.NET Developer Salary in Sacramento: $85,000-$145,000 (2026)

Sacramento sits close to the national average for cost of living (index ~102), which translates to noticeably better purchasing power than the Bay Area but higher housing costs than many interior Central Valley cities. For .

NET developers this matters most in housing: a mid-level developer earning about $105k can expect median one-bedroom rents in central neighborhoods around $1,600–$1,900 and monthly mortgage pressures if buying (median home ~ $480k–$550k). Commute costs are moderate — many devs live in suburbs (Natomas, Elk Grove, Folsom) where gasoline and time-in-car are typical of mid-size metro traffic; expect $120–$250/month extra for commuting depending on distance.

Utilities and groceries are near national norms, so discretionary spending (dining, entertainment) is affordable compared with the Bay Area. Net effect: Sacramento salaries buy comfortable single-family or condo living for mid/senior .

NET engineers, while entry-level devs often balance rental costs against student loans or lower cash comp.

Salaries for . NET developers in Sacramento are shaped by a mix of public-sector tech budgets, healthcare IT demand, and a growing tech presence in nearby suburbs (Folsom, Rancho Cordova).

Major employers — State of California agencies, UC Davis Health, Sutter Health, and VSP Global — invest in . NET stacks for patient systems, case management, and internal applications.

Semiconductor and enterprise hardware firms (Intel in Folsom) add demand for systems and tooling integrations that often use . NET/.

NET Core. Compared with Bay Area tech giants, Sacramento employers offer lower base salaries but compensate with more stable long-term roles, predictable raises, and public-sector benefits.

Recent trends: migration of some SaaS and fintech firms into the region for lower operating costs and increased remote hiring has lifted mid-level comps; however, top-of-market remote roles from SF/SJ still command premium pay. Cloud adoption (Azure) and integrations with Epic/healthcare platforms are the biggest local drivers.

Compared to San Francisco and San Jose, Sacramento’s average . NET salary (~$110k) is substantially lower than the Bay Area (~$160–165k), but the COL difference is massive (SF/SJ COL indices 280–305).

That means relocating to the Bay Area must be justified by a large salary uplift or by preferring on-site career paths. Stockton offers lower pay (~$95k) and a lower COL (index ~88), which can be attractive for entry-level hires or families seeking lower housing costs, though commute and company mix differ.

Commuting into the Bay Area from Sacramento is common (reverse commuters) but not ideal daily; many choose hybrid weeks or remote-first Bay Area roles to capture higher pay without full relocation. For Sacramento .

NET devs: consider commuting/relocating if a Bay Area role increases comp by 30%+ or includes restricted stock/rapid growth potential. Otherwise, local opportunities with good benefits and Azure/.

NET Core specialization often deliver better quality of life.

Typical progression: entry-level (0–2 years) builds core C#, ASP. NET, and SQL Server skills while contributing to feature tickets and bug fixes — timeframe is 1.

5–3 years to reach mid-level. Mid-level (3–7 years) owns modules, mentors juniors, leads integrations (Azure services, REST APIs) and often becomes a full-stack .

NET engineer; timeline to senior is 4–6 years depending on leadership and cloud certifications. Senior (8+ years) roles in Sacramento often combine architecture, platform migration (monolith to microservices/.

NET Core), and stakeholder leadership in healthcare or government projects. Accelerators: certifications (Microsoft Azure Developer/Architect), demonstrable cloud migration experience, experience with Epic/healthcare integrations or government security/compliance (FedRAMP/HIPAA), and public sector procurement familiarity.

Lateral moves to Folsom or remote Bay Area teams can shorten time-to-senior if exposure to larger-scale systems and product ownership increases.

When negotiating in Sacramento, anchor near the mid-level or senior local averages but use precise comparables: for a mid . NET dev ask $105k–$120k depending on Azure and microservices experience; for seniors target $130k–$150k with strong architecture/cloud credentials.

Emphasize tangible wins: led migrations to . NET Core, cost savings from refactors, or HIPAA-compliant modules for health systems.

Don’t overlook benefits: State and healthcare employers provide strong pensions/retirement matches, tuition reimbursement, and predictable PTO — these can offset slightly lower base pay compared to remote Bay Area offers. Ask about hybrid/remote flexibility (one to three days remote is common), annual salary band increases, sign-on bonuses ($5k–$15k typical for competitive hires), and equity is less common but available at local startups.

Finally, quantify commute and housing trade-offs if relocating; employers sometimes offer relocation assistance or a remote-first arrangement as part of the package.