Key Findings:
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New York’s AI market is powerful but not perfect. With high job volume, it ranks among the nation’s leaders, yet its large population softens per-capita impact. It still outpaces nearby states and beats the national median with ease. But compared to top performers, New York is still climbing toward its full potential.
The study conducted by SeoProfy analyzed 2,624 AI job postings across all 50 U.S. states from publicly indexed platforms in 2026, normalized against U.S. Census Bureau 2024 working-age population data (ages 20-54). Rankings were based on jobs per 1,000,000 residents, not raw volume, to reflect true opportunity access.
New York in the National Top 10: AI Hiring Intensity Per 1,000,000 Residents
| Rank | State | AI Job Listings | Working-Age Population (20-54) | Jobs Per 1,000,000 | National Median Multiple |
| 1 | Virginia | 216 | 4,049,114 | 53.3 | 4.11x |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 135 | 3,296,967 | 40.9 | 3.15x |
| 3 | Maryland | 103 | 2,827,814 | 36.4 | 2.80x |
| 4 | Oregon | 67 | 1,992,854 | 33.6 | 2.59x |
| 5 | Colorado | 96 | 2,947,610 | 32.6 | 2.51x |
| 6 | Illinois | 136 | 5,847,878 | 23.3 | 1.79x |
| 7 | New York | 208 | 9,054,241 | 23.0 | 1.77x |
| 8 | Washington | 81 | 3,824,565 | 21.2 | 1.63x |
| 9 | Hawaii | 13 | 637,034 | 20.4 | 1.57x |
| 10 | Minnesota | 52 | 2,579,929 | 20.2 | 1.55x |
New York sits in a competitive mid-tier for AI job density, with strong volume but lower per-capita intensity due to its large workforce. States ahead deliver far higher concentration, showing how smaller markets create stronger AI opportunity density.
Expert Commentary
Looking at the study, Victor Karpenko, CEO of SeoProfy commented:
| “New York’s AI market is strong by national standards, but population scale is a double-edged sword. With 208 listings and 9 million working-age residents, per-capita density is constrained not by lack of demand but by sheer workforce size. The state’s financial, media, and tech sectors are generating real AI hiring momentum, but closing the gap with Virginia and Massachusetts will require deliberate investment in AI infrastructure beyond the Manhattan core.” |
NY vs Northeast Corridor: AI Hiring Intensity Comparison
| State | AI Listings | National Rank | Jobs Per 1,000,000 | Gap vs New York | Status |
| Massachusetts | 135 | 2nd | 40.9 | +78.2% | Leader |
| New York | 208 | 7th | 23.0 | Baseline | This State |
| New Jersey | 75 | 13th | 17.5 | -23.8% | Below NY |
| Connecticut | 28 | 14th | 17.2 | -25.1% | Below NY |
| Vermont | 4 | 21st | 14.4 | -37.2% | Below NY |
| Pennsylvania | 80 | 22nd | 14.0 | -38.9% | Below NY |
| Rhode Island | 7 | 24th | 13.9 | -39.4% | Below NY |
| New Hampshire | 7 | 31st | 11.5 | -49.8% | Below NY |
| Maine | 4 | 42nd | 6.8 | -70.6% | Below NY |
New York leads the region, outperforming New Jersey and Pennsylvania by a wide margin in AI job density. Massachusetts remains ahead, driven by its strong research and biotech ecosystem. Across the Northeast, the gap is clear, with weaker states trailing far behind in AI opportunity.
NY’s Dual Ranking: Raw Volume vs Per-Capita Reality Among Top 5 States by Listing Count
| Abs. Rank | State | AI Listings | Per-Capita Rank | Jobs Per 1,000,000 | Gap vs NY Per-Capita |
| 1st | California | 320 | 15th | 17.1 | -25.7% |
| 2nd | Virginia | 216 | 1st | 53.3 | +132.2% |
| 3rd | New York | 208 | 7th | 23.0 | Baseline |
| 4th | Texas | 200 | 25th | 13.3 | -42.0% |
| 5th | Illinois | 136 | 6th | 23.3 | +1.2% |
New York ranks 3rd in AI job volume but drops to 7th per capita due to its large workforce. California shows a similar pattern, leading in volume yet falling much lower in per-capita intensity. This highlights how larger states dilute individual opportunity despite strong totals. Virginia stands apart by leading per capita with fewer listings, proving the strength of focused AI ecosystems.
Methodology
The regional study examined 208 New York AI job postings drawn from a national dataset of 2,624 listings across all 50 U.S. states, sourced from publicly indexed platforms in 2026 using ‘Artificial Intelligence’ as the primary search term with a consistent 25-mile metro radius filter. New York figures were normalized against U.S. Census Bureau 2024 ACS working-age population data (ages 20-54) for the state, yielding a per-capita rate of 23.0 jobs per 1,000,000 residents. Rankings and regional comparisons reflect population-adjusted intensity, not raw volume.
Data Sources
Ziprecruiter AI Job Listings Data: https://www.ziprecruiter.com/jobs-search?search=Artificial+Intelligence&location=alabama&radius=25&days=&refine_by_employment=&refine_by_location_type=&refine_by_salary=&refine_by_salary_ceil=&refine_by_apply_type=&refine_by_experience_level=&lk=JSxHgPx1FYoiWJyDkx0l8g
U.S. Census Bureau: https://www.census.gov/data.html
Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BtZAJaRarWgihy2VcS5EgvxnRXcgbmtaRZCfFjVFRWM/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Study by: https://seoprofy.com/
About SeoProfy
SeoProfy is a digital research and analysis firm specializing in workforce market intelligence, technology employment trends, and geographic economic opportunity analysis. The organization conducts proprietary research into labor market dynamics, skills demand, and regional employment opportunity distribution. Through data-driven analysis of recruitment patterns, workforce mobility, and talent concentration, SeoProfy provides strategic insights for policymakers, educational institutions, and workforce development agencies.
