.NET Developer Salary in Killeen: $60,000-$110,000 (2026)

Killeen’s cost-of-living index (~88) means a . NET developer’s salary goes further than in larger Texas metros.

Typical one-bedroom rents in central Killeen range $850–$1,100/month; three-bedroom family homes frequently rent $1,200–$1,600. Median home prices remain well below Austin or San Antonio, often 30–50% cheaper per square foot.

Commute costs are moderate: average drive times are short (20–30 minutes) so fuel and vehicle wear are lower than sprawling metros. Groceries, utilities, and healthcare sit slightly below national averages, so discretionary income (savings, childcare, dining out) benefits.

For a mid-level . NET dev earning around $80k, after-tax monthly take-home and local expenses typically allow comfortable rent or mortgage, a vehicle payment, and steady saving—making Killeen attractive for developers prioritizing housing affordability and lower everyday costs over top-end nominal salaries.

Killeen’s developer market is driven by a mix of defense contracting tied to Fort Cavazos, public-sector employers (KISD, local municipalities), healthcare systems, and a steady supply of staffing firms. Many local openings are for contractors supporting Army IT modernization or for integrators delivering .

NET-based web portals, administration tools, and internal APIs. These roles often pay competitively but not at the level of major tech hubs because budget cycles, fixed contract rates, and public-sector pay bands compress top-end salaries.

Local MSPs and hospitals hire for . NET maintenance, EMR integrations, and reporting solutions—steady work but fewer product-scale, equity-upside roles.

The presence of nearby larger metros (Austin, San Antonio) generates some upward pressure, as remote and hybrid postings pull talent and occasionally bid up pay for niche skills (Azure, microservices, DevOps). Overall, supply of mid-level .

NET talent is reasonable, producing a moderate demand level with stable hiring.

Austin pays materially more for . NET talent (often 30–40% higher) but comes with much higher housing and living costs; relocating makes sense if you want faster salary growth, product engineering roles, or access to venture-backed companies.

San Antonio offers a middle ground: slightly higher pay than Killeen and better corporate opportunities, while COL is only modestly higher. Waco’s profile closely mirrors Killeen—slightly lower pay and similar COL.

Commuting to Fort Cavazos-area contractor hubs or San Antonio can be feasible for specialized roles; many developers in Killeen accept remote or hybrid positions from Austin/San Antonio employers to capture higher pay while retaining lower living costs. If you value family-friendly budgets and predictable public-sector work, staying in Killeen is reasonable; if you target rapid career acceleration into product engineering or cloud-native stacks, consider relocation or remote roles with higher-paying firms.

Entry-level (. NET junior) roles often focus on maintenance of legacy ASP.

NET Web Forms and internal applications; expect 0–2 years in these roles with pay from $50k–$60k. Mid-level developers (3–7 years) who master C#, ASP.

NET Core, SQL Server, and basic Azure or CI/CD pipelines move into full-stack or integration roles and command roughly $75k–$90k. Senior devs (8+ years) who bring architecture experience, cloud migrations (Azure), microservices design, and devops practices can reach $95k–$115k and step into lead/engineering manager roles—often via defense contractor project leadership or hospital IT architecture positions.

Acceleration points include obtaining security clearances (opens higher-pay contractor work), strong cloud certifications (Azure Developer/Architect), demonstrable project leadership on migrations, and successful contributions to automation/DevOps improvements that reduce ops cost for clients.

Be specific about local benchmarks: for Killeen expect entry offers near $55k, mid-level near $80k, and senior near $105k. If interviewing with government contractors or hospital IT, emphasize security clearance status (or willingness to obtain), Azure certifications, and examples of integrations or performance improvements—these are tangible levers for raises.

Negotiate benefits common in Killeen: sign-on bonus (small), relocation stipend (occasionally), education reimbursement, paid certifications, flexible schedule or hybrid days, and paid time for clearance processes. Ask about contract length/renewal windows for contractors and billing structures if hourly.

Cultural notes: public-sector and defense hiring can be bureaucratic; use documented impact metrics (reduced processing time, cost saved) rather than vague claims. If the base is tight, push on bonus, extra vacation, remote days, or training budget to increase total comp and career upside.