Best cities for mid-career professionals in the Pacific Northwest
Key facts
- #1 Bellevue, WA: 66%
- #2 Everett, WA: 61%
- #3 Seattle, WA: 59%
- 17 cities ranked in the Pacific Northwest
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: 57% across all cities in our data.
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Bellevue leads on 66%, and #10 Portland is at 55%.
- 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
Mid-career roles (mid-level, senior and manager) are spread differently from entry-level roles. This list shows where employers are hiring people with several years of experience.
How to use it
If you have five or more years behind you, start with the places at the top, then narrow by job family on the cities and employers pages.
The top 25
- 1
Bellevue WA
66%
- Mid-career openings
- 962
- All openings
- 1,455
- Median posted pay
- $197k
Hiring most here: Amazon, TerraPower, Okta
Based on 1,455 openings.
- 2
Everett WA
61%
- Mid-career openings
- 119
- All openings
- 195
- Median posted pay
- $183k
Hiring most here: Helion Energy, Fortive, Helion
Based on 195 openings.
- 3
Seattle WA
59%
- Mid-career openings
- 3,347
- All openings
- 5,635
- Median posted pay
- $180k
Hiring most here: Amazon, Blue Origin, Shield AI
Based on 5,635 openings.
- 4
Richland WA
58%
- Mid-career openings
- 61
- All openings
- 105
- Median posted pay
- $132k
Hiring most here: Battelle Memorial Institute (PNNL), Sargent & Lundy, Prosidian Consultng
Based on 105 openings.
- 5
Kent WA
57%
- Mid-career openings
- 85
- All openings
- 149
- Median posted pay
- $125k
Hiring most here: Stoke Space, Cowboy Space, Amazon
Based on 149 openings.
- 6
Bothell WA
57%
- Mid-career openings
- 78
- All openings
- 138
- Median posted pay
- $185k
Hiring most here: Verathon, IonQ, Koninklijke Philips
Based on 138 openings.
- 8
Hillsboro OR
56%
- Mid-career openings
- 105
- All openings
- 187
- Median posted pay
- $161k
Hiring most here: American Society for Microbiology, Microsoft, Synopsys
Based on 187 openings.
- 9
Vancouver WA
56%
- Mid-career openings
- 91
- All openings
- 163
- Median posted pay
- $121k
Hiring most here: HP, Ecolab USA, ZoomInfo
Based on 163 openings.
- 10
Portland OR
55%
- Mid-career openings
- 460
- All openings
- 837
- Median posted pay
- $130k
Hiring most here: Oregon Health & Science University, Legacy Health, Keen Footwear
Based on 837 openings.
- 13
Tacoma WA
53%
- Mid-career openings
- 65
- All openings
- 123
- Median posted pay
- $109k
Hiring most here: Globe Main, TOTE Maritime
Based on 123 openings.
- 16
Salem OR
41%
- Mid-career openings
- 50
- All openings
- 123
- Median posted pay
- $128k
Hiring most here: Agility Robotics, Garmin, Northwest Human Services
Based on 123 openings.
Full ranking
All 17 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | City | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bellevue WA | 66% | 1,455 |
| 2 | Everett WA | 61% | 195 |
| 3 | Seattle WA | 59% | 5,635 |
| 4 | Richland WA | 58% | 105 |
| 5 | Kent WA | 57% | 149 |
| 6 | Bothell WA | 57% | 138 |
| 7 | Kirkland WA | 56% | 167 |
| 8 | Hillsboro OR | 56% | 187 |
| 9 | Vancouver WA | 56% | 163 |
| 10 | Portland OR | 55% | 837 |
| 11 | Spokane WA | 55% | 157 |
| 12 | Beaverton OR | 53% | 120 |
| 13 | Tacoma WA | 53% | 123 |
| 14 | Renton WA | 51% | 134 |
| 15 | Redmond WA | 46% | 1,166 |
| 16 | Salem OR | 41% | 123 |
| 17 | Eugene OR | 40% | 112 |
How this ranking works
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles at mid-level, senior individual-contributor or manager level, 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 mid-career professionals in the pacific northwest?
- Bellevue leads the Pacific Northwest for mid-career professionals: 66% of its professional openings are mid-level, senior or manager roles, against 57% 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 mid-level, senior individual-contributor or manager level, 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 cities for mid-career professionals
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best cities for mid-career professionals in the Pacific Northwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-mid-career-jobs-in-the-pacific-northwest
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-mid-career-jobs-in-the-pacific-northwest">Best cities for mid-career professionals in the Pacific Northwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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