Starting range
Average salary
Top earners
about 14% below the U.S. average
Compare to Nearby Cities
| City | Average Salary | Cost of Living Index | Real Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO | $95,000 | 98 | $96,939 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $85,000 | 89 | $95,506 |
| Tulsa, OK | $82,000 | 87 | $94,253 |
Local Market Outlook
Demand Level
Steady demand with periodic spikes tied to aerospace contracts and digital modernization initiatives; more openings in mid-level application development and maintenance than in high-volume entry hiring.
Top Employers
Key Industries
How Wichita's cost of living affects a .NET developer's purchasing power
Wichita's cost-of-living index (~86) materially improves a . NET developer's real income relative to national averages.
Median rent for a one-bedroom in central Wichita typically ranges $700–$950/month, and suburban two-bedrooms commonly run $850–$1,200 — roughly 20–40% below comparable midwestern/Coastal markets. Median single-family home prices in the region are often in the low-to-mid $200k range, so a junior/mid .
NET developer earning near $56k–$82k can often afford homeownership sooner than peers in higher-cost metros. Commute costs are modest: average drive times are under 25 minutes and fuel/insurance costs track below urban metro averages.
Day-to-day lifestyle expenses — groceries, dining out, childcare — are also lower, so a mid-level . NET developer on ~$82k will usually have higher discretionary savings than someone making the same salary in Kansas City or Austin.
The tradeoff is fewer high-paying startup opportunities and smaller local equity pools compared with major tech hubs.
Why .NET salaries sit at current Wichita levels
Wichita's enterprise mix — dominated by aerospace OEMs, corporate conglomerates, utilities, and healthcare — shapes . NET compensation.
Large legacy employers (Spirit AeroSystems, Textron Aviation, Koch-affiliated businesses) need stable, secure backend applications, internal business systems, and integration work rather than speculative product R&D, which pushes demand toward mid-senior maintenance and integration roles. Regional managed service providers and healthcare systems hire for electronic records integrations and .
NET APIs, creating steady but not explosive hiring. Public-sector roles and small ISVs supply predictable openings with benefits.
Because headcount growth is more conservative than in high-growth tech hubs, competition for top talent is moderate; employers balance salaries with strong benefits, predictable schedules, and lower cost of living. Periodic aerospace contract wins or ERP modernization projects produce hiring spikes that raise short-term demand for experienced .
NET engineers and integration specialists.
Comparing Wichita to nearby cities — when to commute or relocate
Kansas City offers higher median . NET salaries (~$95k) but a cost-of-living index near 98; the net gain can be modest once relocation and higher housing costs are factored.
Oklahoma City and Tulsa present salary/col tradeoffs similar to Wichita; OKC pays slightly more for certain enterprise roles, while Tulsa's market is closer in both pay and COL. Commuting into Kansas City from Wichita is typically impractical for daily work (approx.
3 hours each way), so short-term relocation or hybrid remote arrangements are the usual options for accessing higher pay. For Wichita .
NET developers, consider remote roles with KC- or national-headquartered firms to capture higher salaries without immediate relocation. Relocate if you need faster salary growth, larger product-team experience, or equity upside; stay if stability, lower housing costs, and family/quality-of-life factors are priorities.
Career progression for a .NET developer in Wichita
Entry-level (0–2 years): focus on mastering C#, ASP. NET Core, SQL Server, and source control (Git).
Expect 1–2 promotions or title changes within 2–4 years if you deliver on projects and own modules. Mid-level (3–7 years): responsibility shifts to architecture of services, integration with ERP/aircraft systems, performance tuning, and mentoring juniors; compensation typically moves from ~$82k to the mid-$80s/low-$90s for strong performers.
Senior (8+ years): specialize (cloud migrations to Azure, microservices, CI/CD pipelines) and lead cross-functional teams; senior engineers or engineering leads in Wichita reach $100k–$115k when they combine domain expertise (aerospace, utilities) with cloud experience. Accelerators include earning Microsoft certifications (Azure Developer/Architect), contributing to ERP or avionics integrations, and taking product-ownership roles that expose you to business impact and vendor negotiations.
Location-specific negotiation tips for Wichita .NET candidates
When negotiating, anchor to realistic local ranges: entry $50k–$65k, mid $75k–$95k, senior $95k–$115k. If the employer cites lower base pay, negotiate total compensation: sign-on bonus, extra PTO, flexible/remote days, professional development stipends, and clear promotion timelines.
Emphasize Azure experience, API/integration projects with ERP or aviation systems, and certifications (AZ-204, AZ-305) that local employers value. For public-sector or healthcare roles, expect flatter salary scales but stronger pension/benefit packages; push for tuition reimbursement or certification time.
Cultural factors: Wichita hiring favors demonstrated reliability, local references, and proven domain knowledge, so bring concrete examples of delivered business impact (reduced process time, improved system uptime) rather than abstract technical lists. If a remote national role is an option, ask for location-adjusted salary uplift or remote-work stipends to offset relocation/benefit differences.
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