.NET Developer Salary in Los Angeles: $90,000-$165,000 (2026)

Los Angeles' cost of living (index ~140) substantially reduces disposable income for . NET developers compared with national averages.

Housing is the largest factor: a typical 1-bedroom rental near job centers (Downtown, Culver City, West Hollywood) runs about $2,600–$3,000/month; a modest 3-bed single-family home in commuter suburbs frequently demands a mortgage on a median ~$850,000 sale price. For a mid-level .

NET developer earning ~$115k, gross monthly pay (~$9,600) after taxes and deductions often leaves $3,500–$4,500 for rent, transportation, food and savings — tight if renting centrally. Commute costs are notable: an LA Metro monthly pass is roughly $100–$130, while driving adds fuel (variable), insurance (higher than many metros), and parking fees ($100–$300/month in business districts).

Lifestyle affordability depends on neighborhood choice: living further out (San Gabriel Valley, South Bay outskirts) reduces rent but raises commute time. Negotiating relocation assistance or partial remote days materially improves real purchasing power.

Salaries for . NET developers in Los Angeles reflect a mix of high-cost housing and diverse demand from entertainment, healthcare, defense, and enterprise sectors.

Streaming and media companies (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon studios) increasingly need backend services integrated with content management and ad platforms; many of these projects use . NET for enterprise backends and APIs.

Healthcare systems like Kaiser Permanente and Cedars-Sinai maintain large . NET codebases for records and billing, paying enterprise-level rates.

Defense and aerospace contractors (Northrop Grumman, Raytheon) hire senior . NET engineers for integrations and legacy modernization.

Consulting firms (Deloitte, Accenture) staff many contract . NET roles for corporate clients.

The rise of cloud-native . NET Core on Azure and integrations with microservices increased demand for devs who pair C# skills with cloud and container knowledge.

Combined with a relatively limited local talent pool for enterprise . NET experience, this pushes wages upward, particularly for candidates with Azure, SQL Server optimization, and distributed systems know-how.

Compared with San Diego (avg . NET ~$115k, COL index ~130), LA pays ~8–10% more on average but has higher housing costs and longer commutes.

The Bay Area offers higher pay (~$150k) but at a much higher COL (~200), so net savings can be similar only for top-tier roles. Phoenix (~$100k, COL ~95) offers significantly lower housing costs; salary-to-rent ratio can be more favorable for developers willing to relocate.

Commuting from Orange County or the Inland Empire can reduce rent but adds long drive times; consider hybrid schedules to balance cost and time. Remote-first roles allow LA-based developers to earn competitive salaries while living in lower-cost inland areas; however, some employers reduce pay for remote hires outside CA.

For contractors, consider short-term relocation to LA for on-site integration periods, then transition to partially remote arrangements. Evaluate total compensation (stock, bonuses, signing, relocation) and quality-of-life trade-offs when deciding.

Typical progression: entry-level (0–2 years) focusing on C#, ASP. NET MVC/Core, SQL Server, unit testing, and code reviews; mid-level (3–7 years) owning services, designing APIs, mentoring juniors, and working with Azure services (App Services, Functions, SQL DB); senior (8+ years) leading architecture, designing microservices, performance tuning, and managing cross-functional delivery.

In LA, developers who pick up cloud (Azure), containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), CI/CD (Azure DevOps/GitHub Actions), and domain knowledge (healthcare compliance, ad-tech workflows, content distribution) accelerate advancement and can move from mid → senior in 4–6 years. Moving into staff/architect roles often requires evidence of system-level design, leadership of multiple teams, and success delivering high-availability services—common in entertainment and healthcare projects.

Consulting roles and contract engagements can fast-track salary increases but may require stronger client-facing and documentation skills.

When negotiating, anchor to local market data: for a mid-level . NET role target $105k–$125k; for senior roles ask $135k–$165k depending on specialization.

Explicitly quantify Azure, . NET Core, microservices, and SQL Server experience; cite recent projects (e.

g. , migrated legacy ASP.

NET to . NET Core and containerized services on Azure).

Ask about total comp elements: signing bonus ($5k–$15k common), equity (startups/streaming), annual bonus %, 401(k) match, and relocation stipends. Negotiate hybrid remote days (2–3/week) to offset LA housing costs.

For government or healthcare roles, emphasize compliance and security experience (HIPAA, FedRAMP). Use competing offers or published salary ranges to justify asks; be prepared to trade some base salary for remote flexibility, extra PTO, or professional training budgets.

Finally, request clear milestones for raises (6–12 month performance checkpoints) to lock in progression in a high-cost market.