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Mainframe developer salary
Average mainframe developer salary
$90,902
Understanding Mainframe Developer Salaries
Mainframe Developers play a crucial role in maintaining and developing large-scale computing systems. The average salary for this position stands at $90,902 annually. However, this figure can fluctuate significantly based on several factors.
Key Influences on Salary
Experience is a major factor; entry-level positions typically start lower, while seasoned professionals can command much higher salaries. Geographic location also impacts earnings. For instance, states such as California, New York, and Texas often offer higher pay due to the demand for skilled developers in major tech hubs.
Industry Variations
Different industries also pay differently. Banking, finance, and healthcare sectors tend to offer more competitive salaries. By pursuing opportunities in these areas, Mainframe Developers can enhance their earnings significantly.
Salary by State
In addition to industry and experience, state-specific salary data reveals that developers in California average around $110,000, while those in Texas make approximately $95,000. This disparity underscores the importance of location in salary negotiation.
In conclusion, prospective Mainframe Developers should consider these factors to maximize their career potential and salary expectations.
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Where can a Mainframe Developer earn more?
Mainframe developer salary estimates from across the web
Average mainframe developer salary by state
The highest-paying states for mainframe developers are Washington, California, and Alaska. The lowest average mainframe developer salary states are Iowa, Wyoming, and Delaware.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for mainframe developers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $110,097 | $52.93 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $96,025 | $46.17 |
| 3 | Oregon | $96,278 | $46.29 |
| 4 | Idaho | $94,555 | $45.46 |
| 5 | Nevada | $94,189 | $45.28 |
| 6 | California | $105,541 | $50.74 |
| 7 | Texas | $92,413 | $44.43 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $94,231 | $45.30 |
| 9 | Georgia | $94,641 | $45.50 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $94,647 | $45.50 |
| 11 | Maine | $93,029 | $44.73 |
| 12 | Alaska | $100,183 | $48.16 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $92,301 | $44.38 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $89,639 | $43.10 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $90,451 | $43.49 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $94,393 | $45.38 |
| 17 | Utah | $89,680 | $43.12 |
| 18 | Arizona | $91,779 | $44.12 |
| 19 | Vermont | $89,648 | $43.10 |
| 20 | Maryland | $92,319 | $44.38 |
| 21 | Ohio | $88,828 | $42.71 |
| 22 | Virginia | $90,236 | $43.38 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $92,200 | $44.33 |
| 24 | Alabama | $90,119 | $43.33 |
| 25 | New York | $93,569 | $44.99 |
| 26 | Colorado | $89,761 | $43.15 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $85,871 | $41.28 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $87,041 | $41.85 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $86,066 | $41.38 |
| 30 | Kansas | $83,205 | $40.00 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $87,621 | $42.13 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $82,470 | $39.65 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $86,642 | $41.65 |
| 34 | Connecticut | $88,823 | $42.70 |
| 35 | Michigan | $83,808 | $40.29 |
| 36 | Indiana | $81,264 | $39.07 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $84,144 | $40.45 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $84,870 | $40.80 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $87,632 | $42.13 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $80,945 | $38.92 |
| 41 | Illinois | $84,059 | $40.41 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $82,457 | $39.64 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $79,416 | $38.18 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $82,614 | $39.72 |
| 45 | Delaware | $78,708 | $37.84 |
| 46 | Florida | $84,726 | $40.73 |
| 47 | Missouri | $82,042 | $39.44 |
| 48 | Montana | $77,839 | $37.42 |
| 49 | Iowa | $80,758 | $38.83 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $77,137 | $37.09 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $77,028 | $37.03 |
Highest paying cities for mainframe developers
The highest-paying cities for mainframe developers are Sacramento, CA, Columbus, GA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento, CA | $117,098 | $56.30 |
| 2 | Columbus, GA | $94,772 | $45.56 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $94,704 | $45.53 |
| 4 | Springfield, MA | $94,572 | $45.47 |
| 5 | Jersey City, NJ | $94,337 | $45.35 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $93,791 | $45.09 |
| 7 | Raleigh, NC | $92,910 | $44.67 |
| 8 | San Antonio, TX | $92,769 | $44.60 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $92,421 | $44.43 |
| 10 | Columbia, SC | $92,173 | $44.31 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $91,906 | $44.19 |
| 12 | McLean, VA | $90,227 | $43.38 |
| 13 | Salt Lake City, UT | $89,450 | $43.00 |
| 14 | Pittsburgh, PA | $88,946 | $42.76 |
| 15 | Danbury, CT | $88,811 | $42.70 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $88,759 | $42.67 |
| 17 | Milwaukee, WI | $87,087 | $41.87 |
| 18 | Tampa, FL | $85,671 | $41.19 |
| 19 | Chicago, IL | $84,241 | $40.50 |
| 20 | Dearborn, MI | $83,897 | $40.34 |
Mainframe developer salary details
A mainframe developer's salary ranges from $70,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $117,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a mainframe developer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $117,000 | $9,750 | $56 |
| 75th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
| Average | $90,902 | $7,575 | $44 |
| 25th Percentile | $79,000 | $6,583 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
Highest paying mainframe developer jobs
The highest paying types of mainframe developers are lead developer, sap/abap developer, and ios developer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Programmer | $71,612 | $5,968 | $34.43 | 253,235 |
| Software Engineer | $100,260 | $8,355 | $48.20 | 339,938 |
| Programmer | $73,007 | $6,084 | $35.10 | 234,565 |
| Java Programmer | $80,328 | $6,694 | $38.62 | 96,082 |
| Mobile Applications Developer | $99,257 | $8,271 | $47.72 | 252,254 |
| Web Application Developer | $85,840 | $7,153 | $41.27 | 229,802 |
Top companies hiring mainframe developers now:
Which companies pay mainframe developers the most?
