.NET Developer Salary in Fresno: $75,000-$125,000 (2026)

Fresno’s cost-of-living index (~92) gives . NET developers noticeably more purchasing power versus coastal California tech hubs.

Rent for a 1–2 bedroom apartment commonly falls between $950–$1,400; a typical family-sized 3-bedroom rental sits around $1,400–$1,800. Median home prices near $350k–$380k make homeownership within reach for many mid-level developers compared with Sacramento or the Bay Area.

Commute costs are moderate — average one-way commutes under 20–25 minutes for many parts of the city, with lower gas and transit expense compared to longer commutes in larger metros. For a Fresno .

NET dev earning the local average (~$95k), discretionary income after housing and basic expenses is comparatively healthy: you can expect stronger ability to save or invest versus someone in Sacramento earning a similar salary but paying 20–30% more in housing. Lifestyle affordability also supports family formation and local spending (dining, local gyms, childcare) without needing Bay-Area level compensation.

Salaries reflect Fresno’s industrial mix and employer size. Large regional employers — Community Medical Centers, Fresno Unified and CSU Fresno — require stable, enterprise .

NET systems (EHR integrations, ERP/custom admin portals) but operate with public-sector or non-profit budgets that cap top pay. Ag-tech and food-processing firms increasingly adopt custom .

NET back-ends and integrations for inventory, telemetry, and traceability; those projects raise demand but often use contract/consulting models rather than full-time high-salary roles. Local MSPs and consultancies hire many mid-level developers to support small and medium businesses across the Central Valley.

Compared with Bay Area markets, there’s less venture-funded product startup activity, limiting high-end salary pressure. However, steady modernization in healthcare and education, plus state-funded IT projects, create consistent openings and occasional premium pay for specialized skills (cloud migrations, .

NET Core microservices, Azure/AWS integrations).

Sacramento typically pays ~10–15% more for . NET roles (avg ~$105k) but has a higher COL (index ~110); Bakersfield pays less (~$88k) with slightly lower COL (index ~88).

Modesto sits between Fresno and Sacramento. If your priority is higher take-home cash and career exposure to larger enterprise teams, commuting or relocating to Sacramento can make sense when the salary delta outweighs increased housing and commute costs.

For short-term commuting, consider hybrid arrangements: employers in Sacramento sometimes permit 2–3 remote days/week to reduce relocation pressure. Remote work expands options — Fresno-based developers can often secure remote roles paying closer to statewide medians if they show strong .

NET Core, cloud, and DevOps skills. However, fully remote roles from coastal startups may expect higher output or irregular hours and can come with trade-offs around benefits and local tax/retention considerations.

Entry-level developers (0–2 years) usually start on maintenance and feature work for legacy . NET Framework applications or supporting service integrations; expect salary ~ $65k.

After 3–5 years (mid-level), with exposure to . NET Core, REST APIs, SQL Server, and basic Azure services, developers move into ownership of modules and mentor juniors — salaries near $90k.

Senior engineers (8+ years) who lead architecture, design migrations to microservices, or manage small teams can command $110k–$130k locally. Accelerators for progression include mastering cloud (Azure) deployments, CI/CD pipelines, modernizing legacy .

NET apps to . NET Core, and cross-domain experience (healthcare EHR integration, ag-tech telemetry, or financial systems).

Transitioning into consultancy or product-focused companies (even remote) can shorten timelines and raise pay; pursuing certifications (Microsoft, Azure) and portfolio projects demonstrating end-to-end delivery are high-impact locally.

When negotiating a Fresno-based . NET role, anchor with local data: for a mid-level role ask $90k–$105k depending on stack and cloud experience; seniors can reasonably request $110k–$130k.

Use recent examples: emphasize experience migrating . NET Framework apps to .

NET Core, implementing Azure App Service/Functions, or leading SQL Server performance tuning. If the employer’s base is below the midpoint, negotiate for hybrid/remote days, a signing bonus, or enhanced PTO — these are common levers in the region.

Benefits matter: health insurance tiers, 401(k) match, training budgets, and flexible schedules often offset lower base pay. Public and education employers may have rigid pay scales; for those roles target clearer upward mobility, defined step increases, or project-based stipends.

Finally, emphasize local cost advantage politely when requesting flexibility (e. g.

, “I can accept X base with Y remote/hybrid structure and a six-month performance review tied to a raise”).