If you are thinking about studying a new programming language, you’re probably questioning what the highest paid programming languages are and what kind of developers earn the most! The quick and perhaps obvious answer here is that the most in-demand programming languages will give you the best salary. So keep reading as we uncover which these languages are right now.
Most in-demand programming languages:
Highest paid & in-demand languages:
- Go
- Scala
- Ruby
- Objective-C
- C#
- Python
- Java
- Swift
- Kotlin
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Highest paid programing languages 2020:
It’s pretty natural for developers, whether beginner or experienced, to think for the career prospects. Leaving a couple of things besides, we mainly tend to focus on the salary we can get using these languages. But, it would be best if you also focused on other things, such as:
- User-friendliness of the language – this helps a lot in learning the language faster.
- Relevance – if it’s still relevant to today’s technology
According to the Stack Overflows survey of 2020, the following programming languages are synonymous with the highest wages in the industry. Note: This data is according to Stack Overflow's Developer Survey of 2020 for the highest paid programming languages in 2020 list
Globally
Globally Highest-Paid Programming Languages in 2020
The United States
US Highest Paid
The highest-paid programming languages in 2020 are:
Go language
With an average of approximately $110,000/year, the Go language deservedly tops the list. It was developed by Google and released in November 2009. The fact that it is open-source makes it actively used for different projects within the corporation, and a couple of famous services such as SoundCloud, Netflix, and Dropbox. Interestingly, in recent years the popularity of Go has grown tremendously thanks to the advantage of
- Multi Threaded tasks
- Parallel processing
- Fast start-up time
- Using memory only when necessary
A lot of people are considering Go to be the server language of the future! Some excellent features of Go are:
- It’s very concise, simple and safe
- The compilation is speedy
- It supports the interfaces with the embedded types
- It doesn’t require any external dependencies for the production of the statically linked native binaries. We highly recommend you to check out this course on coursera.org
Codecademy also has great courses which is more practical if you prefer that way of learning (It's also free):
Scala
Scala is a popular language that provides support for functional programming and object-oriented programming. It's one of the most in-demand programming languages today and a great option for those looking for a high salary job within the market. It's a language that believes to thrive further during the coming years, which is also a good selling point as to why you should learn this type of language.
Scala is a multi-paradigm language meaning it supports more than one programming paradigm.
The average salary of a Scala developer is ≈$76.000
Ruby (especially on Rails)
It gained a lot of popularity as a tool for developing web applications and was used for developing the server part of a lot of popular worldwide services. You can see this name in a lot of lists of recommendations for studying. The primary purpose of the Ruby language, which follows the principle of “least astonishment,” is the fact that it can create compelling and understandable programs, where it is not the program speed that should be important, but the development time. Also, the clarity and simplicity of the code are what makes Ruby very famous. If you want to get started fast, we recommend you to check out this course: Some great features that Ruby has are:
- Everything is an Object
- Modules – these allow the dynamic addition of new elements of the class hierarchy at runtime.
- Code development
- Dynamic typing
- Duck typing
- Code quality
If you want to learn more about Ruby, please check out the ultimate guide to the Ruby world. 
Comparing Rails performance by Ruby version
Objective-C
The Objective-C language is used to develop apps in the Apple ecosystem. It’s purely used for developing Mac OS X and iOS. Despite the emergence of a new programming language called Swift, the Objective-C language is still a very popular choice in the developer’s community. Additionally, its connection to Apple gives it a very high demand market. As long as Apple is “depending” on Objective-C, the developers will always be wanted and paid very well. Some very nice features of Objective-C are:
- Classed are objects – every class is an instance of a meta-class
- Dynamic typing
- Optional static typing
- Dynamic run-time
- Introspection
C#
A group of Microsoft engineers developed C# to develop apps on the .NET platform. Are you looking to get experienced in the field of creating native apps under Microsoft? Then C# is the ideal language for you. In essence, C# is a simple, modern, and general-purpose, object-oriented programming language. A significant advantage of C# is its comparative simplicity and the ability to focus on the algorithm more rather than the implementation details.
Currently, C# is used for developing a lot of apps, starting from small desktop programs to large web portals and web services that people use daily. C# is mostly used in:
- Windows services – Long-running process without UI
- Web apps – Client-server apps
- Window apps – Apps that run on desktop
- Web services – Apps that provide functionality over HTTP
- Games – This is done using Unity
- Console applications – Apps that don’t have UI
Python
Quality frameworks? Check. Tons of training materials? Check. Friendly community? Check. The simplicity of coding? Check. It had to make the highest-paid programming languages in the 2020 list! Python is one of the most powerful programming languages currently in use. It is used in:
- Mathematical calculations
- Data analysis
- Web development
- Machine learning
- Task automation
Fun fact: It was used for developing apps like Youtube, Dropbox, Reddit, and Google.
Java
The Java programming language has been for quite some time now, one of the most highly-demanded languages among the developer’s community. Java is mainly used to develop products in the banking sector and in automated testing. It is very well appreciated for its cross-platform, which is provided thanks to JVM. This is a very vital promising programming language for learning. Java is actively used to create both server and mobile applications, and it’s also used as a tool for developing native apps for Android. Java is used for:
- Mobile apps
- Web apps
- Desktop apps
- Games
- Database connections
- And much more!
It’s really no wonder it made the highest paid programming languages in 2020 list.
Swift
Swift is the main language for developing apps to run on:
- MacOS
- iOS
- watchOS
- and tvOS
This is a universal programming language for working with Apple products mostly. Interestingly enough, it was released just 5 years ago (in 2014)! It’s main and most famous advantage is speed: both on working and launching the application. It is the advantage that gave it its name because the creators claimed that it absorbed all the best from the other languages.
Kotlin
And last but not least, Kotlin. The JetBrains IT company developed the programming language called Kotlin, and it has quickly become the official development language for Android. This was officiated at the Google conference back in 2017. 
Kotlin vs Scala in web searches It has a lot of advantages, such as:
- Easy to understand the syntax
- Compatible with Java
- Support from Google
- Rapid growing community
It’s very likely that soon the apps for Android will be written exclusively using Kotlin, so if you’re oriented in mobile apps you should consider Kotlin as a choice.
Another study from 2019 by “Hired”:
According to another study prepared by Hired, the professionals who know Go programming are the most sought-after engineers on the market. Here is the list made according to their data.
Most in-demand coding languages.
Another significant and foremost factor that influences the developer’s wage is the kind of work they perform. Below you can find statistics for a couple of the largest IT hubs in the world (courtesy of Stack Overflow): 
The median salary for different types of developers Let’s elaborate further
Conclusion
The lack of talented programmers has been, and will probably still be in the upcoming years, an urgent problem for the market. The knowledge of the languages mentioned above and the sufficient work experience will open a lot of doors for the developer. A great way to start your programming carrier is to join Ivan on the Tech Academy. I have myself went through most courses in the academy and are amazed at how much value you get from it.
Now, if you still can't decide or need more information about programming, read this article about Everything you need to know about programming.
Alicia leads content strategy for LearnWorthy managing a team of content producers, strategists, and copywriters. She creatively oversees content programs, awareness campaigns, research reports, and other integrated marketing projects.
