· Programming Languages
Programming Languages

Programming Languages

Programming languages form the foundation of software development across all engineering domains. The demand landscape shows clear specialization patterns, with Python dominating data science, ML, and backend roles (appearing in >80% of Machine Learning Engineering positions), while JavaScript and TypeScript lead Frontend Development roles. Java maintains strong presence in Web Application Backend Development and Android Development positions, appearing in >50% of relevant roles. Mobile development shows platform-specific concentration with Swift/Objective-C for iOS Development and Java/Kotlin for Android Development. Systems programming in Systems Software Engineering and Embedded Systems Development relies heavily on C/C++, while modern Cloud Services Architecture and Platform Engineering increasingly favor Go. The entry-level market emphasizes foundational languages like Python, Java, and JavaScript, which collectively appear in >70% of entry-level positions across multiple tracks.

General Purpose & Scripting Languages

These versatile languages power multiple domains from web development to data science and automation. Python leads with exceptional breadth across Web Application Backend Development, Data Engineering, Data Science, Machine Learning Engineering, and MLOps roles. JavaScript dominates Frontend Development and increasingly Web Application Backend Development through Node.js. These languages offer strong entry-level opportunities and career flexibility across numerous specializations.

Python

Very High Demand
Rank: #1
Entry-Level: Very High
Most demanded language across data and ML tracks, appearing in >80% of Machine Learning Engineering, Data Science, and MLOps roles. Strong presence in Web Application Backend Development (>20%), Data Engineering (>45%), LLM/AI Application Development (>65%), and Test Automation (>25%). Extremely entry-friendly with >85% of entry-level ML and data science positions requiring it. Used for data processing, ML model development, backend APIs, automation, and scientific computing.

JavaScript

Very High Demand
Rank: #2
Entry-Level: High
Essential for Frontend Development (>55% prevalence) and Web Application Backend Development via Node.js (>10%). Appears in LLM/AI Application Development (>15%), iOS Development via React Native (>10%), Android Development via React Native (>5%), and Test Automation (>10%). Entry-level friendly with >60% prevalence in entry-level Frontend Development roles. Used for interactive web interfaces, single-page applications, server-side development, and cross-platform mobile apps.

TypeScript

High Demand
Rank: #3
Entry-Level: Moderate
Rapidly growing in Frontend Development (>25% prevalence) and Web Application Backend Development Node.js services (>5%). Popular in LLM/AI Application Development (>10%) and iOS Development (>5%). Moderate entry-level demand with >25% of entry-level Frontend Development positions mentioning it. Provides type safety for large-scale JavaScript applications, improving code maintainability and developer productivity.

Bash

Moderate Demand
Rank: #4
Entry-Level: Low
Important for DevOps (>5%) and Systems Software Engineering roles. Used across Platform Engineering and automation tasks. Lower entry-level requirements but valuable for infrastructure automation, deployment scripts, system administration, and CI/CD pipeline configuration.

Ruby

Low Demand
Rank: #5
Entry-Level: Low
Niche presence primarily in web backend development and specific legacy systems. Limited representation in the dataset (<5% overall prevalence). Entry-level opportunities are limited. Traditionally used for web applications via Ruby on Rails framework and automation scripting.

PHP

Low Demand
Rank: #6
Entry-Level: Low
Present mainly in E-commerce Backend Development (>5%) and Web Application Backend Development legacy systems (>5%). Limited modern demand with <5% overall prevalence. Few entry-level positions. Used for server-side web development, content management systems, and e-commerce platforms like Magento.

Perl

Low Demand
Rank: #7
Entry-Level: Low
Legacy presence in Systems Software Engineering (>5%) and Embedded Systems Development (>10%). Declining demand with <5% overall prevalence. Rare in entry-level positions. Used for text processing, system administration scripts, network programming, and maintaining legacy codebases.

Groovy

Low Demand
Rank: #8
Entry-Level: Low
Specialized usage primarily in build automation and Jenkins pipelines within DevOps and Build & Release Management contexts. Very limited presence (<5% prevalence). Rare entry-level demand. Used for Gradle build scripts, Jenkins pipeline definitions, and Java ecosystem automation tasks.

Enterprise & Backend Languages

Languages powering large-scale enterprise systems and backend infrastructure. Java dominates Web Application Backend Development (>45%), Android Development (>50%), and Data Engineering (>10%). C# leads Microsoft ecosystem in Web Application Backend Development and Gaming Backend Development. These languages offer strong job markets with substantial entry-level opportunities in backend and enterprise domains.

