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THE BEST PAYING AND MOST IN-DEMAND PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES IN 2020
Code Platoon ^ | Rod Levy

Posted on 09/21/2020 8:58:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

At Code Platoon, we track national demand for programming languages so that our Veterans and military spouses are trained with the best tools for a career in software development. When you’re deciding which programming language to learn, the following demand-based insights complement a much broader strategy.

We first wrote a version of this article in 2018, which can be found here.

This article attempts to answer which programming languages command the highest salaries and are most frequently targeted in job postings.

We updated the statistics for 2020, and here are our primary findings:

Python and Javascript developers continue to be in demand, commanding the highest salaries. Python in particular commands the top spot in both salary and number of open jobs. SQL developers are also widely sought after, although they get paid quite a bit less than other developers. Java saw a large drop in open jobs, and both Ruby and iOS developers have seen a similar trend.

How we identified the current top programming languages

To answer our questions, we conducted simple searches on Indeed.com, one of the largest job listing sites.

For the question of compensation, we started by searching for the top 15 most popular languages in a recent Stack Overflow survey and mapped the average salary for job listings with those languages. For demand, we tracked the number of total job postings targeting those same languages.

Ranking programming languages by pay and number of openings

Top Coding Jobs

Python: This coding language holds the #1 position in both surveys. Python is an interpreted, multi-purpose programming language. It is often used to build web applications and seeing exploding growth due to its use in data science, machine learning, cybersecurity, and dev ops.

Javascript: Often called ‘the language of the web,’ Javascript took #4 in Job Postings and #2 in Average Salary. Javascript is an indispensable language to know for writing web applications, as it works in the browser and on the server-side.

C++: Once a premier top-level programming language and now used primarily in gaming and high-performance applications, C++ stands at #5 in Average Salary and #5 in Job Postings. The common and useful language C++ was designed for application and systems programming. Since its creation, it’s often been used for office applications, games, and advanced graphics. C++ is very fast and stable, but difficult to learn relative to the other languages in this list (except possibly C).

Java: Integral to large-scale legacy business applications and gaining new relevance through its adoption by Google for Android, Java drops to #3 in Job Postings and #3 in Average Salary. Originally developed by Oracle, Java is extremely popular because it can be used for mobile, web, and desktop app development, and more. Reasonably stable and fast, it is very popular at the enterprise level.

C#: Similar to Java with Android, C# maintains a solid user base through its adoption in the Unity gaming engine, standing at #6 in Job Postings, and #6 in Average Salary. C# was specifically designed by Microsoft as a competitor to Java. Often used to build desktop apps and video games, as well as web apps, C# remains very popular in the enterprise. It runs on Microsoft’s .NET platform.

PHP: The language that powers WordPress, PHP is #8 in Job Postings and #8 in Average Salary. PHP is a general-purpose scripting language used for the development of web applications. One of the earliest languages for web development (released in 1995), it remains widely popular today.

C: C is one of the oldest and most widely used programming languages in the world, and holds #4 in Average Salary, and #9 in Job Postings. It is used to program everything from operating systems to hardware. What makes this language so difficult to learn is in part why it is so powerful: a lot of concepts that are hidden to users in scripting languages like Python, Ruby, and even Java are exposed in C, so that the programmer has more flexibility and complexity available.

SQL: SQL (or Structured Query Language) is the standard language for relational database management systems. It ranks #8 in Average Salary and #2 in Job Postings. SQL is not exactly a programming language, but rather it is a query language, which allows users to draw information from databases.

What will be the most popular programming language in 2020?

It’s difficult to speculate how these programming languages will fare in the future because the supply of qualified applicants affects the number of open positions. However, Python’s growth will probably continue as companies increase their adoption of data analytics tools and infrastructure software development, two areas where Python shines. Typescript, a statically typed version of Javascript continues to grow in popularity, and Go and Kotlin continues to gain fans.

If you’re looking for more information on the usefulness of various programming languages, the TIOBE Index and Stack Overflow provide two of the most authoritative reports. Both reports consider industry demand as well as additional perspectives and incorporate different approaches in determining the usefulness of programming languages.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Society
KEYWORDS: javascript; jobs; languages; programming; python; sql
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1 posted on 09/21/2020 8:58:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Javascript is the devil’s tongue.


