To hire remote .NET developers for Ireland and the UK in 2026, decide whether you need core backend (C#, ASP.NET Core), cloud (Azure) or full-stack capability, then choose between a direct local hire at roughly EUR 60k-130k in Ireland or GBP 50k-105k in the UK, a freelancer, or a fully-managed remote developer. The lowest-risk route is a managed remote .NET developer from OSCABE: a dedicated, pre-vetted engineer under one UK contract from £2,000/month, IR35-friendly and UK/EU GDPR compliant, working in your core hours.
What does a .NET developer do?
A .NET developer builds and maintains applications on Microsoft's .NET platform, primarily using C#. In practice the role spans server-side APIs, business logic, data access and increasingly cloud-native services on Azure. .NET remains a default choice for enterprise and Microsoft-aligned organisations in finance, insurance, healthcare and the public sector, which makes it a high-demand skill in both Dublin and the UK.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Designing and building backend services and APIs with ASP.NET Core.
- Modelling and querying data with Entity Framework Core and SQL Server (or PostgreSQL).
- Integrating systems, message queues and third-party services.
- Deploying and operating workloads on Azure (App Service, Functions, containers).
- Writing tests, handling code review and maintaining clean, supportable code.
Modern .NET is cross-platform, open source and fast, so a strong developer is comfortable shipping to Linux containers as readily as to Windows.
Where .NET fits best
.NET is the natural choice when you need a strongly typed, well-supported platform with a long maintenance horizon. That description fits a lot of Irish and UK demand: regulated finance and insurance systems, public-sector services, internal line-of-business applications, and any organisation already standardised on Microsoft tooling and Azure. The language and runtime have a clear, vendor-backed release cadence, which appeals to teams that need to plan support years ahead rather than chase fast-moving frameworks.
It is equally capable for greenfield product work. Minimal APIs and modern C# make .NET productive for new services, while Blazor lets a single team build interactive web UIs in C# without a separate JavaScript stack. The common thread is teams that value type safety, tooling and a stable platform over the churn that comes with some other ecosystems.
How much do remote .NET developers cost?
.NET salaries in Ireland are pushed up by the cluster of multinationals around Dublin, while UK rates vary widely by region and sector. Based on aggregated market data and recruiter salary guides (such as Glassdoor and surveys from Hays and Morgan McKinley), Irish .NET developers typically earn around EUR 60k-85k mid-level and EUR 95k-130k+ senior, with UK developers around GBP 50k-72k mid-level and GBP 85k-105k+ senior. Freelance day rates commonly run GBP 350-650+ or the euro equivalent. A managed offshore developer delivers comparable capability as one predictable monthly fee.
| Seniority | Ireland salary (base) | UK salary (base) | UK fully-loaded annual | OSCABE managed monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior .NET | EUR 45k-58k | £40k-£52k | ~£54k-£68k | from £2,000 |
| Mid .NET / C# | EUR 60k-85k | £55k-£72k | ~£74k-£93k | ~£2,800-£3,500 |
| Senior .NET / Azure | EUR 95k-130k+ | £85k-£105k+ | ~£110k-£135k+ | ~£3,800-£4,800 |
| .NET pod (3-4 devs) | EUR 200k-360k+ | £180k-£290k+ | £230k-£370k+ | from £7,500 |
OSCABE provides a Managed Remote Employee from £2,000/month and a Managed Remote Team or pod from £7,500/month, billed in GBP or EUR under one UK contract. For wider salary context see our cost to hire a software engineer in the UK and the full-stack hiring guide.
What .NET skills should you look for?
Match the developer to your stack and target platform rather than a generic ".NET" label:
- Language and framework: modern C# (records, pattern matching, async/await), ASP.NET Core for web APIs and MVC, and minimal APIs for lightweight services.
- Data: Entity Framework Core, SQL Server or PostgreSQL, query optimisation and migrations.
- Cloud: Azure fundamentals (App Service, Functions, Service Bus, Key Vault), plus containers on AKS where relevant.
- Architecture: clean architecture, dependency injection, REST/GraphQL design and, for larger systems, microservices and messaging.
- Frontend (if full-stack): Blazor, React or Angular paired with the .NET backend.
- Engineering practice: xUnit/NUnit testing, Docker, CI/CD (Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions) and secure coding.
