Starting range
Average salary
Top earners
About 15% below US average
Compare to Nearby Cities
| City | Average Salary | Cost of Living Index | Real Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL | $100,000 | 95 | $105,263 |
| Birmingham, AL | $95,000 | 92 | $103,261 |
| Mobile, AL | $88,000 | 88 | $100,000 |
Local Market Outlook
Demand Level
Stable to modest growth — steady hiring for maintenance and modernization of legacy .NET apps with increasing interest in cloud-native .NET Core migrations.
Top Employers
Key Industries
How Montgomery’s cost of living affects a .NET developer’s purchasing power
Montgomery’s cost of living index (~85) means everyday expenses are materially lower than national metros. For a .
NET developer making the local average (~$82k), housing savings are the biggest benefit: typical 1‑bedroom rents run roughly $800–$950/month and median single‑family home prices are substantially lower than in Huntsville or Birmingham. Commute costs are modest—average drive times are generally under 25 minutes for many parts of the county, lowering fuel and wear‑and‑tear expenses compared with denser metros.
Groceries and utilities are slightly below national averages, while discretionary costs (dining, entertainment) are affordable relative to salary. Put simply, a $82k salary in Montgomery buys similar or better real lifestyle and housing than a $95–100k salary in higher‑cost Alabama cities.
This matters when evaluating offers: smaller nominal raises can produce meaningful improvements in actual take‑home lifestyle here.
Why .NET salaries sit at current levels in Montgomery
Salaries for . NET developers in Montgomery are shaped by a mix of public sector demand, regional manufacturing, and healthcare IT needs.
Major local employers—Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama and defense organizations centered around Maxwell‑Gunter AFB—generate stable requirements for application maintenance, automation tooling, and integration with PLC/SCADA systems or contractor portals. State and county agencies also hire .
NET developers for enterprise systems, and regional hospitals (Baptist Health, DCH) require EMR integrations and reporting solutions. The result: steady, year‑round demand focused more on modernization and support than high‑velocity product startups.
National consultancies and local shops staff many of these projects via local offices or remote teams, which moderates wages relative to tech hubs but creates steady opportunities. Increasing interest in migrating legacy ASP.
NET apps to . NET Core and cloud hosting (Azure) is pushing mid‑level salaries higher as employers seek those skills.
Comparing Montgomery to nearby cities and when to relocate or commute
Compared with Huntsville (avg ~$100k, COL ~95) and Birmingham (~$95k, COL ~92), Montgomery pays below those regional centers but offers significantly lower living costs. If you prioritize higher cash compensation and advanced defense/aerospace projects, relocating or commuting to Huntsville or Birmingham may be worthwhile—especially for senior engineers or those wanting to join large product teams.
For developers focused on vehicle manufacturing integrations or government contracts that are Montgomery‑centric, staying local can be ideal. Remote work has become common: many Montgomery employers accept remote or hybrid arrangements, enabling developers to live in Montgomery’s lower‑cost environment while earning closer to Birmingham/Huntsville pay if hired by an out‑of‑market company.
Consider commute tolerance, family needs, and the specific employer’s project type before relocating—higher nominal pay often comes with higher COL that can offset gains.
Career progression for a .NET developer in Montgomery
Typical progression: entry (0–2 years) doing maintenance, bug fixes, and small feature work on ASP. NET/Web API projects; mid (3–7 years) owning modules, leading integrations (e.
g. , EMR or manufacturing systems), and driving .
NET Core migrations; senior (8+ years) shaping architecture, leading teams or devops efforts, and interfacing with procurement and stakeholders. Local timelines are often slightly longer than in high‑growth tech hubs—expect 3–5 years to move from entry to mid and another 4+ years to reach senior.
Accelerators include: gaining cloud certifications (Azure Developer/Architect), demonstrating successful . NET Core migration projects, adding full‑stack capabilities (React/Angular + .
NET), and experience integrating with industry systems (HL7 in healthcare, MES in manufacturing). Contracting with defense primes or gaining security clearance can also fast‑track pay and opportunity.
Negotiation tips specific to .NET roles in Montgomery
When negotiating, be explicit about local benchmarks: reasonable base ranges are roughly $55k–$70k for entry, $75k–$95k for mid, and $95k–$115k+ for senior candidates depending on cloud, architecture, and clearance. Use examples: cite recent projects (e.
g. , migrated an ASP.
NET MVC app to . NET Core on Azure, built CI/CD pipelines) to justify top‑end offers.
Emphasize total compensation: many Montgomery employers offer stronger benefits (pension/retirement matches in government roles, stable PTO, flexible schedules) rather than very high base salaries. If a company can’t raise base pay, negotiate signing bonuses, accelerated review timelines (6 months), training budget for Azure/DevOps certifications, or partial remote work to capture higher remote market rates.
Be mindful of local employer culture—public sector and manufacturing clients appreciate clear documentation, reliability, and willingness to support on‑site vendor work; framing negotiation around impact and risk reduction resonates well.
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