Programming languages remain essential aspects of a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Web development, blockchain, machine learning, data science, and almost all other tech disciplines utilize a language as a foundation. It’s not surprising that software programming is one of the most attractive career options today.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a higher than average growth in demand for these skills over the next decade. If you’re passionate about it, you’re almost guaranteed a long and fulfilling career. Various factors determine your success as a programmer. They include available job opportunities, cybersecurity skills, and personal preferences. With hundreds of programming languages to pick from, how do you identify the most relevant ones?
The most popular programming languages of 2021 include the following
1. JavaScript
JavaScript is one of the most renowned and resilient languages in the world of programming. This desirability is evident in its consistent top ten rankings for several years now. Developers overwhelmingly pick it as their most preferred language. Some of the world’s biggest companies use it for coding. They include Google, Microsoft, Facebook, PayPal, LinkedIn, and Netflix.
The language is suitable due to its versatile nature. It’s practical for both front and back-end development. Other than allowing websites to add responsive elements, it’s also applicable in the mobile app, game, and web development, among others. JavaScript’s compatibility with responsive frameworks is an added advantage. The most popular frameworks are Angular, React, Node.js, Vue.js, Ember.js, Meteor, Mithril, Polymer, and Aurelia.
2. Python
Python has seen steady growth in the past five years to gain the number two slot in the rankings. It receives constant praise from developers in coding-focused platforms such as GitHub and Stack Overflow. One of its benefits is compatibility with emerging technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. It’s also used extensively for other relatively routine tasks such as software and web development.
Python is a favorite of beginners in the field of programming. It’s convenient due to its simple syntax, which makes it easy to understand. Other practical features include rich library support and easy integration with other languages. It also has useful cybersecurity functions such as malware scanning and analysis, as well as penetration testing.
3. C/C++
Developed in 1972, C is among the oldest high-level languages. Together with its extension C++, they consistently rank in the top five most popular programming languages to date. Several tech companies still pay decent salaries to C/C++ developers. They include Oracle, Opera, Microsoft, and Adobe. If you’re a beginner programmer, C and C++ will offer a smooth transition to more complex languages.
C is a general-purpose language that’s suitable for developing low-level systems. It acts as a foundation for many other languages that inherit its properties. C++ grew as its object-oriented extension and is widely useful in developing games, GUI, and other applications.
4. JAVA
Although it sometimes seems like JAVA’s popularity is waning, statistics show it still enjoys massive popularity. With as many as 8 million developers across the globe, its use will continue to grow. JAVA is an object-oriented programming language. Its most beneficial feature is the Write Once Run Anywhere principle. It means you can execute the code on compatible platforms without recompiling.
Other than its widespread use in Android development, JAVA also works for the web, desktop, and scientific applications. Its benefits include handsome remuneration for developers and compatibility with popular frameworks. Other suitable features include multi-threading, platform independence, and automatic memory allocation.
5. R Language
This programming language appeared in the mid-90s as an iteration of the S language. Its steady growth in popularity has seen it rise on the TIOBE ranking. With major tech companies such as Facebook, Uber, and Google using it, R language has appealing career prospects. The increasing demand for machine learning, data science, and other technologies makes it worth learning.
It has a massive set of libraries and framework compatibility due to its open-source nature and wide use. Developers love it for its cross-platform compatibility, flexibility, and strong graphical capabilities, among other features.
6. Kotlin
Kotlin is a general-purpose programming language that gained prominence after Google’s endorsement for Android application development. It supports both functional and object-oriented features. Other than a loyal fanbase on Stack Overflow, its users in GitHub have grown significantly. One of Kotlin’s best features is complete interoperability with Java.
It’s also an easy language to learn. Other than Android apps, you can use it for web and desktop application development. Some of its popular frameworks are Javalin, Vert.x, and KTor. With the Android platform showing no signs of slowing down, Kotlin provides promising career growth opportunities.
7. C#
C# appeared in the early 2000s as a multi-paradigm programming language. Although primarily developed by Microsoft for its .NET initiative, it later received ECMA and ISO standardizations. It’s utilized mainly for Windows applications and server-side applications. C#’s rich libraries improve the language’s speed and efficiency.
As a developer, you’ll appreciate it for its remarkable set of features. They include fast compilation, scalability, structured language, and total compatibility with the .NET library. There are billions of devices and countless applications around the world that depend on the Windows platform. C# is, therefore, an appealing option for budding programmers.
8. PHP
As a general-purpose scripting language, PHP is suitable for web development. It consistently ranks among the top 10 in the TIOBE index and higher in classifications by other organizations such as RedMonk. Facebook, Wikipedia, WordPress, Slack, and Mailchimp are some of the biggest platforms that use PHP.
This open-source scripting language has various features that make it suitable for website development. They include object-oriented programming attributes and cross-platform compatibility. PHP is compatible with CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and other web development solutions. It also has a strong support base that provides helpful resources to developers. It’s an easy language for beginners to learn. Popular PHP frameworks are Laravel, Symfony, CodeIgniter, Phalcon, and Slim.
9. Go
Although Go doesn’t receive as much hype as other programming languages, it’s popularity among developers has been rising steadily. According to Stack Overflow insights, it’s among the five most loved languages. It’s popular at Google because their engineers developed it. Other tech giants that use it include Uber, Dailymotion, Twitch, Dropbox, and SoundCloud.
Its syntax is similar to that of C and has several valuable features. Examples are garbage collection, high efficiency, and dynamic typing. It also supports multi-threading. Go is one of the best programming languages for resolving common problems such as slow compilation and execution.
10. Scala
Scala is suitable for beginner programmers because it’s easy to learn. Other than tech giants such as Netflix and Twitter, several others either use it or are in the process of doing so. This language has the potential to become even more popular in 2021. Although its initial role was to resolve issues with Java, developers have grown to love it.
As a general-purpose language, Scala supports both functional and object-oriented programming paradigms. It has unique features such as string interpolation, scalability, lazy computation, and type inference. Its code can also convert into byte codes as well as being executable on the Java Virtual Machine. Scala is widely applicable in web development, machine learning, and data science.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking forward to a career in coding, these ten programming languages offer the best job opportunities. Most skilled programmers are fluent in more than one language. It’s advisable to start with easily understandable options such as C/C++ and Python. You can add more challenging languages as your proficiency increases.