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Cobol Mainframe Developer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Forward Deployed Engineer

San Francisco, CA ยท On-site

$120 - $160/hr

Fortune 1000 enterprises run mission-critical workloads on decades-old mainframe systems -- COBOL ... We're a small team by design -- founded by three ex-Google engineers, backed by top-tier venture ...

New

REST API developers - NodeJS, Javascript Duration: 1 Year + Location: Sacramento CA W2 ,C2C will ... tools COBOL and Assembly in a CICS mainframe environment - desired CICS COBOL API in a SQL DB ...

Showing results 41-60

Cobol Mainframe Developer information

See California salary details

$51

$54

$56

How much do cobol mainframe developer jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average hourly pay for cobol mainframe developer in California is $54.56, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $53.37 and $55.77 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a COBOL mainframe developer do?

As a COBOL mainframe developer, your primary responsibilities include designing new computer programs using the COBOL programming language. Your duties are to design, develop, and configure code for new programs, test these programs to make sure they function on the intended operating system, and implement adjustments needed. Once that process is complete, you launch the program for public or private use and provide support and upgrades to the user. You should have extensive knowledge and experience working with software development, and if you are working in IT for a company, you should be able to troubleshoot their current mainframe. Teaching others about what you have developed and making sure they understand how to use it are also your responsibility.

What does a COBOL mainframe developer do?

A COBOL Mainframe Developer is responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining applications that run on mainframe computers using the COBOL programming language. These developers often work with legacy systems in industries like banking, insurance, and government, ensuring that critical business processes continue to function smoothly. Their tasks may include writing new code, updating existing programs, debugging, and integrating mainframe applications with modern technologies. COBOL Mainframe Developers also collaborate with business analysts and other IT professionals to meet organizational needs and regulatory requirements.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a COBOL mainframe developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a COBOL Mainframe Developer, you need strong proficiency in COBOL programming, mainframe systems (such as IBM z/OS), and a background in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools like JCL, DB2, CICS, and source control systems, along with relevant certifications, is highly beneficial. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for diagnosing issues and collaborating with cross-functional teams. These competencies ensure reliability, accuracy, and efficiency in maintaining and modernizing critical legacy systems.

What are some typical challenges faced by COBOL mainframe developers when maintaining legacy systems?

Cobol Mainframe Developers often encounter challenges with outdated documentation, making it difficult to understand and modify legacy code. Integrating new technologies or adapting legacy systems to modern infrastructure can also be complex, requiring careful planning and testing. Additionally, communicating with business users to gather requirements and ensure system changes meet current needs is essential, as is collaborating with other IT professionals to manage dependencies and minimize downtime. Staying proactive about learning modernization tools and approaches can help address these challenges.

What job categories do people searching Cobol Mainframe Developer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Cobol Mainframe Developer jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Cobol Mainframe Developer jobs in CA?

For Cobol Mainframe Developer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Cobol Mainframe Developer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 36% Full Time, and 64% Contract. Highlights an 85% In-person, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $113,494 per year, or $54.6 per hour.

Senior Mainframe Systems Programmer

West Advanced Technologies (WATI)

Downey, CA โ€ข On-site

$56.75 - $72.25/hr

Contractor

Re-posted 3 days ago


Job description

Mainframe Systems programmer/DBA
Downey, CA
12+ months
Position Description
A Mainframe Systems Programmer/DBA is responsible for leading and/or supporting the most complex database upgrade projects, modification, installation, testing, implementation, maintenance and enhancements of new or existing system software products. Must plan, install, configure, test, implement and manage core database products, software products in support of the Clients database architecture and business needs. Special organizational or functional industry position titles for Systems Programmer/DBA include, but are not limited to, DB2 Systems Programmer/DBA, IMS Systems Programmer/DBA and ADABAS/NATURAL Systems Programmer/DBA.
Skills Required:
The Mainframe Systems Programmer/DBA for Legacy Systems manages different types of databases, such as hierarchical (IMS), relational (DB2), and file-based (ADABAS), and is responsible for planning and upgrading the database environments on a Client established basis; verifying the health of all the databases; database administration technical consulting for application and operations teams for the purpose of project planning/development; maintenance on production database systems; performance of technical reviews for existing systems that utilize one of the following database management systems (DBMS): ADABAS, DB2 or IMS; performance of evaluations for the purposes of selecting new or fine-tuning existing DBMS software; consultation with project development teams to provide recommendations on database design; development of logical and physical database designs; creation of overviews of logical database designs; creation of physical databases; database capacity planning; development and use of backup and recovery procedures for databases; database performance monitoring; database space monitoring; database reorganizations; database replication; database compression and database partitioning. The following technology skill sets are required to perform in this classification. IBM: Z/OS, IMS, DB2, ADABAS, SMP/E, JCL, IMS DB/DC, CICS, ACF2, ASSEMBLER/COBOL/REXX, IBM FILE MANAGER, DELTA/IMS, NATURAL/ SUPERNAT, ENTIREX, CA SPOOL, IMS & DB2 BMC Tools, N20/TRIM.
Must have a minimum of seven (7) years of experience as a Systems Programming/ DBA, with at least three (3) years of that experience in a lead role.
Bachelor's degree in an IT-related or engineering field.
Skills Preferred:
Sr Mainframe Systems programmer for DB2/IMS/ADABAS and a Sr DBA.
10 Years of Experience with Z/OS System programming and DBA Skills.
Regards
Sunil Damagalla
West Advanced Technologies, Inc
E: sunil.d@wati.com D: 279-666-5837
Serving government agencies for 22 Years
www.wati.com 1610 R St, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95811