Mid-Atlantic, with a score of 95 / 100.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 New York, NY: 95 / 100
  • #2 McLean, VA: 89 / 100
  • #3 Herndon, VA: 86 / 100
  • 37 cities ranked in the Mid-Atlantic
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1New York NY95 / 100
  2. 2McLean VA89 / 100
  3. 3Herndon VA86 / 100
  4. 4Reston VA86 / 100
  5. 5Washington DC83 / 100
  6. 6Jersey City NJ83 / 100
  7. 7Arlington VA83 / 100
  8. 8Princeton NJ81 / 100
  9. 9Chantilly VA78 / 100
  10. 10Wilmington DE73 / 100

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: New York leads on 95 / 100, and #10 Wilmington is at 73 / 100.
  • New York is the largest market in the top ten, with 22,145 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

Careers that use AI cluster in a few places. This list weighs the share and number of openings that ask for AI skills and the pay they offer, to show where AI work is concentrated.

How to use it

If you are building AI skills, the top cities show where the employers and the roles are. The gap between your city and the top is a guide to what to add to your résumé.

The top 25

  1. 1

    New York NY

    95 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    20%
    AI-skill openings
    4,428
    Median posted pay
    $169k

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 22,145 openings.

    Jobs and employers in New York

  2. 2

    McLean VA

    89 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    17%
    AI-skill openings
    198
    Median posted pay
    $160k

    Hiring most here: Capital One, The MITRE, Steampunk

    Based on 1,182 openings.

    Jobs and employers in McLean

  3. 3

    Herndon VA

    86 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    13%
    AI-skill openings
    112
    Median posted pay
    $163k

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Peraton

    Based on 849 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Herndon

  4. 4

    Reston VA

    86 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    17%
    AI-skill openings
    137
    Median posted pay
    $160k

    Hiring most here: ICF International, CACI International, Anduril Industries

    Based on 828 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Reston

  5. 5

    Washington DC

    83 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    10%
    AI-skill openings
    489
    Median posted pay
    $163k

    Hiring most here: Anduril Industries, Confidential, Shield AI

    Based on 4,748 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Washington

  6. 6

    Jersey City NJ

    83 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    16%
    AI-skill openings
    108
    Median posted pay
    $162k

    Hiring most here: DTCC, JPMorgan Chase, Verisk Analytics

    Based on 679 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Jersey City

  7. 7

    Arlington VA

    83 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    14%
    AI-skill openings
    287
    Median posted pay
    $148k

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Bloomberg Industry Group

    Based on 2,079 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Arlington

  8. 8

    Princeton NJ

    81 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    12%
    AI-skill openings
    52
    Median posted pay
    $191k

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

    Based on 439 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Princeton

  9. 9

    Chantilly VA

    78 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    10%
    AI-skill openings
    54
    Median posted pay
    $194k

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Trinzic, Peraton

    Based on 553 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chantilly

  10. 10

    Wilmington DE

    73 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    10%
    AI-skill openings
    51
    Median posted pay
    $161k

    Hiring most here: Astrazeneca, Sargent & Lundy, CSC

    Based on 507 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Wilmington

  11. 11

    Brooklyn NY

    66 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    11%
    AI-skill openings
    75
    Median posted pay
    $142k

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

    Based on 693 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Brooklyn

  12. 12

    Bethesda MD

    61 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    10%
    AI-skill openings
    47
    Median posted pay
    $144k

    Hiring most here: Black Canyon Consulting, ZoomInfo, Leidos

    Based on 470 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Bethesda

  13. 13

    Mc Lean VA

    60 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    7%
    AI-skill openings
    18
    Median posted pay
    $163k

    Hiring most here: Capital One, Booz Allen Hamilton, Sunrise Senior Living

    Based on 242 openings.

