The Best Programming Languages to Learn in 2018: An In-Depth Guide

The field of computer programming is constantly evolving. New languages, frameworks, and technologies emerge every year, while others decline in popularity. For aspiring and current programmers, it can be difficult to know which languages are worth investing time to learn.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive deep into the top programming languages that are in high demand in 2018. Our analysis is based on data from multiple authoritative sources, including Stack Overflow, GitHub, Indeed, and the TIOBE index. We‘ll look at current usage statistics, hiring trends, average salaries, and future prospects for each language.

Whether your goal is to land your first programming job, advance your current career, or embark on an exciting side project, this guide will help you make an informed choice. Let‘s get started!

Methodology

To determine which languages to include in this guide, we used a weighted scoring model based on the following data sources and criteria:

• Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2018 – Usage and popularity among professional developers, "most loved" and "most wanted" scores
• GitHub Octoverse 2017 – Number of pull requests, repositories created, and new contributors for each language
• TIOBE Index August 2018 – Ratings based on number of skilled engineers worldwide, courses, and third party vendors
• Indeed Job Search August 2018 – Number of job postings per language
• Growth Trends 2013-2018 – Percentage growth of each language over past 5 years based on Stack Overflow and Google Trends data

We assigned each language a score in each category, then calculated a weighted average based on the relative importance of each data source. The resulting top 10 languages are presented below in descending order of composite score.

1. JavaScript

Composite Score: 98

JavaScript is hands-down the most popular language among professional developers today. According to Stack Overflow‘s 2018 survey, 71.5% of respondents use JavaScript. It‘s also the #1 most wanted language, with 21.2% of developers who don‘t yet use it expressing interest in learning it.

Source: Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2018

JavaScript‘s dominance is unsurprising given its role as the backbone of the web. As a multi-paradigm language, it enables a variety of programming styles and design patterns. Its flexibility and extensive ecosystem of tools and frameworks make it a productive choice for virtually any type of project.

On the front-end, JavaScript powers incredibly popular libraries and frameworks like React, Angular, Vue, and jQuery. With tools like Electron and React Native, it can also be used to build cross-platform desktop and mobile apps.

JavaScript has long been a dominant force on the web. But with the rise of Node.js, it has also become a popular choice for back-end development. Node‘s event-driven, non-blocking I/O model enables the development of highly scalable and performant web applications. It has been used to build enterprise-grade software at companies like Netflix, Uber, and PayPal.

According to the 2018 State of JavaScript survey, Node is now used by 71.6% of respondents – a huge leap from only 8.2% in 2016. Developers also expressed high levels of satisfaction with Node and its supporting ecosystem of tools and frameworks.

Source: 2018 State of JavaScript Survey

JavaScript‘s future looks very bright. In addition to continued growth on the web platform and Node.js ecosystem, exciting new developments like WebAssembly will further extend its reach and capabilities.

For developers in 2018, JavaScript is simply an indispensable part of the toolkit. Its universal applicability and marketability make it the safest choice for anyone looking to secure their employability for the foreseeable future.

2. Python

Composite Score: 91

Python is a high-level, interpreted language known for its simple, readable syntax and comprehensive standard library. It supports multiple programming paradigms including procedural, object-oriented, and functional styles. Python code is concise yet expressive, making it a highly productive language to work with.

Over the past few years, Python has seen explosive growth in popularity. According to Stack Overflow Trends, Python is the fastest growing major programming language by a wide margin:

Source: Stack Overflow Trends

Much of Python‘s recent growth can be attributed to the rise of data science and machine learning. Its powerful analytical and computational libraries like NumPy, SciPy, scikit-learn, and TensorFlow have made it a top choice for data scientists and AI researchers.

At the same time, Python remains extremely popular for general purpose programming, web development, DevOps, and more. Frameworks like Django, Flask, and Pyramid enable the rapid development of web apps and APIs. Tools like Ansible, Fabric, and OpenStack allow infrastructure to be managed with simple Python scripts.

