Backend Developer (C#/.NET)
Developing enterprise applications and microservices on the .NET platform
Backend Developer (C#/.NET) is a role in the Backend Engineering family. It has 72 skills across 5 levels (from Junior to Principal). 212 skills are mandatory. Key domains: Programming Fundamentals, Backend Development, Database Management.
Technology Stack
Focus by Level
Building API controllers in ASP.NET Core. Working with Entity Framework Core. Writing unit tests (xUnit/NUnit). Learning dependency injection.
Designing microservices on ASP.NET Core. Setting up middleware pipeline. CQRS with MediatR. Working with Azure Service Bus/RabbitMQ. Code review.
.NET application architecture (Clean Architecture, Vertical Slices). Performance optimization (BenchmarkDotNet). Minimal API. gRPC services. .NET Aspire.
System architecture on .NET. Migration strategy to .NET 8/9. Standards for C# development. Orleans/Dapr for distributed systems.
.NET platform strategy. Choosing between .NET and alternatives. Enterprise architecture. Microsoft stack optimization.
Skill Matrix
72 skills × 5 levels. Click on a cell for details.
AI-Assisted Development
4 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | A | W | A | E | E |
| Cursor IDE | A | W | A | A | — |
| ChatGPT / Claude | A | W | A | E | E |
| Prompt Engineering for Code | A | W | A | E | — |
API & Integration
8 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REST API Design | A | W | A | E | E |
| GraphQL Design | A | W | A | E | E |
| WebSocket API Design | A | W | A | E | E |
| gRPC & Protocol Buffers | A | W | A | E | E |
| gRPC & Protocol Buffers | A | W | A | E | E |
| API Versioning Strategies | A | W | A | E | E |
| API Documentation | A | W | A | E | E |
| Rate Limiting & Throttling | A | W | A | E | E |
Architecture & System Design
6 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Design Fundamentals | A | W | A | E | E |
| Microservices Decomposition | — | A | W | A | — |
| Clean Architecture | A | W | A | E | E |
| CQRS | A | W | A | E | E |
| Event-Driven Architecture | A | W | A | E | E |
| DDD Tactical Patterns | — | A | W | A | — |
Backend Development
8 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Python Web Frameworks | A | W | A | E | E |
| ASP.NET Core | A | W | A | E | E |
| Apache Kafka | A | W | A | E | E |
| RabbitMQ | A | W | A | E | E |
| Message Broker Patterns | A | W | A | E | E |
| Redis | A | W | A | E | E |
| Caching Strategies | A | W | A | E | E |
| Elasticsearch / OpenSearch | A | W | A | E | E |
Cloud & Infrastructure
6 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docker | A | W | A | E | E |
| Kubernetes Core | A | W | A | E | E |
| Terraform | A | W | A | E | — |
| AWS | A | W | A | E | E |
| Microsoft Azure | A | W | A | E | E |
| Network Fundamentals | A | W | A | E | E |
Database Management
9 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PostgreSQL | A | W | A | E | E |
| MySQL / MariaDB | A | W | A | E | E |
| Database Indexing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Query Optimization | A | W | A | E | E |
| Transactions & Concurrency | A | W | A | E | E |
| Connection Pooling | A | W | A | E | E |
| Database Sharding | A | W | A | E | E |
| Data Modeling & Schema Design | A | W | A | E | E |
| Database Migrations | A | W | A | E | E |
DevOps & CI/CD
1 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Actions / GitLab CI | A | W | A | E | E |
Observability & Monitoring
5 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Logging | A | W | A | E | E |
| ELK Stack | A | W | A | E | E |
| Prometheus & Grafana | A | W | A | E | E |
| OpenTelemetry | A | W | A | E | E |
| SLI / SLO / SLA | A | W | A | E | E |
Performance Engineering
3 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Profiling | A | W | A | E | E |
| Latency Optimization | A | W | A | E | E |
| Performance Budgets | A | W | A | E | E |
Programming Fundamentals
10 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algorithms & Complexity | A | W | A | E | E |
| Data Structures | A | W | A | E | E |
| OOP & SOLID Principles | A | W | A | E | E |
| Design Patterns | A | W | A | E | E |
| Multithreading | A | W | A | E | E |
| Async Programming | A | W | A | E | E |
| Code Quality & Refactoring | A | W | A | E | E |
| Type Safety & Type Systems | A | W | A | E | E |
| Generics & Parametric Polymorphism | A | W | A | E | E |
| Memory Management | A | W | A | E | E |
Security
4 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OWASP & Application Security | A | W | A | E | E |
| Secure Coding Practices | A | W | A | E | E |
| Secrets Management | A | W | A | E | E |
| JWT / OAuth2 / OIDC | A | W | A | E | E |
Testing & QA
5 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TDD & BDD | A | W | A | E | E |
| Unit Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Integration Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| E2E Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| TestContainers | A | W | A | E | E |
Version Control & Collaboration
3 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Git Advanced | A | W | A | E | E |
| Code Review | A | W | A | E | E |
| Documentation as Code | A | W | A | E | E |
FAQ
What skills are needed for the Backend Developer (C#/.NET) role?
The Backend Developer (C#/.NET) role requires 72 skills, of which 212 are mandatory. Skills are distributed across 5 levels: from Junior to Principal. See full matrix.
How to advance to the next level in the Backend Developer (C#/.NET) role?
Use the Grade Calculator to assess your current level and get personalized recommendations. The system will show which skills need to be developed for the next level.
What tech stack is used in the Backend Developer (C#/.NET) role?
The stack includes 5 technologies at different levels. C# 12, .NET 8+, ASP.NET Core, Entity Framework Core, SQL Server/PostgreSQL, xUnit, Docker, C# 12, .NET 8+, MediatR, FluentValidation, Dapper, Redis, RabbitMQ, Hangfire, Docker Compose, Azure DevOps/GitHub Actions, .NET 8/9, Minimal API, gRPC, PostgreSQL/Redis/MongoDB, Kafka, .NET Aspire, OpenTelemetry, BenchmarkDotNet, Kubernetes...
How does the community define requirements for the Backend Developer (C#/.NET) role?
Role requirements are shaped by the community through a proposal system. Any member can suggest changes that go through voting and expert review.