Technology is experiencing newer revolutions every day and we are relying on web applications and electronic devices to fulfill our tasks. Such new opportunities in the world of technology provide a broad platform for career excellence in programming. Different types of media and e-commerce companies look for web developers and data analysts who are good at programming languages. If you are looking for the best programming languages to learn, then you have arrived at the correct place. In this blog, we will explain applications, difficulty levels, and required skills of 10 popular programming languages to learn.
1. Java
Applications: E-commerce, Finance, App development
Used by: Google, Amazon, YouTube, eBay, Twitter, LinkedIn
Skills Needed: Knowledge of the object-oriented structure, problem-solving
Annual Salary (Average): $119,092
In 1996, James Gosling primarily designed Java for gaming purposes at Sun Microsystems. It is applied in providing structure for programs and applications. Java ranks as the third most popular programming language for hiring managers at the global level.
2. Python
Applications: Back-end development, Data science, App development
Used by: Google, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest
Skills Needed: Problem-solving, abstract thinking
Annual Salary (Average): $109,092
Python is one of the easiest programming languages to learn due to its readability. It is an open-source programming language for machine learning and deep learning applications. Python develops 2D imaging and 3D animation packages for example Blender, Inkscape, and Autodesk. It has extensive support modules in addition to community development and easy integration with web services and user-friendly data structures.
3. JavaScript
Applications: Mobile app development, Game development, and Desktop app development
Used by: Netflix, PayPal, Uber, LinkedIn
Skills Needed: HTML and CSS to define the content and layout of web pages
Annual Salary (Average): $112,152
JavaScript was also known as LiveScript in its early days. It has high demand among various organizations and is one of the core technologies of the World Wide Web. Initially, it was famous as the ‘younger brother of Java’. Later, it evolved over time and became one of the fully independent programming languages to learn. JavaScript reduces demand on the website server.
4. C++
Applications: Video game development, Client and server-side application development, Machine learning
Used by: Google, Facebook, YouTube, Amazon, Twitter, Bing
Skills Needed: Problem-solving, computer functions, and basic programming knowledge
Annual Salary (Average): $89,736
C++ is the upgraded version of C language and is quite popular in computer science. It is an excellent language for system programming and allows abstraction for smaller projects. C++ is a multi-paradigm coding language that supports OOP, generic, and imperative programming. This language can be challenging for beginners to learn as it has more complex syntax than any other language.
5. PHP
Applications: Web development, Desktop applications, Computer programs
Used by: Tumblr, Wikipedia, Etsy, Slack
Skills Needed: Basic coding skills in CSS and HTML to ease the learning process
Annual Salary (Average): $79,499
PHP is one of the first back-end languages that new web developers find interesting to learn. It is a primary language for WordPress and around 71% of websites use PHP for coding. Compared to other programming languages, PHP is easy to learn and its syntax is elementary. In terms of job opportunities, PHP is an open-source programming language and it is one of the oldest ones in the industry.
6. Kotlin
Applications: Web development, Desktop applications, Computer programs
Used by: Evernote, Uber, Pinterest, Postmates, Korda
Skills Needed: Prior experience with programming languages, particularly Java
Annual Salary (Average): $136,000
Kotlin is a general-purpose programming language originally developed by JetBrains as a Project Kotlin in 2011. Today, it is extensively used for Android apps, web applications, server-side application development, and desktop applications. It is interoperable with other programming languages like Java. There are several applications based on Kotlin that are used by Google such as website documents, computer programs, etc.
7. HTML
Applications: Web documents, Website development, Website maintenance
Used by: Google, Facebook, Amazon, Tencent, Baidu, and YouTube
Skills needed: Basic programming knowledge, computer functions, Problem-solving, computer functions,
Annual Salary (Average): $91,625
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is a markup language responsible for formatting the appearance of information on a website. It describes a web page with ordinary text and does not have the same functionality as other programming languages. However, HTML is limited to creating and structuring text on a site. The part of the page that is part of HTML includes headings, links, paragraphs, sections, etc.
8. Swift
Applications: Enterprise Mobility, Technology Consulting, Vehicle Tracking System, Laundry Management System
Used by: Uber, Lyft, Facebook, Airbnb, LinkedIn, and Apple’s ecosystem apps
Skills needed: Willingness to spend time reading tutorials, no prior experience with programming languages required
Annual Salary (Average): $109,652
Apple created Swift as a new programming language to develop iOS and macOS applications. It is one of the best programming languages to learn app building. Compared to other languages, Swift has straightforward and human-relatable syntax. Moreover, it is a bit compatible language since you can overcome coding mistakes while using Swift. It can transform the information of projects from small experiments to full-blown apps.
9. R
Applications: Data importing and cleaning
Used by: Accenture, Amazon, Cognizant
Skills needed: Know Javascript or Python
Annual Salary (Average): $90,940
R programming language is used for statistical and graphical programming. Statisticians and data miners use the R language for the purpose of data analysis. Learning an R programming language can be a bright career choice since there is a huge shortage of people with expertise in R. It supports the operation in class format and holds profound interest in financial domains and telecom sectors.
10. Go
Applications: System/network programming, Audio/video editing, Big Data
Used by: Google, BBC, Twitch, Medium, Dailymotion
Skills needed: Experience in using Git, Knowledge of DevOps practices, Experience with scripting
Annual Salary (Average): $22,940
Go is one of the top-tier programming languages to learn and Google developed it in 2007. It can execute several processes concurrently and has an extensive vocabulary to display more information in other languages. Go is relatively simpler than other programming languages to learn and it is based on the discipline syntax of C. Concurrent programming is one of its best features.
Final Thoughts
In the end, picking the best programming language to learn mostly depends on what suits your needs better and in which language you want to pursue your career. Although there are hundreds of coding languages, you can start learning from simple language. We hope you enjoyed reading this blog and did some valuable addition to your knowledge regarding the topmost programming languages to learn.
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