NextChapter

Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Mid-Atlantic

Tysons leads the Mid-Atlantic: 27% of its entry-level openings ask for AI skills, against 7% across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Tysons, VA: 27%
  • #2 New York, NY: 13%
  • #3 New York, NY: 10%
  • 62 cities ranked in the Mid-Atlantic
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 7% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1Tysons VA27%
  2. 2New York NY13%
  3. 3New York NY10%
  4. 4McLean VA10%
  5. 5Jersey City NJ10%
  6. 6Reston VA10%
  7. 7Herndon VA10%
  8. 8Princeton NJ9%
  9. 9Arlington VA8%
  10. 10Newark NJ8%

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: Tysons (27%) is well clear of Newark at #10 (8%).
  • Tysons reaches #1 on a sample of 49 entry-level openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • New York is the largest market in the top ten, with 4,967 entry-level openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 40 entry-level openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Entry-level roles used to ask for little technical background. When they ask for AI skills, the starting line has moved. This list shows where that has happened most.

How to use it

If you are applying for first roles, learn the tools named in the postings you want and show a small project that uses them.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Tysons VA

    27%

    Entry-level AI openings
    13
    Entry-level openings
    49
    All openings
    188

    Hiring most here: M.C. Dean, Alarm.com Holdings, LMI

    Based on 49 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tysons

  2. 2

    New York NY

    13%

    Entry-level AI openings
    628
    Entry-level openings
    4,967
    All openings
    20,452

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 4,967 openings.

    Jobs and employers in New York

  3. 3

    New York NY

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    22
    Entry-level openings
    210
    All openings
    1,035

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 210 openings.

    Jobs and employers in New York

  4. 4

    McLean VA

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    23
    Entry-level openings
    228
    All openings
    1,127

    Hiring most here: Capital One, The MITRE, Steampunk

    Based on 228 openings.

    Jobs and employers in McLean

  5. 5

    Jersey City NJ

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    13
    Entry-level openings
    130
    All openings
    607

    Hiring most here: DTCC, Verisk Analytics, JPMorgan Chase

    Based on 130 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Jersey City

  6. 6

    Reston VA

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    16
    Entry-level openings
    163
    All openings
    775

    Hiring most here: ICF International, CACI International, Anduril Industries

    Based on 163 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Reston

  7. 7

    Herndon VA

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    21
    Entry-level openings
    218
    All openings
    818

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Peraton

    Based on 218 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Herndon

  8. 8

    Princeton NJ

    9%

    Entry-level AI openings
    7
    Entry-level openings
    74
    All openings
    385

    Hiring most here: Genmab A/S, Otsuka, ZS Associates

    Based on 74 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Princeton

  9. 9

    Arlington VA

    8%

    Entry-level AI openings
    46
    Entry-level openings
    558
    All openings
    1,989

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Bloomberg Industry Group, AWS

    Based on 558 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Arlington

  10. 10

    Newark NJ

    8%

    Entry-level AI openings
    9
    Entry-level openings
    110
    All openings
    422

    Hiring most here: Broadridge Financial Solutions, Amazon, Audible

    Based on 110 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Newark

  11. 11

    Chantilly VA

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    11
    Entry-level openings
    147
    All openings
    551

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Trinzic, Peraton

    Based on 147 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chantilly

  12. 12

    White Plains NY

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    5
    Entry-level openings
    68
    All openings
    213

    Hiring most here: New York Power Authority, FormativGroup, RWE Clean Energy

    Based on 68 openings.

    Jobs and employers in White Plains

  13. 13

    Camden NJ

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    3
    Entry-level openings
    41
    All openings
    161

    Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, NFI Industries, Cooper University Health Care

    Based on 41 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Camden

  14. 14

    King of Prussia PA

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    9
    Entry-level openings
    125
    All openings
    332

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

    Based on 125 openings.

