Career Spotlights:
Dynamics 365 Developer
Whatever the Microsoft Cloud role, use our guide to benchmark your salary or contact rate, or to uncover what you should be paying employees in your team.
How much do Dynamics 365 Developers make?
United States ($)
| First quartile | Median | Third quartile | Contract (Hourly rate) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations | 102,250 | 142,750 | 183,500 | 118-165 |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement | 98,250 | 155,000 | 185,000 | 115-143 |
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | 96,250 | 134,500 | 165,000 | 100-153 |
United Kingdom (£)
| First quartile | Median | Third quartile | Contract (Daily rate) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations | 58,000 | 70,000 | 85,000 | 500-780 |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement | 46,000 | 66,250 | 81,500 | 440-775 |
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | 60,000 | 70,000 | 85,000 | 500-700 |
United States ($)
First quartile
| Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations | |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement | |
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | |
Median
| Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations | |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement | |
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | |
Third quartile
| Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations | |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement | |
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | |
Contract (Hourly rate)
| Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations | |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement | |
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | |
United Kingdom (£)
First quartile
| Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations | |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement | |
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | |
Median
| Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations | |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement | |
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | |
Third quartile
| Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations | |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement | |
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | |
Contract (Daily rate)
| Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations | |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement | |
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | |
62%
of D365 Developers are satisfied with their job, up from 60% in our previous study*
59%
of D365 Functional Consultants are satisfied with their salary, down from 70% last time
42 hours
Permanent D365 Developers work an average of 42 hours per week
38 hours
Freelance D365 Developers work an average of 38 hours per week**
* Comparisons to the survey data in our last study are indicative only due to a limited number of D365 Developers participating.
** A limited number of freelance Developers participated in our survey, so results are indicative only.
What factors impact your earning potential as a Dynamics 365 Developer?
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years of technical experience with Microsoft products | 96% | 4% | 0% |
| Years of experience in IT | 90% | 8% | 2% |
| Exposure to large projects | 90% | 8% | 2% |
| Specific vertical industry experience | 66% | 23% | 11% |
| Microsoft certifications | 51% | 28% | 21% |
| College/University degree(s) | 40% | 34% | 26% |
| Working with AI | 40% | 28% | 32% |
Years of technical experience with Microsoft products
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 96% | 4% | 0% |
Years of experience in IT
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 90% | 8% | 2% |
Exposure to large projects
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 90% | 8% | 2% |
Specific vertical industry experience
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 66% | 23% | 11% |
Microsoft certifications
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 51% | 28% | 21% |
College/University degree(s)
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 40% | 34% | 26% |
Working with AI
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 40% | 28% | 32% |
What steps should you take to become a Dynamics 365 Developer?
Education
Four-fifths (80%) of Dynamics 365 Developers hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher. However, only 28% consider a degree to be important to work with Microsoft Business Applications. Similarly, having a degree ranked as one of the least important from a list of factors when it comes to increasing earning potential.
Certification
Over half (56%, down from 59% in our last survey) of Dynamics 365 Developers are certified, but only 22% (down from 42%) have renewed their certification to maintain their status. This is reflective of a similar trend across our data (see here for more information). Meanwhile, 67% (up from 59%) of certified developers believe certification enhances professional value.
Microsoft provides a mid-level certification specifically designed for Dynamics 365 Developers—the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365: Finance and Operations Apps Developer Associate. This certification is ideal for those wanting to deepen their expertise on the ERP side of Dynamics 365.
For those interested in gaining more comprehensive skills that include the Power Platform, alternative options include the Power Platform Developer Associate, Power Automate RPA Developer Associate, and Power Platform App Maker Associate certifications. After achieving an intermediate certification, you can advance your Power Platform skills by pursuing the highest-level developer certification available: the Power Platform Solution Architect Expert.
Top Microsoft certifications held by Dynamics 365 Developers
| Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (ERP) | 23% |
| Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate | 15% |
| Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultant Associate | 8% |
| Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (CRM) | 8% |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate | 8% |
Paths to becoming a Dynamics 365 Developer
Like many tech roles, there’s no set route to becoming a Dynamics 365 Developer. However, those with a technical background in development and experience with .NET or C# find it easier to transition into Dynamics 365 development.
These are some common starting roles we see in the careers of Dynamics 365 Developers:
Junior Software Developer: Basic programming experience and understanding of development lifecycles provides a good foundation for a developer role
Tester/QA Analyst: Familiarity with software testing, debugging, and quality assurance processes that are key in a development role
Technical Support Analyst: Knowledge of troubleshooting and technical issue resolution makes you well-suited to transition into a developer role
.NET Developer: Expertise in .NET is highly relevant, as Dynamics 365 development often involves customizations and integrations using .NET
Dynamics 365 Administrator: Understanding of managing configurations, user permissions, and system maintenance is all invaluable transferable knowledge
What skills and experience should a Dynamics 365 Developer have?
- Proficient in customizing, deploying, and integrating Dynamics 365 products to meet specific business requirements
- Experienced in building and configuring components such as forms, views, dashboards, workflows, plugins, web resources, and scripts
- Strong knowledge of .NET, C#, and JavaScript for custom development and enhancing system functionality
- Skilled in integrating external systems into the Dynamics 365 architecture using tools like SOAP, XML, and REST APIs
- Knowledgeable in HTML and ASP.NET for developing web-based solutions
- Familiar with the Dynamics 365 SDK for creating and extending applications within the platform. Possesses L200 level expertise in Azure to support cloud-based Dynamics 365 solutions
- Experienced with SQL and SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) for data management and integration tasks
- Deep understanding of business workflows and extensive experience implementing them in Dynamics 365
- Hands-on experience with testing and troubleshooting to ensure high-quality, error-free solutions
- Ability to write comprehensive technical specifications and analysis documents to guide development
- Familiar with Agile project delivery methodologies and their application to Dynamics 365 projects
- Experienced with Power Platform and Microsoft Copilot to enhance Dynamics 365 functionalities
- Knowledge of DevOps practices and automation to streamline development and deployment processes
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to tackle complex development challenges
Dynamics 365 development: Programming languages you need to know
If you’re considering a career as a Dynamics 365 Developer, mastering a programming language should be a top priority. With various languages available, your choice should be guided by the specific Dynamics 365 application you’ll be working with most frequently. This is because each core Dynamics 365 app relies on a distinct programming language and codebase, stemming from their earlier status as separate products.
Here’s a breakdown of the primary languages for each app:
- Dynamics 365 Business Central uses AL
- Dynamics 365 Finance uses X++
- Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement uses C# (and optionally .NET)
