NextChapter

Best all-round cities for AI careers in the Southeast

McLean is the best all-round city for AI careers in the Southeast, with a score of 91 / 100.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 McLean, VA: 91 / 100
  • #2 Arlington, VA: 89 / 100
  • #3 Reston, VA: 88 / 100
  • 33 cities ranked in the Southeast
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1McLean VA91 / 100
  2. 2Arlington VA89 / 100
  3. 3Reston VA88 / 100
  4. 4Herndon VA87 / 100
  5. 5Atlanta GA83 / 100
  6. 6Chantilly VA76 / 100
  7. 7Nashville TN73 / 100
  8. 8Charlotte NC68 / 100
  9. 9Alpharetta GA67 / 100
  10. 10Miami FL65 / 100

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: McLean leads on 91 / 100, and #10 Miami is at 65 / 100.
  • Chantilly reaches #6 on a sample of 553 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • Atlanta is the largest market in the top ten, with 5,877 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

    McLean VA

    91 / 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

  2. 2

    Arlington VA

    89 / 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

  3. 3

    Reston VA

    88 / 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

  4. 4

    Herndon VA

    87 / 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

  5. 5

    Atlanta GA

    83 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    12%
    AI-skill openings
    725
    Median posted pay
    $138k

    Hiring most here: Emory University, Oxford College of Emory University, Capgemini Invent

    Based on 5,877 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Atlanta

  6. 6

    Chantilly VA

    76 / 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

  7. 7

    Nashville TN

    73 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    8%
    AI-skill openings
    144
    Median posted pay
    $139k

    Hiring most here: Oracle, Amazon, Vanderbilt University

    Based on 1,737 openings.

  8. 8

    Charlotte NC

    68 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    9%
    AI-skill openings
    319
    Median posted pay
    $128k

    Hiring most here: Truist Financial, Scout Motors, SMBC Americas

    Based on 3,402 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Charlotte

  9. 9

    Alpharetta GA

    67 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    12%
    AI-skill openings
    73
    Median posted pay
    $131k

    Hiring most here: Morgan Stanley, Fiserv, Landis+Gyr

    Based on 614 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Alpharetta

  10. 10

    Miami FL

    65 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    8%
    AI-skill openings
    198
    Median posted pay
    $138k

    Hiring most here: University Of Miami, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Princess Cruises / Holland America Line

    Based on 2,485 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Miami

  11. 11

    Tysons VA

    62 / 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

  12. 12

    Huntsville AL

    61 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    6%
    AI-skill openings
    70
    Median posted pay
    $146k

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, L3HARRIS Technologies, Blue Origin

    Based on 1,196 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Huntsville

  13. 13

    Raleigh NC

    59 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    8%
    AI-skill openings
    116
    Median posted pay
    $125k

    Hiring most here: First Citizens Bank, Dewberry, MaintainX

    Based on 1,515 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Raleigh

  14. 14

    Durham NC

    58 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    10%
    AI-skill openings
    79
    Median posted pay
    $122k

    Hiring most here: Duke University, Duke Health, GSK

    Based on 804 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Durham

  15. 15

    Mc Lean VA

    56 / 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.

  16. 16

    Vienna VA

    53 / 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

  17. 17

    Alexandria VA

    51 / 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

  18. 18

    Birmingham AL

    46 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    6%
    AI-skill openings
    39
    Median posted pay
    $124k

    Hiring most here: Genuine Parts Company, Uab Medicine Enterprise, Brasfield & Gorrie

    Based on 617 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Birmingham

  19. 19

    Jacksonville FL

    43 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    8%
    AI-skill openings
    85
    Median posted pay
    $105k

    Hiring most here: Confidential, Intercontinental Exchange, UF Health

    Based on 1,131 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Jacksonville

  20. 20

    Springfield VA

    42 / 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

  21. 21

    Tampa FL

    41 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    6%
    AI-skill openings
    105
    Median posted pay
    $109k

    Hiring most here: DTCC, Citigroup, University of South Florida

    Based on 1,845 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tampa

  22. 22

    Fort Belvoir VA

    37 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    6%
    AI-skill openings
    12
    Median posted pay
    $135k

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Peraton, Teksynap

    Based on 197 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Belvoir

  23. 23

    Boca Raton FL

    35 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    9%
    AI-skill openings
    35
    Median posted pay
    $95k

    Hiring most here: Compass, Baptist Health South Florida, SBA Communications

    Based on 369 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boca Raton

  24. 24

    Louisville KY

    31 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    3%
    AI-skill openings
    59
    Median posted pay
    $113k

    Hiring most here: Deloitte, BrightSpring Health Services, Norton Healthcare

    Based on 2,319 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Louisville

  25. 25

    Tallahassee FL

    31 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    4%
    AI-skill openings
    34
    Median posted pay
    $125k

    Hiring most here: State of Florida, L3HARRIS Technologies, NextEra Energy

    Based on 840 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tallahassee

Full ranking

All 33 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1McLean VA91 / 1001,182
2Arlington VA89 / 1002,079
3Reston VA88 / 100828
4Herndon VA87 / 100849
5Atlanta GA83 / 1005,877
6Chantilly VA76 / 100553
7Nashville TN73 / 1001,737
8Charlotte NC68 / 1003,402
9Alpharetta GA67 / 100614
10Miami FL65 / 1002,485
11Tysons VA62 / 100191
12Huntsville AL61 / 1001,196
13Raleigh NC59 / 1001,515
14Durham NC58 / 100804
15Mc Lean VA56 / 100242
16Vienna VA53 / 100171
17Alexandria VA51 / 100618
18Birmingham AL46 / 100617
19Jacksonville FL43 / 1001,131
20Springfield VA42 / 100277
21Tampa FL41 / 1001,845
22Fort Belvoir VA37 / 100197
23Boca Raton FL35 / 100369
24Louisville KY31 / 1002,319
25Tallahassee FL31 / 100840
26Richmond VA30 / 1001,209
27Manassas VA26 / 100236
28Orlando FL25 / 1001,343
29Fort Lauderdale FL22 / 100624
30Frankfort KY22 / 100187
31Greensboro NC17 / 100446
32Norfolk VA13 / 100342
33Virginia Beach VA5 / 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 southeast?
McLean is the best all-round city for AI careers in the Southeast, with a score of 91 / 100.
How many cities are ranked?
33 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 33 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 Southeast,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-ai-careers-in-the-southeast

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

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

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