Starting range
Average salary
Top earners
About 15% below the U.S. average
Compare to Nearby Cities
| City | Average Salary | Cost of Living Index | Real Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City, OK | $86,000 | 88 | $97,727 |
| Wichita, KS | $77,000 | 82 | $93,902 |
| Kansas City, MO | $95,000 | 96 | $98,958 |
Local Market Outlook
Demand Level
Steady hiring with periodic surges tied to energy-sector projects, regional fintech initiatives, and modernization efforts in healthcare and banking.
Top Employers
Key Industries
How Tulsa's cost of living affects a .NET developer's purchasing power
Tulsa's cost-of-living index (~85 versus 100 U. S.
average) materially boosts a . NET developer's real purchasing power.
Typical one-bedroom rents in central Tulsa commonly range from about $700–$950/month depending on neighborhood and building amenities; buying a home is also cheaper — median home prices are substantially below national metro medians. That reduces the single largest monthly expense for many developers.
Commuting costs are lower as well: average drive times are shorter than larger metros, with gas and parking costs modest relative to cities with tolls or heavy congestion. Everyday expenses—groceries, utilities, dining out—tend to be 10–20% cheaper than a coast metro, so a Tulsa .
NET developer earning the local average can afford a comfortable lifestyle (rent or mortgage, modest savings, health insurance, and occasional travel) more easily than an equivalent salary in higher-cost areas. For families, lower childcare and school-related costs further extend disposable income.
The primary tradeoff is fewer ultra-high-paying corporate roles locally; however, the lower COL offsets that for many developers who prioritize stability and local roots.
Why .NET salaries sit at current levels in Tulsa
Salaries for . NET developers in Tulsa are shaped by the regional industry mix and employer scale.
Major employers—regional banks like BOK Financial, energy firms such as Williams Companies, aerospace contractors like Spirit AeroSystems, and healthcare systems—maintain steady demand for . NET skills to support internal applications, integrations with legacy systems, and cloud modernization.
Many openings are with mid-sized companies and consultancies rather than large national tech firms; those organizations offer stable roles but pay slightly below national averages. Recent trends include migration of legacy .
NET workloads to Azure and adoption of . NET Core for cross-platform services, which increases demand for developers who can modernize monolithic .
NET Framework apps. Local staffing/consulting firms and digital agencies also drive demand for contract and project-based roles.
Economic factors — modest regional growth, ongoing energy-sector investment, and increased fintech activity among local banks — produce a steady hiring environment with occasional spikes tied to capital projects or compliance-driven IT work.
Comparing Tulsa to nearby cities: when to commute or relocate
Compared with nearby regional markets, Tulsa offers lower pay but also lower costs. Oklahoma City sees slightly higher average .
NET pay (roughly mid $80ks) with a slightly higher COL; Wichita typically pays a bit less than Tulsa. Kansas City is the nearest larger tech market where average .
NET compensation often reaches mid-to-high $90ks with a COL closer to the national average. Commuting daily from Tulsa to those cities is impractical; relocation is sensible if you prioritize higher pay, larger engineering teams, and more senior-role opportunities.
Remote work changes that calculus: many Tulsa-based developers successfully take remote roles for larger firms in Kansas City, Dallas, or national tech companies, often capturing higher pay while maintaining Tulsa living costs. If you value career growth, moving to Kansas City or a larger market can accelerate exposure to advanced architectures and larger product teams; if you prefer cost-efficiency and stable regional employers, staying in Tulsa while pursuing remote senior roles is a viable strategy.
Typical career path and timelines for a .NET developer in Tulsa
Entry-level (0–2 years): Most Tulsa developers start in maintenance and support roles — bug fixes, small feature work, and working under senior developers. Expect 1–2 years to become productive across the codebase and deployment pipelines.
Mid-level (3–7 years): Developers broaden into designing services, owning modules, and participating in architecture decisions; many move into full-stack roles with React/Angular front-ends and Azure back-ends. Earning mid-level compensation typically requires demonstrable delivery on projects, CI/CD familiarity, and cloud experience (Azure/AWS).
Senior (8+ years): Seniors lead technical design, mentor juniors, and drive migrations (e. g.
, . NET Framework → .
NET Core/6+), and often own stakeholder communication — reaching this level commonly takes 8–12 years locally. Accelerators: targeted upskilling (Azure certifications, microservices patterns, DevOps tooling), contributing to cross-functional initiatives, and taking visible ownership of modernization efforts speeds progression.
Lateral moves to consultancies or fintech teams can also compress timelines and increase compensation.
How to negotiate as a .NET developer in Tulsa (practical, location-specific tips)
Target realistic ranges: for mid-level candidates, expect to negotiate between $70k–$90k; seniors can reasonably push $95k–$115k depending on scope. Use local comparators (recent hires at regional banks, aerospace contractors, and consultancies) and note the COL advantage — employers know Tulsa salaries are below coastal markets.
Emphasize Azure + . NET Core migration experience, API design, and DevOps skills (CI/CD, containers) to justify upper-range offers.
Negotiate total compensation: ask about bonuses, annual increases, retention bonuses tied to multi-year projects, employer-paid certifications, and flexible scheduling. Remote or hybrid roles can command higher pay; if accepting slightly lower base pay locally, negotiate a stronger benefits package (401(k) match, paid time off, remote allowance, training budget).
Cultural nuance: Tulsa employers often value long-term fit and community ties — demonstrate stability, cross-team collaboration, and familiarity with local industry regulations (banking compliance, energy reporting) to strengthen leverage during discussions.
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