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The differences between mainframe programmers and contract programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a mainframe programmer and a contract programmer. Additionally, a mainframe programmer has an average salary of $87,036, which is higher than the $80,027 average annual salary of a contract programmer.
The top three skills for a mainframe programmer include JCL, DB2 and MQ. The most important skills for a contract programmer are microsoft sql server, C++, and web application.
| Mainframe Programmer | Contract Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,036 | $80,027 |
| Hourly rate | $41.84 | $38.47 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 205,724 | 199,998 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
Mainframe programmers and contract programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mainframe Programmer | Contract Programmer | |
| Average salary | $87,036 | $80,027 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $117,000 | Between $60,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | Randstad North America, Inc. | - |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a mainframe programmer and a contract programmer in terms of educational background:
| Mainframe Programmer | Contract Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between mainframe programmers' and contract programmers' demographics:
| Mainframe Programmer | Contract Programmer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% | Male, 84.9% Female, 15.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 23.2% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 14.9% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |