.NET Developer Salary in Seattle: $100,000-$185,000 (2026)

Seattle’s high cost of living materially affects a . NET developer’s purchasing power despite competitive salaries.

Rent for a one-bedroom in central neighborhoods (Capitol Hill, Belltown) typically runs $2,000–2,500/month; suburban options (Bellevue, Kirkland) are often similar or higher. Commuting costs include a vehicle (insurance, parking) or monthly ORCA transit passes (~$100–200/month) plus time lost in traffic; many engineers budget for ride-share or parking if on-site.

Groceries, childcare, and services are priced above the national average. For a mid-level .

NET dev (~$130k gross), after federal/state taxes (Washington has no state income tax but payroll taxes and Seattle-specific taxes can apply) and rent, discretionary income is tighter than the headline salary suggests. Many developers offset costs by living farther from downtown (Tacoma, Renton) or taking hybrid/fully remote roles to reduce housing outlays.

Negotiating higher remote flexibility or housing stipend materially increases real take-home value.

Salaries for . NET developers in Seattle reflect the concentration of large cloud and platform companies plus a robust enterprise ecosystem.

Microsoft’s local presence drives strong demand for C#, . NET Core, and Azure skills; Amazon and cloud-native startups require .

NET engineers who integrate services with AWS or hybrid Azure/AWS stacks. Large travel-tech employers (Expedia Group) and real-estate marketplaces (Zillow) maintain significant backend .

NET codebases, sustaining demand for modernization (migrating monoliths to microservices). Consulting and product companies (Smartsheet, Accenture teams) add volume for contract and staff augmentation roles.

The persistent hiring is amplified by migration of fintech and healthtech startups to the region. Trends pushing salaries up include demand for cloud (.

NET on Azure), containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), CI/CD, and strong full-stack skills (React/Angular + . NET APIs).

Competitive offers often include signing bonuses and equity, especially at mid/senior levels.

Bellevue: Similar salary levels (slightly higher on average) but even higher COL in tech corridors; ideal if working for Microsoft/large corporate teams. Portability: short commute across I-90 or 520 but traffic can be heavy.

Portland: Salaries are ~10–20% lower for . NET roles but COL is ~30–35% lower—good tradeoff for engineers prioritizing housing affordability and lifestyle.

Tacoma: Lower salaries but substantially cheaper housing; feasible commute if employer offers hybrid days. Decision drivers: if employer requires regular onsite presence, living in Seattle/Bellevue reduces commute time but costs more.

If employer allows remote or hybrid, living in Portland/Tacoma or other lower-COL areas boosts effective income. For cross-border remote work (keeping Seattle payroll while living elsewhere), check employer policy on payroll taxes, benefits eligibility, and local nexus rules that may affect compensation or benefits.

Typical progression: Junior . NET Developer (0–2 years) → .

NET Developer / Mid-level (3–5 years) → Senior . NET Engineer (6–10 years) → Staff/Principal or Engineering Manager.

In Seattle, timeframes compress if you demonstrate cloud specialization (Azure, AKS), system design skills, and ownership of cross-team projects. Example acceleration: a mid-level dev who leads migration of a legacy .

NET Framework monolith to . NET Core microservices and proves measurable performance/scalability wins promotion to senior within 2–3 years.

Tech leads who add architecture experience, mentoring, and run cross-functional initiatives can move to staff/principal ranks and command top-of-range compensation or equity packages. Contracting/consulting also provides steep short-term income upside but less stability; many developers alternate between full-time roles for benefits and contracting for higher hourly rates.

Aim for geographic-informed targets: entry roles $85k–100k, mid $120k–145k, senior $150k–185k depending on cloud/architecture skills. Emphasize Azure experience, .

NET Core, microservices, and CI/CD pipelines—these command premiums. Ask for specifics: stock/equity grants (vesting schedule), signing bonus (common at mid/senior levels), relocation/housing stipend, and remote/hybrid flexibility.

Because housing is the major cost driver, request a temporary housing stipend or relocation assistance if relocating to the area. Negotiate clear hybrid expectations (onsite days) and the option for partial remote work; hybrid roles can justify slightly lower base if commute costs are covered.

Benchmark offers against local ranges and request total compensation breakdown (base, bonus, equity, benefits). Use competing offers from Bellevue or Seattle firms and mention prior cloud migration or architecture successes to justify top-of-range offers.