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

Madison’s cost of living sits slightly below the U. S.

average (index ~97), which gives . NET developers stronger purchasing power versus major coastal metros.

Rent for a one-bedroom inside the Isthmus or downtown typically ranges $1,100–$1,400; two-bedrooms in desirable neighborhoods commonly run $1,400–$1,900. Median home prices near Madison are roughly $350k–$380k depending on neighborhood, lower than similarly sized tech hubs.

Commuting expenses are moderate: average monthly gas and parking for a suburban commute run $150–$250; ample bike lanes and compact neighborhoods reduce car dependency for many. For a .

NET developer earning the local average (~$95k), after federal/state tax and typical deductions take-home pay is sufficient to cover mortgage or rent, childcare, and modest savings while maintaining an active lifestyle (dining, weekend trips to Door County, local concerts). Lifestyle affordability means you can achieve homeownership earlier than in Minneapolis or Chicago at comparable experience levels.

Madison’s . NET salary structure reflects a concentration of healthcare-tech and insurance employers that run and integrate large .

NET stacks alongside modern services. Epic Systems (Verona) is the strongest single influence—Epic employs thousands of developers and often integrates .

NET in integrations and tooling—driving up demand for mid-to-senior talent. American Family Insurance and Exact Sciences maintain sizeable engineering teams requiring back-end .

NET expertise for claims systems, diagnostics platforms, and internal tools. Startups and SaaS firms like Submittable and independent consultancies supply mid-market opportunities and fill gaps for full-stack .

NET roles. The presence of the University of Wisconsin research and state IT also creates steady demand for enterprise-grade .

NET work. Local economic stability and steady funding in healthcare and biotech keep hiring consistent; however, firms sometimes prefer candidates with domain knowledge (EHR, diagnostics, insurance) and cloud experience (Azure), which commands salary premiums.

Relative to Milwaukee, Madison offers comparable pay (Milwaukee average ~ $92k) and slightly higher technology concentration in healthcare. Minneapolis typically pays ~ $105k for .

NET roles but has a cost-of-living index ~108, meaning the higher nominal salary is partially offset by higher housing and taxes. Chicago’s average for similar roles is roughly $110k with a COL index near 120; Chicago is worth relocating to when targeting bigger enterprise roles, larger stock/equity packages, or specialized leadership paths.

Commuting from nearby communities (Sun Prairie, Verona, Fitchburg) is common; Verona commutes are frequent for Epic staff. Remote work is increasingly accepted—many Madison firms offer hybrid or fully remote .

NET roles—so commuting decisions often hinge on culture fit and career step (on-site can accelerate promotions for senior or technical lead positions).

Entry-level . NET developers (0–2 years) commonly start on integration or internal tooling teams earning $60k–$70k.

By 3–7 years, developers who broaden into cloud (Azure), CI/CD, and microservices usually reach the mid-level band (~$85k–$100k). Senior roles (8+ years) that combine architecture, full-stack leadership, and domain expertise in healthcare/insurance typically command $110k–$130k.

Acceleration levers in Madison include: gaining Azure certification and cloud-native patterns, specializing in EHR/HL7/FHIR integrations for Epic-related work, contributing to cross-functional product delivery, and taking visibility-driving roles (technical lead, on-call system owner). Moving from individual contributor to staff/architect roles often requires demonstrated impact on system reliability, performance, and cross-team delivery—projects tied to revenue or cost savings advance promotions faster than purely maintenance work.

When negotiating a . NET offer in Madison, anchor to the local mid/senior bands: ask $90k–$100k for mid, $110k–$125k for senior—adjust based on Azure, microservices, and domain experience.

Emphasize certifications (Azure Developer/Architect), experience with EHR standards (HL7, FHIR) if targeting Epic-adjacent roles, and measurable results (reduced latency, cost savings). Benefits are commonly negotiated in lieu of top-of-market salary: ask for flexible remote/hybrid schedules, an annual training stipend ($1k–$3k), additional paid time off, and a signing bonus (common range $3k–$10k for senior hires).

Equity is less common at large local employers (Epic, American Family) but more frequent at startups—if equity is offered, request clear vesting and valuation details. Culturally, Madison employers value team fit and community involvement—highlight open-source contributions, UW collaborations, or local meetup participation to strengthen your case.