Toptal is a marketplace for top .NET developers and coders. CEOs, CTOs, and management at top companies and startups work with Toptal .NET freelancers to augment their development teams for .NET development, application development, web development, and other software development projects to achieve their business needs.
Jakub is a tech lead and full-stack developer with 10+ years of hands-on experience creating microservices, APIs, and web applications. He knows the Microsoft technology stack, including C#, .NET Core, and ASP.NET. Jakub is familiar with microservice architecture and cloud-based solutions (Microsoft Azure). While working in the industrial field, he learned to deliver critical software systems (highly available, secure, and fast). He is also a consultant willing to work closely with his clients.
Justin is a technical professional with a passion for learning and 18+ years of experience leading teams to build enterprise-grade distributed applications that solve real-world problems. Justin firmly believes that collaboration across all facets of a business, from development to marketing to sales, is required to succeed in this endeavor.
Nemanja is a motivated software engineer with excellent technical and problem-solving skills. Recently, he's worked on different projects in the Office natural language team at Microsoft—across all product aspects from the design, coding, testing, and validation of back-end service APIs. Nemanja is interested in client/server apps and specializes in .NET technologies and also works with the Java technology stack.
Casey has over six years of full-stack web development experience with .NET technologies. He's developed large-scale food-safety certification systems for ServSafe which serves millions of users annually. Casey also has experience in all aspects of creating SaaS applications and would love to work with you on your next product.
United Arab EmiratesToptal Member Since December 6, 2019
Luigi is a seasoned cloud and leadership specialist with over two decades of professional experience in a variety of environments. He is passionate about technology and value-driven projects, and he is highly adaptable. Luigi has been part of significant industry transformation waves directly from some of the leaders driving the digital era.
United StatesToptal Member Since September 18, 2017
Eric is an experienced software architect and engineering manager. He has designed and built large, complex software systems from the ground up and has hired and managed as many as 100 engineers. He was the CTO at Loop, LLC (www.autoloop.com) for over a decade, where he created one of the leading customer engagement platforms for auto dealerships. Other companies that he has worked for in senior roles include AOL and British Telecom.
United StatesToptal Member Since February 10, 2014
Wouter is a highly motivated, versatile, and skilled CTO with demonstrated software design and delivery expertise, covering large-scale cloud services, mobile apps, and on-premise software. He has the ability to identify and drive strategic programs from inception to launch and thrives in collaborative, team-oriented, and ambiguous environments. Wouter has excellent interpersonal skills and is a passionate, creative, and dedicated professional.
Marko has over a decade of experience with large-scale software including architecture, design, coding, testing, documentation, build, and release. He's held a variety of roles throughout his career such as software engineer and architect, technology lead, full-stack developer, scrum master, QA mentor, and DevOps engineer.
Jonathan is a full-stack engineer with more than ten years of experience. He is comfortable working on large-scale distributed systems and client-facing, single-page web apps. Jonathan also excels at big data and is often involved with social media-related analytics projects.
Marko is an IT specialist with a Master's degree in Informatics and 11 years of experience in software development with .NET and Microsoft SQL Server platforms. He's reliable, responsible, and an ambitious person, ready to master new skills and achieve new successes. He enjoys following new technologies with a focus on HTML5 and JavaScript.
.NET developers serve various needs, including work on web, mobile, embedded, and cloud apps. This hiring guide outlines the critical skills, job descriptions, and interview questions to help you pinpoint the best .NET specialist based on your project requirements.
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Testimonials
Tripcents wouldn't exist without Toptal. Toptal Projects enabled us to rapidly develop our foundation with a product manager, lead developer, and senior designer. In just over 60 days we went from concept to Alpha. The speed, knowledge, expertise, and flexibility is second to none. The Toptal team were as part of tripcents as any in-house team member of tripcents. They contributed and took ownership of the development just like everyone else. We will continue to use Toptal. As a start up, they are our secret weapon.
Brantley Pace, CEO & Co-Founder
Tripcents
I am more than pleased with our experience with Toptal. The professional I got to work with was on the phone with me within a couple of hours. I knew after discussing my project with him that he was the candidate I wanted. I hired him immediately and he wasted no time in getting to my project, even going the extra mile by adding some great design elements that enhanced our overall look.
Paul Fenley, Director
K Dunn & Associates
The developers I was paired with were incredible -- smart, driven, and responsive. It used to be hard to find quality engineers and consultants. Now it isn't.
