Top Programming Languages to Learn in 2022: Rankings, Salaries & Insights

CodingNomads recently released a report titled “The Most Worth‑Learning Programming Languages in 2022,” summarizing job demand and salary levels for various languages.

If you are excited by data and logic, you might consider Python, Java, C, C++ or C#. If visual design and UX/UI interest you, JavaScript and TypeScript are ideal. For mobile app development, Android Java and Apple’s Swift/Objective‑C are recommended. Beyond personal preferences, most people learn programming to improve job opportunities and income.

Using LinkedIn job postings from the US and Europe, the ranking places Python at #1, Java at #2, followed by JavaScript, C++, C#, C, TypeScript, PHP, Perl and Ruby.

Data as of December 21, 2021

Salary analysis from Indeed and Glassdoor shows average U.S. salaries: Ruby $111,994 (top), C++ $103,818, Python $103,540, JavaScript/TypeScript $100,492, Java $96,786, C# $89,203, PHP $85,435, Perl $83,159, C $82,924. TypeScript’s salary is considered comparable to JavaScript.

For junior developers, these figures are averages; successful engineers can expect to reach or exceed these levels after a few years of experience.

The Leaders

1. Python

Python tops the 2022 popularity list and is a versatile server‑side language used for scripting, automation, web applications, data science, machine learning and AI. Ryan Desmond, co‑founder of CodingNomads, notes that demand for Python skills will continue to grow exponentially due to its role in AI and data‑science.

2. Java

Java is a mature, widely‑adopted language powering many large and complex enterprise systems, the Internet of Things, and the Android platform, which holds about 85% of the mobile market share. It is considered slightly harder to learn than Python but easier than C or C++.

3. JavaScript

JavaScript dominates client‑side web development, running in over 97% of websites. With runtimes like Node.js and frameworks such as Express, it is also a serious contender for server‑side development. It remains the most popular language among GitHub contributors and a top choice for hiring managers.

Honorable Mentions

1. TypeScript

Ranked #7 in 2022, TypeScript is a typed superset of JavaScript that improves development efficiency for large codebases. It is widely used for both client‑ and server‑side projects and was named the most‑adopted technology in the 2021 JavaScript State of the Nation survey.

2. SQL

Although not a programming language per se, SQL is essential for interacting with databases and appears in more job postings than many listed languages across the US and Europe.

For beginners, CodingNomads advises focusing on mastering one language before spreading effort across multiple languages, as deep expertise in one language facilitates learning others later.