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Remote Mainframe Developer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

KBR

Senior Gen AI Developer

El Segundo, CA · On-site +1

$182K - $228K/yr

KBR is seeing a Senior Gen AI Developer to join our team in El Segundo, CA (remote). The MILSATCOM Systems Engineering, Integration, and Test (MSEIT) effort provides leading edge Systems Engineering ...

Versa Networks

Cloud Application Developer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site +1

$110K - $150K/yr

Job Summary We are looking for Cloud Services Engineer to join our Cloud Services Team. Your main ... Enjoy the flexibility of remote work, and hybrid option to create the work schedule that works best ...

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All JobsRemote Mainframe Developer JobsRemote Mainframe Developer Jobs in California

Remote Mainframe Developer information

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$9

$52

$71

How much do remote mainframe developer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 2, 2026, the average hourly pay for remote mainframe developer in California is $52.68, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $46.49 and $59.81 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

Is IBM still making mainframes?

IBM continues to manufacture mainframes, such as the IBM Z series, which are widely used in enterprise environments for their reliability, security, and scalability. Mainframes remain a key platform for large-scale data processing and transaction workloads, and many organizations rely on mainframe developers to maintain and upgrade these systems.

What Does a Remote Mainframe Developer Do?

As a remote mainframe developer, you work from home to design, code, test, and configure software and applications used on a mainframe system. Mainframes are large computers with particularly high processing power and are often used for critical tasks like bulk data processing or enterprise resource planning. In this role, you may help ensure all new software is fully backward-compatible, monitor system performance, isolate errors, and work collaboratively with other developers as needed. Most mainframe developers work for larger companies. As a remote employee, you use virtual office software, phone, chat, or email to remain connected to other employees.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Remote Mainframe Developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Remote Mainframe Developer, you need strong programming skills in languages like COBOL, JCL, and experience with mainframe operating systems, often supported by a degree in computer science or related field. Familiarity with tools such as IBM z/OS, DB2, CICS, and version control systems is typically required, along with relevant certifications. Excellent problem-solving abilities, independent work ethic, and effective virtual communication are standout soft skills for this remote role. These skills ensure smooth maintenance, modernization, and support of critical legacy systems in distributed teams.

Is mainframe developer a good career?

A mainframe developer is a skilled IT professional who maintains and develops applications on mainframe systems, which are used by large organizations for critical data processing. The role offers stable employment, competitive salaries, and opportunities to work with legacy technologies like COBOL and JCL. However, it requires specialized skills and ongoing learning to stay current with evolving systems and tools.

Can mainframe be replaced by AI?

Mainframe developers work with large-scale, legacy systems that require specialized knowledge of mainframe architectures, programming languages, and security protocols. While AI can automate certain tasks like code analysis and testing, it is unlikely to fully replace the need for skilled mainframe developers who maintain and optimize critical enterprise systems. AI tools may assist in development, but human expertise remains essential for complex mainframe environments.

How does a Remote Mainframe Developer typically collaborate with on-site teams and manage communication challenges?

As a Remote Mainframe Developer, you'll often work closely with on-site IT teams, business analysts, and project managers through virtual meetings, chat platforms, and shared documentation tools. Effective communication is key, so regular check-ins and proactive status updates help ensure alignment on project goals and troubleshooting efforts. Many companies use agile methodologies, which means you'll likely participate in daily stand-ups and sprint planning sessions remotely. While time zone differences can be a challenge, flexible scheduling and clear communication protocols are common strategies to keep everyone connected and productive.

What is the salary of a mainframe developer?

The salary of a mainframe developer typically ranges from $70,000 to $120,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and certifications. Senior developers with specialized skills in COBOL, JCL, and mainframe tools may earn higher salaries, especially in industries like finance and government that rely heavily on mainframe systems.

What is a Remote Mainframe Developer?

A Remote Mainframe Developer is a software professional who specializes in designing, developing, maintaining, and troubleshooting applications that run on mainframe computers, while working from a remote location. Mainframes are powerful computers often used by large organizations for critical applications, such as transaction processing and bulk data handling. Remote Mainframe Developers use programming languages like COBOL, JCL, and Assembler, and often connect to mainframe systems via secure networks. Their work ensures that legacy systems remain efficient, secure, and up-to-date. This role typically requires strong technical skills, experience with mainframe environments, and effective communication for collaborating with on-site teams.
More about Remote Mainframe Developer jobs
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Remote Mainframe Developer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Remote Mainframe Developer job openings in California as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $109,572 per year, or $52.7 per hour.
Senior Software Engineer - Developer Productivity

Senior Software Engineer - Developer Productivity

Zipline

South San Francisco, CA • On-site, Remote

$170K - $210K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Posted 24 days ago

Job description

 
About The Role 

Zipline's software team is dedicated to rapidly delivering safety-critical software for our delivery drones. As a small team of software engineers, we build the essential tools that ensure a seamless development process. In this role, you will collaborate closely with software engineers across various domains, including autonomy, firmware, flight software, avionics, and simulation.

Your responsibilities will involve enhancing our CI/CD system, empowering teams to gain deeper insights from their PR workflows, and maintaining a smooth development flow. This position offers a dynamic blend of high-level strategic planning, such as identifying key investments and evaluating new tools, and deep dives into our codebase for debugging and improvements. You will also engage in customer-centric work, partnering with other software engineers on critical infrastructure, designing new pipelines, and facilitating code migrations to new platforms.

What You'll Do  
  • Own our monorepo CI/CD pipelines (Github Action, Buildkite)
  • Maintain observability stack (Datadog, Grafana)
  • Improve the speed and reliability of our CI/CD pipeline (Bazel caching and remote execution)
  • Collaborate with engineers to materialize their CI requirements
  • Implement and operate bazel remote execution for custom hardware and cloud native environments
  • Build tooling to support engineering test flights
  • Improve the code review process and align company wide
  • Build bots and automation that delight the team
What You'll Bring 
  • 8+ years of experience in a software development role at engineering-led companies
  • Expertise in developer tooling, modern tools and best practices
  • A generalist mindset, with excitement to own problems end-to-end
  • A customer-centric mindset, with an ability to quickly embed with other engineers and regularly pair program
  • Strong, defensible opinions on what makes an excellent software development experience
What Else You Need to Know   
This role is an in-office opportunity based out of our South San Francisco HQ. 
 
The starting cash range for this role is $170,000-210,000. Please note that this is a target, starting cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. The final cash pay for this role will depend on a variety of factors, including a specific candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, working location, and projected impact. The total compensation package for this role may also include: equity compensation; discretionary annual or performance bonuses; sales incentives; benefits such as medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off; and more.
 
Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state, federal or local law or our other policies.
 
We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!

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