Ryan Rockefeller, CEO
Radeeus
Toptal understood our project needs immediately. We were matched with an exceptional freelancer from Argentina who, from Day 1, immersed himself in our industry, blended seamlessly with our team, understood our vision, and produced top-notch results. Toptal makes connecting with superior developers and programmers very easy.
Jason Kulik, Co-Founder
ProHatch
As a small company with limited resources we can't afford to make expensive mistakes. Toptal provided us with an experienced programmer who was able to hit the ground running and begin contributing immediately. It has been a great experience and one we'd repeat again in a heartbeat.
Stuart Pocknee , Principal
Site Specific Software Solutions
We used Toptal to hire a developer with extensive Amazon Web Services experience. We interviewed four candidates, one of which turned out to be a great fit for our requirements. The process was quick and effective.
Abner Guzmán Rivera, CTO and Chief Scientist
Photo Kharma
Sergio was an awesome developer to work with. Top notch, responsive, and got the work done efficiently.
Dennis Baldwin, Chief Technologist and Co-Founder
PriceBlink
Working with Marcin is a joy. He is competent, professional, flexible, and extremely quick to understand what is required and how to implement it.
André Fischer, CTO
POSTIFY
We needed a expert engineer who could start on our project immediately. Simanas exceeded our expectations with his work. Not having to interview and chase down an expert developer was an excellent time-saver and made everyone feel more comfortable with our choice to switch platforms to utilize a more robust language. Toptal made the process easy and convenient. Toptal is now the first place we look for expert-level help.
Derek Minor, Senior VP of Web Development
Networld Media Group
Toptal's developers and architects have been both very professional and easy to work with. The solution they produced was fairly priced and top quality, reducing our time to launch. Thanks again, Toptal.
Jeremy Wessels, CEO
Kognosi
We had a great experience with Toptal. They paired us with the perfect developer for our application and made the process very easy. It was also easy to extend beyond the initial time frame, and we were able to keep the same contractor throughout our project. We definitely recommend Toptal for finding high quality talent quickly and seamlessly.
Ryan Morrissey, CTO
Applied Business Technologies, LLC
I'm incredibly impressed with Toptal. Our developer communicates with me every day, and is a very powerful coder. He's a true professional and his work is just excellent. 5 stars for Toptal.
Pietro Casoar, CEO
Ronin Play Pty Ltd
Working with Toptal has been a great experience. Prior to using them, I had spent quite some time interviewing other freelancers and wasn't finding what I needed. After engaging with Toptal, they matched me up with the perfect developer in a matter of days. The developer I'm working with not only delivers quality code, but he also makes suggestions on things that I hadn't thought of. It's clear to me that Amaury knows what he is doing. Highly recommended!
George Cheng, CEO
Bulavard, Inc.
As a Toptal qualified front-end developer, I also run my own consulting practice. When clients come to me for help filling key roles on their team, Toptal is the only place I feel comfortable recommending. Toptal's entire candidate pool is the best of the best. Toptal is the best value for money I've found in nearly half a decade of professional online work.
Ethan Brooks, CTO
Langlotz Patent & Trademark Works, Inc.
In Higgle's early days, we needed the best-in-class developers, at affordable rates, in a timely fashion. Toptal delivered!
Lara Aldag, CEO
Higgle
Toptal makes finding a candidate extremely easy and gives you peace-of-mind that they have the skills to deliver. I would definitely recommend their services to anyone looking for highly-skilled developers.
Michael Gluckman, Data Manager
Mxit
Toptal’s ability to rapidly match our project with the best developers was just superb. The developers have become part of our team, and I’m amazed at the level of professional commitment each of them has demonstrated. For those looking to work remotely with the best engineers, look no further than Toptal.
Laurent Alis, Founder
Livepress
Toptal makes finding qualified engineers a breeze. We needed an experienced ASP.NET MVC architect to guide the development of our start-up app, and Toptal had three great candidates for us in less than a week. After making our selection, the engineer was online immediately and hit the ground running. It was so much faster and easier than having to discover and vet candidates ourselves.
Jeff Kelly, Co-Founder
Concerted Solutions
We needed some short-term work in Scala, and Toptal found us a great developer within 24 hours. This simply would not have been possible via any other platform.
Franco Arda, Co-Founder
WhatAdsWork.com
Toptal offers a no-compromise solution to businesses undergoing rapid development and scale. Every engineer we've contracted through Toptal has quickly integrated into our team and held their work to the highest standard of quality while maintaining blazing development speed.
