.NET Developer Salary in Ann Arbor: $80,000-$140,000 (2026)

Ann Arbor’s cost-of-living premium (index ~112) materially affects a . NET developer’s real purchasing power compared with lower-cost Michigan cities.

Rental market: a one-bedroom in central Ann Arbor typically rents for $1,400–$1,900/month, while two-bedrooms run $1,800–$2,700 depending on proximity to campus and downtown. Home prices have also trended above regional averages; median sale price is substantially higher than in Detroit or Lansing, driven by University of Michigan demand and constrained supply.

Commute costs are moderate — short intra-city drives or bike/transit are common; parking or season passes for campus or big employer lots add $50–$150/month. For lifestyle, discretionary spending (dining, gyms, entertainment) is slightly elevated compared to the national average.

In practice, a mid-level . NET developer earning ~100k in Ann Arbor will face higher housing expense buckets that reduce disposable income relative to the same salary in Lansing; budgeting for housing (30–35% of gross pay) and commuter/parking expenses is essential.

Salaries for . NET developers in Ann Arbor reflect supply-demand dynamics anchored by large employers and specialized industry needs.

University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine generate consistent demand for enterprise application development, data integration, and research tooling that often require . NET stack work for internal systems.

Cybersecurity firms (e. g.

, Duo’s local teams under Cisco) and regional SaaS companies compete for backend and full‑stack . NET talent, lifting mid-to-senior pay.

The growing mobility and automotive research sector (Toyota Research Institute collaborations, tier‑one suppliers) needs engineers who can integrate cloud services and enterprise systems with embedded and data pipelines, sometimes requiring . NET interoperability.

Additionally, a dense network of consultancies and startups provides spot demand and premium contract rates. These overlapping employer types produce a high demand level, particularly for developers with cloud (Azure), API design, and microservices experience on the .

NET platform.

Detroit: Salaries for . NET devs in Detroit average ~95k with a COL index near 100.

Lower housing costs make Detroit attractive for saving, but some enterprise roles in Detroit may be less software‑centric than Ann Arbor’s research and healthcare opportunities. Commute from Detroit to Ann Arbor is feasible for select roles but adds time and parking costs.

Lansing: Lower COL and average pay (~88k) mean higher disposable income for lower nominal pay; however, fewer specialized research and cybersecurity roles. Chicago: Higher salaries (~115k) but also higher COL (~120).

Relocate to Chicago if you value larger tech market, more senior roles, and higher nominal pay; stay in Ann Arbor if you prefer a balanced lifestyle, proximate research institutions, and strong healthcare/education tech demand. Remote work: Many .

NET roles in the area have shifted to hybrid/remote models—consider negotiating full or partial remote if you want lower local housing costs while retaining Ann Arbor employer benefits.

Typical progression: entry-level (0–2 years) focusing on C#, ASP. NET Core fundamentals, unit testing, and team-based feature work; mid-level (3–7 years) owning services, designing APIs, mentoring juniors, and taking on cloud responsibilities (Azure).

Senior (8+ years) often leads architecture decisions, cross-team integrations with healthcare or research systems, and possibly technical leadership or engineering manager tracks. Timeframes can compress if you gain domain-specific experience (healthcare IT, security, automotive data flows), certifications (Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer/Architect), or demonstrable project ownership (leading migration to microservices, implementing CI/CD).

Local employers value University of Michigan collaboration experience and familiarity with compliance (HIPAA) in healthcare roles; such specialization can accelerate moves from mid to senior and justify 10–20% salary jumps.

Reasonable base salary targets: entry $65–75k, mid $90–110k, senior $120–140k depending on domain and cloud experience. When negotiating, emphasize Azure (.

NET on Azure), microservices, API design, and any HIPAA or security compliance experience—these materially increase value to healthcare and research employers. Total comp often includes bonuses, equity in startups, or tuition/continuing-education support (University-affiliated employers commonly offer tuition benefits).

Ask about hybrid work flexibility, parking or transit stipends, and professional development budgets; these perks have notable monetary value in Ann Arbor. Cite local comparators (University of Michigan tech teams, Cisco/Duo, TRl) and recent offers if available.

Cultural tip: hiring managers in this market weigh team fit and collaboration — provide concrete examples of cross-functional projects and communication with research or clinical stakeholders to strengthen bargaining position.