For framework standards, the official Microsoft .NET documentation is a useful benchmark when assessing best practice. A genuinely senior engineer should reason about performance, security and maintainability, not just feature delivery.
Where can you find remote .NET developers?
Three routes, each with trade-offs:
- Job boards and direct hire: maximum control but highest cost and slowest, with all employment and compliance on you - and in a tight Dublin market, slower still.
- Freelance marketplaces: fast and flexible but inconsistent, with no IR35 or GDPR cover and high churn.
- Managed remote teams: a provider sources, vets and employs dedicated .NET developers (typically from India or the UAE/Middle East) under one Western contract.
OSCABE is a managed service rather than a marketplace, so your .NET developer works only for you and integrates into your team. See how it works, or go straight to hire remote backend developers. For salary benchmarking first, the cost-to-hire engineer guide is a good starting point.
How do you vet a remote .NET developer?
Effective .NET vetting balances practical coding with engineering judgement:
- A live or take-home exercise: build a small ASP.NET Core API endpoint, add a data layer, or debug failing tests.
- A code review focused on async correctness, dependency injection, testing and clean architecture.
- A design discussion on structuring a service and its data model at scale, including Azure choices.
- Communication and English assessment for cross-border collaboration, plus references and ID checks.
OSCABE applies a 5-stage vetting process covering technical screening, practical assessment, communication, references and culture fit, so capable developers reach you ready to contribute.
Our full-stack hiring guide covers MERN and .NET vetting side by side if you are comparing stacks.
How do time zones and the managed model work?
India (GMT+5:30) and the UAE (GMT+4) overlap comfortably with both Irish (GMT/IST) and UK working days, giving 4 to 6 hours of shared time for stand-ups, pairing and reviews, plus earlier-morning coverage. OSCABE aligns developer hours to your core schedule so collaboration is real-time.
The managed model removes the parts of remote hiring that go wrong. Instead of juggling freelancers, you get a dedicated developer employed and managed by OSCABE LTD (UK-registered, Company No. 15913493), while you keep full control of the work. Explore the structure on our managed teams and how it works pages, and for a cost comparison read cost to hire a software engineer in the UK.
How do IR35 and GDPR apply?
Two compliance points matter for UK and Irish buyers.
IR35: engaging individual offshore contractors directly can create employment-status and tax risk for UK clients, whereas contracting with OSCABE for a managed service keeps the engagement IR35-friendly. See our IR35 and offshore developers explainer for the detail. Irish buyers avoid the equivalent worker-status exposure under the same managed structure.
Data protection: .NET developers in finance, healthcare and the public sector routinely handle personal data, so UK and EU GDPR-compliant arrangements are essential. OSCABE operates under GDPR-compliant, ISO 9001:2015-certified processes with appropriate controls.
How long does it take to hire?
Hiring a .NET developer directly in Dublin or the UK typically takes 6-12 weeks including notice periods, and longer when the local market is tight. A managed route is far faster: OSCABE can present vetted .NET developers within days and onboard a dedicated developer or pod quickly, because vetting and contracting are already in place. Review options on our pricing page or meet our engineers.
Frequently asked questions
Can a managed .NET developer cover both UK and Irish projects?
Yes. The engagement runs under one UK contract regardless of where your projects sit, and your developer works in your core hours across either market. Billing is available in GBP or EUR.
Is a managed .NET developer cheaper than a Dublin or UK hire?
Typically, yes. A mid-level .NET developer costs around EUR 60k-85k in Ireland or roughly £74k-£93k fully loaded in the UK, while a managed remote developer starts at £2,000/month with no recruiter fees, employer taxes or equipment costs to add.
Do your .NET developers know Azure?
Many do. .NET and Azure are a common pairing, so OSCABE can match a developer with the Azure services your stack uses, from App Service and Functions to containers on AKS.
Can I scale from one developer to a team?
Yes. Start with a single Managed Remote Employee from £2,000/month and grow into a managed team or pod from £7,500/month as your roadmap expands, without redundancy overhead.
Ready to add .NET talent to your team?
If you need reliable C# and ASP.NET Core engineering for Irish or UK projects without the local salary bill or the freelancer lottery, a managed remote .NET developer is the pragmatic choice. OSCABE delivers dedicated, vetted .NET developers in your core hours, under one UK contract, IR35-friendly and UK/EU GDPR compliant, from £2,000/month. Get in touch or hire remote backend developers to start matching candidates today.