NextChapter

Best cities for AI-skill jobs in the Mountain West

Lehi leads the Mountain West for AI skills: 32% of its professional openings ask for them, against 10% across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Lehi, UT: 32%
  • #2 Littleton, CO: 21%
  • #3 Denver, CO: 16%
  • 19 cities ranked in the Mountain West
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 10% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1Lehi UT32%
  2. 2Littleton CO21%
  3. 3Denver CO16%
  4. 4Fort Collins CO12%
  5. 5Greenwood Village CO10%
  6. 6Broomfield CO10%
  7. 7Boulder CO8%
  8. 8Englewood CO8%
  9. 9Salt Lake City UT7%
  10. 10Louisville CO7%

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: Lehi (32%) is well clear of Louisville at #10 (7%).
  • Louisville reaches #10 on a sample of 139 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • 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

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

    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

  2. 2

    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

  3. 3

    Denver CO

    16%

    AI-skill openings
    471
    All openings
    2,996
    Median posted pay
    $141k

    Hiring most here: True Anomaly, Blue Origin, Amazon

    Based on 2,996 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Denver

  4. 4

    Fort Collins CO

    12%

    AI-skill openings
    19
    All openings
    154
    Median posted pay
    $131k

    Hiring most here: Anduril Industries, Woodward, Advanced Energy

    Based on 154 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Collins

  5. 5

    Greenwood Village CO

    10%

    AI-skill openings
    17
    All openings
    168
    Median posted pay
    $127k

    Hiring most here: CoBank ACB, Black & Veatch, Charter Communications

    Based on 168 openings.

  6. 6

    Broomfield CO

    10%

    AI-skill openings
    28
    All openings
    294
    Median posted pay
    $149k

    Hiring most here: BAE Systems, Crocs, Katalyst Ventures

    Based on 294 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Broomfield

  7. 7

    Boulder CO

    8%

    AI-skill openings
    35
    All openings
    454
    Median posted pay
    $149k

    Hiring most here: BAE Systems, Scitec Innovations, Atom Computing

    Based on 454 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boulder

  8. 8

    Englewood CO

    8%

    AI-skill openings
    20
    All openings
    266
    Median posted pay
    $121k

    Hiring most here: General Atomics, Sargent & Lundy, Lockheed Martin

    Based on 266 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Englewood

  9. 9

    Salt Lake City UT

    7%

    AI-skill openings
    82
    All openings
    1,102
    Median posted pay
    $135k

    Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, iCapital, Harris Health Strategic Fund

    Based on 1,102 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Salt Lake City

  10. 10

    Louisville CO

    7%

    AI-skill openings
    10
    All openings
    139
    Median posted pay
    $145k

    Hiring most here: Infleqtion, Sierra Space, Garmin

    Based on 139 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Louisville

  11. 11

    Aurora CO

    7%

    AI-skill openings
    23
    All openings
    347
    Median posted pay
    $144k

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Northrop Grumman, RTX

    Based on 347 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Aurora

  12. 12

    Westminster CO

    6%

    AI-skill openings
    16
    All openings
    264
    Median posted pay
    $147k

    Hiring most here: CesiumAstro, BAE Systems, Loenbro

    Based on 264 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Westminster

  13. 13

    Longmont CO

    5%

    AI-skill openings
    5
    All openings
    101
    Median posted pay
    $122k

    Hiring most here: Sens Usa, Blue Origin, Ursa Major Technologies

    Based on 101 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Longmont

  14. 14

    Las Vegas NV

    5%

    AI-skill openings
    46
    All openings
    980
    Median posted pay
    $115k

    Hiring most here: Caesars Entertainment, Allegiant Travel Company, Jt4

    Based on 980 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Las Vegas

  15. 15

    Colorado Springs CO

    5%

    AI-skill openings
    33
    All openings
    712
    Median posted pay
    $120k

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Trinzic, Odyssey Systems Consulting

    Based on 712 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Colorado Springs

  16. 16

    Centennial CO

    4%

    AI-skill openings
    7
    All openings
    162
    Median posted pay
    $102k

    Hiring most here: United Launch Alliance, Mastec, American Civil Constructors

    Based on 162 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Centennial

  17. 17

    Reno NV

    4%

    AI-skill openings
    12
    All openings
    311
    Median posted pay
    $132k

    Hiring most here: IGT, Amperesand, Caesars Entertainment

    Based on 311 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Reno

  18. 18

    Boise ID

    4%

    AI-skill openings
    15
    All openings
    391
    Median posted pay
    $125k

    Hiring most here: Simplot Company Foundation, Micron, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

    Based on 391 openings.

  19. 19

    Sparks NV

    1%

    AI-skill openings
    1
    All openings
    122
    Median posted pay
    $111k

    Hiring most here: Panasonic Energy North America, Amazon, Fleet

    Based on 122 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Sparks

Full ranking

All 19 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Lehi UT32%273
2Littleton CO21%295
3Denver CO16%2,996
4Fort Collins CO12%154
5Greenwood Village CO10%168
6Broomfield CO10%294
7Boulder CO8%454
8Englewood CO8%266
9Salt Lake City UT7%1,102
10Louisville CO7%139
11Aurora CO7%347
12Westminster CO6%264
13Longmont CO5%101
14Las Vegas NV5%980
15Colorado Springs CO5%712
16Centennial CO4%162
17Reno NV4%311
18Boise ID4%391
19Sparks NV1%122

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 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: best cities for ai-skill jobs in the mountain west?
Lehi leads the Mountain West for AI skills: 32% of its professional openings ask for them, against 10% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
19 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 19 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 in the Mountain West,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-ai-jobs-in-the-mountain-west

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

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

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