How much does a Mainframe Engineer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Mainframe Engineer in the United States is $85,299 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $41.
However, a Mainframe Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $98,519
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $77,324 to $92,219
Key Factors That Influence Mainframe Engineer Salaries
A Mainframe Engineer'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 Mainframe Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Mainframe Engineer'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 Mainframe Engineer 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 Mainframe Engineers. 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: $107,587
San Francisco: $106,409
Oakland: $104,167
San Jose, CA$107,587
San Francisco, CA$106,409
Oakland, CA$104,167
New York, NY$98,212
Paramus, NJ$97,018
Queens Village, NY$97,014
Passaic, NJ$96,933
Bergenfield, NJ$96,925
Stamford, CT$96,737
Huntington, NY$96,702
Newark, NJ$96,072
Bridgeport, CT$95,892
Vallejo, CA$95,722
New Brunswick, NJ$95,688
Petaluma, CA$95,637
Middlesex, NJ$95,475
Somerset, NJ$95,415
Santa Cruz, CA$95,304
Boston, MA$94,784
Monterey, CA$94,485
Seattle, WA$94,289
Santa Rosa, CA$94,272
Los Angeles, CA$94,247
Juneau, AK$94,025
Washington, DC$93,931
Orange, CA$93,627
Santa Ana, CA$93,402
Long Beach, CA$93,317
Anaheim, CA$93,300
Anchorage, AK$93,257
Santa Maria, CA$93,001
Everett, WA$92,984
Danbury, CT$92,684
Bremerton, WA$92,566
Tacoma, WA$92,259
New Suffolk, NY$92,257
Sacramento, CA$92,233
Santa Barbara, CA$92,140
Trenton, NJ$92,046
San Diego, CA$92,046
Brockton, MA$91,952
Fairbanks, AK$91,743
Lompoc, CA$91,526
Lowell, MA$91,456
Ventura, CA$91,440
Nashua, NH$91,423
Stockton, CA$91,415
Modesto, CA$90,792
Poughkeepsie, NY$90,604
Olympia, WA$90,442
Kennewick, WA$90,442
New Haven, CT$90,408
Lawrence, MA$90,101
Hartford, CT$90,016
Riverside, CA$89,999
New Bedford, MA$89,913
Richland, WA$89,913
Bakersfield, CA$89,794
San Bernardino, CA$89,760
New Britain, CT$89,751
Atlantic City, NJ$89,751
New London, CT$89,717
Norwich, CT$89,692
Portsmouth, NH$89,675
Boulder, CO$89,494
Portland, OR$89,376
Worcester, MA$89,367
Minneapolis, MN$89,103
Philadelphia, PA$88,984
Honolulu, HI$88,702
Saint Paul, MN$88,661
Vineland, NJ$88,642
Providence, RI$88,395
Chicago, IL$88,148
Bellingham, WA$88,045
Springfield, MA$87,977
Baltimore, MD$87,951
Chico, CA$87,738
Pittsfield, MA$87,508
Manchester, NH$87,346
Spokane, WA$86,971
Denver, CO$86,962
Albany, NY$86,561
Troy, NY$86,527
Nassau, NY$86,436
Schenectady, NY$86,348
Wilmington, DE$86,280
Burlington, VT$86,160
Salem, OR$86,126
Portland, ME$85,862
Yakima, WA$85,776
Rochester, MN$85,512
Reno, NV$85,469
Fresno, CA$85,469
Milwaukee, WI$85,393
Detroit, MI$85,307
Ann Arbor, MI$85,293
Allentown, PA$85,282
Colorado Springs, CO$85,137
Syracuse, NY$85,094
Carson City, NV$85,094
Houston, TX$84,975
Eugene, OR$84,932
Gary, IN$84,830
Springfield, OR$84,761
Bismarck, ND$84,744
Galveston, TX$84,685
Medford, OR$84,557
Fort Collins, CO$84,522
Concord, NH$84,480
Austin, TX$84,454
Mesa, AZ$84,275
Reading, PA$84,267
Phoenix, AZ$84,258
Dallas, TX$84,232
Saint Cloud, MN$84,151
Madison, WI$84,036
Utica, NY$83,806
Rochester, NY$83,669
Des Moines, IA$83,661
Raleigh, NC$83,652
Atlanta, GA$83,524
Battle Creek, MI$83,499
Salt Lake City, UT$83,473
Lancaster, PA$83,345
Harrisburg, PA$83,226
Kansas City, MO$83,141
Champaign, IL$83,124
Kansas City, KS$83,124
Fort Worth, TX$83,115
Columbus, OH$83,101
Boca Raton, FL$83,081
Pittsburgh, PA$83,047
Richmond, VA$83,013
Indianapolis, IN$82,996
Cleveland, OH$82,987
Las Vegas, NV$82,885
