Starting range
Average salary
Top earners
About 8% below U.S. average
Compare to Nearby Cities
| City | Average Salary | Cost of Living Index | Real Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne, WY | $82,000 | 94 | $87,234 |
| Denver, CO | $115,000 | 110 | $104,545 |
| Rapid City, SD | $78,000 | 90 | $86,667 |
Local Market Outlook
Demand Level
Stable with modest growth — steady hiring for maintenance/support roles, periodic spikes tied to energy projects and healthcare IT modernization; remote roles increasing availability.
Top Employers
Key Industries
How Casper's cost of living shapes a .NET developer's purchasing power
Casper's COL index (about 92) gives a . NET developer more disposable income relative to the same nominal salary in higher-cost metros.
Rent for a typical 1–2 bedroom apartment in Casper commonly falls between $700 and $1,100/month; a modest single-family home purchase market has median prices well below national urban centers. Commute costs are lower — typical round-trip driving distances are short, gas and parking costs are modest, and there’s little heavy congestion, so monthly commuting expenses often range $100–$250 depending on distance.
For a mid-level . NET developer making roughly $85K, lower housing and transport costs free up budget for retirement savings, home down payments, or discretionary spending.
That said, some goods (specialty tech hardware, niche developer meetups, or infrequent flights to major hubs) can be priced higher due to shipping or limited local supply. Overall, local affordability means employers can offer slightly lower nominal salaries than coastal markets while delivering competitive real compensation.
Why Casper .NET salaries sit at current levels
Salaries for . NET developers in Casper reflect a regional economy dominated by energy, healthcare and public-sector IT rather than large-scale software product companies.
Major local employers like Wyoming Medical Center, Sinclair Oil facilities and county/state government agencies need stable, reliable enterprise applications (electronic medical records, SCADA/industrial interfaces, public services portals) and pay for dependable back-end and integration skillsets. There are relatively few pure-play software firms headquartered in Casper, so many roles are either embedded IT within non-tech companies or through regional staffing/consulting firms that place engineers on local projects or remote work.
Economic trends — modest population growth, steady state budgets at public employers, intermittent energy capital projects — produce a steady but not explosive demand for mid- to senior-level . NET skills.
The growing acceptance of remote work has started to raise the ceiling for top local hires (some senior engineers can command near-remote-market wages), but many roles remain priced around regional compensation norms.
Comparing Casper to nearby cities and relocation choices
Compared to nearby Cheyenne (COL ~94) and Rapid City (COL ~90), Casper offers similar or slightly lower nominal . NET salaries but comparable purchasing power due to lower housing costs.
Denver sits well above Casper on both salary and COL; a . NET developer in Denver might see average compensation ~ $115K but face 15–20% higher housing and living costs.
When to commute or relocate: commute is feasible for short-term contracts or hybrid arrangements to nearby towns, but routine daily commutes to larger metros are impractical. Relocate to Denver or Boulder if you prioritize product development roles, larger peer engineering teams, or higher nominal pay.
Consider staying in Casper if you value lower housing costs, smaller community, and roles embedded in healthcare/energy. Remote work considerations: many regional employers are expanding remote flexibility, and senior .
NET engineers can often tap remote-first roles while living in Casper, capturing higher national pay with local cost savings.
Career progression for a .NET developer in Casper
Entry-level (0–2 years): Start in support, maintenance, or small feature work on . NET Framework/.
NET Core stacks, often within healthcare, government, or energy SIMs. Expect 1–3 years to gain core competency.
Mid-level (3–7 years): Move to larger feature ownership, API and integration projects, and DevOps responsibilities; this typically brings most developers to the local market average (~$85K). Senior (8+ years): Senior roles include technical lead, architect, or engineering manager on enterprise apps; these positions are limited in number but pay toward the upper range (~$100K–$115K) when they appear.
Accelerators: earn certifications (Azure, Microsoft Certified: . NET), gain experience with cloud migrations, containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and domain knowledge in healthcare or industrial controls; contributing to regional cross-company projects or landing remote product roles shortens the path to senior pay.
Networking with local IT leaders and upskilling in cloud-native . NET can be decisive.
Location-specific tips for negotiating as a .NET developer in Casper
When negotiating in Casper, anchor to realistic local ranges: entry $55K–$70K, mid $75K–$95K, senior $95K–$115K. Use cost-of-living advantages to argue total-compensation rather than only salary (employers value retention through work-life balance).
Highlight domain experience—healthcare systems, industrial control integration, or state government procurement—since employers here prioritize domain fit. Common benefits to target: flexible remote days (many local teams accept hybrid), additional PTO, employer-paid certifications (Azure, Microsoft), student loan assistance, and a small annual training budget.
For smaller employers who can’t match remote-market salaries, negotiate performance-based reviews (6–12 months) with clear metrics for raises, and stock the ask with tangible deliverables (project milestones, uptime targets). Culturally, hiring managers in Casper emphasize reliability and community fit — convey long-term commitment and cross-functional communication skills alongside technical depth.
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