Charlotte Cracks Top 10 For AI jobs, Beating Chicago, Los Angeles And Raleigh
By Symone Graham – Staff Writer, Charlotte Business Journal
A new report puts Charlotte on the map as artificial intelligence hiring spreads beyond traditional tech hubs.
Data from CoworkingCafe ranks Charlotte ninth among large U.S. metros for workers in AI-enhanced roles, placing it ahead of major markets including Chicago and Los Angeles.
The analysis evaluated more than 300 metropolitan areas using a mix of job growth, salary levels, cost of living, infrastructure and coworking availability to determine where AI talent is finding the strongest opportunities.
Charlotte recorded 2,237 new AI-related job postings between November 2024 and 2025, alongside an average salary of $127,363 for those roles. The metro also posted an AI job concentration score of 1.63, indicating a higher-than-average presence of AI-related employment compared to the national baseline score of 1.0.
That combination — steady hiring, competitive pay and a cost of living below the national average — helped push Charlotte into the top tier of large metros, even as it trails traditional tech hubs in overall scale.
San Jose, California, ranked No. 1, followed by New York City and Seattle. Other large metros ahead of Charlotte include San Francisco; Dallas; Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas; and Atlanta.
The report notes that top-ranked markets tend to balance job availability with livability factors such as affordability and digital infrastructure, rather than relying solely on high salaries or job volume.
Charlotte’s placement reflects its position as a growing hub for applied AI, particularly within financial services and large enterprise operations. The region’s banking sector has increasingly integrated AI across areas such as fraud detection, risk analysis and automation, contributing to consistent demand for technical talent.
“Where you work still matters: AI job growth is concentrated in key U.S. metros where pay, talent and infrastructure intersect to create opportunity at scale,” according to the report.
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