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The differences between mainframe programmers and programmer analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a mainframe programmer, becoming a programmer analyst takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a mainframe programmer has an average salary of $87,036, which is higher than the $71,563 average annual salary of a programmer analyst.
The top three skills for a mainframe programmer include JCL, DB2 and MQ. The most important skills for a programmer analyst are sql server, C++, and java.
| Mainframe Programmer | Programmer Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $87,036 | $71,563 |
| Hourly rate | $41.84 | $34.41 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 205,724 | 248,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
Mainframe programmers and programmer analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mainframe Programmer | Programmer Analyst | |
| Average salary | $87,036 | $71,563 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $117,000 | Between $55,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Randstad North America, Inc. | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a mainframe programmer and a programmer analyst in terms of educational background:
| Mainframe Programmer | Programmer Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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 programmer analysts' demographics:
| Mainframe Programmer | Programmer Analyst | |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% | Male, 71.8% Female, 28.2% |
| 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, 9.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 19.2% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |