A mainframe developer is essentially a software developer but one who works within the mainframe system. As such, they have similar responsibilities as a software developer.
Mainframe experts are a diminishing group of developers. This has created an increasing demand for mainframe experts on a global scale. With the right skill set, they could find work in a wide range of industries anywhere in the world.
To start, they need to have a strong knowledge of mainframe languages and tools. Additionally, knowledge of project management and software development cycle can also be beneficial. Depending on the sector, industry-specific skills and knowledge may be required, too.
Most mainframe programmers have a bachelor's degree; however, some employers hire workers who have an associate's degree. While a degree in computer science is important, in the programming field, programming skill is what counts.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a mainframe developer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $39.11 an hour? That's $81,355 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -7% and produce -17,900 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many mainframe developers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed troubleshooting skills, detail oriented and analytical skills.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be a mainframe developer, we found that a lot of resumes listed 11.2% of mainframe developers included db2, while 9.6% of resumes included jcl, and 7.1% of resumes included cics. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
When it comes to searching for a job, many search for a key term or phrase. Instead, it might be more helpful to search by industry, as you might be missing jobs that you never thought about in industries that you didn't even think offered positions related to the mainframe developer job title. But what industry to start with? Most mainframe developers actually find jobs in the finance and technology industries.
If you're interested in becoming a mainframe developer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 62.2% of mainframe developers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 26.9% of mainframe developers have master's degrees. Even though most mainframe developers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a mainframe developer. When we researched the most common majors for a mainframe developer, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or master's degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on mainframe developer resumes include associate degree degrees or diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a mainframe developer. In fact, many mainframe developer jobs require experience in a role such as programmer analyst. Meanwhile, many mainframe developers also have previous career experience in roles such as senior programmer analyst or senior software engineer.