Java

Very High Demand
Rank: #1
Entry-Level: Very High
Dominant in Web Application Backend Development (>45%), Android Development (>50%), Data Engineering (>10%), Microservices Architecture (>45%), API Design & Development (>30%), and Test Automation (>30%). Strong entry-level market with >50% of entry-level Android Development and backend positions requiring it. Used for enterprise applications, microservices, Android apps, big data processing, and distributed systems.

C#

High Demand
Rank: #2
Entry-Level: Moderate
Primary language for .NET ecosystem in Web Application Backend Development (>10%) and Microsoft stack. Strong in Gaming Backend Development Unity development (>25%). Present in Test Automation (>5%) and Backend Testing & QA (>5%). Moderate entry-level demand with >10% prevalence. Used for enterprise applications, web APIs, desktop software, game development, and cloud services on Azure.

Go

Moderate Demand
Rank: #3
Entry-Level: Low
Growing in Cloud Services Architecture (>5%), Platform Engineering (>5%), and Microservices Architecture (>5%). Present in Web Application Backend Development (>5%) and Machine Learning Engineering. Lower entry-level demand but increasing. Used for cloud-native applications, containerization tools, microservices, API services, and high-performance backend systems requiring concurrency.

Scala

Moderate Demand
Rank: #4
Entry-Level: Low
Specialized presence in Data Engineering (>10%) and Machine Learning Engineering (>5%), particularly with Apache Spark. Limited entry-level opportunities. Used for big data processing, distributed computing frameworks, functional programming in JVM ecosystem, and real-time data pipelines.

Mobile Development Languages

Platform-specific languages for mobile application development. These languages show strong specialization patterns with iOS Development and Android Development ecosystems having distinct language requirements. Entry-level markets are substantial for platform-specific roles, with Kotlin and Swift representing modern approaches to mobile development.

Kotlin

High Demand
Rank: #1
Entry-Level: High
Modern Android Development standard, appearing in >35% of roles. Strong entry-level presence with >45% prevalence in entry-level Android Development positions. Preferred over Java for new Android projects. Used for native Android apps, cross-platform mobile development, and Android SDK features like Jetpack Compose.

Swift

High Demand
Rank: #2
Entry-Level: High
Primary iOS Development language, appearing in >45% of positions. Strong entry-level demand with >40% prevalence in entry-level iOS Development roles. Apple's modern replacement for Objective-C. Used for native iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS applications with SwiftUI framework.

Objective-C

Moderate Demand
Rank: #3
Entry-Level: Moderate
Legacy iOS Development language, still present in >15% of roles for maintaining older codebases. Moderate entry-level demand (>15%) in iOS Development positions. Declining but necessary for legacy app maintenance. Used for maintaining existing iOS applications and working with older Apple frameworks.

Systems & Performance Languages

Low-level languages for systems programming, embedded development, and performance-critical applications. C and C++ dominate Systems Software Engineering and Embedded Systems Development with >50% prevalence in relevant roles. These languages require deeper technical expertise, resulting in moderate entry-level accessibility despite strong overall demand.

C++

Very High Demand
Rank: #1
Entry-Level: High
Critical for Systems Software Engineering (>50%), Embedded Systems Development (>55%), and Gaming Backend Development performance-critical applications (>20%). Appears in Machine Learning Engineering (>5%), Web Application Backend Development (>5%), and Data Engineering. Good entry-level opportunities with >50% prevalence in systems roles. Used for operating systems, game engines, embedded firmware, high-frequency trading, and performance libraries.

C

High Demand
Rank: #2
Entry-Level: Moderate
Foundational for Systems Software Engineering (>35%) and Embedded Systems Development (>50%). Present in IoT Systems Development. Moderate entry-level presence with >35% prevalence in relevant roles. Used for operating system kernels, device drivers, embedded firmware, microcontroller programming, and low-level system utilities.

Rust

Low Demand
Rank: #3
Entry-Level: Low
Emerging in Systems Software Engineering (>5%) and Platform Engineering with focus on memory safety. Limited but growing presence. Low entry-level demand currently. Used for systems programming requiring safety guarantees, WebAssembly, blockchain development, and performance-critical services where memory safety is crucial.