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Cobol Programmer Jobs in Utah (NOW HIRING)

Mainframe Developer

Salt Lake City, UT · On-site

$105K - $115K/yr

Mainframe Developer Location: Salt Lake City, UT Employment Type: Contract-to-Hire (6+ Months ... Design, develop, and maintain enterprise mainframe applications using COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, and ...

Engineer

Midvale, UT · On-site

$110K - $118K/yr

DB2/DBA in Mainframe Z O/S architecture. 1. TSO, MVS, JCL, SDSF & ISPF expert knowledge 2. Knowledge with Rexx coding and maintenance 3. Knowledge Cobol/VSAM capabilities 4. Full understanding of ...

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Cobol Programmer information

See Utah salary details

$36

$53

$86

How much do cobol programmer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average hourly pay for cobol programmer in Utah is $53.03, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $39.38 and $61.49 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Cobol Programmer vs Mainframe Developer?

AspectCobol ProgrammerMainframe Developer
Required CredentialsTypically a degree in computer science or related field; familiarity with COBOLSimilar credentials; often requires knowledge of COBOL and mainframe systems
Work EnvironmentPrimarily in legacy system maintenance, often in financial or government sectorsWorks on mainframe systems, including hardware and software components
Employer & Industry UsageFinancial institutions, government agencies, insurance companiesBanking, insurance, government, and large enterprises using mainframe systems
Common Search & ComparisonYesYes

While both roles involve working with COBOL and mainframe systems, a Cobol Programmer mainly focuses on coding, debugging, and maintaining COBOL applications. A Mainframe Developer has a broader scope, including system integration, hardware, and software management within mainframe environments. Both roles are essential in legacy system operations, often overlapping in skills and industry usage.

What is a Cobol programmer?

COBOL Programmers are software developers who specialize in writing, maintaining, and updating programs using the COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) programming language. COBOL is widely used in legacy business, finance, and administrative systems, especially on mainframe computers. COBOL Programmers are often responsible for ensuring these critical systems continue to function efficiently, troubleshooting issues, and modernizing code to integrate with newer technologies. Their work is essential in industries like banking, insurance, and government, where COBOL-based applications remain vital.

What are some common challenges faced by Cobol programmers working with legacy systems?

COBOL Programmers often encounter challenges such as limited or outdated documentation, making it difficult to understand and maintain legacy code. Additionally, integrating COBOL applications with modern technologies can require creative problem-solving and specialized middleware. Team collaboration is crucial, as programmers frequently work with business analysts and system architects to translate business processes into code and ensure system reliability. Staying current with evolving regulatory and security requirements is also a key part of this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Cobol programmer?

A Cobol Programmer should have a strong grasp of COBOL programming, mainframe systems, and experience with legacy codebases, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools such as IBM z/OS, JCL, CICS, and database management systems like DB2 is typically required. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for this role. These competencies ensure reliable maintenance and enhancement of critical business applications that many organizations still depend on.

How much do Cobol programmers make?

Cobol programmers' salaries vary based on experience, location, and industry, but they typically earn between $70,000 and $120,000 annually. Senior or specialized programmers with certifications and extensive experience can earn higher salaries, especially in industries like finance and government that rely heavily on legacy systems.

How to become a Cobol programmer?

COBOL is a programming language used to write code for software programs. It stands for Common Business-Oriented Language and is most commonly used in business and financial applications. You do not need a degree to become a COBOL programmer, but many employers prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, management information systems, or a related field. Focus your coursework in programming languages, code development, and software development. Other COBOL programmers learn the coding language on their own through online courses or programs at vocational schools or community colleges. Obtain an internship or part-time job that enables you to learn COBOL and other programming languages. Since many administrative offices and business organizations use COBOL programming, you may want to take some administrative courses to gain an inside perspective on the industry.

What are the most commonly searched types of Cobol Programmer jobs in Utah?

The most popular types of Cobol Programmer jobs in Utah are:

What job categories do people searching Cobol Programmer jobs in Utah look for?

The top searched job categories for Cobol Programmer jobs in Utah are:

What cities in Utah are hiring for Cobol Programmer jobs?

Cities in Utah with the most Cobol Programmer job openings:

Infographic showing various Cobol Programmer job openings in Utah as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 83% Full Time, 8% Part Time, 8% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 90% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $110,301 per year, or $53 per hour.

