How much does a COBOL Programmer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a COBOL Programmer in the United States is $81,544 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.
However, a COBOL Programmer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $95,851
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $73,063 to $89,033
Key Factors That Influence COBOL Programmer Salaries
A COBOL Programmer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects COBOL Programmer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a COBOL Programmer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do COBOL Programmer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract COBOL Programmers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $102,852
San Francisco: $101,726
Oakland: $99,582
San Jose, CA$102,852
San Francisco, CA$101,726
Oakland, CA$99,582
New York, NY$93,889
Paramus, NJ$92,748
Queens Village, NY$92,744
Passaic, NJ$92,666
Bergenfield, NJ$92,659
Stamford, CT$92,480
Huntington, NY$92,446
Newark, NJ$91,843
Bridgeport, CT$91,671
Vallejo, CA$91,509
New Brunswick, NJ$91,477
Petaluma, CA$91,428
Middlesex, NJ$91,273
Somerset, NJ$91,216
Santa Cruz, CA$91,110
Boston, MA$90,612
Monterey, CA$90,326
Seattle, WA$90,139
Santa Rosa, CA$90,123
Los Angeles, CA$90,098
Juneau, AK$89,886
Washington, DC$89,797
Orange, CA$89,506
Santa Ana, CA$89,291
Long Beach, CA$89,210
Anaheim, CA$89,193
Anchorage, AK$89,152
Santa Maria, CA$88,908
Everett, WA$88,892
Danbury, CT$88,605
Bremerton, WA$88,492
Tacoma, WA$88,198
New Suffolk, NY$88,197
Sacramento, CA$88,174
Santa Barbara, CA$88,084
Trenton, NJ$87,995
San Diego, CA$87,995
Brockton, MA$87,905
Fairbanks, AK$87,705
Lompoc, CA$87,497
Lowell, MA$87,431
Ventura, CA$87,416
Nashua, NH$87,399
Stockton, CA$87,391
Modesto, CA$86,796
Poughkeepsie, NY$86,616
Olympia, WA$86,462
Kennewick, WA$86,462
New Haven, CT$86,429
Lawrence, MA$86,135
Hartford, CT$86,054
Riverside, CA$86,037
New Bedford, MA$85,956
Richland, WA$85,956
Bakersfield, CA$85,842
San Bernardino, CA$85,809
New Britain, CT$85,801
Atlantic City, NJ$85,801
New London, CT$85,768
Norwich, CT$85,744
Portsmouth, NH$85,728
Boulder, CO$85,555
Portland, OR$85,442
Worcester, MA$85,434
Minneapolis, MN$85,181
Philadelphia, PA$85,067
Honolulu, HI$84,798
Saint Paul, MN$84,759
Vineland, NJ$84,741
Providence, RI$84,504
Chicago, IL$84,268
Bellingham, WA$84,170
Springfield, MA$84,105
Baltimore, MD$84,080
Chico, CA$83,877
Pittsfield, MA$83,656
Manchester, NH$83,501
Spokane, WA$83,143
Denver, CO$83,135
Albany, NY$82,751
Troy, NY$82,719
Nassau, NY$82,631
Schenectady, NY$82,547
Wilmington, DE$82,482
Burlington, VT$82,368
Salem, OR$82,335
Portland, ME$82,083
Yakima, WA$82,001
Rochester, MN$81,748
Reno, NV$81,707
Fresno, CA$81,707
Milwaukee, WI$81,634
Detroit, MI$81,553
Ann Arbor, MI$81,539
Allentown, PA$81,528
Colorado Springs, CO$81,389
Syracuse, NY$81,349
Carson City, NV$81,349
Houston, TX$81,235
Eugene, OR$81,194
Gary, IN$81,096
Springfield, OR$81,031
Bismarck, ND$81,014
Galveston, TX$80,957
Medford, OR$80,835
Fort Collins, CO$80,802
Concord, NH$80,762
Austin, TX$80,737
Mesa, AZ$80,566
Reading, PA$80,558
Phoenix, AZ$80,550
Dallas, TX$80,525
Saint Cloud, MN$80,447
Madison, WI$80,338
Utica, NY$80,117
Rochester, NY$79,987
Des Moines, IA$79,979
Raleigh, NC$79,971
Atlanta, GA$79,848
Battle Creek, MI$79,824
Salt Lake City, UT$79,799
Lancaster, PA$79,677
Harrisburg, PA$79,563
Kansas City, MO$79,481
Champaign, IL$79,465
Kansas City, KS$79,465
Fort Worth, TX$79,457
Columbus, OH$79,443
Boca Raton, FL$79,424
Pittsburgh, PA$79,392
Richmond, VA$79,359