2 posted on 09/21/2020 9:02:24 AM PDT by RitchieAprile (available monkeys looking for the change..)
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To: SeekAndFind

If I were a programmer, I’d probably prefer to be maintaining some ancient language that entire city is dependent on me maintaining. Those languages never die.


3 posted on 09/21/2020 9:03:11 AM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is thp at they are both death cults.)
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To: Jonty30

Coding sucks! Learn Physical Sciences.


4 posted on 09/21/2020 9:05:39 AM PDT by gr8eman (Stupid should hurt! Treason should hurt more!)
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To: Jonty30

I thought I was succeeding in moving away from COBOL programming at my old job. Then Y2K came around, and I was put on that team, and they didn’t know what to do with me after. The group I might have worked with had moved on without me.


5 posted on 09/21/2020 9:06:58 AM PDT by Tanniker Smith (Rome didn't fall in a day, either.)
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To: RitchieAprile

it is... An evil I must live with.

Have to wonder How many of those Javascript libraries are develop with China CCP programmers?


6 posted on 09/21/2020 9:09:02 AM PDT by DEPcom
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To: SeekAndFind
I remember the first language I learned was APL (A Programming Language).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APL_(programming_language)

I found it is a difficult as teaching a rattlesnake to fetch. Drove me crazy.

The BEAM needs an APL-y language. One like, one unpopular opinion is one… |  by Gordon Guthrie | Medium

7 posted on 09/21/2020 9:09:22 AM PDT by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: Jonty30

COBOL and Fortran live on.


8 posted on 09/21/2020 9:09:37 AM PDT by chaosagent (Remember, no matter how you slice it, forbidden fruit still tastes the sweetest!)
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To: rdb3; JosephW; Only1choice____Freedom; martin_fierro; Still Thinking; zeugma; Vinnie; SW6906; ...

Tech Ping


9 posted on 09/21/2020 9:11:05 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux - The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: SeekAndFind

Meh, I still code in 0s and 1s.


10 posted on 09/21/2020 9:13:07 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: gr8eman
Coding sucks!

It's not for everyone. "Oh, so I forgot to put the semi-colon at the end of line #247. THAT'S why it won't compile! Grrrrr!"

I would have ended up in a rubber room by now.


11 posted on 09/21/2020 9:13:20 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer.)
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To: gr8eman

It pays more to manage programmers.


12 posted on 09/21/2020 9:13:32 AM PDT by lefty-lie-spy (Stay Metal)
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To: SeekAndFind
C++: Once a premier top-level programming language and now used primarily in gaming and high-performance applications, C++ stands at #5 in Average Salary and #5 in Job Postings.

The thing is, though, if you know C++, you're going to be able to pick up every other language in this list. If you interview with me and you can demonstrate that you know C++ inside and out, I'm pretty confident you'll be able to master any other language we have you working on.
13 posted on 09/21/2020 9:14:10 AM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: SeekAndFind
Originally developed by Oracle, Java is extremely popular...

Java was developed by Sun Microsystems.

14 posted on 09/21/2020 9:14:12 AM PDT by Rightwing Conspiratr1
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To: Rightwing Conspiratr1

Pretty much makes me question the legitimacy of this article right off the bat.


15 posted on 09/21/2020 9:15:21 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: SeekAndFind

REXX, Object REXX


16 posted on 09/21/2020 9:16:25 AM PDT by FroggyTheGremlim (I'll be good, I will, I will!)
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To: lefty-lie-spy

It pays more to manage programmers.

“Manage programmers”. That ain’t ever gonna happen!


17 posted on 09/21/2020 9:18:51 AM PDT by Flick Lives (My work's illegal, but at least it's honest. - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds)
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To: SeekAndFind

Wouldn’t want to work around programmers. They’re all flamming libs and are goofy


18 posted on 09/21/2020 9:20:05 AM PDT by attiladhun2
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To: Jonty30

>>> If I were a programmer, I’d probably prefer to be maintaining some ancient language that entire city is dependent on me maintaining. Those languages never die.

I have 14 years in Sys370 mainframe assembler.

That was 20 years ago.... After Y2K, couldn’t find another job.

Been cleaning carpets since.


19 posted on 09/21/2020 9:20:18 AM PDT by Safrguns
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To: dfwgator

assembler


20 posted on 09/21/2020 9:20:47 AM PDT by CJ Wolf (#wwg1wga #Godwins - What is scarier then offensive words? Not being able to say them..)
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