Mainframe Developer (COBOL, CICS, DB2)

System One Holdings, LLC

Salt Lake City, UT • On-site

$90/hr

Contractor

Posted 18 days ago


Job description

Mainframe Developer - COBOL, CICS, DB2
6 Months Contract-to-Hire
Midvale, UT and Salt Lake City, Utah

Position Overview
  • Seeking an experienced Mainframe Developer to develop, maintain, enhance, and support mission-critical enterprise applications. The selected candidate will work onsite at the client location in the Midvale/Salt Lake City area.
  • This role requires strong hands-on expertise in COBOL, CICS, DB2, JCL, VSAM, and Easytrieve. The developer will support online and batch-processing applications, troubleshoot production issues, maintain non-production environments, and coordinate application releases.
  • The ideal candidate will be comfortable working in a large enterprise environment and collaborating with product managers, business analysts, architects, QA teams, infrastructure teams, release management teams, and offshore development teams.

Key Responsibilities
  • Design, develop, maintain, and enhance enterprise mainframe applications using COBOL, CICS, DB2, JCL, VSAM, Easytrieve, and related technologies.
  • Analyze business and technical requirements and recommend scalable, reliable, and maintainable solutions.
  • Develop and support CICS online transactions and COBOL-based batch-processing applications.
  • Create, update, and troubleshoot JCL jobs and enterprise batch workflows.
  • Develop and maintain DB2 programs, queries, stored procedures, and database-related components.
  • Work with VSAM datasets and ensure application data accuracy and integrity.
  • Use Easytrieve to develop and maintain reports, data extracts, and batch-processing programs.
  • Monitor and support Control-M schedules, production jobs, dependencies, and batch-processing workflows.
  • Troubleshoot application failures, database issues, batch-processing errors, and testing-environment problems.
  • Investigate production incidents, perform root-cause analysis, and implement permanent corrective solutions.
  • Manage non-production environments, including environment refreshes, deployments, configuration updates, and post-migration validation.
  • Coordinate releases and production implementations with QA, infrastructure, release management, change management, and offshore teams.
  • Use Endevor or similar source-control and deployment tools to manage application changes.
  • Perform mainframe debugging, performance analysis, code reviews, and technical validation.
  • Create and maintain technical documentation, operational procedures, user guides, and knowledge-base articles.
  • Serve as a technical subject-matter expert for assigned mainframe applications.
  • Participate in Agile ceremonies, technical-design discussions, code reviews, and continuous-improvement initiatives.
  • Mentor junior developers through technical coaching, knowledge sharing, and cross-training.
  • Provide on-call production support as required for mission-critical applications.

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
  • 5+ years of experience developing, maintaining, enhancing, and supporting enterprise mainframe applications.
  • Strong hands-on experience with:
    • COBOL
    • CICS - Customer Information Control System
    • DB2
    • JCL - Job Control Language
    • VSAM - Virtual Storage Access Method
    • Easytrieve/EZtrieve
  • Strong experience with enterprise batch processing and production job support.
  • Experience troubleshooting mainframe applications, batch jobs, databases, and production incidents.
  • Experience with Control-M scheduling, workflow management, and production job monitoring.
  • Experience with Endevor or a comparable mainframe source-control and deployment tool.
  • Experience using mainframe debugging and performance-analysis tools.
  • Experience supporting multiple enterprise applications in a large, cross-functional environment.
  • Experience coordinating with offshore development and support teams.
  • Strong analytical, debugging, troubleshooting, and problem-solving abilities.
  • Ability to prioritize competing assignments and deliver solutions within project deadlines.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills.
  • Ability to collaborate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Ability to mentor junior developers and support continuous process improvement.
  • Willingness to participate in on-call production support.
  • Ability to work onsite five days per week in the Midvale/Salt Lake City, Utah area.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience supporting banking, financial services, insurance, government, or other highly regulated enterprise applications.
  • Experience modernizing or improving legacy mainframe applications.
  • Familiarity with Agile/Scrum delivery practices.
  • Experience with release management, change management, audit support, and production-readiness activities.
  • Experience improving application performance, batch-processing efficiency, automation, and operational reliability.

Required Competencies
Competency
Importance
Proficiency
Customer Information Control System - CICS
Required
Experienced
Common Business-Oriented Language - COBOL
Required
Experienced
IBM Database 2 - DB2
Required
Experienced
Easytrieve/EZtrieve
Required
Experienced
Job Control Language - JCL
Required
Experienced
Virtual Storage Access Method - VSAM
Required
Experienced
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