Indianapolis, IN$79,343
Cleveland, OH$79,335
Las Vegas, NV$79,237
Cincinnati, OH$79,237
Petersburg, VA$79,114
Huntsville, AL$78,992
Lansing, MI$78,937
Lebanon, PA$78,927
Pueblo, CO$78,919
Appleton, WI$78,894
Buffalo, NY$78,862
Dayton, OH$78,837
Racine, WI$78,821
Charlotte, NC$78,813
Saint Louis, MO$78,788
York, PA$78,739
Elkhart, IN$78,739
Gastonia, NC$78,724
Billings, MT$78,704
Beaumont, TX$78,682
Lorain, OH$78,666
Benton Harbor, MI$78,650
Toledo, OH$78,633
Binghamton, NY$78,592
Rock Hill, SC$78,584
Rockford, IL$78,544
Springfield, IL$78,511
Elyria, OH$78,503
Fargo, ND$78,503
Flagstaff, AZ$78,446
Fort Lauderdale, FL$78,397
Duluth, MN$78,348
Miami, FL$78,348
Cheyenne, WY$78,291
Grand Forks, ND$78,291
Bangor, ME$78,111
Cedar Rapids, IA$78,022
Durham, NC$77,987
Louisville, KY$77,981
Grand Rapids, MI$77,965
Hialeah, FL$77,956
Casper, WY$77,842
Scranton, PA$77,744
New Orleans, LA$77,720
Virginia Beach, VA$77,712
Akron, OH$77,671
Peoria, IL$77,565
Sarasota, FL$77,549
Nashville, TN$77,492
Omaha, NE$77,492
Green Bay, WI$77,492
Baton Rouge, LA$77,451
Charleston, SC$77,435
Jamestown, NY$77,394
Davenport, IA$77,394
Tucson, AZ$77,353
Saint Petersburg, FL$77,304
Tampa, FL$77,288
Evansville, IN$77,239
Port Arthur, TX$77,239
Bradenton, FL$77,206
Santa Fe, NM$77,059
Orlando, FL$76,913
Clearwater, FL$76,888
Canton, OH$76,717
La Crosse, WI$76,717
Albuquerque, NM$76,668
Newport News, VA$76,660
High Point, NC$76,635
Ogden, UT$76,603
Corpus Christi, TX$76,538
Norfolk, VA$76,489
Laramie, WY$76,489
Rock Island, IL$76,440
Saginaw, MI$76,423
Jacksonville, FL$76,415
Salisbury, NC$76,399
Boise, ID$76,383
Moline, IL$76,342
Fort Myers, FL$76,317
Memphis, TN$76,301
Tulsa, OK$76,260
Waterloo, IA$76,211
Spartanburg, SC$76,130
Lincoln, NE$76,089
Fort Wayne, IN$76,073
Provo, UT$76,065
Cedar Falls, IA$75,967
San Antonio, TX$75,934
Greensboro, NC$75,902
South Bend, IN$75,893
Savannah, GA$75,804
Muskegon, MI$75,771
Birmingham, AL$75,763
Winston Salem, NC$75,723
Lake Charles, LA$75,526
Anderson, IN$75,510
Lexington, KY$75,486
Augusta, GA$75,461
Greenville, SC$75,461
Lima, OH$75,396
Wichita, KS$75,388
Tuscaloosa, AL$75,388
Columbia, SC$75,314
Springfield, OH$75,298
Asheville, NC$75,168
Bloomington, IN$75,111
Knoxville, TN$74,817
Shreveport, LA$74,809
Wilmington, NC$74,703
Roanoke, VA$74,703
Topeka, KS$74,556
Frankfort, KY$74,547
Oklahoma City, OK$74,491
Chillicothe, OH$74,458
Longview, TX$74,450
Melbourne, FL$74,442
Sioux Falls, SD$74,311
Mobile, AL$74,303
Terre Haute, IN$74,271
Altoona, PA$74,222
Amarillo, TX$74,165
Killeen, TX$74,140
Fayetteville, AR$74,075
Chattanooga, TN$74,050
Sioux City, IA$73,977
Idaho Falls, ID$73,961
Lynchburg, VA$73,896
Gainesville, FL$73,790
Portsmouth, OH$73,749
Little Rock, AR$73,732
Lafayette, LA$73,700
Youngstown, OH$73,700
Daytona Beach, FL$73,651
Clarksville, TN$73,643
Pensacola, FL$73,635
Temple, TX$73,629
Hopkinsville, KY$73,390
Erie, PA$73,374
Florence, SC$73,341
Charleston, WV$73,211
Great Falls, MT$73,170
Macon, GA$73,056
Tallahassee, FL$73,047
Fayetteville, NC$73,031
Waco, TX$73,015
Helena, MT$72,958
Pine Bluff, AR$72,927
Vincennes, IN$72,827
Lubbock, TX$72,795
Alamogordo, NM$72,746
Twin Falls, ID$72,672
Rapid City, SD$72,648
Jackson, MS$72,501
Huntington, WV$72,495
Greenville, MS$72,493
Parkersburg, WV$72,410
Montgomery, AL$72,395
Wichita Falls, TX$72,314
Springfield, MO$72,314
Biloxi, MS$72,273
Monroe, LA$72,191
Johnstown, PA$72,134
Sumter, SC$72,102
Columbus, GA$72,093
Pascagoula, MS$71,938
Abilene, TX$71,938
Kingsport, TN$71,726
Albany, GA$71,726
Gulfport, MS$71,702
Alexandria, LA$71,433
Fort Smith, AR$71,229