Mainframe developer salaries at Meta and BNY Mellon are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average mainframe developer salary at companies like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and State Street are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $155,105 | $74.57 |
| 2 | BNY Mellon | $118,666 | $57.05 |
| 3 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $116,233 | $55.88 |
| 4 | State Street | $112,974 | $54.31 |
| 5 | UBS | $109,030 | $52.42 |
| 6 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $108,554 | $52.19 |
| 7 | Charles Schwab | $107,607 | $51.73 |
| 8 | Zions Bank | $104,188 | $50.09 |
| 9 | CyberCoders | $103,595 | $49.81 |
| 10 | TEKsystems | $103,053 | $49.54 |
| 11 | Midas | $101,277 | $48.69 |
| 12 | Hired | $101,208 | $48.66 |
| 13 | Strategic Staffing Solutions | $101,135 | $48.62 |
| 14 | DIVERSANT | $101,053 | $48.58 |
| 15 | Eclaro | $100,547 | $48.34 |
| 16 | Sky | $100,292 | $48.22 |
| 17 | myMatrixx | $100,155 | $48.15 |
| 18 | Visa | $99,764 | $47.96 |
| 19 | ICONMA | $98,892 | $47.54 |
| 20 | Professional Alternatives | $98,014 | $47.12 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Mainframe Developer salary by industry
The average mainframe developer salary varies across industries:
- The average mainframe developer salary in the insurance industry is $96,137, the highest of any industry.
- The average mainframe developer salary in the finance industry is $92,193.
- Mainframe developers in the technology industry earn an average salary of $86,805, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for mainframe developers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insurance | $96,137 | $46.22 |
| 2 | Automotive | $92,193 | $44.32 |
| 3 | Finance | $91,751 | $44.11 |
| 4 | Transportation | $91,246 | $43.87 |
| 5 | Technology | $86,805 | $41.73 |
High paying mainframe developer jobs
Mainframe developer salary trends
The average mainframe developer salary has risen by $16,862 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average mainframe developer earned $74,040 annually, but today, they earn $90,902 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for mainframe developers over the last decade.
Compare mainframe developer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average mainframe developer salary over time
Compare mainframe developer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Mainframe developer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $90,900 | $43.70 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $87,900 | $42.26 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $85,900 | $41.31 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $83,800 | $40.31 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $81,400 | $39.13 | +0.4% |
Recently added mainframe developer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synechron | Mainframe Developer (Cobol/Hogan) Banking Domain | Dallas, TX | 06/28/2025 | $110,000 |
| Tata Consultancy Services | Mainframe Developer | Atlanta, GA | 06/28/2025 | $110,000 |
| Synechron | Mainframe Developer With Expertise In Cobol and Hogan | Charlotte, NC | 06/27/2025 | $100,000 |
| Pyramid Consulting, Inc. | Mainframe Developer | Costa Mesa, CA | 06/24/2025 | $104,350 |
| Kellymitchell Group | Mainframe Developer | Cincinnati, OH | 06/17/2025 | $100,000 |
| Donato Technologies | Mainframe Developer | Tampa, FL | 06/11/2025 | $83,480 |
| Tata Consulting Services | Mainframe Developer | Hayward, CA | 06/10/2025 | $110,000 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | IBM Mainframe Cobol Developer | Elk Grove Village, IL | 06/10/2025 | $58,436 |
| Scaleneworks | Mainframe Developer | Decatur, GA | 06/10/2025 | $95,000 |
| Tata Consulting Services | Mainframe Developer | San Antonio, TX | 06/09/2025 | $80,000 |
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