In 2021, choosing an appropriate programming language to learn among so many available in the market is a challenging job for developers.
This is where the trends and statistics from the industry reports are of great help to get valuable feedback on what can be a good language to learn.
For freshers wanting to learn their first programming language, market trends are the best place to look for guidance. Even if you are into coding for some time but looking to pick up a new language to expand your knowledge, these statistics can help.
When you combine the popularity trend of a language and the amount of money that you can make as a developer from it, it becomes easy to decide whether you want to learn it or not.
Whether you are a fresher or an experienced developer, the details I will provide below will help you choose the right programming language you want to learn next in 2021.
1. JavaScript
JavaScript is the most popular language in 2021. Based on reports generated from various surveys, it continues to grow in popularity.
Though in JetBrains 2020 survey Java was the most popular primary programming language of choice for developers, JavaScript was the most used overall programming language. But in the 2021 report, JavaScript has taken over Java in both categories as the most popular programming language.
Even the last GitHub report gives the top position to JavaScript. In fact, as per GitHub data, JavaScript continues to be the number one language for the previous few years.
However, there are many frameworks in JavaScript. If you choose to learn the language, the next step will be to pick one of its popular frameworks.
Based on the JetBrains 2021 report for JavaScript, React is the most popular among all the JS frameworks. Simultaneously, Vue.js has grown almost 11% compared to last year's survey and jumped to the second position.
Roughly three-quarters of developers who use JavaScript develop websites, while one-quarter use it for utilities. — Devecosystem Survey 2021
Hence, if you want to be a website developer and love to work on UI, JavaScript can be your go-to language.
Salary Estimate
According to Indeed.com, the average annual base salary for a JavaScript developer in the United States is estimated to be around $111,355.
However, as per LinkedIn insight, the base salary for a JavaScript developer in the U.S. varies from $49,900 to $1,25,000 annually.
2. Java
You would have already noticed the above stats; there is a tussle between Java and Python for the second spot. However, I will consider the JetBrains survey for this list as it is hot off the press and the latest report available in 2021.
Even the TIOBE programming community index shows Java above Python, though with a very narrow margin.
Java is one of the best languages available if you want to build commercial enterprise applications that can handle high throughput with a relatively easy learning curve. With Java, you can conveniently build apps for the web, mobile, or desktop.
Below given stats provides information on how developers use Java in 2021 to build various types of applications.
Salary Estimate
According to Indeed.com, the average annual base salary for a Java developer in the United States is estimated to be around $102,327.
However, as per LinkedIn insight, the base salary for a Java developer in the U.S. varies from $58,300 to $1,20,000 annually.
3. Python
Python is the third most popular primary programming language based on the 2021 market trend. It has gained popularity for the last few years due to its ease of use and relatively easier learning curve.
The vast library support available for Python helps the language to be used by developers in a wide range of projects.
Based on the recent TIOBE report, Python is giving tough competition to Java in its popularity and is almost ready to overtake it as the second most popular language soon.
Python has been named as the language of the year for 2007, 2010, 2018, and 2020 by the TIOBE index.
Though Python is used heavily for Data Analysis and Machine Learning, the most common purpose developers use Python is for Web development.
Salary Estimate
According to Indeed.com, the average annual base salary for a Python developer in the United States is estimated to be around $108,032.
However, as per LinkedIn insight, the base salary for a Python developer in the U.S. varies from $52,000 to $1,39,000 annually.
Final Thoughts
Based on the trends given above, JavaScript, Java, and Python seem to be the programming languages of choice for most developers. Looking at the salary for each of them, it makes sense to learn one of these languages in 2021.
Ignoring the difference in the position given by several surveys, there is no doubt that these three are the most popular and in-demand programming languages in the market.
Also, looking at the historical data, it won’t be wrong to say that none of these three will lose their demand anytime soon.
I hope the above details are helpful for you to make a decision. Do you have a preferred programming language or one that you want to learn in the future? Please feel free to let me know your opinion in the comment section.
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Those who are running website development company have developers who knows all type of programming languages. They can program any website in any language as per the need of the client.