Developers who want to push ahead in their profession will want to choose a programming language that appeals to them and paves the way for a promising career. That’s why it’s always advisable to learn and pursue a programming language that’s popular and in demand among top employers.
To compile this list, I consulted the TIOBE Programming Community index for December 2024 and several other sites. The index is a useful indicator of the popularity of programming languages and is updated once a month. The ratings are based on the number of skilled engineers worldwide, courses, and third-party vendors.
TIOBE says Google, Amazon, Wikipedia, Bing, and over 20 other websites are used to calculate the ratings. NB. The ‘change’ percentage below refers to the change in ratings in one year.
SEE: Quick Glossary: Web Browsers (TechRepublic Premium)
Top programming languages
Based on the analysis, here are the top 10 programming languages in 2024:
- Python: 23.84% ratings / +9.98% change (No. 1 in 2023)
- C++: 10.82% / +0.81% (No. 3)
- Java: 9.72% / +1.73% (No. 4)
- C: 9.10% / -2.34% (No. 2)
- C#: 4.87% / -2.43% (No. 5)
- JavaScript: 4.61% / +1.72% (No. 6)
- Go: 2.17% / +1.14% (No. 13)
- SQL: 1.99% / +0.37% (No. 9)
- Visual Basic: 1.96% / +0.14% (No. 8)
- Fortran: 1.79% / +0.72% (No. 12)
Python is top
Just like TIOBE’s data in November 2024, Python is at the top of the pile. TIOBE reckons Python is “unstoppable thanks to its support for AI and data mining, its large set of libraries, and its ease of learning.”
Elsewhere, the evidence shows Python is a powerful beast in the world of programming languages.
Python is the most popular programming language in a 2024 report by Stack Overflow. The report notes that 70% of respondents use it regularly. Stack Overflow states, “Employers look for proficiency in frameworks such as Django and Flask for web development and libraries like Pandas, NumPy, and TensorFlow for data-related tasks.”
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers also ranked Python highly. In its Top Programming Languages 2024 report, IEEE explains, “Python continues to cement its overall dominance, buoyed by popular libraries for hot fields such as AI as well as its pedagogical prominence.”
IEEE adds, “Python’s pretty popular with employers too, although its lead over other general purpose languages is not as large and, like last year, it plays second fiddle to the database query language SQL, which employers like to see paired with another language.”
SEE: The 10 Best Python Courses That are Worth Taking (TechRepublic)
Plenty to C
TIOBE didn’t outline the other languages in its December report, but let’s have a quick look.
C++ is very similar to C, which moved to second place. C++ is well-suited for game and system development, but it may be relatively difficult to learn.
C is often used in app and system development. Its syntax is similar to other popular languages, making it a useful branching-off point for beginner developers.
C# is an object and component-oriented programming language similar to the C and Java language families. It is used for in-app, game, and web development.
Java is an excellent language for AI, app, and web development. It requires relatively advanced skills to learn.
SEE: The 5 Best Online C Programming Courses (TechRepublic)
Tech job opportunities
The news is often full of grim reports about layoffs, but a look at the job boards shows that plenty of tech opportunities are still out there.
For instance, in Python, there are 1.19 million jobs on LinkedIn and 6,445 jobs on ZipRecruiter.
Not every job on those sites will suit everyone, but a good career could be within reach for people willing to make the effort.
SEE: The 5 Best Web Development Courses Worth Taking (TechRepublic)
Advice for developers
Enhancing your coding skills can lead your career in different directions, including game development, website design, and mobile app development. And by learning the most popular programming languages, you make yourself more appealing to employers. You have various options to learn the most in-demand languages, such as pursuing a four-year degree at a college or university or enrolling in a coding bootcamp.
You can also learn programming languages via online courses at TechRepublic Academy or check out our hiring kits at TechRepublic Premium. The latter provides information about developer jobs and is a good way to discover pertinent skills and potential interview questions.
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