Best cities for junior jobs in the Pacific Northwest
Key facts
- #1 Kent, WA: 38%
- #2 Salem, OR: 38%
- #3 Eugene, OR: 35%
- 17 cities ranked in the Pacific Northwest
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: 25% across all cities in our data.
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Kent leads on 38%, and #10 Renton is at 27%.
- Redmond is the largest market in the top ten, with 1,166 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
Entry-level hiring is concentrated in some metro areas and thin in others. The share of openings pitched at entry or early-career level shows where a first or second job is easiest to find.
How to use it
If you are early in your career, start your search in the places near the top and read their employer lists. Places lower down can still have entry roles, but they make up a smaller part of what is open.
The top 25
- 1
Kent WA
38%
- Entry-level openings
- 57
- All openings
- 149
- Openings with pay posted
- 17%
Hiring most here: Stoke Space, Cowboy Space, Amazon
Based on 149 openings.
- 2
Salem OR
38%
- Entry-level openings
- 47
- All openings
- 123
- Openings with pay posted
- 28%
Hiring most here: Agility Robotics, Garmin, Northwest Human Services
Based on 123 openings.
- 5
Tacoma WA
34%
- Entry-level openings
- 42
- All openings
- 123
- Openings with pay posted
- 20%
Hiring most here: Globe Main, TOTE Maritime
Based on 123 openings.
- 6
Richland WA
32%
- Entry-level openings
- 34
- All openings
- 105
- Openings with pay posted
- 13%
Hiring most here: Battelle Memorial Institute (PNNL), Sargent & Lundy, Prosidian Consultng
Based on 105 openings.
- 8
Portland OR
27%
- Entry-level openings
- 229
- All openings
- 837
- Openings with pay posted
- 15%
Hiring most here: Oregon Health & Science University, Legacy Health, Keen Footwear
Based on 837 openings.
- 9
Vancouver WA
27%
- Entry-level openings
- 44
- All openings
- 163
- Openings with pay posted
- 20%
Hiring most here: HP, Ecolab USA, ZoomInfo
Based on 163 openings.
- 12
Hillsboro OR
25%
- Entry-level openings
- 46
- All openings
- 187
- Openings with pay posted
- 17%
Hiring most here: American Society for Microbiology, Microsoft, Synopsys
Based on 187 openings.
- 14
Everett WA
23%
- Entry-level openings
- 45
- All openings
- 195
- Openings with pay posted
- 36%
Hiring most here: Helion Energy, Fortive, Helion
Based on 195 openings.
- 15
Seattle WA
22%
- Entry-level openings
- 1,212
- All openings
- 5,635
- Openings with pay posted
- 21%
Hiring most here: Amazon, Blue Origin, Shield AI
Based on 5,635 openings.
- 16
Bothell WA
20%
- Entry-level openings
- 28
- All openings
- 138
- Openings with pay posted
- 30%
Hiring most here: Verathon, IonQ, Koninklijke Philips
Based on 138 openings.
- 17
Bellevue WA
18%
- Entry-level openings
- 267
- All openings
- 1,455
- Openings with pay posted
- 21%
Hiring most here: Amazon, TerraPower, Okta
Based on 1,455 openings.
Full ranking
All 17 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | City | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kent WA | 38% | 149 |
| 2 | Salem OR | 38% | 123 |
| 3 | Eugene OR | 35% | 112 |
| 4 | Redmond WA | 34% | 1,166 |
| 5 | Tacoma WA | 34% | 123 |
| 6 | Richland WA | 32% | 105 |
| 7 | Beaverton OR | 29% | 120 |
| 8 | Portland OR | 27% | 837 |
| 9 | Vancouver WA | 27% | 163 |
| 10 | Renton WA | 27% | 134 |
| 11 | Spokane WA | 26% | 157 |
| 12 | Hillsboro OR | 25% | 187 |
| 13 | Kirkland WA | 23% | 167 |
| 14 | Everett WA | 23% | 195 |
| 15 | Seattle WA | 22% | 5,635 |
| 16 | Bothell WA | 20% | 138 |
| 17 | Bellevue WA | 18% | 1,455 |
How this ranking works
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles tagged entry-level or early-career, read from the full posting text.
Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. Internships are left out.
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 junior jobs in the pacific northwest?
- Kent leads the Pacific Northwest for junior jobs: 38% of its professional openings are entry-level or early-career, against 25% 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 tagged entry-level or early-career, read from the full posting text. Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. Internships are left out. 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 college towns for entry-level and junior jobs
- Best cities for entry-level and junior jobs
- Best cities for junior jobs in California
- Best cities for junior jobs in Texas
- Best cities for junior jobs in New York
- Best cities for junior jobs in Florida
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best cities for junior jobs in the Pacific Northwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-junior-jobs-in-the-pacific-northwest
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-junior-jobs-in-the-pacific-northwest">Best cities for junior 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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