Greg Kimball, Co-Founder
nifti.com
How to Hire .NET Developers through Toptal
1
Talk to One of Our Industry Experts
A Toptal director of engineering will work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics.
2
Work With Hand-Selected Talent
Within days, we'll introduce you to the right .NET developer for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.
3
The Right Fit, Guaranteed
Work with your new .NET developer for a trial period (pay only if satisfied), ensuring they're the right fit before starting the engagement.
Find Experts With Related Skills
Access a vast pool of skilled developers in our talent network and hire the top 3% within just 48 hours.
The cost of hiring a .NET engineer can vary by industry. For example, hiring a .NET engineer will cost different amounts for custom enterprise-level software development projects, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, e-commerce platforms, and supply chain management systems. More complexity, scope, and feature requirements generally translate to higher costs. Additionally, developer level and location can influence the cost of hiring a programmer. As a point of reference, Glassdoor lists the estimated annual total pay for a Microsoft .NET engineer to be $137,680 as of July 28, 2023, with a substantial gap between the salaries of a junior developer ($95,774) and a senior developer ($129,091).
How do I hire .NET developers?
When hiring a .NET expert, you should identify your project budget, timeline, technologies, and complexity. Based on these factors, you should determine the technical skills required, and write a job description targeting the ideal candidates. Next, screen and interview candidates to assess their fit with your project and its technical needs. If you are struggling to find a perfect match, select applicants with some of the skills you need, and confirm during the interview whether they feel comfortable learning the remaining ones. You may also consider increasing your budget and starting the process again to target more experienced candidates.
Are .NET developers in demand?
Yes, .NET professionals are in high demand. They are versatile experts who can address a variety of project types—whether big or small, and in the mobile, web, gaming, cloud, or embedded spaces—and can build solutions from scratch or fix existing projects. .NET experts bring various benefits to a company and ultimately increase the efficiency of your business. .NET was the most used framework among developers in 2023, and the predicted job growth rate for .NET programmers between 2018 and 2028 is 13%, compared to an average rate of 5%.
How should I choose the best .NET developers for my project?
Choosing the best experts for your project doesn’t have to be challenging or time-consuming. Narrowing down the core requirements for your project and the required developer type will optimize the hiring process. Candidates should have some core technical and soft skills, including:
Experience with C# or VB.
An understanding of .NET features, its common language runtime (CLR), and its development environment (Visual Studio).
Foundations in object-oriented programming, data structures, and design patterns.
Familiarity with databases and relevant tools.
Comprehension of systems engineering principles (e.g., testing, version control, performance).
The ability to collaborate, manage time effectively, be adaptable, and problem-solve.
Aside from these general skills, you should add other requirements based on the type of application you are developing—mobile, web, gaming, cloud, or embedded—and your industry, team, and project technologies.
How quickly can you hire with Toptal?
Typically, you can hire a .NET engineer with Toptal in about 48 hours. Our talent matchers are experts in the same fields they’re matching in—they’re not recruiters or HR reps. They’ll work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics, and match you with ideal candidates from our vetted global talent network.
Once you select your .NET expert, you’ll have a no-risk trial period to ensure they’re the perfect fit. Our matching process has a 98% trial-to-hire rate, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best fit every time.
Why should I choose .NET for my project?
.NET is a versatile tool with many strengths. It is a reliable, free, open-source, cross-platform framework. You can create web, mobile, embedded, cloud-native, gaming, and microservices applications with .NET and deploy apps to a wide range of devices using a single codebase. If you find .NET developers for your project, you will see various benefits, such as better development efficiency, performance, scalability, and security.
Pablo is a .NET and database developer and Microsoft-certified expert with more than 17 years of experience. He has worked at large companies like Atos and has built various applications using .NET, such as websites, CRM apps, and database and marketing systems. Pablo single-handedly created a letter management system leveraging database communication and parallelism to handle 500 concurrent users and 7,000 letters daily.
.NET Developers Are Multifaceted Experts in Peak Demand
Microsoft’s .NET framework is the Swiss Army knife of development: It is a powerful, expansive tool for various application types and cloud services. It was the most used framework among developers in 2023, with more than a quarter of respondents to an online survey reporting having worked with .NET. As the framework continues to add value to many projects, companies race to find .NET developers: The predicted job growth rate for .NET programmers between 2018 and 2028 is 13%, compared to an average rate of 5%.
However, .NET’s versatility is a double-edged sword. With so many specializations under the umbrella of .NET engineering, hiring the right expert is no easy task. Your project type will determine the unique hiring process and skill requirements that will match you with a suitable .NET expert.
