Key takeaways
- High demand for software developers: There’s a 17% job growth for software developers projected over the next decade, making programming languages a crucial skill for career advancement.1
- Choosing the right programming language: The best programming language to learn depends on your goals. For beginners, general-purpose languages like Python, JavaScript, and Java are great starting points, as these languages are known for their gentle learning curve, while languages like SQL and C++ cater to specific industries like data science and game development.
- Popularity vs. demand: Learning popular languages such as JavaScript and Python is a safe bet, but it’s important to consider what employers demand. According to hiring trends, JavaScript, Python, SQL, Java, and C# are the top languages recruiters look for.
- Diverse learning paths: There are many ways to learn a programming language, from free online courses and YouTube tutorials to intensive coding bootcamps and open-source contributions. The right approach depends on your learning style, career goals, and budget.
- Long-term value of key languages: Learning versatile languages like JavaScript, Python, and Java can provide foundational knowledge that allows for easier transition to other languages and a wider array of career opportunities, as building language skills across multiple languages can further expand your options in web development, data science, and machine learning.
Software development continues to be a great career path. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, aspiring coders can expect $100k+ salaries and 17% headcount growth in the software developer job market over the next decade, a five-fold outperformance of the U.S. labor market as a whole.1
Of course, even if the booming software development job market has the staying power to weather a short-term hiring slowdown, you want to maximize your chances of breaking into the field and starting down a prosperous new career path. This means learning the coding languages that will put your resume at the top of the pile.
When you’re just getting started, it can be difficult to decide between all the languages out there and plan your approach. What’s the best programming language to learn going into 2026? The question is certainly up for debate, but below we’ll pull on data from software developers, employers, and education providers to provide some recommendations for where to get started.
What is a programming language?
A programming language is a notation system (also commonly referred to as a coding language) designed to communicate instructions to a computer or computing system. It consists of a set of rules and syntax that computer programmers can follow to write code or computer programs, and direct computers to take particular actions or solve problems. These programs form the basis for software applications, web development, mobile apps, game development, machine learning, data science, and much more. Learning a programming language also involves understanding programming vocabulary.
Why are there different programming languages?
Programming languages can be classified as high-level languages, which provide abstraction from hardware details, making them easier to use for complex tasks. There are many programming languages out there: Stack Overflow suggests that at least 48 functional programming languages are actively used by developers today.2 This abundance exists because of the varied tasks programmers need to accomplish in the programming world.
Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML, is considered one of the easiest programming languages to learn, which is why it is often chosen as a first programming language to learn. Coders may also choose to start by learning JavaScript, which is known to be among the top programming languages used in the development process. JavaScript is a dynamic language, making it flexible and easy to use, and is essential for front end web development and front end development.
Some coding languages are general-purpose (Python, Java, C), while domain-specific programming languages (SQL, R, HTML) are used by programmers for specific purposes, like querying databases (SQL), performing statistical analysis (R), or writing web pages (HTML). SQL is also widely used with Microsoft SQL Server as a key platform for database management. Python is known for its concise syntax, making it beginner-friendly. Java is popular for enterprise solutions, and compiled Java code is portable across platforms.
Programmers choose the appropriate language based on the requirements of the project, the available tools and libraries, and their personal preferences and expertise. The choice may also depend on the integrated development environment that supports efficient development. No single programming language is suitable for all tasks, so developing language skills across multiple languages is important.
How do you learn a programming language?
You can approach learning a programming language in several ways depending on your background, resources, and learning style. These include:
Online courses: Many websites offer free or paid courses designed to help aspiring coders learn programming languages. Popular platforms include Codecademy, Coursera, Udemy, and Khan Academy, which offer free or low-cost options to gain basic knowledge of the most popular coding programming languages. These are great options for students with little to no prior programming experience. Many courses introduce learners to an integrated development environment to facilitate hands-on learning.
Coding bootcamps: Coding bootcamps, like those offered by Coding Dojo, are immersive programs that focus on helping aspiring software engineers, web developers, and software developers upskill and pursue entry-level positions in the tech industry.3 A coding bootcamp leverages project-based learning, mentorship, and career services to help students optimize their chances of landing a role.
YouTube channels: YouTube channels are a popular, free resource to learn programming languages and basic programming concepts for more visual learners. Viewers can watch demonstrations and gain insights before trying things out for themselves.
