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Federal Cobol Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Mainframe Developer

Trenton, NJ · On-site

$49.25 - $63.25/hr

LOCAL Only* Cobol, CICS, testing, debugging, IBS OS/JCL, DB2, IDMS to DB2, Experience with ... other federal, state, and local standards * Sedentary work that involves sitting or remaining ...

Mainframe Developer

Trenton, NJ · On-site

$49.25 - $63.25/hr

LOCAL Only* Cobol, CICS, testing, debugging, IBS OS/JCL, DB2, IDMS to DB2, Experience with ... other federal, state, and local standards * Sedentary work that involves sitting or remaining ...

The ideal candidate should have strong expertise in Claims , JCL, COBOL, DB2, SQL, JIRA or ALM ... federal, state, or local laws.

... state and federal agencies such as State of North Carolina, State of South Carolina, State of ... Work collaboratively with the medicaid services MMIS Team to make coding changes to Cobol and Ads ...

Mainframe Specialist

Raleigh, NC

$47.75 - $61.25/hr

... state and federal agencies such as State of North Carolina, State of South Carolina, State of ... IBM z/OS COBOL/CICS/DB2 CICS Web Services - ENDEVOR CA DB2 Products DMV Application Systems ...

Sr. Software Engineer

Indianapolis, IN · On-site +1

$117K - $154K/yr

SOSi is seeking an experienced Senior Software Engineer to support a mission-critical federal ... Develop and maintain COBOL applications within an IBM z/OS environment. * Analyze and resolve ...

Showing results 41-60

Federal Cobol information

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$10

$55

$73

How much do federal cobol jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 3, 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.

What is a Federal COBOL?

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.

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.

Are federal COBOL programmers still in demand?

Federal COBOL programmers are still in demand due to ongoing maintenance of legacy government systems that rely on COBOL. Many agencies require expertise in mainframe environments, and experience with tools like JCL and DB2 can enhance job prospects. However, the overall demand is gradually decreasing as organizations modernize their technology stacks.
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Infographic showing various Federal Cobol job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 77% Full Time, 20% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $115,475 per year, or $55.5 per hour.

Senior Mainframe Applications Developer (COBOL, DB2, Natural, CICS) / Remote

Apetan Consulting llc

Austin, TX • Remote

$150/hr

Contractor

Re-posted 17 days ago


Job description

Senior Mainframe Applications Developer (COBOL, DB2, Natural, CICS)

Location : Austin Texas ( 100% Remote Role in Texas )
 

Experience: Minimum 12-15+ Years Must 

Looks for someone with experience working for the State / Federal Workforce or Labor Department. ( Minimum 2-3+ Years )

Advanced proficiency in writing, testing, and debugging COBOL, Natural, and JCL applications within a large-scale mainframe environment.

Hands-on experience analyzing, modifying, and optimizing DB2 tables, schemas, and relational databases to integrate new data structures into existing systems.

Knowledge of scripting and batch processing in legacy and current technology to modify online user screens (CICS/Map environments), runtime routines, and complex background batch processing jobs.

Knowledge of Web API Development, including SOAP, REST, XML, and JSON, REST, with specific experience mapping and parsing external web-service data streams into legacy mainframe backend processing.

Experience implementing secure user authentication and authorization protocols using enterprise frameworks such as LDAP, SAML, or OIDC.

Experienced in analyzing existing legacy routines and batch processing workflows to integrate new functional elements and modify underlying DB2 database tables.

Knowledge of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) principles, practices and techniques of application programming and software design

Ability to accurately test software applications using a data driven development approach

Skill in solving problems; in scheduling, testing, installing, and implementing programs; and in troubleshooting computer software systems

Expertise in analyzing undocumented or highly customized legacy code routines to perform precise gap analysis and impact mapping.

Prior experience specifically implementing or maintaining NASWA SIDES (State Information Data Exchange System) exchanges and technical specifications.

Strong functional knowledge of UI program workflows, specifically involving Additional Fact-Finding (ADF), Determinations and Decisions (DD), Monetary/Potential Charges (MPC), and Benefit Charges (BC).

SDLC tools – Visio, ALM Octane

Experience handling and securing sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII) within a state or federal agency framework.

Experience with automating identity management services to include user authentication and authorization using an authentication framework, using Azure, Okta, LDAP, Entra