10 Most in Demand Programming Languages to Learn in 2017

Programming is a booming career path, and if it’s something you’re interested in you should take a look at the 10 most in demand programming languages to learn in 2017.

There are a lot of programming languages to choose from when you want to learn programming in general. They pretty much all have the same basic concepts, but some have different features that are desired for certain functions. The future of programming is difficult to predict, as with all job markets, but we can take a look at the trends and current figures to determine what’s good to learn this year so you can be on your way to a job.

In order to rank the programming languages, I took into consideration the statistics in the IEEE Spectrum and the TIOBE Index for January 2017. To solidify my rankings I took to the internet. The more a language is searched for and mentioned online, the more popular the language is; therefore, it’s likely to be one of the 10 most in demand programming languages to learn. I also checked out the available jobs on online job boards to see which ones yield the greatest number. This indicates the greatest demand because so many companies are seeking it.

Programming is a great job for anyone with an analytical or mathematical mind. It’s an ever-changing career because websites and apps are always being developed and changed, so companies need programmers to make sure everything works properly. Most programmers know several languages to write their scripts in but have greater skill in one area. When I learned programming I went with Javascript to start because it looked the most complex, and I’ve found that everything I’ve tried afterward has been a little simpler. It’s all a matter of personal preference to a degree, but there are some that are the most in demand to learn.

If you’re more focused on making money, check out the list of the 11 Most Profitable Programming Languages to Learn in 2016 to see what can get you the most cash for your work.

Without further ado, we present you 10 most in demand programming languages to learn in 2017!

 

10. PHP

Available jobs: 1,100

PHP is widely used to write web-based applications. Its competitive edge comes from the fact that it’s open-sourced and fairly stable to work with. The market is already pretty saturated with PHP programmers, but even so, there are over 1,100 jobs available right now.

 

9. Ruby on Rails

Available jobs: 1,200

Ruby is a general purpose language well known in the industry for being used in web programming. Rails serves as the framework for Ruby, which is the language. Ruby is popular among developers because it requires fewer lines to be written compared to others. The job market is a bit dry, but the trends are positive, so it’s a good one to keep in your pocket.

 

8. C#

Available jobs: 1,200

Compared to other programming languages, C# is fairly new. It’s developed by Microsoft, much like some others. It’s modern, functional, and object-oriented.

 

7. Javascript

Available jobs: 1,200

Javascript is one of the world’s most used programming languages and it’s used to make webpages interactive. It was previously ranked higher on a list like this, but the job market is going through a bit of a rough patch comparatively speaking.

 

6. Perl

Available jobs: 1,257

Perl is a great tool for system scripting. It boasts a high community that many speculate will overtake Python.

 

5. Visual Basic .NET

Available jobs: 1,300

Microsoft, one of the industry leaders in IT, created and developed this language. It’s great for NET-based applications, including XML web services, ASP web applications, desktop applications, and mobile applications.

4. C++

Available jobs: 1,300

C++ offers all the features of any general purpose programming language as well as facilities for low-level memory manipulation.

3. Java

Available jobs: 1,400

This is one of the most in demand programming languages to learn in 2017 and one of the most prolific programming languages of them all, as well. It’s used by 9 million developers and running on 7 billion devices worldwide. It’s unanimously the top programming language on all accounts, but the job availability didn’t make the cut to be the first on this list.

2. Python

Available jobs: 1,400

Python is similar to Perl in a lot of ways, but the advantage goes to Python for its simplicity and learning curve for beginners.

1. C

Available jobs: 1,500

C is a general-purpose programming language. It supports structured programming, lexical variable scope, and recursion. C has largely replaced the use of Assembly Language because of its design, which has led to its high demand in the industry. Over 1,500 jobs are available in the US, putting it at the top of the list of 10 most in demand programming languages to learn in 2017.