Starting range
Average salary
Top earners
about 8% below U.S. average
Compare to Nearby Cities
| City | Average Salary | Cost of Living Index | Real Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $88,000 | 90 | $97,778 |
| Des Moines, IA | $92,000 | 95 | $96,842 |
| Kansas City, MO | $100,000 | 98 | $102,041 |
Local Market Outlook
Demand Level
steady, with periodic spikes tied to financial services and logistics projects; gradual adoption of cloud/.NET Core and full-stack roles driving openings
Top Employers
Key Industries
How Omaha's cost of living affects .NET developer purchasing power
Omaha’s cost of living index (~92) materially increases purchasing power for a local . NET developer.
Housing is the largest factor: median single-family home prices are typically 20–30% below the national median, and urban 2-bedroom rents in neighborhoods like Dundee or Aksarben generally fall in the $1,000–$1,400/month range. Commuting costs are moderate — average one-way commutes are under 20 minutes for many tech corridors, reducing fuel and time costs compared with larger metros.
Utilities and groceries are close to or slightly below national norms. For a .
NET developer earning the local average (~$95K), lower housing and commute expenses mean the ability to save or invest more aggressively: mortgage payments on a median Omaha home often equate to the same monthly housing cost that would require a $105–$115K salary in a coastal market. This makes Omaha attractive for mid-career engineers seeking home ownership or stable family budgets while working in enterprise .
NET environments.
Why Omaha .NET salaries sit where they do
Salaries for . NET developers in Omaha reflect a blend of strong legacy enterprise demand and moderate local market competition.
Major headquarters and back-office operations — including Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, Mutual of Omaha, Charles Schwab/TD Ameritrade teams, First National Bank, Kiewit and Nelnet — drive a steady need for enterprise . NET skills (C#, .
NET Core, SQL Server). These employers prioritize stability, reliability, and integration with large legacy systems, which values experienced backend .
NET engineers and systems integrators. At the same time, Omaha’s overall labor pool is smaller than large tech hubs, keeping salary levels below coastal markets but competitive regionally.
Recent trends show more cloud migration projects (Azure), API modernization, and a gradual shift to full‑stack expectations (React/Angular + . NET APIs), which lifts mid- to senior-level compensation.
Contract and consultancy opportunities occasionally push rates higher for short-term project work, but permanent roles emphasize benefits and long-term stability over top-end base pay.
Comparing Omaha to nearby cities — commute, relocate, or remote?
Compared to Lincoln (avg ~$88K; COL ~90) and Des Moines (~$92K; COL ~95), Omaha offers slightly higher average pay and more headquarters-level employers. Kansas City pays higher on average (~$100K; COL ~98) due to a larger regional tech scene and more startups.
If you’re weighing commuting or relocation: a daily commute to Omaha from suburbs or Lincoln is feasible but relocating within Omaha increases chances for interview attendance and networking. Des Moines and Kansas City are more attractive if you prioritize slightly higher pay or a larger mid-market startup scene, but both come with higher COL.
Remote work has increased flexibility: many Omaha employers now accept remote or hybrid . NET roles, which can let candidates keep Omaha’s lower housing costs while accessing higher pay from out-of-market employers.
For permanent moves, consider family needs, housing affordability, and whether you prefer enterprise stability (Omaha) or faster-paced startup growth (KC/Des Moines).
Typical career path and timing for .NET developers in Omaha
A common progression in Omaha for . NET professionals begins at 0–2 years as a junior/entry developer working on feature development and maintaining legacy .
NET Framework applications (expected salary ~$60K). From years 3–7, developers typically become mid-level engineers (~$85K), taking ownership of modules, leading small squads, or managing integrations to SQL Server and Azure services.
By year 8+ a developer can be a senior engineer or technical lead (~$115K), responsible for architecture decisions, migration projects (. NET Core/5+/Azure), and mentoring.
Acceleration happens through visible impact on business-critical systems (e. g.
, improving transaction throughput for a finance team), cloud certifications (Azure Developer/Architect), full-stack capability (React/Angular), and soft skills in stakeholder communication. Moving into adjacent roles—solutions architect, engineering manager, or principal developer—often requires demonstration of system-level thinking, architecture artifacts, and cross-team leadership, and can push total compensation beyond the local senior base range through bonuses and equity in smaller firms.
Practical negotiation tips for .NET developers in Omaha
When negotiating in Omaha, be specific and localize your asks. Reasonable base ranges: entry $55–65K, mid $75–95K, senior $100–125K, with variability for cloud expertise or niche domain knowledge (finance, logistics).
Ask about total compensation: many firms provide strong benefits (health, 401(k) matches, tuition assistance, flexible schedules) and sometimes performance bonuses rather than large base raises. Emphasize measurable impact — cite latency reductions, migrated services to .
NET Core/Azure, or features that drove revenue or saved costs — to justify a higher band. For candidates considering remote offers, negotiate location-adjusted pay or a geographic-neutral remote rate; some Omaha employers will match regional pay, others adjust downward.
Common local perks to leverage: flexible/hybrid schedules, accelerated PTO, home office stipends, and paid training/certification (especially Azure). Finally, present market data (local salary ranges, competitor job postings) and be ready to discuss non-salary tradeoffs like stability and career growth in enterprise teams.
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