Python‘s gentle learning curve and wealth of online resources make it an excellent first language for new programmers. But its applicability is by no means limited to junior-level positions. Python developers are in high demand across industries, with an average salary of $107,000 according to Indeed.

The future looks promising for Python, with no signs of slowing growth. Python 3.7, released in June 2018, introduced several performance optimizations and new features to keep the language competitive. And with the rise of emerging fields like data science, machine learning, and AI, Python skills will only become more valuable in the years ahead.

3. Java

Composite Score: 83

Java is a general-purpose, class-based, object-oriented language that has been a dominant force in enterprise software development for over two decades. Its "write once, run anywhere" principle, enabled by the Java Virtual Machine, has made it a highly portable and cross-platform solution.

While Java may not be the trendiest language, it continues to be extremely popular in the industry. According to the TIOBE Index, Java has been the #1 or #2 most popular language every year since 2002. As of August 2018, Java tops the TIOBE rankings with a 17.436% rating.

Source: TIOBE Index

Java‘s vast ecosystem is a major contributor to its longevity and success. The Java Development Kit includes a large collection of libraries, tools, and frameworks for virtually every use case. Popular projects like Spring, Hibernate, and Apache Hadoop allow developers to build robust, scalable applications quickly.

On the mobile front, Java remains the primary language for Android app development. Although Kotlin is now officially supported by Google, Java is still used in the majority of Android apps and will likely continue to dominate for years to come due to the maturity of its ecosystem.

In terms of employment opportunities, Java developers are consistently in high demand. On Indeed, Java is the second most popular programming language behind Python, with over 52,000 job postings as of August 2018. The average salary for a Java developer in the United States is a healthy $102,000 per year.

Java may not be the most exciting language, but its track record of stability and productivity is hard to beat. For enterprises, big data applications, and Android development, Java remains a safe and lucrative bet in 2018 and beyond.

4. C++

Composite Score: 76

C++ is a powerful, low-level language valued for its performance, efficiency, and direct control over system resources. Originally created as an extension of the C language, C++ adds object-oriented features and generic programming support.

C++ is widely used for developing performance-critical applications like operating systems, game engines, device drivers, and embedded software. Its ability to optimize down to the hardware level makes it uniquely suited for these domains.

According to the TIOBE Index, C++ is currently the fourth most popular language globally, behind Java, C, and Python. It has maintained this position consistently for many years:

Source: TIOBE Index

One of C++‘s greatest strengths is its adaptability to new paradigms and use cases. Modern C++, based on the C++11, C++14, and C++17 standards, introduces powerful new features like move semantics, constexpr, and variadic templates. These allow C++ codebases to be simpler, more performant, and more maintainable.

The C++ ecosystem is also extremely extensive, with a wide variety of libraries, frameworks, and tooling available. Popular projects like Boost, Poco, and OpenFrameworks allow C++ to be used productively for application-level development in addition to low-level programming.

For certain domains like 3D game engines, virtual reality, computer vision, and robotics, C++ remains the gold standard. Major tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon all make extensive use of C++ in their core products and infrastructure.

C++ developers are generally well-compensated, with an average salary of $108,000 according to Indeed. While the language is known for being complex and challenging to master, the rewards are well worth the effort for skilled practitioners.

As computing hardware continues to evolve, the low-level control and deterministic performance of C++ will only become more valuable. For demanding, performance-critical domains, C++ skills will remain highly marketable for a long time to come.

5. C

Composite Score: 72

C# is an object-oriented, general-purpose language developed by Microsoft as part of the .NET initiative. It is based on C++ and Java, adopting many of their features while adding its own enhancements and modernizations.

C# is the primary language used for developing Windows desktop applications and games using the .NET framework. Its extensive collection of libraries and tools make it highly productive for building enterprise software, web applications, and more.

