NextChapter

Best cities for junior jobs in Virginia

Lynchburg leads Virginia 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 Virginia Beach, VA: 44%
  • #3 Chesapeake, VA: 43%
  • 26 cities ranked in Virginia
  • Data as of November 2026

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

  1. 1Lynchburg VA47%
  2. 2Virginia Beach VA44%
  3. 3Chesapeake VA43%
  4. 4Roanoke VA42%
  5. 5Charlottesville VA40%
  6. 6Norfolk VA39%
  7. 7Manassas VA36%
  8. 8Fairfax VA36%
  9. 9Richmond VA35%
  10. 10Vienna VA33%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Lynchburg leads on 47%, and #10 Vienna is at 33%.
  • Lynchburg reaches #1 on a sample of 117 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • Richmond is the largest market in the top ten, with 1,209 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

    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

  3. 3

    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

  4. 4

    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

  5. 5

    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

  6. 6

    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

  7. 7

    Manassas VA

    36%

    Entry-level openings
    86
    All openings
    236
    Openings with pay posted
    25%

    Hiring most here: General Dynamics Mission Systems, Electra.Aero, Holder Construction

    Based on 236 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Manassas

  8. 8

    Fairfax VA

    36%

    Entry-level openings
    151
    All openings
    421
    Openings with pay posted
    9%

    Hiring most here: George Mason University, Dewberry, Inova Health

    Based on 421 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fairfax

  9. 9

    Richmond VA

    35%

    Entry-level openings
    418
    All openings
    1,209
    Openings with pay posted
    20%

    Hiring most here: Mckesson, Capital One, Genworth Financial

    Based on 1,209 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Richmond

  10. 10

    Vienna VA

    33%

    Entry-level openings
    56
    All openings
    171
    Openings with pay posted
    54%

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

    Based on 171 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Vienna

  11. 11

    Falls Church VA

    32%

    Entry-level openings
    55
    All openings
    172
    Openings with pay posted
    20%

    Hiring most here: BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, Inova Health

    Based on 172 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Falls Church

  12. 12

    Alexandria VA

    32%

    Entry-level openings
    196
    All openings
    618
    Openings with pay posted
    26%

    Hiring most here: Kearney, Patent and Trademark Office, Analytic Services (ANSER)

    Based on 618 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Alexandria

  13. 13

    Hampton VA

    32%

    Entry-level openings
    38
    All openings
    120
    Openings with pay posted
    19%

    Hiring most here: Howmet Aerospace, Veterans Health Administration, Govcio

    Based on 120 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Hampton

  14. 14

    Newport News VA

    30%

    Entry-level openings
    39
    All openings
    130
    Openings with pay posted
    17%

    Hiring most here: Newport News Shipbuilding, HII Mission Technologies, Liebherr

    Based on 130 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Newport News

  15. 15

    Mc Lean VA

    30%

    Entry-level openings
    72
    All openings
    242
    Openings with pay posted
    29%

    Hiring most here: Capital One, Booz Allen Hamilton, Sunrise Senior Living

    Based on 242 openings.

  16. 16

    Fort Belvoir VA

    29%

    Entry-level openings
    58
    All openings
    197
    Openings with pay posted
    34%

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Peraton, Teksynap

    Based on 197 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Belvoir

  17. 17

    Arlington VA

    27%

    Entry-level openings
    558
    All openings
    2,079
    Openings with pay posted
    26%

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Bloomberg Industry Group

    Based on 2,079 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Arlington

  18. 18

    Chantilly VA

    27%

    Entry-level openings
    147
    All openings
    553
    Openings with pay posted
    10%

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Trinzic, Peraton

    Based on 553 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chantilly

  19. 19

    Herndon VA

    26%

    Entry-level openings
    218
    All openings
    849
    Openings with pay posted
    21%

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Peraton

    Based on 849 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Herndon

  20. 20

    Tysons VA

    26%

    Entry-level openings
    49
    All openings
    191
    Openings with pay posted
    33%

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

    Based on 191 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tysons

  21. 21

    Sterling VA

    25%

    Entry-level openings
    78
    All openings
    312
    Openings with pay posted
    15%

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

    Based on 312 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Sterling

  22. 22

    Ashburn VA

    21%

    Entry-level openings
    54
    All openings
    259
    Openings with pay posted
    19%

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Caci Technologies, Pkaza

    Based on 259 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Ashburn

  23. 23

    Reston VA

    20%

    Entry-level openings
    163
    All openings
    828
    Openings with pay posted
    23%

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

    Based on 828 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Reston

  24. 24

    McLean VA

    19%

    Entry-level openings
    228
    All openings
    1,182
    Openings with pay posted
    23%

    Hiring most here: Capital One, The MITRE, Steampunk

    Based on 1,182 openings.

    Jobs and employers in McLean

  25. 25

    Springfield VA

    19%

    Entry-level openings
    53
    All openings
    277
    Openings with pay posted
    20%

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

    Based on 277 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Springfield

Full ranking

All 26 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Lynchburg VA47%117
2Virginia Beach VA44%275
3Chesapeake VA43%140
4Roanoke VA42%184
5Charlottesville VA40%517
6Norfolk VA39%342
7Manassas VA36%236
8Fairfax VA36%421
9Richmond VA35%1,209
10Vienna VA33%171
11Falls Church VA32%172
12Alexandria VA32%618
13Hampton VA32%120
14Newport News VA30%130
15Mc Lean VA30%242
16Fort Belvoir VA29%197
17Arlington VA27%2,079
18Chantilly VA27%553
19Herndon VA26%849
20Tysons VA26%191
21Sterling VA25%312
22Ashburn VA21%259
23Reston VA20%828
24McLean VA19%1,182
25Springfield VA19%277
26Dulles VA17%127

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 virginia?
Lynchburg leads Virginia 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?
26 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 26 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 Virginia,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-junior-jobs-in-virginia

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

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

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