Mainframe System Administrator Salary
$21K - $32K
10% of jobs
$32K - $43K
0% of jobs
$43K - $54K
9% of jobs
$54K - $65K
0% of jobs
$65K - $76K
0% of jobs
$76K - $87K
1% of jobs
$96.1K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$87K - $98K
6% of jobs
$98K - $109K
14% of jobs
The median wage is $118.3K / yr.
$109K - $120K
11% of jobs
$120K - $131K
23% of jobs
$131.1K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$131K - $142K
25% of jobs
$21K
$120K
$140.5K
$106,357
/year
$51.13
/hour
Mainframe System Administrator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$106,357
Columbus
Ohio
$102,730
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How much does a Mainframe System Administrator make?
As of Aug 22, 2026, the average annual pay for a Mainframe System Administrator in the United States is $106,357 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $51.13 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,045/week or $8,863/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $140,500 and as low as $21,000, the majority of Mainframe System Administrator salaries currently range between $97,000 (25th percentile) to $134,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $136,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Mainframe System Administrator varies greatly (by as much as 37000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Mainframe System Administrator in your area makes on average $102,730 per year, or $3,627 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $106,357. Ohio ranks number 42 out of 50 states nationwide for Mainframe System Administrator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Mainframe System Administrator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Mainframe System Administrator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Mainframe System Administrator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Mainframe System Administrator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Beverly, MA, , with Glenwood Springs, CO, and Sterling Forest, NY, close behind in the second and third positions. Sterling Forest, NY, beats the national average by $31,234 (29.4%), and Beverly, MA, furthers that trend with another $36,242 (34.1%) above the $106,357 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Mainframe System Administrator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 12% between Beverly, MA, and San Francisco, 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 System Administrator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Beverly, MA | $142,599 | $68.56 |
Glenwood Springs, CO | $140,134 | $67.37 |
Sterling Forest, NY | $137,591 | $66.15 |
Edison, NJ | $134,768 | $64.79 |
Nome, AK | $131,935 | $63.43 |
Berkeley, CA | $130,227 | $62.61 |
Columbia, WA | $129,905 | $62.45 |
Sitka, AK | $128,126 | $61.60 |
Mountain View, CA | $125,467 | $60.32 |
San Francisco, CA | $125,307 | $60.24 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Mainframe System Administrator Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Mainframe System Administrator category.
For example Director Management Consulting jobs pay as much as $11,123 (10.5%) more than the average Mainframe System Administrator salary of $106,357. If you're qualified, finding work as a Director Management Consulting may help you make more money than that of the average Mainframe System Administrator position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Director Management Consulting | $117,480 | $56.48 |
Entry Level Oracle Pl Sql Developer | $113,475 | $54.56 |
Ibm Security Consultant | $105,890 | $50.91 |
Ibm Graduate | $93,827 | $45.11 |
Ibm Consulting | $56,111 | $26.98 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
