Starting range
Average salary
Top earners
8% below U.S. average
Compare to Nearby Cities
| City | Average Salary | Cost of Living Index | Real Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $105,000 | 125 | $84,000 |
| St. Louis, MO | $90,000 | 98 | $91,837 |
| Peoria, IL | $78,000 | 88 | $88,636 |
Local Market Outlook
Demand Level
steady with selective spikes tied to government budget cycles and healthcare modernization projects
Top Employers
Key Industries
How Springfield's cost of living affects a .NET developer's purchasing power
Springfield (IL) sits below the national cost-of-living average (COL index ~92), which meaningfully improves local purchasing power for a . NET developer earning roughly $82k.
Typical rents (market snapshot): 1‑bed apartments $700–850/month, 2‑bed $900–1,100/month; median home prices are substantially lower than Chicago or coastal metros. Daily commute costs are modest: average one-way drive ~18–22 minutes; at $0.
65/mile typical monthly fuel/maintenance costs for a 25‑mile roundtrip commute are $150–250 depending on frequency. Groceries, utilities, and childcare run 5–12% below U.
S. averages.
Practically, a mid-level . NET dev at $80k in Springfield can afford a 2‑bed rental and save more percentage of income compared to the same salary in Chicago.
However, discretionary lifestyle choices (dining out, travel) align with regional availability—there are fewer premium entertainment options, so more income often goes to savings or home ownership than high‑cost experiences.
Why .NET salaries are set at current levels in Springfield
Salaries for . NET developers in Springfield reflect a market where public sector and healthcare IT are the dominant buyers of developer talent.
Large local employers—State of Illinois agencies, Memorial Health System, Springfield Clinic/HSHS—fund modernization projects and maintain in‑house application teams that rely on . NET for legacy and new systems.
Local consultancies and regional insurers hire for integration, claims processing, and reporting tools. Because the tech startup density is low compared with major metros, competition from high‑paying fintech and product companies is limited, which keeps average pay moderate.
Budget cycles in government and multi‑year EHR/EMR rollouts in healthcare create periodic hiring spikes. Skilled .
NET devs with experience in ASP. NET Core, C#, SQL Server, and integration (FHIR/HL7 for healthcare) are in highest demand; those skills command premiums within the stated senior range.
How Springfield compares to nearby cities and when to commute or relocate
Compared with Chicago (higher salaries ~ $105k but COL index ~125), Springfield offers lower nominal pay but greater relative affordability. St.
Louis presents a middle ground: salaries (~$90k) and COL (~98) higher than Springfield but still below Chicago. Peoria is slightly cheaper with salaries near $78k.
For a . NET developer, commuting to St.
Louis or relocating to Chicago makes sense when targeting product‑oriented roles, larger engineering teams, or steeper growth/compensation—especially for senior engineers or managers. Remote work has expanded options: many Springfield developers keep local residency while taking remote roles at Chicago or national companies; expect companies to adjust pay partially for COL (some fully market-rate, others regionalized).
Practical guidance: accept local roles focused on healthcare/government if you value stability and lower housing costs; pursue relocation or remote product roles when prioritizing higher nominal pay and faster career scaling.
Typical career path and timelines for .NET developers in Springfield
Entry level (0–2 years): developers commonly start as junior . NET developers or support engineers on internal apps—focus on C#, ASP.
NET MVC/Core, SQL Server, and bug fixes. Expect 1–3 years before moving to mid-level.
Mid level (3–7 years): responsibilities expand to owning modules, leading small projects, and integrating with third‑party systems (APIs, HL7/FHIR for healthcare). Compensation jumps most here when you show ownership and delivery on modernization efforts—typical time to senior is 4–7 years.
Senior (8+ years): roles include lead developer, technical architect, or engineering manager working across enterprise systems; salaries at the top of local range require cloud expertise (Azure), CI/CD, and team leadership. Accelerators: certifications (Azure Developer/Architect), demonstrable full‑stack projects, and cross‑domain experience (healthcare or government integrations) speed progression and unlock higher local premiums.
Location-specific negotiation tips for .NET developers in Springfield
When negotiating as a . NET developer in Springfield, use regional benchmarks: reasonable ranges are $55k–65k for entry, $75k–90k for mid, $95k–110k for senior.
Emphasize specific skills that carry premiums locally—Azure, ASP. NET Core, SQL Server performance tuning, and healthcare data standards (HL7/FHIR).
For public sector roles, expect more rigid pay bands but negotiate on signing bonus, flexible schedule, remote days, or extra vacation. In healthcare or private consultancies, highlight project delivery and integration experience to justify being toward the top of the range.
Typical local benefits to target: tuition/Cert reimbursement (Azure/AWS), performance bonuses, paid certifications, telework 1–3 days/week, and a relocation allowance if coming from out of market. Cultural tip: hiring managers value reliability, clear documentation, and ability to work with non-technical stakeholders—use concrete examples of those in negotiations to differentiate.
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