NextChapter

Best cities for junior jobs in the Southeast

Lynchburg leads the Southeast for junior jobs: 47% of its professional openings are entry-level or early-career, against 30% across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Lynchburg, VA: 47%
  • #2 Savannah, GA: 46%
  • #3 Mobile, AL: 45%
  • 87 cities ranked in the Southeast
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 30% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1Lynchburg VA47%
  2. 2Savannah GA46%
  3. 3Mobile AL45%
  4. 4Virginia Beach VA44%
  5. 5Cape Canaveral FL44%
  6. 6Norcross GA44%
  7. 7Asheville NC44%
  8. 8Fayetteville NC43%
  9. 9Chesapeake VA43%
  10. 10Macon GA42%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Lynchburg leads on 47%, and #10 Macon is at 42%.
  • Virginia Beach is the largest market in the top ten, with 275 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. 1

    Lynchburg VA

    47%

    Entry-level openings
    55
    All openings
    117
    Openings with pay posted
    30%

    Hiring most here: BWX Technologies, BWXT, Sinclair

    Based on 117 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Lynchburg

  2. 2

    Savannah GA

    46%

    Entry-level openings
    89
    All openings
    193
    Openings with pay posted
    12%

    Hiring most here: Great Dane, Parsons

    Based on 193 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Savannah

  3. 3

    Mobile AL

    45%

    Entry-level openings
    59
    All openings
    131
    Openings with pay posted
    11%

    Hiring most here: Alten Technology USA, PRF Technologies, Cintas

    Based on 131 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Mobile

  4. 4

    Virginia Beach VA

    44%

    Entry-level openings
    122
    All openings
    275
    Openings with pay posted
    21%

    Hiring most here: HII Mission Technologies, Amazon, Commander, Navy Installations Command

    Based on 275 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Virginia Beach

  5. 5

    Cape Canaveral FL

    44%

    Entry-level openings
    78
    All openings
    176
    Openings with pay posted
    21%

    Hiring most here: SpaceX, Relativity Space, Sidus Space

    Based on 176 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cape Canaveral

  6. 6

    Norcross GA

    44%

    Entry-level openings
    66
    All openings
    150
    Openings with pay posted
    9%

    Hiring most here: ACI Worldwide, Pruitthealth Home Health, Slip Robotics

    Based on 150 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Norcross

  7. 7

    Asheville NC

    44%

    Entry-level openings
    61
    All openings
    139
    Openings with pay posted
    16%

    Hiring most here: RTX, Eaton, Rha Health Services

    Based on 139 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Asheville

  8. 8

    Fayetteville NC

    43%

    Entry-level openings
    52
    All openings
    121
    Openings with pay posted
    20%

    Hiring most here: Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

    Based on 121 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fayetteville

  9. 9

    Chesapeake VA

    43%

    Entry-level openings
    60
    All openings
    140
    Openings with pay posted
    16%

    Hiring most here: Family Dollar, Oceaneering International, Trane U.s.

    Based on 140 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chesapeake

  10. 10

    Macon GA

    42%

    Entry-level openings
    44
    All openings
    105
    Openings with pay posted
    4%

    Hiring most here: Amazon

    Based on 105 openings.

  11. 11

    Roanoke VA

    42%

    Entry-level openings
    77
    All openings
    184
    Openings with pay posted
    13%

    Hiring most here: Carilion Clinic, Carilion Medical Center, HII Mission Technologies

    Based on 184 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Roanoke

  12. 12

    Wilmington NC

    41%

    Entry-level openings
    84
    All openings
    204
    Openings with pay posted
    12%

    Hiring most here: Corning, Novant Health, Acadia Healthcare Company

    Based on 204 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Wilmington

  13. 13

    Kennesaw GA

    41%

    Entry-level openings
    72
    All openings
    175
    Openings with pay posted
    9%

    Hiring most here: Enercon, Staff Financial Group

    Based on 175 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Kennesaw

  14. 14

    Pensacola FL

    41%

    Entry-level openings
    79
    All openings
    193
    Openings with pay posted
    9%

    Hiring most here: Baptist Health Care, Danaher, Navy Federal Credit Union

    Based on 193 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Pensacola

  15. 15

    Tallahassee FL

    41%

    Entry-level openings
    343
    All openings
    840
    Openings with pay posted
    12%

    Hiring most here: State of Florida, L3HARRIS Technologies, NextEra Energy

    Based on 840 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tallahassee

  16. 16

    Clearwater FL

    41%

    Entry-level openings
    68
    All openings
    167
    Openings with pay posted
    9%

    Hiring most here: Honeywell Aerospace, Kemco Systems, Knowbe4

    Based on 167 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Clearwater

  17. 17

    Winston Salem NC

    40%

    Entry-level openings
    42
    All openings
    104
    Openings with pay posted
    9%

    Hiring most here: Wake Forest University

    Based on 104 openings.

