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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio, TX | $95,000 | 98 | $96,939 |
| Houston, TX | $100,000 | 105 | $95,238 |
| Austin, TX | $120,000 | 140 | $85,714 |
Local Market Outlook
Demand Level
Stable with modest growth driven by energy/logistics modernization and healthcare IT; periodic spikes when defense contracts or port/logistics digitization projects kick off.
Top Employers
Key Industries
How Corpus Christi's cost of living affects .NET developer purchasing power
Corpus Christi’s cost-of-living index (~92) gives . NET developers more real purchasing power compared with higher-cost Texas tech hubs.
For example, a mid-level . NET developer paid about $80k in Corpus Christi will face median 1BR rents around $900–$1,100/month; mortgage buyers often find single-family homes in the $220k–$260k range.
Commute costs are moderate: traffic is lighter than larger metros so fuel and time costs are lower, and many employers are concentrated near the bayfront, TAMU-CC, or industrial corridors. Lifestyle expenses such as dining, childcare, and local services trend below national averages, so discretionary spending and savings rates benefit.
However, goods tied to specialty tech markets (high-end development hardware, specialized training conferences) may still be priced at national rates, slightly offsetting local advantages. Overall, a Corpus Christi .
NET developer can maintain a higher standard of living on the same nominal salary than peers in Austin or Houston, particularly if housing is owner-occupied or within city limits.
Why .NET salaries in Corpus Christi are at current levels
Salaries for . NET developers in Corpus Christi are shaped by a mix of public-sector, energy, healthcare, and logistics demand rather than a large pure-play software sector.
Major local employers—Naval Air Station Corpus Christi and its contractors, Valero and other refinery/terminal operators, Christus Spohn and Driscoll Health System, Port of Corpus Christi stakeholders, and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi—drive requirements for internal business apps, SCADA/industrial control integrations, and healthcare record/portal development. Many roles are maintenance, integration, or modernization projects (migrating legacy .
NET Framework apps to . NET Core/.
NET 6+, integrating with cloud services or port logistics systems), which pushes demand for mid-to-senior engineers with practical migration experience. Because the regional economy is concentrated in these industries rather than high-growth SaaS startups, base salaries skew moderate but come with stability, contract spikes tied to capital projects, and opportunities for contract/consulting premiums during digital modernization efforts.
Comparing Corpus Christi pay and COL with nearby cities
Compared with San Antonio (avg ~95k, COL ~98) and Houston (avg ~100k, COL ~105), Corpus Christi’s . NET salaries are lower nominally but the lower cost of living offsets much of that gap.
Austin offers substantially higher pay (~120k) but a much higher COL (~140), changing trade-offs for relocation. Developers should consider commuting when the employer is a niche coastal or energy firm offering specialized work—San Antonio or Houston commutes are practical for occasional on-site needs but daily commuting from Corpus Christi to those cities is impractical.
Relocation makes more sense when targeting high-growth SaaS roles or substantially higher pay; otherwise, remote work opens the best middle ground: many Texas-based employers will hire remote . NET developers at adjusted rates—negotiating a regional remote salary that reflects Corpus Christi’s COL and local market demand can preserve local living advantages while unlocking higher nominal pay.
Career progression for a .NET developer in Corpus Christi
Typical local progression starts with entry-level roles (0–2 years) focused on maintenance, bug fixes, and small feature work on . NET Framework apps or ASP.
NET Web Forms. Expect to reach a mid-level role (3–7 years) by expanding into .
NET Core/. NET 6+, API design, Azure/AWS basics, and owning feature modules; mid-level devs in Corpus Christi commonly move into devops-adjacent responsibilities because smaller teams require breadth.
Senior roles (8+ years) emphasize architecture, migration leadership (e. g.
, migrating on-prem apps to cloud-hosted . NET Core services), or technical lead positions supporting energy, healthcare, or logistics systems.
Accelerators for faster progression include: hands-on migration experience (Framework → Core), cloud certifications (Azure Developer/Architect), experience integrating with industrial protocols or HL7 for healthcare, and leading cross-functional projects with procurement/ops—these are highly valued by local employers and often yield promotions or contract hourly rate uplifts.
Location-specific negotiation tips for .NET developers in Corpus Christi
When negotiating, use local benchmarks: reasonable full-time offers for . NET developers range roughly $55k–$110k depending on experience.
For mid-level candidates target $75k–$90k; seniors with architecture/cloud experience can push $100k–$115k with the right industry fit. Emphasize migration and cloud experience (Azure is commonly used by regional healthcare and municipal systems) and any domain knowledge (healthcare, energy, port logistics).
If the employer is cost-sensitive, negotiate hybrid schedules, paid training, certification reimbursement, and flexible start dates as value-adds. Contractors can command 30–50% higher hourly rates during project-based modernization work.
Cultural notes: local organizations value reliability and on-site availability for critical systems—be explicit about on-call expectations and compensation for after-hours support. Finally, if a company is remote-friendly, negotiate a geographically adjusted remote premium rather than a full big-city salary; that often lands between Corpus Christi and San Antonio averages.
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