El Paso, TX$71,009
Las Cruces, NM$70,642
Harlingen, TX$70,435
Pocatello, ID$70,422
Florence, AL$70,316
Brownsville, TX$70,299
Mcallen, TX$70,128
Dothan, AL$70,014
Columbus, MS$69,530
Altus, OK$69,150
Lawton, OK$68,995
Pierre, SD$68,701
What Skills Can Increase a COBOL Programmer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Written Communication (Mentioned in 6.25% Job Postings): Communicating information through written media to educate, inform and influence the target audience.
Data Networks (Mentioned in 4.69% Job Postings): Data networks refer to systems designed to transfer data between two or more access points via the use of system controls, transmission lines and data switching
Programming (Mentioned in 1.56% Job Postings): Executing logic to facilitate computing operations and functionality in one or more languages.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a COBOL Programmer's salary.
Solutions Development: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
System Configuration: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Web Portals: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
COBOL Programmer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For COBOL Programmer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 55% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and Financial Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, COBOL Programmer positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Transportation typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view COBOL Programmer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a COBOL Programmer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$101,930
$49.0
25%
Financial Services
$97,853
$47.0
20%
Pharmaceuticals
$96,222
$46.0
18%
Energy & Utilities
$93,776
$45.0
15%
Internet
$91,330
$44.0
12%
How Education impacts a COBOL Programmer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many COBOL Programmers enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a COBOL Programmer with a Associate's Degree is between
$79,357
and $85,394).
COBOL Programmer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a COBOL Programmer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a COBOL Programmer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $80,948 in 2023
to around $80,484 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of COBOL Programmer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of COBOL Programmer Over Time
$???
$80,948
$81,156
$80,484
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$80,948
2024
$81,156
2025
$80,484
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for COBOL Programmer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for COBOL Programmer
Here are companies hiring for COBOL Programmer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next COBOL Programmer Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current COBOL Programmer job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
For Employees
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Get a Salary Increase
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Search Job Openings
For Employers
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Adjust Employee Salary
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Price My Industry Jobs
FAQ about COBOL Programmer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for COBOL Programmer?
The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for COBOL Programmer roles,
with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
