Top Programming Languages in 2023

Top Programming Languages Sought by Employers in 2023 for Software Engineers

Software engineers design software to meet the demands of clients. Furthermore, they are involved in testing, deploying, operating and maintaining software. It is a challenging and rewarding field which involves a mixture of technical skills and soft skills. Soft skills include communication, collaboration, perseverance, tolerance, adaptability, time management, and critical thinking, among many others. In short, being generally likable and easy to work with.

However, it is the technical skill that separates this profession from others. This technical skill is the one that employers and clients seek. This is acquired via formal university education (typically a computer science major), boot camp experience, and/or self study. In my case it is the combination of the latter two. The key point is that at the end of the day, my boot camp experience, although quite accomplished, was not enough. There is only so much that you learn in a bootcamp. I did learn JavaScript, React, Ruby, Rails, SQL, and the HTML/CSS cocktail. The purpose of a bootcamp is to teach you to code, accumulate real world coding projects, and learn how to learn other programming languages. The ensuing months after I completed my boot camp training was spent embarking on a career search. After I spectacularly and hilariously failed my first technical interview (it was in Java, a language I did not know but apparently is in demand), I was compelled to learn additional programming languages including Java, C++/C#, and Python. The reason that I was able to learn Java, C++ and C# is because they are syntactically and conceptually similar. They are also object oriented programming languages.

This leads me to the point of this blog which is to definitively identify the most in demand coding languages for software engineering. I started with a Google and ChatGPT search. I will discuss my ChatGPT search first.

Chat GPT search using the search phrase "Top programming languages for employers in 2023"

• Python: Python's versatility, ease of use, and extensive libraries make it highly sought after. With its applications in data science, machine learning, web development, and automation, Python is likely to continue being a top choice for employers.

• JavaScript: JavaScript is the backbone of web development and is used extensively for front-end and back-end development. With the rise of frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js, JavaScript's demand is expected to remain strong in 2023.

• Java: Java has been around for a while and is widely used in enterprise-level applications. With its strong community support and its use in Android app development, Java is likely to continue being relevant in the job market.

• C#: C# is a popular choice for Windows and game development, and it's expected to maintain its demand in the coming years. With the growth of Microsoft technologies and the Unity game engine, C# skills can be valuable to employers.

• Kotlin: Kotlin has gained popularity as the preferred language for Android app development. Given its conciseness and interoperability with Java, Kotlin is worth considering for developers interested in mobile app development.

• Go: Go (also known as Golang) is gaining traction for its simplicity, efficiency, and excellent concurrency support. With its ability to handle large-scale systems and cloud-native applications, Go may present exciting opportunities in 2023.

Google search returning sources from Indeed, LinkedIn, and DevJobsScanner

According to "7 Best Programming Languages to Learn in 2023" from Indeed, the top languages currently in high demand from employers are as listed:

• C/C++
• Java
• JavaScript
• Python
• SQL (technically a querying language but employers want it)
• Swift
• TypeScript

From LinkedIn's "Best Programming Languages to Land Jobs in 2023!", their top 8 listed languages are:

• Java
• Python
• JavaScript
• C++
• PHP
• C#
• Ruby
• Swift

In the last 17 months (from Jan-2022 to May-2023), DevJobsScanner has analyzed over 14 million developer jobs. From that 14M jobs, DevJobsScanner has only picked the job offers that explicitly required a programming language.

According to "Top 8 Most Demanded Programming Languages in 2023" from DevJobsScanner, the top languages are:

• JavaScript/Typescript
• Python
• Java
• C#
• PHP
• C/C++
• Ruby
• Go

Take note of the graphs below from DevJobsScanner. This should provide a clearer picture on the types of programming languages in demand.

By now it should be evident that the most highly requested programming languages include a JavaScript and its associated frameworks, Java, any of the C languages, and Python. Front end UI/UX employ JavaScript and its associated frameworks. Back end servers tend to utilize object oriented programming languages which is why Java and the C languages (C, C#, C++) are in high demand. This does not appear to be changing anytime soon. However, now that you know, you can be better prepared. Check out the references below. Until next time, I'm out!