Side-by-side distribution
COBOL
$125,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 15.6%
- Live roles
- 45
Kotlin
$159,525
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 7.7%
- Live roles
- 78
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Mainframe Developer – IMS Database & zOS
Mainframe Developer
Software Developer Lead - COBOL, z/OS Mainframe
Senior Mainframe Developer
Mainframe Developer - Cards & Rewards
Senior Mainframe Developer
Mainframe Developer
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Software Engineer, Android (Kotlin)
Lead Product Software Engineer (Kotlin)
Senior Product Software Engineer (Kotlin)
Software Engineer II (Mobile Developer - Android/Kotlin) - Mobile App Growth
Homes.com - Android Engineer (Kotlin)
Back-end Software Engineer (Kotlin)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| US USAA | $166,055 | 1 |
|
Bank of America
|
$141,400 | 1 |
|
Regions
|
$140,690 | 1 |
|
Ensono
|
$125,000 | 1 |
|
PNC
|
$122,188 | 1 |
| TF Thermo Fisher Scientific | $99,750 | 1 |
| TB TD Bank | $70,853 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| DI Disney | $182,475 | 2 |
| DO Doximity | $192,000 | 1 |
|
Klaviyo
|
$145,000 | 1 |
|
CoStar Group
|
$131,000 | 1 |
|
Manulife
|
$61,996 | 1 |
COBOL vs Kotlin: which pays more?
The median for COBOL is $125,000 per year (typically $110,969–$141,045), versus $159,525 for Kotlin ($134,500–$186,688). That puts Kotlin about 28% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so COBOL and Kotlin are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.