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Federal Cobol Jobs (NOW HIRING)

COBOL Developer

Woodlawn, MD · On-site

$52.25 - $70.75/hr

COBOL Developer We are seeking experienced COBOL Developers to support a large federal technology modernization effort. This role will focus on maintaining, enhancing, testing, and modernizing ...

COBOL Developer

Woodlawn, MD · On-site

$52.25 - $70.75/hr

COBOL Developer Introduction: SSA is seeking a COBOL Developer to support and modernize mission ... Must be able to pass a federal background check

Cobol Developer

Springfield, IL

$49.75 - $67.50/hr

... state and federal agencies such as State of North Carolina, State of South Carolina, State of ... An experienced developer with mainframe/COBOL experience to work in business application ...

Cobol Developer

Clinton, OK

$43.75 - $59/hr

... state and federal agencies such as State of North Carolina, State of South Carolina, State of ... Cobol Developer Location: Clinton, OK Duration: 8+ months Client: Direct Client Required Skills:

COBOL Developer Remote

Phoenix, AZ · On-site

$50 - $67.50/hr

COBOL Developer Location: Remote (Phoenix, Arizona) Duration: 12+ Months (Possibility of Extension ... federal, state, local, and education (SLED) groups, as well as commercial organizations. vTech ...

COBOL Developer

Albany, NY

$50 - $67.50/hr

... Federal and State sponsored programs in a federated approach to deliver integrated human services ... Many of these applications are within a mainframe environment utilizing COBOL technology. These ...

Cobol Developer

Springfield, IL

$49.75 - $67.50/hr

... state and federal agencies such as State of North Carolina, State of South Carolina, State of ... An experienced developer with mainframe/COBOL experience to work in business application ...

... scale federal enterprise. To succeed in this role, you must bring deep expertise in mainframe ... Desired Skills: COBOL, JCL, DB2, IMS, IBM z/OS, IDz, GitLab, TSO/ISPF, VSAM, Control-M, IDCAMS ...

Sr Cobol Developer

Trenton, NJ · On-site

$50 - $65/hr

Senior Mainframe Developer / COBOL Senior Consultant Location: Trenton, NJ (Onsite) Duration ... other federal, state, and local standards * Sedentary work that involves sitting or remaining ...

Cobol Developer

Raleigh, NC

$48.75 - $66/hr

... state and federal agencies such as State of North Carolina, State of South Carolina, State of ... Cobol Developer Duration: 12+ Months Location: Raleigh, NC Required Skills: Knowledge and ...

$57.25 - $77.50/hr

SELECTED CANDIDATES WITHOUT REQUIRED CLEARANCE WILL BE SUBJECT TO A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BACKGROUND ... Provide COBOL coding support. * Perform system maintenance tasks such as system back-up, recovery ...

Role: Senior Natural/COBOL Developer Expected Duration: 8 months Location: Remote-Texas based ... state or federal agency framework. * 3 Years of Experience with automating identity management ...

FOCUS COBOL CICS Developer (Remote)

Indianapolis, IN · On-site +1

$48 - $65/hr

Tier One Technologies is seeking a COBOL/CICS Developer to provide system development, enhancement ... SELECTED CANDIDATES WITHOUT REQUIRED CLEARANCE WILL BE SUBJECT TO A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BACKGROUND ...

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Federal Cobol information

See salary details

$10

$55

$73

How much do federal cobol jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 20, 2026, the average hourly pay for federal cobol in the United States is $55.52, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $48.32 and $65.38 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

Does the government use COBOL?

Yes, the government still uses COBOL for many legacy systems, especially in financial and administrative sectors. COBOL programmers are needed to maintain and update these systems, which often run on mainframes and require knowledge of the language and mainframe environments.

What types of projects and responsibilities can I expect as a Federal COBOL Developer?

