NextChapter

Best cities for AI-skill jobs

Mountain View leads the United States for AI skills: 45% of its professional openings ask for them, against 12% across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Mountain View, CA: 45%
  • #2 San Francisco, CA: 41%
  • #3 Palo Alto, CA: 37%
  • 100 cities ranked in the United States
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 12% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1Mountain View CA45%
  2. 2San Francisco CA41%
  3. 3Palo Alto CA37%
  4. 4San Mateo CA34%
  5. 5Addison TX33%
  6. 6Menlo Park CA32%
  7. 7Lehi UT32%
  8. 8Gaithersburg MD30%
  9. 9Sunnyvale CA29%
  10. 10Santa Clara CA28%

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: Mountain View (45%) is well clear of Santa Clara at #10 (28%).
  • Gaithersburg reaches #8 on a sample of 213 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • San Francisco is the largest market in the top ten, with 12,335 openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 200 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Some labor markets ask for AI skills in a large share of postings, others in very few. The share tells you how far AI has moved from a specialist skill into ordinary job requirements in that place.

How to use it

Compare your own city to the top of the list. A gap is a reason to build one AI skill and show it on your résumé before you apply, not a reason to move.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Mountain View CA

    45%

    AI-skill openings
    736
    All openings
    1,637
    Median posted pay
    $213k

    Hiring most here: Intuit, Google, Waymo

    Based on 1,637 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Mountain View

  2. 2

    San Francisco CA

    41%

    AI-skill openings
    5,026
    All openings
    12,335
    Median posted pay
    $215k

    Hiring most here: OpenAI, Anthropic, University Of California San Francisco Foundation

    Based on 12,335 openings.

    Jobs and employers in San Francisco

  3. 3

    Palo Alto CA

    37%

    AI-skill openings
    472
    All openings
    1,263
    Median posted pay
    $206k

    Hiring most here: SpaceX, Rivian Automotive, Stanford Health Care

    Based on 1,263 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Palo Alto

  4. 4

    San Mateo CA

    34%

    AI-skill openings
    324
    All openings
    960
    Median posted pay
    $232k

    Hiring most here: Roblox, Verkada, Skydio

    Based on 960 openings.

    Jobs and employers in San Mateo

  5. 5

    Addison TX

    33%

    AI-skill openings
    71
    All openings
    215
    Median posted pay
    $150k

    Hiring most here: National Life Group, National Life Insurance Company, Bank of America

    Based on 215 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Addison

  6. 6

    Menlo Park CA

    32%

    AI-skill openings
    144
    All openings
    449
    Median posted pay
    $195k

    Hiring most here: Snowflake, Hippocratic AI, Exponent

    Based on 449 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Menlo Park

  7. 7

    Lehi UT

    32%

    AI-skill openings
    87
    All openings
    273
    Median posted pay
    $118k

    Hiring most here: Podium, Pattern Group, Texas Instruments

    Based on 273 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Lehi

  8. 8

    Gaithersburg MD

    30%

    AI-skill openings
    64
    All openings
    213
    Median posted pay
    $153k

    Hiring most here: Astrazeneca, Adventist Healthcare, Leidos

    Based on 213 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Gaithersburg

  9. 9

    Sunnyvale CA

    29%

    AI-skill openings
    475
    All openings
    1,655
    Median posted pay
    $212k

    Hiring most here: Applied Intuition, Amazon, Wayve

    Based on 1,655 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Sunnyvale

  10. 10

    Santa Clara CA

    28%

    AI-skill openings
    472
    All openings
    1,689
    Median posted pay
    $212k

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

    Based on 1,689 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Santa Clara

  11. 11

    Bellevue WA

    28%

    AI-skill openings
    403
    All openings
    1,455
    Median posted pay
    $197k

    Hiring most here: Amazon, TerraPower, Okta

    Based on 1,455 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Bellevue

  12. 12

    Seattle WA

    26%

    AI-skill openings
    1,448
    All openings
    5,635
    Median posted pay
    $180k

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Blue Origin, Shield AI

    Based on 5,635 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Seattle

  13. 13

    Redwood City CA

    25%

    AI-skill openings
    131
    All openings
    514
    Median posted pay
    $193k

    Hiring most here: Corcept Therapeutics, SB Energy, C3 AI

    Based on 514 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Redwood City

  14. 14

    Foster City CA

    24%

    AI-skill openings
    126
    All openings
    517
    Median posted pay
    $232k

    Hiring most here: Gilead Sciences, Zoox, Replit

    Based on 517 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Foster City

  15. 15

    Eden Prairie MN

    23%

    AI-skill openings
    84
    All openings
    363
    Median posted pay
    $139k

    Hiring most here: Unitedhealth Group, LHC Group, Illinois Tool Works

    Based on 363 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Eden Prairie

  16. 16

    San Jose CA

    22%

    AI-skill openings
    568
    All openings
    2,552
    Median posted pay
    $200k

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

    Based on 2,552 openings.

