Starting range
Average salary
Top earners
about 14% below U.S. average
Compare to Nearby Cities
| City | Average Salary | Cost of Living Index | Real Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lubbock, TX | $78,000 | 88 | $88,636 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $92,000 | 95 | $96,842 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $88,000 | 92 | $95,652 |
Local Market Outlook
Demand Level
Steady but conservative hiring with periodic spikes tied to energy/agriculture and federal contracts; growth in managed services and automation roles.
Top Employers
Key Industries
How Amarillo’s cost of living shapes .NET developer purchasing power
Amarillo’s overall cost-of-living index (~86) means a . NET developer’s dollars go further than in most metropolitan areas.
Rent for a typical one-bedroom apartment runs roughly $750–900/month; a three-bedroom home purchase median is near $160k–$175k. Utilities and groceries are slightly below national averages, and average commute times are short (15–20 minutes) which reduces fuel use and wear on a vehicle.
For an example: a mid-level . NET developer earning $80,000 gross should expect net monthly take‑home around $4,8xx (after taxes, varying by filing status) and substantially lower housing spend—allocating $900 rent leaves room for savings, family expenses, or home down-payments.
Commuting costs (gasoline) rarely exceed $150–200/month for most local commutes. In short, salary levels in Amarillo trade off against low housing and transportation costs, providing stronger local purchasing power than the headline salary alone suggests.
Why .NET salaries sit at current levels in Amarillo
Amarillo’s . NET salary curve reflects a predominantly conservative, industry-driven market.
Major regional employers—Pantex (defense contracts), Xcel Energy and other utilities, Tyson Foods’ processing and logistics operations, regional healthcare systems, and educational institutions—require steady application maintenance, integration with industrial control systems, and internal business apps rather than large-scale product engineering. Many roles are in support, automation, or modernization (migrating legacy .
NET Framework apps to . NET Core/.
NET 6+). Contract work tied to federal or energy cycles can produce short-term spikes in demand and rates.
Local MSPs and small consultancies hire full‑stack . NET devs for regional clients, but budgets are typically lower than metro tech hubs.
Thus salaries balance technical skill needs with employer scale, resulting in moderate pay but stable opportunities and occasional premium pay for security, cloud (Azure) and systems-integration expertise.
Comparing Amarillo to nearby cities — commute, relocation, remote work
Relative to nearby markets, Amarillo pays modestly: Lubbock (~$78k salary, COL ~88) is similar in pay and cost; Oklahoma City offers higher average . NET pay (~$92k) alongside a higher COL (~95); Albuquerque (~$88k, COL ~92) sits between the two.
If you prioritize cash savings and homeownership, Amarillo is attractive; if you need higher base pay or specialized product engineering roles, Oklahoma City or remote roles with national firms provide premiums. Commuting for a higher salary is feasible within regional distances for contract/short stints but daily commuting to OKC (~260 miles) is unrealistic.
Remote work is increasingly viable—many local companies allow hybrid/remote for experienced . NET engineers, and fully remote roles from larger markets can command 10–30% higher pay.
Consider relocation to OKC/Albuquerque for career advancement or keep residence in Amarillo while taking remote roles to capture higher wages with low COL.
Career progression for .NET developers in Amarillo
Typical progression: entry-level (0–2 years) focuses on maintenance, bug fixes, and small feature work on . NET Framework apps; expect ~ $55k.
Mid-level (3–7 years) moves into full-stack ownership, API design, cloud migrations (Azure), and automation—compensation rises to ~ $75k–$90k depending on responsibilities. Senior (8+ years) leads architecture, modernization projects, and cross-team integrations—salaries can reach $100k–$110k, especially with Azure, DevOps, or security specialization.
Local accelerators include gaining certifications (Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer/Architect), hands-on cloud migration experience, and demonstrable results in modernization (migrating monolithic . NET apps to microservices/.
NET 6+). Leadership or contracting into federal/energy projects can compress timelines—for example, an experienced dev who leads an Azure migration for a utility or defense contractor can move from mid to senior compensation within 2–4 years.
Practical negotiation tips for .NET developers in Amarillo
When negotiating, anchor to local realities: reasonable base offers are $55k–65k for entry, $75k–90k for mid, and $95k–110k for senior roles. If a company cites lower base pay, negotiate on total compensation—signing bonus, performance bonus, student loan assistance, paid certification time, and flexible/remote work.
Emphasize Azure and modern . NET (Core/6/7) experience, CI/CD, and integrations with SCADA or manufacturing systems; those skills attract 5–15% premiums locally.
For public-sector or defense roles, prioritize clearances, contract rates, and overtime/shift differentials. Cultural note: local employers value reliability, long-term fit, and references—bring concrete examples of system uptime improvements, cost savings from refactors, or measurable performance gains.
If you pursue remote offers from larger markets, expect to use Amarillo’s low COL as leverage for flexible location-based compensation rather than asking only for highest metro rates.
Related Tools
Sources & Methodology
How We Calculate Salary Data
Location-specific salary data is compiled from government statistics (BLS), employer-reported data, and verified employee submissions. Cost of living adjustments use COLI data from the Council for Community and Economic Research. All figures are cross-referenced across multiple sources and updated quarterly to reflect current market conditions.
Data last verified: January 2026
Data Sources
Official government occupational employment and wage statistics
Self-reported salary data from employees by location
Job posting salary data aggregated by metro area
Council for Community and Economic Research cost of living data
Regional compensation data and cost-of-living adjustments