As a Federal COBOL Developer, you will typically be involved in maintaining, enhancing, and modernizing legacy COBOL applications that support critical government operations, such as payroll, benefits processing, or case management. Your daily responsibilities may include analyzing existing code, writing new COBOL programs, troubleshooting system issues, and ensuring interoperability with newer technologies. Collaboration is common—you'll often work with business analysts, database administrators, project managers, and security specialists to implement updates and maintain compliance with federal standards. This role offers valuable exposure to large-scale, mission-critical systems and opportunities to learn about federal processes, laying groundwork for long-term career advancement in government IT. Expect to work in team environments that may include hybrid or remote components, depending on your agency.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Federal Cobol position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Federal COBOL Developer, you need advanced knowledge of COBOL programming, experience in mainframe environments, and a strong understanding of federal government systems and compliance standards. Familiarity with IBM z/OS mainframes, JCL, DB2, CICS, and optionally relevant federal security or IT certifications (such as Security+ or federal clearance) is important. Attention to detail, collaborative teamwork, and effective communication skills help navigate legacy codebases and coordinate with multidisciplinary teams. These skills are essential for maintaining mission-critical government applications and ensuring reliability and compliance in a regulated environment.

Which banks still use COBOL?

Many large banks and financial institutions continue to use COBOL for core banking systems due to its reliability and stability. These organizations often employ COBOL programmers to maintain and update legacy systems, which remain critical for processing transactions and managing accounts. Job roles for COBOL developers are still available in the banking sector, especially in institutions with extensive legacy infrastructure.

What is a Federal Cobol job?

A Federal COBOL job involves maintaining, updating, and developing COBOL-based software systems for government agencies. Many federal systems still rely on COBOL for critical operations like finance, payroll, and data processing. Professionals in this role ensure these legacy systems remain functional, secure, and efficient. They often work with mainframe environments, databases, and modernization efforts. Security clearance and knowledge of federal regulations may be required.

Are COBOL jobs still in demand?

COBOL jobs remain in demand in industries such as banking, finance, and government, where legacy systems still rely on COBOL programming. Many organizations seek experienced COBOL developers for maintenance, modernization, and integration projects, often requiring knowledge of mainframe environments and related tools.

Do COBOL jobs pay well?

COBOL jobs typically offer competitive salaries due to the specialized nature of maintaining legacy systems in industries like finance and government. Experienced COBOL programmers with skills in mainframe environments and certifications tend to earn higher wages, especially in regions with high demand for legacy system support.
More about Federal Cobol jobs
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Infographic showing various Federal Cobol job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 50% Full Time, and 50% Contract. Highlights an 67% In-person, and 33% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $115,475 per year, or $55.5 per hour.
COBOL Developer

COBOL Developer

MissionStaff

Woodlawn, MD • On-site

$52.25 - $70.75/hr

Other

Re-posted 8 days ago


Job description

COBOL Developer

We are seeking experienced COBOL Developers to support a large federal technology modernization effort. This role will focus on maintaining, enhancing, testing, and modernizing mission-critical mainframe applications used in a large-scale government environment.

The ideal candidate has strong hands-on experience with COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, batch processing, and production support. This is a strong opportunity for senior mainframe professionals who want to support a long-term federal mission with stable work, strong compensation, and meaningful technical impact.

Responsibilities

Develop, maintain, and enhance COBOL applications in a mainframe environment.

Analyze business requirements and translate them into technical solutions.

Support batch and online transaction processing systems.

Create, modify, and troubleshoot JCL jobs.

Support DB2, VSAM, CICS, and related mainframe components.

Perform unit testing, integration testing, debugging, and production support.

Document technical changes, system updates, and application logic.

Support modernization efforts involving legacy system analysis and business rule extraction.

Required Skills

COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, Mainframe batch processing, Production support, Application maintenance and enhancement, Testing and debugging, Federal or large enterprise systems experience preferred

Preferred Qualifications

Prior government, SSA, IRS, Treasury, VA, DoD, or federal systems experience.

Experience with mainframe modernization.

Experience supporting high-volume, mission-critical systems.

Ability to work onsite in Woodlawn/Baltimore, MD.