    Jobs and employers in San Jose

  17. 17

    Culver City CA

    21%

    AI-skill openings
    54
    All openings
    252
    Median posted pay
    $141k

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Scopely, Apple

    Based on 252 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Culver City

  18. 18

    Boston MA

    21%

    AI-skill openings
    1,143
    All openings
    5,338
    Median posted pay
    $170k

    Hiring most here: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Confidential, Takeda Development Center Americas

    Based on 5,338 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boston

  19. 19

    Littleton CO

    21%

    AI-skill openings
    63
    All openings
    295
    Median posted pay
    $130k

    Hiring most here: Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky Aircraft, Lockheed Martin Services

    Based on 295 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Littleton

  20. 20

    Santa Monica CA

    20%

    AI-skill openings
    66
    All openings
    327
    Median posted pay
    $167k

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Snap, FIGS

    Based on 327 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Santa Monica

  21. 21

    New York NY

    20%

    AI-skill openings
    4,428
    All openings
    22,145
    Median posted pay
    $169k

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 22,145 openings.

    Jobs and employers in New York

  22. 22

    Somerville MA

    19%

    AI-skill openings
    68
    All openings
    354
    Median posted pay
    $164k

    Hiring most here: Formlabs, Tulip Interfaces, Generate Biomedicines

    Based on 354 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Somerville

  23. 23

    Redmond WA

    18%

    AI-skill openings
    213
    All openings
    1,166
    Median posted pay
    $209k

    Hiring most here: Amazon, SpaceX, Microsoft

    Based on 1,166 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Redmond

  24. 24

    Austin TX

    18%

    AI-skill openings
    1,135
    All openings
    6,257
    Median posted pay
    $165k

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Advanced Micro Devices, Cloudflare

    Based on 6,257 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Austin

  25. 25

    Ann Arbor MI

    18%

    AI-skill openings
    65
    All openings
    362
    Median posted pay
    $153k

    Hiring most here: May Mobility, Torc Robotics, Thomson Reuters

    Based on 362 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Ann Arbor

Full ranking

All 100 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Mountain View CA45%1,637
2San Francisco CA41%12,335
3Palo Alto CA37%1,263
4San Mateo CA34%960
5Addison TX33%215
6Menlo Park CA32%449
7Lehi UT32%273
8Gaithersburg MD30%213
9Sunnyvale CA29%1,655
10Santa Clara CA28%1,689
11Bellevue WA28%1,455
12Seattle WA26%5,635
13Redwood City CA25%514
14Foster City CA24%517
15Eden Prairie MN23%363
16San Jose CA22%2,552
17Culver City CA21%252
18Boston MA21%5,338
19Littleton CO21%295
20Santa Monica CA20%327
21New York NY20%22,145
22Somerville MA19%354
23Redmond WA18%1,166
24Austin TX18%6,257
25Ann Arbor MI18%362
26McLean VA17%1,182
27Oakland CA17%609
28Reston VA17%828
29Framingham MA16%213
30Spring TX16%338
31Jersey City NJ16%679
32Denver CO16%2,996
33Waltham MA15%634
34Irving TX15%948
35Cambridge MA15%1,204
36San Carlos CA14%211
37Arlington VA14%2,079
38Chicago IL13%8,033
39King of Prussia PA13%347
40Herndon VA13%849
41Rolling Meadows IL13%283
42Milpitas CA13%271
43San Diego CA13%3,240
44Atlanta GA12%5,877
45Oak Ridge TN12%205
46Fremont CA12%510
47Arlington TX12%206
48Cary NC12%242
49Alpharetta GA12%614
50Princeton NJ12%439
51Lexington MA11%253
52Dallas TX11%4,778
53Tempe AZ11%688
54Irvine CA11%1,587
55Frisco TX11%207
56Brooklyn NY11%693
57Plano TX10%1,109
58Pasadena CA10%278
59Washington DC10%4,748
60Wilmington DE10%507
61Bethesda MD10%470
62Detroit MI10%786
63Durham NC10%804
64Stamford CT10%336
65Chantilly VA10%553
66Newark NJ10%455
67Los Angeles CA10%5,439
68Broomfield CO10%294
69Schaumburg IL10%242
70Boca Raton FL9%369
71Charlotte NC9%3,402
72Santa Ana CA9%277
73Alameda CA9%215
74El Segundo CA9%959
75Annapolis Junction MD9%220
76Bedford MA8%201
77Burlington MA8%227
78Rockville MD8%383
79Nashville TN8%1,737
80Columbia MD8%280
81Berkeley CA8%249
82Miami FL8%2,485
83Boulder CO8%454
84Raleigh NC8%1,515
85Hartford CT8%366
86Des Moines IA8%394
87Englewood CO8%266
88Jacksonville FL8%1,131
89Salt Lake City UT7%1,102
90Mc Lean VA7%242
91Richardson TX7%433
92Fort Meade MD7%275
93Springfield VA7%277
94Philadelphia PA7%1,960
95Carlsbad CA7%313
96White Plains NY7%229
97Scottsdale AZ7%772
98Morristown NJ7%248
99Albany NY7%397
100Lenexa KS7%223

How this ranking works

A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose posting names at least one AI skill or tool, found by our AI-skill tagger on the posting text.

The tagger looks for named skills (for example prompt engineering, machine learning, or a named AI tool), not the words "AI-powered" in a company blurb.

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 200 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: best cities for ai-skill jobs?
Mountain View leads the United States for AI skills: 45% of its professional openings ask for them, against 12% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
100 cities have at least 200 openings, so the list has 100 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose posting names at least one AI skill or tool, found by our AI-skill tagger on the posting text. The tagger looks for named skills (for example prompt engineering, machine learning, or a named AI tool), not the words "AI-powered" in a company blurb. 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 cities for AI-skill jobs,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-ai-jobs

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-ai-jobs">Best cities for AI-skill jobs (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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

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