  14. 14

    Rockville MD

    59 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    8%
    AI-skill openings
    32
    Median posted pay
    $150k

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

    Based on 383 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Rockville

  15. 15

    Tysons VA

    58 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    20%
    AI-skill openings
    39
    Median posted pay
    $127k

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

    Based on 191 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tysons

  16. 16

    Philadelphia PA

    57 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    7%
    AI-skill openings
    140
    Median posted pay
    $135k

    Hiring most here: Confidential, GSK, Comcast

    Based on 1,960 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Philadelphia

  17. 17

    Fort Meade MD

    54 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    7%
    AI-skill openings
    20
    Median posted pay
    $149k

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

    Based on 275 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Meade

  18. 18

    Newark NJ

    53 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    10%
    AI-skill openings
    44
    Median posted pay
    $138k

    Hiring most here: Broadridge Financial Solutions, Amazon, Audible

    Based on 455 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Newark

  19. 19

    Pittsburgh PA

    51 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    6%
    AI-skill openings
    100
    Median posted pay
    $131k

    Hiring most here: PNC Financial Services Group, Highmark Health, UPMC

    Based on 1,592 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Pittsburgh

  20. 20

    Vienna VA

    48 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    11%
    AI-skill openings
    18
    Median posted pay
    $133k

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

    Based on 171 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Vienna

  21. 21

    Alexandria VA

    48 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    6%
    AI-skill openings
    38
    Median posted pay
    $140k

    Hiring most here: Kearney, Patent and Trademark Office, Analytic Services (ANSER)

    Based on 618 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Alexandria

  22. 22

    Springfield VA

    41 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    7%
    AI-skill openings
    20
    Median posted pay
    $131k

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

    Based on 277 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Springfield

  23. 23

    Baltimore MD

    41 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    6%
    AI-skill openings
    65
    Median posted pay
    $130k

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins University

    Based on 1,158 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Baltimore

  24. 24

    White Plains NY

    35 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    7%
    AI-skill openings
    16
    Median posted pay
    $138k

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

    Based on 229 openings.

    Jobs and employers in White Plains

  25. 25

    Richmond VA

    33 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    4%
    AI-skill openings
    54
    Median posted pay
    $105k

    Hiring most here: Mckesson, Capital One, Genworth Financial

    Based on 1,209 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Richmond

Full ranking

All 37 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1New York NY95 / 10022,145
2McLean VA89 / 1001,182
3Herndon VA86 / 100849
4Reston VA86 / 100828
5Washington DC83 / 1004,748
6Jersey City NJ83 / 100679
7Arlington VA83 / 1002,079
8Princeton NJ81 / 100439
9Chantilly VA78 / 100553
10Wilmington DE73 / 100507
11Brooklyn NY66 / 100693
12Bethesda MD61 / 100470
13Mc Lean VA60 / 100242
14Rockville MD59 / 100383
15Tysons VA58 / 100191
16Philadelphia PA57 / 1001,960
17Fort Meade MD54 / 100275
18Newark NJ53 / 100455
19Pittsburgh PA51 / 1001,592
20Vienna VA48 / 100171
21Alexandria VA48 / 100618
22Springfield VA41 / 100277
23Baltimore MD41 / 1001,158
24White Plains NY35 / 100229
25Richmond VA33 / 1001,209
26Fort Belvoir VA32 / 100197
27Albany NY32 / 100397
28Harrisburg PA30 / 100300
29Buffalo NY26 / 100461
30Parsippany NJ24 / 100274
31United PA22 / 100234
32Annapolis MD20 / 100391
33Manassas VA18 / 100236
34Rochester NY16 / 100537
35Norfolk VA16 / 100342
36Syracuse NY8 / 100419
37Virginia Beach VA4 / 100275

How this ranking works

A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): ai-skill share of openings 35%, ai-skill openings 30%, median posted pay 20%, pay after cost of living 15%.

A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most.

Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked.

A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its 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 and posted pay; Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities 2024. 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 all-round cities for ai careers in the mid-atlantic?
New York is the best all-round city for AI careers in the Mid-Atlantic, with a score of 95 / 100.
How many cities are ranked?
37 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 37 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): ai-skill share of openings 35%, ai-skill openings 30%, median posted pay 20%, pay after cost of living 15%. A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most. Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its 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 all-round cities for AI careers in the Mid-Atlantic,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-ai-careers-in-the-mid-atlantic

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-ai-careers-in-the-mid-atlantic">Best all-round cities for AI careers in the Mid-Atlantic (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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