Coding exercises: After you’ve learned the basics, coding exercises and challenges can reinforce your understanding of a programming language. These exercises often involve writing scripts to solve problems and automate tasks. Websites like LeetCode, HackerRank, and Project Euler provide a wide range of coding problems and complex tasks to solve, giving you the opportunity to practice how to write code.4,5,6
Attending workshops and meetups: Workshops, college coding clubs, and programming meetups can provide opportunities to learn from experts, collaborate with others, and expand your network. These events often offer presentations, coding exercises, and discussions on specific programming languages.
Collaborating and contributing to open source: Participating in open-source projects allows you to connect with experienced developers, learn from their code, and contribute to real-world software. GitHub is a popular platform for finding open-source projects to contribute to, and showing your contributions through your GitHub account can also help in recruitment.7
Building your programming vocabulary is an important part of the learning process.
How do you know which programming language is the best one to learn?
There are many websites that claim to have identified the best programming language out there, but the reality isn’t so simple: “Best for whom?” you may ask. What’s best for an advanced coder, after all, likely won’t be the best programming language for a complete beginner. What’s popular for interactive web pages might not be the best for game development or mobile apps. What’s the best programming language to learn going into 2026? The best coding language for one person may not be the same for another, as it depends on individual goals and the learning curve associated with each language.
It’s important to remember that no single programming language is sufficient for all tasks. If you’re looking to determine the best programming language to learn to break into a coding career, we’d recommend calibrating along two different axes: popularity vs. demand and learners vs. professionals.
Developing strong language skills across multiple programming languages can greatly enhance your versatility and career opportunities.
Popularity vs. demand
It’s no secret that coders are an opinionated bunch, and since they gather so often in online communities, there’s always a chance of the groupthink taking over and certain programming languages becoming more popular than others. But as HackerRank notes, “From July 2023 forward, developer test invites and new test creations, both barometers of hiring activity, increased 86% and 58% respectively.”8
Look through a job posting for an open web developer, software engineer, or even data scientist position, and you’ll likely see one or several programming languages listed as must-haves or nice-to-haves. These are the crucial languages to get your foot in the door, and while they might not always align with what are the most popular programming languages at the moment, they’re worth investing in if you want to land a job instead of winning internet points or merely pursuing a hobby.
Learners vs. professionals
Both learners and professionals play important roles in the programming world. It would be a mistake to first learn the more advanced languages that the pros use, especially if you’re just getting started with no prior programming experience. Professional developers often tackle more specialized tasks than junior developers, and they require more advanced tools. Some of these advanced languages are compiled languages, which offer performance benefits. So while it would be wise to learn programming languages that professional coders also use, you’ll want to make sure to start with a general-purpose language that will help you learn programming concepts—languages with a gentle learning curve are especially suitable for beginners—to set you up for growth.
You’ll also want to evaluate whether you want to learn a scripting language or procedural programming languages, and then perhaps functional programming or application development.
How we’ve collected the top-cited programming language to learn
Based on the factors we’ve outlined, you should take into account the needs of employers, the day-to-day work of software developers, and the expertise of educators. In developing our recommendations, we’ve done just that, analyzing surveys of these groups and drawing on programming language research to determine the best programming languages to learn if you’re looking to make coding a career. Learning these languages will help you build valuable language skills.
Included in our analysis are the following:
Employers
CoderPad: State of Tech Hiring 2024
"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"
Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot
Top languages demanded by recruiters9
- Python
- JavaScript
- Java
- C#
- SQL
Devjobsscanner: Top 8 Most Demanded Programming Languages in 2024
- JavaScript/TypeScript10
- Python
- Java
- C#
- PHP
Index: 12 Most In-Demand Programming Languages to Learn (2025)
Languages with the most job postings11
- JavaScript
- HTML/CSS
- SWL
- Python
- TypeScript
Developers
Stack Overflow: 2024 Developer Survey
Programming, Scripting, and Markup Languages12
- Python
- JavaScript
- SQL
- HTML/CSS
- TypeScript
HackerRank: 2024 Developer Skills Report
Most-Used Languages13
- Python
- Java
- SQL
- C++
- JavaScript
Educators
SimpliLearn: 100 Best Programming Languages in 2025 [Ultimate List]
- Python14
- Java
- C
- C++
- C#
The best programming languages to learn
Based on rankings from employers, developers, and educators, we’ve compiled a list of the best programming languages to learn based on demand—though, to be clear, learning any of these languages would be a meaningful step toward launching your coding career.
