.NET Developer Salary in Lincoln: $65,000-$110,000 (2026)

Lincoln’s cost-of-living index around 88 materially increases real purchasing power for a . NET developer.

With average rents for a one-bedroom downtown apartment roughly $800–$1,000 and suburban two-bedrooms commonly $900–$1,300, housing expenditures consume a smaller share of income than in larger tech hubs. Groceries, utilities, and local services are also below U.

S. averages; commuting costs are modest because Lincoln is compact — average one-way drives are under 25 minutes and public transit is affordable.

For a developer earning the local average (~$85k), mortgage or rent plus utilities typically leave more discretionary income for saving or investing than an equivalent salary in a higher-cost city. That said, high-end neighborhoods and newer luxury builds can approach higher rents, so total living cost depends on lifestyle.

Childcare and private school fees are moderate but can be a larger slice of family budgets. Overall, Lincoln favors ownership and longer-term savings for mid-career .

NET professionals compared with coastal markets.

Salaries for . NET developers in Lincoln reflect a balance of strong local tech employers and a smaller talent pool than large metros.

Companies like Hudl (sports analytics SaaS), Nelnet (education finance/tech), Bryan Health and Nebraska Medicine (health IT), and regional financial firms maintain steady demand for . NET expertise—particularly for backend services, integrations with EMRs, and enterprise-grade .

NET Core APIs. The city’s cost structure allows firms to offer competitive but not top-tier national salaries; many roles emphasize long-term stability, benefits, and flexible schedules over very high base pay.

Economic trends—growth in SaaS, regional digital transformation at hospitals and banks, and fintech projects tied to student lending—sustain ongoing hiring. Local universities also supply junior talent, keeping entry-level salaries reasonable while mid-senior roles command premiums when they require cloud migration, microservices, or DevOps/.

NET Core modernization experience.

Compared with Omaha, Des Moines, and Kansas City, Lincoln offers slightly lower nominal . NET salaries but a noticeably lower cost of living.

Omaha typically pays about 10–12% more on average due to larger corporate headquarters and banking/insurance tech teams, while Kansas City and Des Moines fall between Lincoln and Omaha. If your priority is maximize nominal pay and access to larger enterprise teams, commuting to or relocating to Omaha or Kansas City can be worthwhile—Omaha is a ~1–1.

5 hour drive and often supports weekly commute or hybrid arrangements. For remote-friendly roles, Lincoln developers can often secure higher remote salaries from out-of-state companies while maintaining lower local living costs; employers that localize pay to home geography may pay mid-tier rates.

Relocate if your career needs exposure to big enterprise systems or faster promotion cycles; remain in Lincoln if you value lower housing costs, community ties, and a balanced lifestyle.

Typical progression: junior (0–2 years) → mid (3–7 years) → senior (8+ years). In Lincoln, juniors often start on maintenance and feature work for internal systems (55k range).

Advancing to mid-level (around 3–5 years) requires owning modules, delivering APIs in . NET Core, and contributing to CI/CD pipelines; these roles average near $80k.

Senior engineers (8+ years) who lead architecture, mentor teams, and manage cloud migrations or microservices command $100k+ locally. Career acceleration occurs when you: (1) gain cloud certifications (Azure/AWS) and containerization experience, (2) lead cross-functional projects (DevOps, security, data integration), (3) contribute to product or customer-facing SaaS offerings, or (4) move into tech lead/engineering manager tracks.

Contracting and remote work can also accelerate earnings for experienced . NET developers in Lincoln by capturing higher national rates while living locally.

When negotiating, be explicit about local market norms and total compensation. Reasonable base ranges: entry $50–60k, mid $75–90k, senior $95–115k depending on cloud/architect responsibilities.

Highlight cloud (. NET Core + Azure), DevOps, and system-integration experience to justify top-range offers.

Ask about bonuses, equity (SaaS startups), a training stipend, and flexible/remote work — Lincoln employers often trade slightly lower base pay for stronger benefits (tuition assistance, robust health plans, generous PTO). For relocation or commute-heavy roles (Omaha/Kansas City), request a relocation stipend or flexible remote weeks.

Cultural tip: hiring managers in Lincoln value reliability, long-term fit, and community ties; emphasize stability, local references, and examples of collaborative cross-team work. If competing with remote offers, negotiate for market-rate remote pay or a hybrid arrangement plus professional development investment.