In recent years, C# has seen significant growth in popularity. According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2018, C# is the 4th most popular language among professional developers, used by 34.4% of respondents. It also ranks 8th on the list of most loved languages.

Source: Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2018

One major advantage of C# is its first-class support for game development using the Unity game engine. Unity is the most popular engine for mobile and VR/AR games, powering over 50% of all new mobile games in 2017. C# is the primary scripting language used in Unity, making it an essential skill for aspiring game developers.

On the web development front, C# is used in the popular ASP.NET framework for building interactive, data-driven web applications. ASP.NET Core, a complete rewrite of ASP.NET, allows C# to be used for developing high-performance, cross-platform web apps and APIs.

For Windows desktop development, C# remains the dominant language. The Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) are powerful frameworks that enable the creation of rich, native Windows applications using C# and XAML.

C# developers are in strong demand, particularly in the enterprise and gaming sectors. According to Indeed, the average salary for a C# developer in the United States is $91,000 per year.

Microsoft has made significant investments in C# and the .NET ecosystem, with regular language updates, performance improvements, and cross-platform support. For developers who specialize in Microsoft technologies or Unity game development, C# is a smart long-term bet.

Other Notable Languages

The following languages didn‘t quite make our top 5 list, but are still worth considering for specific domains and use cases:

Go

Go is an open-source systems programming language developed at Google. It combines the ease of programming of an interpreted, dynamically typed language with the efficiency and safety of a statically typed, compiled language. Go is used extensively within Google for back-end programming, including in high-traffic systems like Google Search and YouTube.

Swift

Swift is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm language created by Apple for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS development. It is designed to be safer, more concise, and easier to learn than its predecessor Objective-C. With first-class support from Apple and deep integration with Xcode, Swift is becoming the de facto choice for native Apple platform development.

Kotlin

Kotlin is a cross-platform, statically typed language developed by JetBrains. It is fully interoperable with Java and runs on the JVM. In 2017, Google announced first-class support for Kotlin on Android, positioning it as an attractive alternative to Java. Kotlin improves on Java‘s verbose syntax, null safety, and functional programming support.

TypeScript

TypeScript is an open-source superset of JavaScript that adds optional static typing and class-based object-oriented programming. Developed by Microsoft, TypeScript compiles to plain JavaScript, allowing it to run in any browser or JavaScript environment. TypeScript‘s type checking and IDE tooling help catch errors early and make refactoring easier, improving the maintainability of large JavaScript projects.

Putting It All Together

So which language should you learn? The truth is, there‘s no one "best" language for everyone. The right choice depends on your goals, interests, and the types of projects you want to work on.

That said, if we had to recommend just one language to learn in 2018 for maximum career potential, it would be JavaScript. The combination of its universal utility, marketability, and future growth prospects make it a safe and rewarding investment.

Python would be our next recommendation, particularly for aspiring data scientists, AI specialists, and general-purpose developers. Its explosive growth and applicability across many domains make it a valuable skill to have.

For developers who want to specialize in enterprise software, Android development, or big data processing, Java is a solid choice. Its extensive ecosystem and consistent demand make it a reliable path to employment.

Developers who enjoy low-level programming and performance optimization would do well to learn C++. It remains the top choice for resource-intensive applications and continues to see active development and improvements.

Finally, for developers who are deeply invested in the Microsoft technology stack, C# is a natural fit. Its use in enterprise applications, game development, and web programming make it a well-rounded and marketable skill.

Ultimately, the best way to become a successful developer is to constantly challenge yourself and expand your skillset. Learn multiple languages to increase your versatility and marketability. Participate in open source projects and hackathons to gain practical experience. Follow industry trends to stay current with the latest tools and practices.

With hard work, dedication, and a commitment to continuous learning, you can build a rewarding and lucrative career as a programmer – no matter which language you choose to start with. So pick a language, dive in, and happy coding!