.NET Developer Salary in Bozeman: $70,000-$130,000 (2026)

Bozeman's cost-of-living index sits roughly ~20% above the U. S.

average, with housing as the dominant factor. For a .

NET developer earning the local average (~$95k), rents for a one-bedroom in town commonly range $1,400–$2,000/month; a modest 2–3 bedroom home can have mortgage payments or rents well above $2,200/month depending on neighborhood. Commute costs are modest compared with large metro areas—traffic is light and most commutes are under 25 minutes—but seasonal costs (snow tires, higher fuel usage on icy roads) add small recurring expenses.

Grocery and utilities are slightly elevated vs national averages. Practically, a developer at the entry level (mid-$60ks) will find discretionary spending limited unless they live with roommates or outside of city limits.

Mid-level and senior developers can maintain comfortable middle-class lifestyles, but housing often consumes a larger share of take-home pay than in lower-COL markets. Budgeting for higher housing and occasional travel to larger hubs (e.

g. , Denver) is common.

Salaries for . NET developers in Bozeman reflect a balance of limited local supply of experienced enterprise engineers and steady demand from a set of stable employers.

Montana State University drives ongoing needs for internal systems, research software, and integrations, often hiring developers for both staff and grant-funded projects. Financial-technology firms such as Zoot Enterprises and legacy Oracle/RightNow teams maintain product, payments, and customer-facing systems built on Microsoft stacks.

Healthcare organizations like Bozeman Health require . NET engineers for EMR integrations and reporting.

Additionally, a scattering of local consultancies and startups hire full-time and contract . NET talent for SaaS and B2B projects.

These employers offer competitive pay to retain talent because junior engineers are fewer locally; however, the overall market is smaller than metro tech centers, so salaries are moderate rather than top-tier. Regional remote-work trends and occasional contracting spike demand for specific .

NET skills (Azure, ASP. NET Core, SQL Server).

Compared to Missoula and Billings, Bozeman pays slightly more on average for . NET roles, but its cost-of-living (COL) is also higher.

Missoula (COL ~105) typically offers average . NET salaries around $85k; Billings (COL ~100) around $88k.

Denver pays noticeably higher (~$110k) but has a higher COL (~125) and more competition. For developers weighing commuting or relocation: short-term commuting from nearby smaller towns (Belgrade, Three Forks) is common to reduce rent while working in Bozeman.

Relocating to Denver or other larger tech hubs can increase nominal pay but may not yield substantially more discretionary income once housing is considered. Remote work is increasingly available—senior .

NET engineers frequently secure remote roles with higher pay (often matching or exceeding Denver-level compensation) while living in Bozeman, which can improve purchasing power if they retain local housing costs.

Entry-level . NET developers (0–2 years) typically start in application support, QA automation, or as junior back-end developers working on ASP.

NET MVC/Core and SQL Server. Expect 2–4 years to reach a solid mid-level role where you own components, handle deployments, and mentor juniors.

Mid-level (3–7 years) developers often expand into full-stack responsibilities, cloud work (Azure), and DevOps practices; this is the point where salary moves toward the local average (~$90k). Senior roles (8+ years) involve architecture, team leadership, or technical lead positions—these can command $110k–$130k+ in Bozeman, especially if coupled with product ownership or cloud specialization.

Accelerators: mastering Azure services, containers/Docker, CI/CD, and building domain expertise in healthcare or payments can compress timelines. Local networking (MSU partnerships, meetups) and open-source contributions or demonstrable project portfolios help stand out in a smaller talent pool.

When negotiating as a . NET developer in Bozeman, be precise: use local comps (entry $65k–$75k, mid $85k–$100k, senior $115k–$135k) and reference cost-of-living realities like housing.

Employers expect negotiation around base pay, but many are more flexible on signing bonuses, relocation assistance, and benefits (student loan assistance, continuing education, flexible schedules). Push for explicit remote-work provisions if hybrid/remote is important—many local employers will accept remote days, but full remote can increase your leverage to command higher pay.

Ask about total compensation: stock/options are rare for small local firms but may be available at startups; instead prioritize paid time off, professional development budgets, and employer-covered certifications. Emphasize specific .

NET outcomes (reduced deployment times, improved system uptime, SQL performance tuning) and cloud certifications (Azure Developer/Architect) to justify top-of-range offers. Finally, be candid about housing needs and potential start date flexibility to secure modest relocation support.