Cincinnati, OH$82,885
Petersburg, VA$82,757
Huntsville, AL$82,629
Lansing, MI$82,572
Lebanon, PA$82,561
Pueblo, CO$82,552
Appleton, WI$82,526
Buffalo, NY$82,492
Dayton, OH$82,467
Racine, WI$82,450
Charlotte, NC$82,441
Saint Louis, MO$82,416
York, PA$82,364
Elkhart, IN$82,364
Gastonia, NC$82,348
Billings, MT$82,328
Beaumont, TX$82,305
Lorain, OH$82,288
Benton Harbor, MI$82,271
Toledo, OH$82,254
Binghamton, NY$82,211
Rock Hill, SC$82,202
Rockford, IL$82,160
Springfield, IL$82,126
Elyria, OH$82,117
Fargo, ND$82,117
Flagstaff, AZ$82,057
Fort Lauderdale, FL$82,006
Duluth, MN$81,955
Miami, FL$81,955
Cheyenne, WY$81,895
Grand Forks, ND$81,895
Bangor, ME$81,708
Cedar Rapids, IA$81,614
Durham, NC$81,578
Louisville, KY$81,571
Grand Rapids, MI$81,554
Hialeah, FL$81,546
Casper, WY$81,426
Scranton, PA$81,324
New Orleans, LA$81,298
Virginia Beach, VA$81,290
Akron, OH$81,247
Peoria, IL$81,136
Sarasota, FL$81,119
Nashville, TN$81,059
Omaha, NE$81,059
Green Bay, WI$81,059
Baton Rouge, LA$81,017
Charleston, SC$81,000
Jamestown, NY$80,957
Davenport, IA$80,957
Tucson, AZ$80,914
Saint Petersburg, FL$80,863
Tampa, FL$80,846
Evansville, IN$80,795
Port Arthur, TX$80,795
Bradenton, FL$80,761
Santa Fe, NM$80,607
Orlando, FL$80,454
Clearwater, FL$80,428
Canton, OH$80,249
La Crosse, WI$80,249
Albuquerque, NM$80,198
Newport News, VA$80,189
High Point, NC$80,164
Ogden, UT$80,130
Corpus Christi, TX$80,061
Norfolk, VA$80,010
Laramie, WY$80,010
Rock Island, IL$79,959
Saginaw, MI$79,942
Jacksonville, FL$79,933
Salisbury, NC$79,916
Boise, ID$79,899
Moline, IL$79,857
Fort Myers, FL$79,831
Memphis, TN$79,814
Tulsa, OK$79,771
Waterloo, IA$79,720
Spartanburg, SC$79,635
Lincoln, NE$79,592
Fort Wayne, IN$79,575
Provo, UT$79,567
Cedar Falls, IA$79,464
San Antonio, TX$79,430
Greensboro, NC$79,396
South Bend, IN$79,388
Savannah, GA$79,294
Muskegon, MI$79,260
Birmingham, AL$79,251
Winston Salem, NC$79,209
Lake Charles, LA$79,004
Anderson, IN$78,987
Lexington, KY$78,961
Augusta, GA$78,935
Greenville, SC$78,935
Lima, OH$78,867
Wichita, KS$78,859
Tuscaloosa, AL$78,859
Columbia, SC$78,782
Springfield, OH$78,765
Asheville, NC$78,628
Bloomington, IN$78,569
Knoxville, TN$78,262
Shreveport, LA$78,253
Wilmington, NC$78,142
Roanoke, VA$78,142
Topeka, KS$77,989
Frankfort, KY$77,979
Oklahoma City, OK$77,920
Chillicothe, OH$77,886
Longview, TX$77,878
Melbourne, FL$77,869
Sioux Falls, SD$77,733
Mobile, AL$77,724
Terre Haute, IN$77,690
Altoona, PA$77,639
Amarillo, TX$77,579
Killeen, TX$77,554
Fayetteville, AR$77,485
Chattanooga, TN$77,460
Sioux City, IA$77,383
Idaho Falls, ID$77,366
Lynchburg, VA$77,298
Gainesville, FL$77,187
Portsmouth, OH$77,144
Little Rock, AR$77,127
Lafayette, LA$77,093
Youngstown, OH$77,093
Daytona Beach, FL$77,042
Clarksville, TN$77,033
Pensacola, FL$77,025
Temple, TX$77,019
Hopkinsville, KY$76,769
Erie, PA$76,752
Florence, SC$76,718
Charleston, WV$76,581
Great Falls, MT$76,539
Macon, GA$76,419
Tallahassee, FL$76,411
Fayetteville, NC$76,394
Waco, TX$76,376
Helena, MT$76,317
Pine Bluff, AR$76,284
Vincennes, IN$76,180
Lubbock, TX$76,146
Alamogordo, NM$76,095
Twin Falls, ID$76,018
Rapid City, SD$75,993
Jackson, MS$75,839
Huntington, WV$75,833
Greenville, MS$75,831
Parkersburg, WV$75,744
Montgomery, AL$75,728
Wichita Falls, TX$75,643
Springfield, MO$75,643
Biloxi, MS$75,600
Monroe, LA$75,515
Johnstown, PA$75,455
Sumter, SC$75,421
Columbus, GA$75,413
Pascagoula, MS$75,251
Abilene, TX$75,251
Kingsport, TN$75,029
Albany, GA$75,029
Gulfport, MS$75,003
Alexandria, LA$74,722
Fort Smith, AR$74,508
El Paso, TX$74,278
Las Cruces, NM$73,894
Harlingen, TX$73,678
Pocatello, ID$73,664
Florence, AL$73,553
Brownsville, TX$73,536
Mcallen, TX$73,357
