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Mainframe Development Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Application Development and Production Support for multiple large projects * Research and resolve production issues, troubleshooting of mainframe on-line and batch abends * Evaluate the daily and ...

Senior Mainframe COBOL Developer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$52.75 - $68/hr

Required Qualifications * 10+ years of COBOL development experience on IBM Mainframe. * Strong hands-on experience with COBOL, CICS, DB2, JCL, and MQ . * Experience supporting production environments ...

MainFrame OS Developer - Torrance, CA

Torrance, CA · On-site

$50.75 - $65.25/hr

The role requires strong analytical skills and experience in various mainframe technologies, focusing on the development and implementation of systems in the automotive finance sector.

Maintain a deep technical knowledge of the products developed by the mainframe division of Broadcom. * Provide technical specifications and requirements documentation as necessary to support the ...

Showing results 21-40

Mainframe Development information

See California salary details

$27.9K

$88.8K

$141K

How much do mainframe development jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for mainframe development in California is $88,779.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $70,014.00 and $109,673.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Mainframe Development vs Mainframe Testing?

AspectMainframe DevelopmentMainframe Testing
Primary FocusDesigning, coding, and maintaining mainframe applicationsVerifying and validating mainframe applications for bugs and performance
Required SkillsCOBOL, JCL, DB2, CICSTesting tools, scripting, debugging, knowledge of mainframe environments
Work EnvironmentDevelopment teams, coding in mainframe environmentsQuality assurance teams, testing labs, mainframe systems
CertificationsCOBOL certifications, IBM mainframe certificationsISTQB, mainframe testing certifications

While Mainframe Development involves creating and maintaining mainframe applications, Mainframe Testing focuses on ensuring those applications work correctly and efficiently. Both roles require knowledge of mainframe environments and related skills, but they serve different stages in the software lifecycle.

Is mainframe development a good career?

Mainframe development is a stable career with high demand in industries like finance and government that rely on legacy systems. It requires knowledge of languages such as COBOL and tools like JCL, and often offers competitive salaries and job security due to the specialized skills involved.

Is mainframe development still in demand?

Mainframe development remains in demand in industries such as finance, government, and healthcare that rely on legacy systems for critical operations. Skilled mainframe developers with knowledge of COBOL, JCL, and mainframe environments are sought after to maintain and modernize these systems, ensuring their continued relevance in enterprise IT infrastructure.

What does a mainframe developer do?

A mainframe developer designs, codes, tests, and maintains applications running on mainframe computers, often using languages like COBOL, PL/I, or Assembler. They work in environments that require high reliability and security, and typically collaborate with system administrators and analysts to ensure smooth operation of enterprise systems.
Infographic showing various Mainframe Development job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 86% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $88,779 per year, or $42.7 per hour.

Mainframe Application Programmer

West Advanced Technologies (WATI)

Downey, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 7 days ago


Job description

Mainframe Application Programmer
Downey, CA
12+ months
Need locals - Hybrid Role
Skills Required:
The Senior Application Programmer for Mainframe Systems will possess knowledge and experience in applications software development principles and methods sufficient to participate in the design, development, testing and implementation of new or modified applications software; organization's operational environment; software design principles, methods and approaches; principles, methods and procedures for designing, developing, optimizing and integrating new and/or reusable systems components; pertinent government regulations; infrastructure requirements, database management principles and methodologies, including data structures, data modeling, data warehousing and transaction processing; functionality and operability of the current operating environment; systems engineering concepts and factors such as structured design, supportability, reliability, scalability and maintainability; optimization concepts and methods; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work; and speak and write effectively and prepare effective reports.
Must have a minimum of seven (7) years of experience in electronic data processing systems design and programming with one or more of the software set forth below. LANGUAGES: COBOL, Natural/ SuperNatural, IMS/DB/DC, DB2/SQL, Assembler, SAS, CICS; MF FOCUS; TOOLS/UTILITIES: MVS JCL, MVS TSO/ISPF, IBM OPTIM, FILE Manager, SPUFI, ICEMAN/ICETOOLS, SORT, VSAM, CLIST, FTP, DYL260/280, CA Gen (CoolGen), CA Endevor, CA Spool, CA OM Web Viewer, IBM WebSphere, Debugger, N2O; DATABASES: DB2, IMS, ADABAS, FOCUS; OS: z/OS; OTHER: EntireX, ASP, HTML, Cloverleaf.
Bachelor's degree in an IT-related or Computer Science field.
Experience Preferred:
Experience with IMS/COBOL programming in a mainframe environment.
Regards
Naresh Damagalla
West Advanced Technologies, Inc
E: naresh.d@wati.com D: 279-666-5838
Serving government agencies for 22 Years
www.wati.com