The Online Historical Encyclopedia of Programming Languages lists 8000+ programming languages from the 8th century to date. These languages have been developed from as early as the 1940s till 2021. The onset of the internet age and the revolution accompanying this digital era will continue to influence the revision of present programming languages and the development of new ones to meet specific purposes.

Due to the high demand for programmers today and the potential growth rate projection for these demands in coming years, this article highlights in-demand programming languages you might want to consider in 2022 based on job openings, popularity, simplicity, and adaptability to digital trends. 

First, let us explore what a programming language is.

A programming language is a set of instructions used to interact with and control a computer. It defines a set of instructions that are compiled together to perform a specific task by the CPU (Central Processing Unit). They are used in web design, app creation, data analysis, machine learning, gaming, IoT, and content management systems, to mention a few. Programming languages can be classified as procedural, functional, object-oriented, scripting, and logical.

They can also be classified as frontend, backend, high level, low level, interpreted, and compiled languages. The languages explored are a combination of these classifications as they are multi-purpose.

Let’s take a deep dive. 

 JavaScript 

JavaScript is an easy-to-learn scripting language used for web applications. It is used on the client side to design and program the behaviour of web pages when an event occurs. JavaScript supports both object-oriented programming with prototypal inheritance as well as functional programming. On Stack Overflow, Js is popular amongst 67.9% of professional developers, and 469,420 jobs were recorded between October 2021 and June 2022. Asides from being a popular language adaptable to frontend and backend development, it runs immediately within client-side browsers and is excellent for game development. This language has a robust support community and learning resources available because of its global acceptance, increasing its popularity and acceptance.

Python 

Python is general-purpose, interpreted, high-level, scripting, object-oriented programming language used for web development, data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence. It is versatile and can be used to program many different types of functions adaptable to backend development. YouTube, Google, IBM, and other popular digital platforms are developed with Python. It is easy to learn and ideal for all levels of coders. On Shakuro, Python was ranked  48.24% as one of the most popular programming languages in 2021, and 290,432 jobs were recorded between October 2021 and June 2022. Its popularity is spurred on by its strong support community and beginner friendliness –anyone with no coding background can pick up the language. 

Java

Java is an object-oriented backend programming language used generally. It is used in big data, enterprise applications, web and mobile app development. Java is popular for its ease of learning and use, accommodation of large data and security. It can run on any operating system regardless of which was used for the original code. Over 3 million developers currently use it.

On Shakuro, Java is ranked 35.35% as one of the most popular programming languages in 2021, and 240,502 jobs were recorded between October 2021 and June 2022. Features offered by Java that make it more preferable than several other programming languages are its garbage collection capabilities, backward compatibility, platform independence via JVM, portability, and high performance.

 C# 

C# is a general-purpose, compiled backend programming language used for app, web and game development, server-side programming and more. It is easy to learn and operate, having a faster development time than most coding languages. On Stack Overflow, C# is popular amongst 27.98% of professional developers and 157,379 jobs were recorded between October 2021 and June 2022.

C++

C++ is a procedural, object-oriented compiled programming language, machine-independent with the ability to adapt to different ecosystems, powerful and fast with dynamic memory allocation. It is used in game development, system programming, the Internet of Things, machine learning, real-time systems and more. C++ is also excellent for developing powerful and heavy-use mobile apps, games, ML programs, and data mining applications. Programs and applications created with C++ run faster than those developed with other programming languages. On Shakuro, C++ is ranked 24.31%  as one of the most popular programming languages in 2021, and 95,006 jobs were recorded between October 2021 and June 2022. 

Which programming language should you go for?

Every programming language has its benefits, and you can begin with one scaling to accommodate others. All programming languages enlisted enjoy a robust support community and popularity in the job market. Identifying the one that suits your goals and pursuing them is the next step in your career advancement.

Once you’ve decided it’s time to learn a new language, turn to aptLearn for both training and certification. We offer courses in several programming languages, all with content developed by industry leaders, an emphasis on hands-on learning, and 24×7 support. You’ll learn the language and get the certification’s credibility, making it easier to land one of those high-paying programmer jobs. Visit our engineering courses page and get your programming career off to a great start.