Starting range
Average salary
Top earners
About 18% below the U.S. average
Compare to Nearby Cities
| City | Average Salary | Cost of Living Index | Real Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN | $95,000 | 88 | $107,955 |
| Birmingham, AL | $92,000 | 90 | $102,222 |
| New Orleans, LA | $100,000 | 95 | $105,263 |
Local Market Outlook
Demand Level
Steady hiring with periodic spikes tied to healthcare IT and government projects; growth in cloud migrations and system modernization.
Top Employers
Key Industries
How Jackson’s cost of living shapes .NET developer purchasing power
Jackson’s cost-of-living index (~82) materially increases purchasing power for a local . NET developer.
Rent for a one-bedroom near downtown runs roughly $850–$950/month; a modest three-bedroom suburban home often lists near $200,000–$220,000, significantly cheaper than comparable homes in Birmingham or Memphis. Commuting costs are moderate: average gas prices and shorter commute times (20–30 minutes typical) reduce monthly transport spend versus larger metros.
Groceries and services are around 10–15% below the national average, so discretionary spending (dining out, childcare, basic entertainment) stretches further. For a mid-level .
NET developer earning about $82k, after state taxes (Mississippi), mortgage or rent, and usual living expenses, discretionary income for savings or investment is substantially higher than a developer on the same nominal salary in New Orleans or Atlanta. That means lower salary bands in Jackson still deliver strong local quality of life.
Why .NET salaries sit at this level in Jackson
Salaries for . NET developers in Jackson reflect a mix of public-sector demand, healthcare IT needs, and a modest private tech presence.
Major local employers—UMMC, state agencies, Trustmark, Entergy, and telecom firm C Spire—drive steady demand for . NET skills to maintain legacy .
NET Framework applications, electronic health record integrations, and banking platforms. Many projects are modernization efforts (migrating on-prem .
NET apps to . NET Core / Azure) rather than large-scale greenfield product builds; that favors experienced engineers who can refactor legacy code and manage integrations.
Local consulting and managed-service firms add periodic contract demand. The municipal and state budget cycles also create hiring spikes when new federally funded healthcare or IT modernization dollars arrive.
Because the market is smaller than major tech hubs, base salaries are moderate, but employers often compensate with stable employment, predictable hours, and public-sector benefits.
Comparing Jackson to nearby markets — commute, relocate, or stay remote?
Compared to Memphis (avg ~ $95k, COL 88) or Birmingham (~$92k, COL 90), Jackson pays slightly less but offers a lower cost base. New Orleans pays higher averages (~$100k) but has a higher COL (~95).
If you’re early-career and focused on salary growth and exposure to larger product teams, relocating to Memphis or New Orleans can accelerate compensation and experience. For mid-career professionals prioritizing home ownership, family costs, or lower commute times, staying in Jackson often yields better real-dollar outcomes.
Daily commuting from Jackson to those metros is impractical; instead, consider short-term relocation or remote roles. Remote work is common for .
NET engineers, and many Jackson-based developers secure remote positions with higher pay while remaining in Jackson to capture the cost-of-living advantage—targeting remote roles with hybrid expectations or fully distributed companies headquartered in Atlanta, Dallas, or Chicago.
Career path and timelines for .NET developers in Jackson
Typical progression in Jackson mirrors national patterns but with local nuances. Entry-level (0–2 years) often starts in support/maintenance roles on legacy .
NET Framework systems; expect 1. 5–3 years to reach solid junior competency.
Mid-level (3–7 years) commonly leads application modules, owns integrations with SQL Server and Azure services, and moves into cloud migration work—this stage tends to offer the biggest salary jump if you acquire . NET Core, C#, ASP.
NET Core, Azure, and CI/CD skills. Senior (8+ years) roles involve architecture, technical leadership, or lead developer positions—often in healthcare or government projects where domain experience commands premium pay.
To accelerate progression locally, pursue hands-on cloud certifications (Azure Developer/Architect), lead a migration or API-first project, and gain cross-functional experience (DevOps, database tuning). Contract or consulting stints on modernization projects can also compress time-to-senior and increase pay.
How to negotiate as a .NET developer in Jackson
When negotiating in Jackson, anchor offers against local realities: for mid-level roles ask for $78k–$92k depending on experience and cloud skillset; for senior roles target $100k–$120k if you bring architecture/cloud migration experience. Emphasize concrete wins: led a .
NET Core migration to Azure, reduced incident MTTR, or built APIs for EHR integration. If base salary flexibility is limited, negotiate for tangible alternatives common locally: sign-on bonus (one-time $3k–$8k), structured annual bonuses tied to project milestones, enhanced paid time off, remote/hybrid flexibility, paid training/certification budgets (Azure, security), and student loan or 401(k) match enhancements.
Public-sector employers may have limited base flexibility but stronger pensions and predictable schedules—factor benefits into total comp. Use local comparators (UMMC, Trustmark, regional consultancies) when justifying asks and provide 2–3-week decision windows to maintain leverage.
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