Dothan, AL$73,237
Columbus, MS$72,731
Altus, OK$72,333
Lawton, OK$72,171
Pierre, SD$71,864
What Skills Can Increase a Mainframe Engineer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Commitment (Mentioned in 28.74% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Computer Science (Mentioned in 2.72% Job Postings): Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines.
Software Development (Mentioned in 1.19% Job Postings): Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development is a process of writing and maintaining the source code, but in a broader sense, it includes all that is involved between the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, sometimes in a planned and structured process. Therefore, software development may include research, new development, prototyping, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products. Software can be developed for a variety of purposes, the three most common being to meet specific needs of a specific client/business (the case with custom software), to meet a perceived need of some set of potential users (the case with commercial and open source software), or for personal use (e.g. a scientist may write software to automate a mundane task). Embedded software development, that is, the development of embedded software, such as used for controlling consumer products, requires the development process to be integrated with the development of the controlled physical product. System software underlies applications and the programming process itself, and is often developed separately.
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 Mainframe Engineer's salary.
Network Design: Can increase your salary by up to 19%.
Process Management: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Mainframe Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Mainframe Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Business Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average.
In contrast, Mainframe Engineer positions in Biotechnology or Transportation typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Mainframe Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Mainframe Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense
$127,948
$62.0
50%
How Education impacts a Mainframe Engineer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Mainframe Engineers enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate 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 Mainframe Engineer with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$76,470
and $82,246).
Mainframe Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Mainframe Engineer'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 Mainframe Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $105,121 in 2023
to around $104,973 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Mainframe Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Mainframe Engineer Over Time
$???
$105,121
$106,118
$104,973
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$105,121
2024
$106,118
2025
$104,973
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Mainframe Engineer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Mainframe Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Mainframe Engineer 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
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FAQ about Mainframe Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Mainframe Engineer?
The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Mainframe Engineer roles,
with salaries approximately 50% 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.
