Which programming languages are most in-demand among employers, and how much do they pay? Those are two vital questions as technologists and developers everywhere decide which skills to learn next.
For data on these trends, we turn to Burning Glass, which collects and analyzes millions of job postings from across the country. The programming languages listed below are some of the most popular among employers for the period from January 1 to March 30, based on appearances in job postings. We also used Burning Glass data to break down the median salary for those who specialize in developing with those languages, as well as the languages’ projected 10-year growth.
What can we conclude from this? All of these languages are immensely popular among companies and developer teams; mastering any of them could potentially land you a developer, QA, or project-management job. With languages this ubiquitous, there’s not only a need to constantly build new apps and services, but also maintain mountains of legacy code. That translates into significant job security.
It’s worth calling out TypeScript here. Technically, it’s a superset of the ultra-popular and well-established JavaScript, which means that whatever you code in it is transpiled to JavaScript. That being said, many programming-language rankings (such as RedMonk) treat it as a full programming language. However you define it, it’s clear that the language is on a strong growth trajectory, paired with a solid median salary. If you’re looking for a new programming language to learn, keep an eye on it.
Python also remains in intense demand. Long a popular “generalist” language, Python has lately become the language of choice for highly specialized subindustries such as data science. Its ease of use makes it a favorite of beginner developers; if you’re just getting started on your Python journey, there are lots of educational resources to help you learn. Start by visiting Python.org, which offers a handy beginner’s guide to programming and Python.
The good news is that the most in-demand programming languages among employers tend to have high median salaries. However, your experience, specialized skill-sets, and the actual role itself all determine how much you’re actually paid; even if you’ve masted one (or several!) of these languages, make sure you’re ready to put your best foot forward during the application and interview process.