- JavaScript/Typescript
JavaScript is an easy-to-learn, versatile programming language used primarily for web development and mobile app development. JavaScript is a go-to language for when developers want to add interactivity and motion to websites, browser games, mobile apps, and web applications. JavaScript runs natively across all major web browsers and features client-side scripting and event-driven programming, which means that it runs on a user’s device and responds to their input. TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that allows coders to employ “static typing,” which allows them to define the type of data for a variable when first writing code. This can make for a longer writing process, but can also avoid errors in the long run. Because they are so versatile and prevalent in web development, demand is high for coders who can code in JavaScript and TypeScript. JavaScript also forms the basis for front-end frameworks such as React. For these reasons, along with its ease of use, we think JavaScript is a great programming language to learn first.
Learn JavaScript
- Learn JavaScript on Codecademy (free with optional upgrade)
- LearnJavaScript.online (free)
- W3Schools’JavaScript tutorial (free)
2. Python
Another great, in-demand programming language to learn early on is Python. Python is a general-purpose programming language that ends up being the first language for many coders because the clean and readable syntax makes it easy to learn. This program helps new coders “look under the hood” and begin to grasp the fundamentals of computer science in a more familiar environment. Python has a wide range of uses, including web development, data analysis, machine learning, scientific computing, automation, and scripting. It’s extremely popular among data scientists and machine learning engineers. There are also large frameworks and software libraries that have been created that make new coding projects infinitely easier. Its ability to integrate with other languages also makes it a stand-out system administration, automation, and scripting language. Python’s wide variety of use-cases, its user-friendliness and efficiency, and the programming fundamentals it teaches puts Python at number two on our list.
Learning Python
- IBM’s Python Basics for Data Science (free with optional upgrade)
- W3Schools’ Python tutorial (free)
- Learn Python 2 on Codecademy (free with optional upgrade)
- LearnPython.org (free)
3. Java
Java is yet another widely used, general-purpose programming language that can be run across platforms due to its “write once, run anywhere” philosophy. Like Python, Java has a strong community and extensive software libraries that can speed up coding tasks.
Java is efficient, scalable, and often used in enterprise-level applications, particularly for Android development. But why is Java one of the most popular programming languages to learn if you’re just getting started coding? Java’s syntax and concepts are similar to other popular programming languages like C# and C++. This means that learning Java can unlock new learning paths and make your coding journey easier in the long run.
Learning Java
- Learn Java at Codecademy (free)
- W3Schools’ Java tutorial (free)
- Learnjavaonline.org (free)
4. C++
C++ is a powerful language used for system programming, game development, and building browsers. In fact, it’s highly likely that the browser you’re using to read this article (if you’re on a desktop) was written in C++.
C++ is also a great programming language to learn because it opens the doors to other languages, especially those in the C family, like C and C#. But even outside of these “C languages,” C++ can provide a basis in object-oriented programming and programming principles like memory management, pointers, data structures, and algorithms that can help an intermediate coder when it comes time to add a new language.
Learn C++
- Learn C++ on Codecademy (free with optional upgrade)
- LearnCPP.com (free)
- W3Schools’ C++ tutorial (free)
5. SQL
SQL (Structured Query Language) is a programming language with a specific use: managing and manipulating relational databases by providing a set of commands and syntax for querying, inserting, updating, and deleting data in a database. SQL is essential for working with databases and is widely used in various industries.
Demand has grown in recent decades for professionals proficient in SQL as businesses have amped up their data-driven decision-making programs. SQL forms the foundation of data science curricula, and many professionals who wouldn’t consider themselves coders are able to write SQL queries. SQL can also be integrated with other programming languages to support advanced projects, including machine learning models. If you’re looking to go into machine learning or artificial intelligence, SQL is a great language to learn early.
Learning SQL
- LearnSQL on Codecademy (free with optional upgrade)
- W3Schools’ SQL tutorial (free) or certification ($95)
- LearnSQL.com (price varies)
- Jose Portilla’s SQL Bootcamp ($149.99)
What’s next?
Above, we’ve listed out the most-cited programming languages to learn if you want to begin your career in software development or web development—along with some ways you can start learning for free, or at a low cost. If you’d prefer a higher-touch learning environment, however, we’d recommend a software developer bootcamp, or even courses through a college or university. Input your information into our matcher to get personalized recommendations.
Sources
1 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm
2 https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/
8 https://www.hackerrank.com/research/developer-skills/2024
9 https://coderpad.io/survey-reports/coderpad-and-codingame-state-of-tech-hiring-2024/
10 https://www.devjobsscanner.com/blog/top-8-most-demanded-programming-languages/
11 https://www.index.dev/blog/12-most-in-demand-programming-languages-to-learn-in-2023
12 https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024
13 https://www.hackerrank.com/research/developer-skills/2024
14 https://www.simplilearn.com/best-programming-languages-start-learning-today-article
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
