Starting range
Average salary
Top earners
About 6% below the US average
Compare to Nearby Cities
| City | Average Salary | Cost of Living Index | Real Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa, FL | $98,000 | 96 | $102,083 |
| Miami, FL | $105,000 | 112 | $93,750 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $90,000 | 93 | $96,774 |
Local Market Outlook
Demand Level
Steady hiring with periodic spikes tied to healthcare IT modernization, defense contracts, and hospitality/digital guest-experience projects. Moderate remote roles from local employers and an uptick in hybrid models.
Top Employers
Key Industries
How Orlando’s cost of living affects a .NET developer’s purchasing power
Orlando’s cost-of-living (COL) index around 94 means wages stretch slightly further than national averages, particularly for housing and daily expenses. For a .
NET developer earning the local average (~$95k), monthly take-home after taxes and standard payroll deductions typically lands near $5,700–$6,000 depending on filing status and 401(k) contributions. Rent for a central 1‑bedroom averages ~ $1,400–$1,600/month; suburban 2‑bedrooms in neighborhoods like Winter Park, Baldwin Park or Lake Nona run $1,700–$2,200.
Commuting costs are moderate: many routes avoid heavy tolls, and employers commonly offer parking or transit stipends for corporate campuses (e. g.
, Lockheed Martin, AdventHealth). Groceries, utilities and insurance are close to national medians.
For developers, the result is higher discretionary cashflow compared with Miami or Boston at the same nominal salary — meaning more ability to save for a down payment, invest, or afford suburban family living while remaining within a 30–45 minute commute of major tech employers.
Why Orlando .NET salaries sit at current levels
Orlando’s salary band for . NET developers reflects a mix of industry demand and local cost structure.
Healthcare systems (AdventHealth, Orlando Health) and medical tech vendors are investing in EHR integrations, patient portals and cloud migration — all heavy consumers of . NET skills for backend APIs and integration services.
Defense and simulation companies (Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, Siemens) bring contract-driven needs for high-security, real-time systems where experienced . NET engineers command premiums.
The region’s large hospitality and entertainment companies (Universal, Disney contractors) hire for guest-experience platforms and point-of-sale services built on . NET stacks.
Local mid-market SaaS vendors and fintech startups provide steady mid-level openings but typically pay slightly below national tech hubs, offsetting that with flexible schedules and local perks. Economic trends — stable tourism recovery, healthcare spending, and steady federal defense awards — keep demand moderate and predictable rather than explosive, producing the observed salary curve.
Comparing Orlando to nearby cities — commute, relocate, or go remote?
Compared with Tampa (avg ~ $98k, COL ~96) and Jacksonville (~$90k, COL ~93), Orlando is competitive for mid-tier . NET roles, offering similar total compensation but a different employer mix.
Miami pays higher nominal salaries (~$105k) but with a significantly higher COL (~112), so Miami’s higher base is often offset by housing and commuting costs. For developers weighing relocation: commute makes sense if living costs in Tampa or Jacksonville are lower and there’s a specific employer tie (e.
g. , a defense contractor in Orlando).
Relocation to Miami may be justified for senior roles with +15–20% pay uplift or leadership positions. Remote work is common for enterprise SaaS and some healthcare vendors; however, defense and certain simulation roles still require on-site presence or hybrid schedules due to security and collaboration needs.
Consider hybrid arrangements to capture Orlando’s more affordable living while working for out-of-market employers.
Career progression and timing for .NET developers in Orlando
Typical progression: entry-level . NET developer (0–2 years) focuses on C#, ASP.
NET Core, SQL Server and supporting APIs; expect 60–72 months combined to reach mid-level when delivering feature ownership and mentoring juniors. Mid-level (3–7 years) engineers broaden into architecture patterns, cloud (Azure) deployments, CI/CD pipelines and microservices; strong performance plus certifications (Azure Developer/Architect) or domain expertise (healthcare, defense) accelerate promotion to senior in ~4–6 years.
Senior engineers (8+ years) lead architecture, own cross-team initiatives, or move into engineering manager/tech lead roles; in Orlando, moving from senior IC to manager or principal often requires demonstrating domain-specific delivery (e. g.
, HIPAA-compliant systems for AdventHealth or real-time simulations for defense). Accelerators: contributing to high-visibility projects, obtaining security/azure certifications, and active networking with local tech meetups (Orlando .
NET User Group, industry conferences) can shorten timelines and increase salary bands.
Location-specific negotiation guidance for Orlando .NET candidates
Reasonable negotiation anchors: entry candidates should expect $60k–$75k, mid-level $85k–$105k, seniors $110k–$140k depending on domain and security clearance. When negotiating, emphasize local market realities: employers expect hybrid schedules and budget for on-site collaboration costs.
Leverage concrete examples: cite successful Azure migrations, performance tuning of ASP. NET Core services, or integrations with Epic/HL7 for healthcare to justify +5–12% above posted ranges.
Ask about total compensation: signing bonus (common for in-demand mid/senior roles), equity for startups, annual bonus targets, and education stipends for certifications (Azure, security). Also negotiate remote/hybrid flexibility and relocation assistance — these are realistic levers in Orlando.
For defense or healthcare roles, note that obtaining or having an active clearance and domain knowledge materially increases bargaining power. Finally, use local comparables (Tampa and Jacksonville listings) and employer-specific budgets (e.
g. , larger hospitals and defense primes typically have more room) when making a counteroffer.
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