We find a metastable vortex state of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy free layer in spin transfer torque magnetic tunneling junctions by using micromagnetic simulations. The metastable vortex state does not exist in a single layer, and it is only found in the trilayer structure with the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy polarizer layer. It is revealed that the physical origin is the non-uniform stray field from the polarizer layer.