Mainframe Developer

Mainframe Developer Salary

$21K

$110K

$151K

$111,026

/year

$53.38

/hour

Mainframe Developer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$111,026

Columbus

Ohio

$107,240

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    How much does a Mainframe Developer make?

    As of Jun 8, 2026, the average annual pay for a Mainframe Developer in the United States is $111,026 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $53.38 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,135/week or $9,252/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $151,000 and as low as $21,000, the majority of Mainframe Developer salaries currently range between $98,000 (25th percentile) to $126,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $142,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Mainframe Developer varies greatly (by as much as 28000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Mainframe Developer in your area makes on average $107,240 per year, or $3,786 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $111,026. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Mainframe Developer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Mainframe Developer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Mainframe Developer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Mainframe Developer Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Mainframe Developer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Wales, AK, , with Nome, AK, and Cupertino, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Cupertino, CA, beats the national average by $25,952 (23.4%), and Wales, AK, furthers that trend with another $27,149 (24.5%) above the $111,026 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Mainframe Developer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Wales, AK, and Danville, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Mainframe Developer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Wales, AK

    $138,175

    $66.43

    Nome, AK

    $137,727

    $66.21

    Cupertino, CA

    $136,978

    $65.85

    California City, CA

    $136,167

    $65.46

    Sitka, AK

    $133,751

    $64.30

    Pennington County, SD

    $130,945

    $62.95

    San Francisco, CA

    $130,808

    $62.89

    Palo Alto, CA

    $130,513

    $62.75

    San Jose, CA

    $130,092

    $62.54

    Danville, CA

    $129,900

    $62.45

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Mainframe Developer Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Mainframe Developer category.

    For example Engineering Services jobs pay as much as $35,842 (32.3%) more than the average Mainframe Developer salary of $111,026. If you're qualified, finding work as a Engineering Services may help you make more money than that of the average Mainframe Developer position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Engineering Services

    $146,868

    $70.61

    Mainframe Lead

    $133,808

    $64.33

    Cobol Application Developer

    $118,666

    $57.05

    Jcl

    $115,241

    $55.40

    Server Build Technician

    $43,195

    $20.77

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Mainframe Developer salary across the United States as of June 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $111,026 per year or $53.38 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.