This guide outlines your next steps in hiring a .NET programmer—whether you are creating a web, mobile, cloud, or microservices app. With these tips, you can target the correct skill requirements, job description, and interview questions for your required .NET engineer specialization.
What attributes distinguish quality .NET Developers from others?
Foundational .NET developer skills are grounded in the .NET framework itself, its complementary languages, its development environment, and object-oriented programming:
.NET – The software framework that builds and runs .NET applications; comprehensive experience with the .NET framework and its common language runtime (CLR) is a must, and developers should be familiar with the latest version of .NET and its most helpful features.
C# – An object-oriented, powerful, and easy-to-learn programming language, and the standard for developing .NET applications; developers may also program .NET apps using the VB programming language.
Visual Studio – The primary development environment for .NET, offering comprehensive tools for building, debugging, and deploying .NET applications; familiarity with Visual Studio is essential for efficient .NET development.
Most modern apps also interact with data and cloud technologies. If your project falls into this category, search for .NET programmers with additional mastery in these areas:
Databases – A vital aspect of any application working with data; .NET candidates should possess experience with common SQL databases (e.g., Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle), understand NoSQL basics, and stay up to date with database trends.
ADO.NET – A data access framework that connects to, queries, and manipulates data from a variety of sources, including databases and XML files, in .NET applications.
LINQ – A set of language extensions to write queries directly in C# that simplifies data retrieval and manipulation across a variety of formats, including arrays, lists, and databases.
In addition, all .NET experts should understand the basics of systems engineering that are critical for any software engineer to deliver results effectively, which include:
Ensuring performance, security, code reliability, and concurrency (i.e., during high peak usage).
Automating testing and using the required relevant tools.
Translating user needs into project requirements.
Creating and validating use cases.
Implementing development best practices like reusability, maintainability, scalability, and design patterns.
Handling code versioning (e.g., with Git) and release management.
Finally, multiple specializations exist under the umbrella of .NET engineering, and the additional core proficiencies required will depend on the developer type.
C# Specialization
Though most .NET professionals should be familiar with .NET programming languages, some experts focus on the framework’s internals and are especially adept at C#. These engineers are best suited for extending the development ecosystem, optimizing app performance, working with classes and methods, and interfacing with external components and systems.
Web App Specialization
Other .NET experts are best suited for web app projects. These are typically ASP.NET engineers specializing in web development (e.g., web servers, Internet Information Services, and networks). The required web .NET developer skills include:
ASP.NET – A web application framework used to build dynamic, interactive websites using .NET; an essential requirement for building web apps with .NET.
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript – The standard front-end languages used to build the client side of applications; basic knowledge of these languages enables developers to create optimal user experiences and collaborate with teams effectively.
Other Specializations
Although any of these specialists can understand the .NET ecosystem, they may not know how to integrate an embedded application with Azure, add cloud services to an Android app, or develop a desktop application with Windows Forms. Searching for the specific skills relevant to your .NET project and technologies is essential.
How can you identify the ideal .NET Developer for you?
When choosing a project-specific .NET programmer, you must clearly define your project environment and development area before identifying the specific technical knowledge and proficiencies your developer must have.
First, clearly outline your business needs. What technology and build environment are you working in—desktop (e.g., Windows), web (e.g., Azure), mobile (e.g., Android), or some other (e.g., embedded systems)? Narrow down the type of development services you require. Each technology category has different developer requirements you must define:
Machine Learning
Language and tools used, model requirements
Games
Framework(s) used, developer type (e.g., graphics, UI, back-end, or physics programmer)
Mobile
Operating system (e.g., Android or iOS), specialization (e.g., performance, building new features, launching a new app)
Web
Operating system (e.g., Windows, Linux, macOS, Docker), specialization
Desktop
Operating system (e.g., Windows or macOS), specialization
Back End or API
Server/host platform, architecture (e.g., microservices or monolithic)
Cloud
Component boundaries and infrastructure
Next, you may select relevant knowledge and skills based on your project requirements. These include the preferred languages, tools, technologies, and engineering skills that best complement your project focus.
Finally, it is essential to consider whether you would benefit from the skills of a junior, mid-level, or senior .NET engineer. Let’s examine example projects for each developer type:
Junior developers suit simple projects with minimal tech debt or straightforward tasks like CRUD operations or building pages with Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture.
Mid-level developers fit more independent projects like a beta release that requires rapid iterations of improvements and debugging.