    Jobs and employers in King of Prussia

  15. 15

    Vienna VA

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    4
    Entry-level openings
    57
    All openings
    163

    Hiring most here: Esri, Navy Federal Credit Union, Antithesis

    Based on 57 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Vienna

  16. 16

    Washington DC

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    64
    Entry-level openings
    983
    All openings
    4,394

    Hiring most here: Anduril Industries, CACI International, Shield AI

    Based on 983 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Washington

  17. 17

    Sterling VA

    6%

    Entry-level AI openings
    5
    Entry-level openings
    78
    All openings
    303

    Hiring most here: CACI International, BAE Systems, Caci Technologies

    Based on 78 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Sterling

  18. 18

    Brooklyn NY

    6%

    Entry-level AI openings
    11
    Entry-level openings
    186
    All openings
    675

    Hiring most here: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Williams-Sonoma, Altana AI

    Based on 186 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Brooklyn

  19. 19

    Rockville MD

    6%

    Entry-level AI openings
    6
    Entry-level openings
    103
    All openings
    355

    Hiring most here: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, The Emmes Company, BAE Systems

    Based on 103 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Rockville

  20. 20

    Bethesda MD

    6%

    Entry-level AI openings
    6
    Entry-level openings
    105
    All openings
    439

    Hiring most here: Black Canyon Consulting, ZoomInfo, Leidos

    Based on 105 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Bethesda

  21. 21

    Ashburn VA

    6%

    Entry-level AI openings
    3
    Entry-level openings
    54
    All openings
    248

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Caci Technologies, L3HARRIS Technologies

    Based on 54 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Ashburn

  22. 22

    Frederick MD

    5%

    Entry-level AI openings
    3
    Entry-level openings
    55
    All openings
    163

    Hiring most here: Leidos Biomedical Research, Oshkosh, M.C. Dean

    Based on 55 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Frederick

  23. 23

    Lynchburg VA

    5%

    Entry-level AI openings
    3
    Entry-level openings
    55
    All openings
    113

    Hiring most here: BWX Technologies, BWXT, BWXT Ordnance Tennessee

    Based on 55 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Lynchburg

  24. 24

    Fort Meade MD

    5%

    Entry-level AI openings
    4
    Entry-level openings
    77
    All openings
    273

    Hiring most here: Peraton, CACI International, HII Mission Technologies

    Based on 77 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Meade

  25. 25

    Fort Belvoir VA

    5%

    Entry-level AI openings
    3
    Entry-level openings
    59
    All openings
    195

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Teksynap, LMI

    Based on 59 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Belvoir

Full ranking

All 62 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Tysons VA27%49
2New York NY13%4,967
3New York NY10%210
4McLean VA10%228
5Jersey City NJ10%130
6Reston VA10%163
7Herndon VA10%218
8Princeton NJ9%74
9Arlington VA8%558
10Newark NJ8%110
11Chantilly VA7%147
12White Plains NY7%68
13Camden NJ7%41
14King of Prussia PA7%125
15Vienna VA7%57
16Washington DC7%983
17Sterling VA6%78
18Brooklyn NY6%186
19Rockville MD6%103
20Bethesda MD6%105
21Ashburn VA6%54
22Frederick MD5%55
23Lynchburg VA5%55
24Fort Meade MD5%77
25Fort Belvoir VA5%59
26Edison NJ5%42
27Wilmington DE5%107
28Newark DE4%53
29Springfield VA4%53
30Falls Church VA4%55
31Syracuse NY3%143
32Baltimore MD3%290
33Albany NY3%116
34Philadelphia PA3%497
35Pittsburgh PA3%530
36Charlottesville VA3%205
37Annapolis Junction MD3%72
38Virginia Beach VA2%122
39Morristown NJ2%42
40Norfolk VA2%133
41Harrisburg PA2%94
42Conshohocken PA2%48
43Melville NY2%48
44Alexandria VA2%196
45Fairfax VA2%151
46Reading PA2%52
47Chesapeake VA2%60
48Columbia MD2%63
49Allentown PA2%64
50Lancaster PA2%64
51Buffalo NY2%133
52Richmond VA1%418
53Mc Lean VA1%72
54Rochester NY1%160
55Manassas VA1%86
56Annapolis MD1%164
57United PA0%79
58Roanoke VA0%77
59Bronx NY0%71
60Parsippany NJ0%68
61York PA0%61
62Mechanicsburg PA0%48

How this ranking works

A city's score is the share of its entry-level and early-career roles whose posting names at least one AI skill or tool.

Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. A city where one employer posts at least half the openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 40 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 entry-level jobs that want ai skills in the mid-atlantic?
Tysons leads the Mid-Atlantic: 27% of its entry-level openings ask for AI skills, against 7% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
62 cities have at least 40 entry-level openings, so the list has 62 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the share of its entry-level and early-career roles whose posting names at least one AI skill or tool. Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. A city where one employer posts at least half the 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 entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Mid-Atlantic,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-entry-level-ai-jobs-in-the-mid-atlantic

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-entry-level-ai-jobs-in-the-mid-atlantic">Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Mid-Atlantic (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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

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