Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Pacific Northwest
Key facts
- #1 Eugene, OR: 25%
- #2 Salem, OR: 21%
- #3 Renton, WA: 20%
- 17 cities ranked in the Pacific Northwest
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: 14% across all cities in our data.
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Eugene (25%) is well clear of Kirkland at #10 (14%).
- Seattle is the largest market in the top ten, with 5,635 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
Director, VP and executive openings are rare and cluster in headquarters cities. Their share of local openings shows where leadership hiring happens.
How to use it
Senior searches depend on a small number of employers. Follow the employers listed under each city and watch their openings page.
The top 25
- 2
Salem OR
21%
- Director and above
- 26
- All openings
- 123
- Median posted pay
- $128k
Hiring most here: Agility Robotics, Garmin, Northwest Human Services
Based on 123 openings.
- 5
Bothell WA
18%
- Director and above
- 25
- All openings
- 138
- Median posted pay
- $185k
Hiring most here: Verathon, IonQ, Koninklijke Philips
Based on 138 openings.
- 6
Portland OR
17%
- Director and above
- 142
- All openings
- 837
- Median posted pay
- $130k
Hiring most here: Oregon Health & Science University, Legacy Health, Keen Footwear
Based on 837 openings.
- 7
Vancouver WA
17%
- Director and above
- 27
- All openings
- 163
- Median posted pay
- $121k
Hiring most here: HP, Ecolab USA, ZoomInfo
Based on 163 openings.
- 9
Seattle WA
14%
- Director and above
- 817
- All openings
- 5,635
- Median posted pay
- $180k
Hiring most here: Amazon, Blue Origin, Shield AI
Based on 5,635 openings.
- 11
Tacoma WA
13%
- Director and above
- 16
- All openings
- 123
- Median posted pay
- $109k
Hiring most here: Globe Main, TOTE Maritime
Based on 123 openings.
- 12
Bellevue WA
12%
- Director and above
- 178
- All openings
- 1,455
- Median posted pay
- $197k
Hiring most here: Amazon, TerraPower, Okta
Based on 1,455 openings.
- 13
Everett WA
12%
- Director and above
- 23
- All openings
- 195
- Median posted pay
- $183k
Hiring most here: Helion Energy, Fortive, Helion
Based on 195 openings.
- 14
Hillsboro OR
11%
- Director and above
- 21
- All openings
- 187
- Median posted pay
- $161k
Hiring most here: American Society for Microbiology, Microsoft, Synopsys
Based on 187 openings.
- 16
Richland WA
6%
- Director and above
- 6
- All openings
- 105
- Median posted pay
- $132k
Hiring most here: Battelle Memorial Institute (PNNL), Sargent & Lundy, Prosidian Consultng
Based on 105 openings.
- 17
Kent WA
4%
- Director and above
- 6
- All openings
- 149
- Median posted pay
- $125k
Hiring most here: Stoke Space, Cowboy Space, Amazon
Based on 149 openings.
Full ranking
All 17 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | City | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eugene OR | 25% | 112 |
| 2 | Salem OR | 21% | 123 |
| 3 | Renton WA | 20% | 134 |
| 4 | Spokane WA | 18% | 157 |
| 5 | Bothell WA | 18% | 138 |
| 6 | Portland OR | 17% | 837 |
| 7 | Vancouver WA | 17% | 163 |
| 8 | Beaverton OR | 15% | 120 |
| 9 | Seattle WA | 14% | 5,635 |
| 10 | Kirkland WA | 14% | 167 |
| 11 | Tacoma WA | 13% | 123 |
| 12 | Bellevue WA | 12% | 1,455 |
| 13 | Everett WA | 12% | 195 |
| 14 | Hillsboro OR | 11% | 187 |
| 15 | Redmond WA | 9% | 1,166 |
| 16 | Richland WA | 6% | 105 |
| 17 | Kent WA | 4% | 149 |
How this ranking works
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles at director, senior manager, vice president, head-of or C-suite level, read from the full posting text.
Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted.
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 director and executive jobs in the pacific northwest?
- Eugene leads the Pacific Northwest for director and executive jobs: 25% of its professional openings are director level or above, against 14% across all cities in our data.
- How many cities are ranked?
- 17 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 17 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- A city's score is the share of its open professional roles at director, senior manager, vice president, head-of or C-suite level, read from the full posting text. Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. 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 Pacific Northwest
- Best college towns for junior jobs in the Pacific Northwest
- Cities with the most jobs that need no experience in the Pacific Northwest
- Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Pacific Northwest
- Cities with the most hybrid jobs in the Pacific Northwest
- Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Pacific Northwest
- Best cities for director and executive jobs
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Pacific Northwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-director-and-executive-jobs-in-the-pacific-northwest
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-director-and-executive-jobs-in-the-pacific-northwest">Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Pacific Northwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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