Senior developers support mature products with several years in the market, advanced specializations, or projects requiring business and architecture decisions.
In general, junior developers are best for development tasks of small scope. In contrast, more skilled developers possess substantial experience and can independently navigate complex projects with advanced features.
How to Write a .NET Job Description for Your Project
Your job description will depend heavily on the required type of .NET specialist you need. You’ll want to immediately highlight the language (i.e., C# or VB), technology and build environment, and development area you are seeking. Entice candidates to apply by providing specifics and detailing:
The company and its culture.
The engineering team the developer will work with.
The role, its responsibilities, and technologies that are being—or will be—used.
The required skill set and qualifications.
Any perks of the job (e.g., continued learning, mentorship opportunities, company benefits).
A clear explanation of the role, team, and project goes a long way in identifying an engineer who will succeed at your company. You may look to an example .NET developer job description for inspiration on getting started.
What are the most important .NET Developer interview questions?
After screening candidates and identifying your skill requirements, interviewing .NET engineers is the final step to match your application with the right expert. Start with fundamentals that all applicants should know, such as object-oriented programming, .NET versioning, and database topics:
Candidates should confidently explain standard object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts, such as polymorphism, encapsulation, abstraction, and inheritance. You may request examples of situations in which they’ve used OOP. The answer should provide insight into not just how the candidate implements solutions but whether they always treat everything as an object or if they’ve found scenarios where it is valuable to take a different approach.
Are you familiar with specific versions of the .NET framework (e.g., 4.8, 4.7)? Which ones have you used and for what projects?
A seasoned engineer knows different .NET versions, the new features added in recent years, and which libraries changed between versions. They should understand which features best suit different applications (e.g., mobile versus IoT). Your project may not merit a comprehensive understanding of .NET versioning, but any developer worth considering should know how to work with the latest, supported versions of the framework.
Have you used any object-relational mapping (ORM) tools?
If your project involves a relational database, you will want a developer familiar with ORM tools. These technologies make it easier to query and interact with a database using object-oriented paradigms instead of SQL. Look for substantial experience with the specific ORM tools you plan to use (e.g., Entity Framework or NHibernate); if you do not require working with any particular technologies, ask the developer about the tool they are most comfortable using.
To ensure the engineer has real-world project experience and has not just been studying the subject, ask the candidate about challenging or rewarding tasks they’ve completed while working with the .NET framework.
This approach will assess their problem-solving abilities and provide proof of tangible projects they’ve driven to success. You may follow up and request more details about their work with more complex .NET interview questions regarding topics like:
How have you handled memory management in .NET applications?
What is the difference between managed and unmanaged code in the context of .NET development? When have you worked with each?
Can you explain the role of CLR in the .NET framework? How do you typically debug CLR errors?
How does the garbage collector function in .NET? Can it affect the performance of an application?
Finally, when hiring a specialist, you may supplement general .NET questions with additional questions on mobile, web, embedded, or cloud development. Inquire about a candidate’s experience using the technologies most relevant to your project and team workflows.
Why do companies hire .NET Developers?
The question “What does a .NET developer do?” has many answers. .NET engineers are experts in building all kinds of applications, including embedded, mobile, desktop, cloud-native, gaming, and microservices apps. They are performance optimization experts with deep knowledge of data structures, caches, latency, and database communications.
With such a wide range of skills, .NET experts can enhance a company’s application in various ways, depending on a range of business goals, such as:
Development efficiency – Because .NET is well-documented, widely used, and offers many open-source libraries and tools, its developers have support in mastering it and debugging code issues.
Performance – Applications developed using .NET run efficiently because the language is designed to take advantage of the performance capabilities of modern hardware; the benefits multiply with .NET performance specialists on a team.
Scalability – .NET provides several features, such as caching, multithreading, and connection pooling, that can improve the scalability of applications when leveraged by a skilled engineer.
Security – Capable .NET specialists can employ several built-in features such as authorization, authentication, and encryption to secure apps.
Cross-platform compatibility – With the introduction of .NET Core, applications built on .NET can run on multiple platforms (e.g., Windows, Linux, and macOS); this lets .NET experts increase the reach of an application with ease.
The tips in this guide are designed to help you identify your specific .NET needs and pinpoint a developer who can realize your project goals. By hiring a skilled .NET engineer, you can achieve faster time-to-market for new applications—providing the ultimate competitive advantage—and save your company time and money on any project.
The technical content presented in this article was reviewed by Cecil Cossey.
