.NET Developer Salary in Scranton: $70,000-$120,000 (2026)

Scranton's cost-of-living index (~90) meaningfully improves purchasing power for a local . NET developer compared with large coastal metros.

Typical one-bedroom rents in Scranton range roughly $900–$1,200 per month depending on neighborhood; a two-bedroom can run $1,100–$1,500. Median home prices are substantially lower than Philadelphia or NYC suburbs, so monthly mortgage payments for a comparable home are often $400–$800 cheaper.

Commute costs are modest: average local commutes are short (10–20 minutes), and a typical developer driving 1,000–1,200 miles/month can expect gas and maintenance to run $120–$200 monthly depending on vehicle and distance. Groceries, utilities, and services trend below the national metro average, so a mid-level .

NET developer earning ~$85k–$95k can cover housing, family essentials, and discretionary spending more comfortably than peers in high-COL cities. That lower baseline means salary increases directly translate to improved savings or lifestyle upgrades (e.

g. , paying down a mortgage faster or affording weekend travel).

Salaries for . NET developers in Scranton are set by a mix of steady local demand and the presence of cost-conscious regional employers.

Large local institutions (universities, regional hospitals and health networks, municipal agencies) maintain legacy and new . NET systems for record-keeping, patient portals, ERP, and administrative tooling.

Regional banks and finance operations also rely on . NET stacks for internal apps.

Many local hiring organizations are smaller consultancies or in-house IT teams with tight budgets vs. national tech firms, so they offer moderate salaries but compensate with stability, predictable hours, and benefits.

The region has seen occasional project-driven spikes (EHR upgrades, federal/state grant–funded initiatives) that temporarily increase contractor and mid-senior hiring. Remote work availability has begun to push up offers for skilled candidates who can deliver full-stack .

NET solutions, but many employers still price roles based on local market norms, keeping overall levels moderate rather than high.

Compared with nearby Wilkes-Barre, Scranton salaries are similar (Wilkes-Barre slightly lower), while Allentown and Philadelphia offer progressively higher pay tied to higher COL. Example: a mid-level .

NET dev might earn $85–90k in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, $95k in Allentown, and $100–110k in Philly. However, Philadelphia’s COL index (~110) reduces net advantage; housing and commuting costs often consume a big portion of incremental salary.

Commuting to Allentown or Philly is feasible for specialized roles but may add 60–120+ minutes per day and significant transportation costs—commute make-sense for short-term contract premium work or career steps. Relocating is advisable if targeting large enterprise fintech or big-tech employers where long-term pay and career acceleration justify the higher COL.

Remote-first roles from national employers allow Scranton-based devs to capture higher nominal salaries while retaining low local living costs—an attractive hybrid option if the employer allows it and bandwidth for async work exists.

Entry-level (. NET junior, 0–2 years): expect to spend 18–30 months learning codebases, testing frameworks (xUnit), and company-specific libraries while contributing to feature work.

Mid-level (3–7 years): engineers own components, design services (ASP. NET Core, Web API), and mentor juniors; typical promotion window is 2–4 years at this level depending on project complexity.

Senior (8+ years): leads architecture decisions, guides cross-functional initiatives, or transitions into engineering management. In Scranton, advancement is often driven by delivering business-impacting projects (e.

g. , migrating a hospital module to a modern .

NET Core stack), acquiring cloud certifications (Azure), or full-stack skills (React/Angular + . NET).

To accelerate growth locally, take on cross-functional responsibilities (DevOps automation, CI/CD pipelines), lead small modernization projects, or pursue client-facing roles in consultancies—these paths often produce faster title and pay increases than purely internal maintenance roles.

When negotiating in Scranton, use local benchmarks: reasonable base salary ranges are $60k–$75k for entry, $80k–$95k for mid, and $100k–$125k+ for senior candidates depending on scope and cloud experience. Emphasize Azure certifications, .

NET Core migration experience, and demonstrable outcomes (reduced processing time, lower operating costs). If base salary is constrained, negotiate for increased PTO, flexible/hybrid remote days, signing bonus, or training reimbursement—regional employers often have flexibility on perks rather than base pay.

For contractors, expect day rates or hourly premiums ~15–30% above salaried-equivalent when short-term specialized skills are required. Cultural note: many regional employers value long-term fit and reliability; showcasing local references, community ties, or prior work with regional institutions can strengthen leverage.

Finally, propose a 6–12 month performance review with a targeted raise tied to measurable deliverables (feature delivery, uptime, cost reduction) to bridge initial offer gaps.