Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals in the Mountain West
Key facts
- #1 Denver, CO: 65 / 100
- #2 Westminster, CO: 62 / 100
- #3 Salt Lake City, UT: 60 / 100
- 11 cities ranked in the Mountain West
- Data as of November 2026
- 1Denver CO65 / 100
- 2Westminster CO62 / 100
- 3Salt Lake City UT60 / 100
- 4Boulder CO55 / 100
- 5Englewood CO51 / 100
- 6Colorado Springs CO47 / 100
- 7Boise ID47 / 100
- 8Aurora CO47 / 100
- 9Reno NV44 / 100
- 10Broomfield CO39 / 100
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Denver (65 / 100) is well clear of Broomfield at #10 (39 / 100).
- Denver is the largest market in the top ten, with 2,996 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
Mid-career professionals look for depth of experienced roles, pay that holds up after the cost of living and room to move up. This list weighs those together, with published weights.
How to use it
Use it to shortlist places for a move or a search, then check the employers hiring in your function. The weights are a judgment, so use the single-measure lists when one factor decides it.
The top 25
- 1
Denver CO
65 / 100
- Mid-career share of openings
- 55%
- Pay after cost of living
- $133k
- Mid-career openings
- 1,647
Hiring most here: True Anomaly, Blue Origin, Amazon
Based on 2,996 openings.
- 2
Westminster CO
62 / 100
- Mid-career share of openings
- 59%
- Pay after cost of living
- $143k
- Mid-career openings
- 157
Hiring most here: CesiumAstro, BAE Systems, Loenbro
Based on 264 openings.
- 3
Salt Lake City UT
60 / 100
- Mid-career share of openings
- 52%
- Pay after cost of living
- $137k
- Mid-career openings
- 572
Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, iCapital, Harris Health Strategic Fund
Based on 1,102 openings.
- 4
Boulder CO
55 / 100
- Mid-career share of openings
- 52%
- Pay after cost of living
- $144k
- Mid-career openings
- 235
Hiring most here: BAE Systems, Scitec Innovations, Atom Computing
Based on 454 openings.
- 5
Englewood CO
51 / 100
- Mid-career share of openings
- 60%
- Pay after cost of living
- $118k
- Mid-career openings
- 160
Hiring most here: General Atomics, Sargent & Lundy, Lockheed Martin
Based on 266 openings.
- 6
Colorado Springs CO
47 / 100
- Mid-career share of openings
- 58%
- Pay after cost of living
- $116k
- Mid-career openings
- 413
Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Trinzic, Odyssey Systems Consulting
Based on 712 openings.
- 7
Boise ID
47 / 100
- Mid-career share of openings
- 55%
- Pay after cost of living
- $131k
- Mid-career openings
- 217
Hiring most here: Simplot Company Foundation, Micron, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
Based on 391 openings.
- 8
Aurora CO
47 / 100
- Mid-career share of openings
- 54%
- Pay after cost of living
- $139k
- Mid-career openings
- 187
Hiring most here: CACI International, Northrop Grumman, RTX
Based on 347 openings.
- 9
Reno NV
44 / 100
- Mid-career share of openings
- 52%
- Pay after cost of living
- $132k
- Mid-career openings
- 162
Hiring most here: IGT, Amperesand, Caesars Entertainment
Based on 311 openings.
- 10
Broomfield CO
39 / 100
- Mid-career share of openings
- 46%
- Pay after cost of living
- $144k
- Mid-career openings
- 136
Hiring most here: BAE Systems, Crocs, Katalyst Ventures
Based on 294 openings.
- 11
Las Vegas NV
35 / 100
- Mid-career share of openings
- 47%
- Pay after cost of living
- $115k
- Mid-career openings
- 465
Hiring most here: Caesars Entertainment, Allegiant Travel Company, Jt4
Based on 980 openings.
Full ranking
All 11 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | City | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver CO | 65 / 100 | 2,996 |
| 2 | Westminster CO | 62 / 100 | 264 |
| 3 | Salt Lake City UT | 60 / 100 | 1,102 |
| 4 | Boulder CO | 55 / 100 | 454 |
| 5 | Englewood CO | 51 / 100 | 266 |
| 6 | Colorado Springs CO | 47 / 100 | 712 |
| 7 | Boise ID | 47 / 100 | 391 |
| 8 | Aurora CO | 47 / 100 | 347 |
| 9 | Reno NV | 44 / 100 | 311 |
| 10 | Broomfield CO | 39 / 100 | 294 |
| 11 | Las Vegas NV | 35 / 100 | 980 |
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): mid-career share of openings 35%, pay after cost of living 30%, mid-career openings 20%, director-and-above share 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 mid-career professionals in the mountain west?
- Denver is the best all-round city for mid-career professionals in the Mountain West, with a score of 65 / 100.
- How many cities are ranked?
- 11 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 11 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): mid-career share of openings 35%, pay after cost of living 30%, mid-career openings 20%, director-and-above share 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
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Mountain West
- Best college towns for junior jobs in the Mountain West
- Cities with the most jobs that need no experience in the Mountain West
- Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Mountain West
- Cities with the most hybrid jobs in the Mountain West
- Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Mountain West
- Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals in the Mountain West,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-mid-career-professionals-in-the-mountain-west
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-mid-career-professionals-in-the-mountain-west">Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals in the Mountain West (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
The job market, once a week
One email every Tuesday with the week's most useful read on the job market and the search, plus occasional news from NextChapter. No account needed. Unsubscribe any time.
Applying and hearing nothing back?
Find out where you stand: your odds, the jobs that fit you and a plan for the week ahead. Free. No résumé needed.
Already a member? Log in
Run a workforce board, job center or economic development office, or hire in the places and industries on this list?
Leave your work email. We'll send how organizations use NextChapter to reach job seekers.