  18. 18

    Charlottesville VA

    40%

    Entry-level openings
    205
    All openings
    517
    Openings with pay posted
    6%

    Hiring most here: UVA Health, University of Virginia, University of Virginia-Main Campus

    Based on 517 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Charlottesville

  19. 19

    St. Petersburg FL

    40%

    Entry-level openings
    57
    All openings
    144
    Openings with pay posted
    16%

    Hiring most here: Jabil

    Based on 144 openings.

    Jobs and employers in St. Petersburg

  20. 20

    Norfolk VA

    39%

    Entry-level openings
    133
    All openings
    342
    Openings with pay posted
    21%

    Hiring most here: Commonwealth of Virginia, Seacorp, United States Fleet Forces Command

    Based on 342 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Norfolk

  21. 21

    Montgomery AL

    38%

    Entry-level openings
    74
    All openings
    193
    Openings with pay posted
    17%

    Hiring most here: CONDUENT, Faith Technologies, Hyundai Motor America

    Based on 193 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Montgomery

  22. 22

    Knoxville TN

    38%

    Entry-level openings
    176
    All openings
    466
    Openings with pay posted
    8%

    Hiring most here: University of Tennessee System, University of Tennessee, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

    Based on 466 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Knoxville

  23. 23

    Naples FL

    38%

    Entry-level openings
    77
    All openings
    205
    Openings with pay posted
    7%

    Hiring most here: Arthrex, Pyramid Global Hospitality, Community Health Systems

    Based on 205 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Naples

  24. 24

    Fort Myers FL

    37%

    Entry-level openings
    59
    All openings
    158
    Openings with pay posted
    11%

    Hiring most here: Gartner, Apex Companies, Hearst

    Based on 158 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Myers

  25. 25

    Sarasota FL

    37%

    Entry-level openings
    74
    All openings
    202
    Openings with pay posted
    11%

    Hiring most here: Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, Springhill Memorial Hospital, CACI International

    Based on 202 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Sarasota

Full ranking

All 87 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Lynchburg VA47%117
2Savannah GA46%193
3Mobile AL45%131
4Virginia Beach VA44%275
5Cape Canaveral FL44%176
6Norcross GA44%150
7Asheville NC44%139
8Fayetteville NC43%121
9Chesapeake VA43%140
10Macon GA42%105
11Roanoke VA42%184
12Wilmington NC41%204
13Kennesaw GA41%175
14Pensacola FL41%193
15Tallahassee FL41%840
16Clearwater FL41%167
17Winston Salem NC40%104
18Charlottesville VA40%517
19St. Petersburg FL40%144
20Norfolk VA39%342
21Montgomery AL38%193
22Knoxville TN38%466
23Naples FL38%205
24Fort Myers FL37%158
25Sarasota FL37%202
26Manassas VA36%236
27Fairfax VA36%421
28Augusta GA36%208
29Boca Raton FL36%369
30Greenville SC35%350
31Duluth GA35%166
32Greensboro NC35%446
33Marietta GA35%280
34Richmond VA35%1,209
35Columbia SC34%331
36Rock Hill SC34%100
37Gainesville FL34%149
38Raleigh NC33%1,515
39Fort Lauderdale FL33%624
40Doral FL33%145
41Jacksonville FL33%1,131
42Vienna VA33%171
43Tampa FL33%1,845
44Birmingham AL33%617
45Daytona Beach FL32%108
46Falls Church VA32%172
47Greenville NC32%122
48Alexandria VA32%618
49Hampton VA32%120
50Brentwood TN31%194
51Jackson MS31%117
52Columbus GA31%114
53Charleston SC31%323
54Louisville KY31%2,319
55Chattanooga TN31%216
56Lexington KY30%230
57Charlotte NC30%3,402
58Newport News VA30%130
59Orlando FL30%1,343
60Mc Lean VA30%242
61Franklin TN29%139
62Fort Belvoir VA29%197
63Morrisville NC29%164
64Coral Gables FL28%264
65Miami FL28%2,485
66Alpharetta GA27%614
67Arlington VA27%2,079
68Chantilly VA27%553
69Memphis TN26%708
70Palm Beach Gardens FL26%171
71Atlanta GA26%5,877
72Herndon VA26%849
73Tysons VA26%191
74Nashville TN26%1,737
75Sterling VA25%312
76Durham NC25%804
77Huntsville AL24%1,196
78Frankfort KY23%187
79Cary NC23%242
80Ashburn VA21%259
81Oak Ridge TN20%205
82Lake Mary FL20%146
83Reston VA20%828
84McLean VA19%1,182
85Springfield VA19%277
86Dulles VA17%127
87Melbourne FL15%317

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 southeast?
Lynchburg leads the Southeast for junior jobs: 47% of its professional openings are entry-level or early-career, against 30% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
87 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 87 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

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best cities for junior jobs in the Southeast,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-junior-jobs-in-the-southeast

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-junior-jobs-in-the-southeast">Best cities for junior jobs in the Southeast (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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

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