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How Much Do Mainframe Developers Make? 2025 Salary Guide

Written by 糖心vlog官网观看 Staff 鈥 Updated on

Mainframe development is a diverse career path that involves coding to help maintain, update, and secure a corporate mainframe. This responsibility comes with a rewarding salary. Learn all about the average mainframe developer salary here.

[Featured Image] Three mainframe developers looking at a digital tablet and talking while standing next to a server in a data center.

In the past, corporations generally relied on mainframes to handle their computing needs. These large, on-premises machines took up a lot of space and were expensive to build. With the emergence of the cloud, the mainframe has become less popular, but some companies still rely on them and put great value on mainframe developers.听

If you want to start a career in this area, you鈥檙e likely curious about the average mainframe developer salary. Read on to learn about the average salary, factors that could impact your pay, and more below.听

What is a mainframe developer?

A mainframe developer鈥攕ometimes called a COBOL developer鈥攊s a specialized career within the software developer career path. As a mainframe developer, you鈥檒l maintain a computer system's mainframe, which are high-performance computers that handle many users in centralized databases. You鈥檒l perform maintenance using programming languages so an organization鈥檚 mainframe can store and process a mass amount of data in a short time. You鈥檒l also test code from other developers for bugs and collaborate with other IT professionals to develop new applications for the organization.听

How much do mainframe developers make?聽

A mainframe developer is a specialized type of software developer. Based on several job posting sites, the average mainframe developer salary ranges from $73,744 to $101,376, [, , ].

GlassdoorZippiaPayscale
$101,575$90,902$73,744

Is mainframe developer a good career choice?

You can consider whether a mainframe developer is a good career option by comparing the average salary in this role to the average salary across all positions in the United States. The average salary for a mainframe developer ranges from $73,744 to $101,575 [, ], while the average salary across all occupations is $65,470 []. You can also consider the US Bureau of Labor Statistics鈥 projections for growth for mainframe developers over the next decade. As part of the software developer, quality assurance analyst, and testers category, mainframe developer roles will grow by 17 percent over the next decade []. Together, these numbers suggest that a career as a mainframe developer may be a good choice.听

Mainframe developer salary by education

To become a mainframe developer, you usually need at least a bachelor鈥檚 degree in software engineering, computer information systems, or a related field. According to Zippia, 76 percent of mainframe developers have a bachelor鈥檚 degree, 14 have a master鈥檚, and 6.5 percent have an associate []. Here鈥檚 how education can impact the average COBOL developer salary [闭:听

  • Associate degree: $84,352

  • Bachelor鈥檚 degree: $93,369

  • Master鈥檚 degree: $96,500

  • Doctorate: $98,464

Salary by location

Location is another factor that impacts the average mainframe developer salary. Companies may have to compensate for varying living costs between areas and the local demand. If you live in a location with a high cost of living, you鈥檒l require a higher salary than you would in a location with a lower cost of living to afford the same lifestyle.

Here are the average salaries for mainframe developers in various states, according to Zippia []:

LocationAverage salary
1Washington$110,097
2California$105,541
3Alaska$100,183
4Oregon$96,278
5Rhode Island$96,025
6District of Columbia$94,647
7Georgia$94,641
8Idaho$94,555
9Massachusetts$94,393
10New Jersey$94,231

Salaries according to experience

Like other roles, as you work for years as a mainframe developer, you may gain new skills and talents that make you more efficient at your job. At the same time, doing so can also help you grow your salary. Here鈥檚 how your level of experience impacts the average mainframe developer salary []:

  • 0鈥1 years: $82,434

  • 1鈥3 years: $87,602

  • 4鈥6 years: $98,120

  • 7鈥9 years: $108,981

  • 10鈥14 years: $117,805

  • 15 or more years: $128,631

Salary by industry

Some of the highest-paying industries still employing mainframe developers include [闭:听

  • Insurance: $96,137

  • Automotive: $92,193

  • Finance: $91,751

  • Transportation: $91,246

  • Technology: $86,805

How to start a mainframe developer career

To become a mainframe developer, employers require at least a bachelor鈥檚 degree in topics like computer science, electrical engineering, and relevant subjects. After graduation, you鈥檒l need about three to four years of experience in an entry-level software development role before transitioning to a more specialized field like mainframe development. Gaining experience allows you to learn about standard industry procedures and new techniques while honing your skills.

While working in a software developer role, you can earn certifications related to mainframe development. Some options include the IBM Certified Administrator - Db2 12 for z/OS and or the IBM Mainframe Developer Professional Certificate.

With experience and certifications, you'll be ready to start applying for mainframe developer roles.听

Mainframe developer skills

Mainframe developers require a broad range of technical and workplace skills. Technical skills represent the practical aspects of your role, while workplace skills contribute to how productive you are in a work environment. Refining the following skills can help you advance in your career:聽

Technical skills:聽

  • COBOL

  • Data analysis and integration

  • DB2

  • Digital security

  • Troubleshooting

  • Programming languages

    • Assembler

    • COBOL

    • PL/I

    • C

    • C++

    • Java

    • CLIST

    • 搁贰齿齿鈩

Workplace skills:聽

  • Attention to detail

  • Business operations

  • Capacity management

  • Communication

  • Multitasking

  • Problem-solving

  • Teamwork

  • Desire to learn

Learn more about mainframe coding on 糖心vlog官网观看

While mainframes aren鈥檛 as popular as they once were, many of the world鈥檚 largest corporations still use them and need mainframe developers. If you鈥檙e looking for a technical role and enjoy putting your talents toward ensuring computer systems are running at peak performance, a mainframe developer role may be for you.听

You can prepare by building in-demand skills and expanding your knowledge with the Microsoft Full-Stack Developer Professional Certificate or IBM鈥檚 Data Engineering Professional Certificate on 糖心vlog官网观看. Upon completion, gain exclusive access to career resources like resume review, interview prep, and career support.

Article sources

1.听

Glassdoor. 鈥, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/mainframe-developer-salary-SRCH_KO0,19.htm.鈥 Accessed February 26, 2025.

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