Many companies continue to rely on Microsoft’s platforms, which means that software developers who want to land corporate work must often master the intricacies of Microsoft apps, services, and programming languages. How much does a skillset in Microsoft development tools actually pay, on average, and is there a lot of demand? Let’s find out.
When we refer to “Microsoft development tools,” we’re referring to some combination of Microsoft C#, .NET, Visual Studio, and similar, Microsoft-centric tools and languages. Given how many corporations continue to rely on legacy technology for aging applications, this skill-set can also include deprecated technologies such as ActiveX and Silverlight.
According to Burning Glass, which collects and analyzes millions of job postings from across the country, being skilled in Microsoft development tools can earn you a median salary of $92,000 per year. Those who’ve been working with these tools for more than a decade, meanwhile, can earn more than $120,000 (some 10.6 percent of job postings for Microsoft development tools ask for 9+ years of experience, we hasten to add). For comparison’s sake, keep in mind that, according to the latest Dice Salary Report, the average technology salary stands at $97,859.
A sizable percentage of software developer and engineer jobs ask for familiarity with Microsoft development tools, as do web developer positions. This should come as no surprise; as we mentioned before, a large number of companies rely on Microsoft products for both internal- and external-facing projects:
It’s worth noting that, by learning Microsoft development tools, you can access more jobs in some very rapidly growing professions. If you’re curious about where to start on your learning journey, you can’t go wrong with .NET, which now allows you to target not just Windows, but also Linux, macOS, and other platforms. (It’s worth noting that .NET has a very tangled history, so it’s okay if you’re confused about its versioning over the years.)
At the same time, it’s also worth becoming familiar with Microsoft C#, which you can use in conjunction with .NET to build applications. Fortunately, there’s quite a bit of documentation and tutorials out there for your educational needs.
As you’re dedicating time and resources to learning Microsoft development tools, also keep in mind that many of those tools may end up obsolete or replaced at some point; as with any other platform, it’s always worth keeping as up-to-date as possible on Microsoft’s developer roadmap, just so you can anticipate when you’ll need to start learning something new.
