Hello.
The question is not correct. However, which languages do you think pay better? I had a serious discussion with a famous professor and he told me that Php and Ruby, are not the TOP paid languages.
Which programming language " pay" better ? What do you think? C,C++, Python, Perl , Java or what else?
I would like to hear your opinions. Because i am new and i don’t the Market. I appreciate all your help !
He’s probably right, for PHP especially there are a lot of people doing it which drives the cost down.
A lot will depend for who you work for and where you work. If you work for a big global brand in a big city you’re likely to attract a higher salary than doing the same job in some backwater. That said Java and SQL seem to be the highest paid generally speaking.
There again I’d always recommend doing something you actually like doing rather than what pays the most.
Supply and Demand
PHP has a huge amount of developers, but pretty mediocre job numbers. It’s what most people think of when they think “backend web development”, but most jobs are in one of the others due to one reason or another. Java and C# are both high on that list, because it’s used in a lot of enterprise systems and enterprise systems hire people. Ruby is next on that list, because it’s more of a rapid prototyping language that’s used in the early stages of a large project, but it isn’t used in a lot of sustained systems… therefore, less jobs. But from what I’ve seen looking at pay rates over the last few years most of the main languages are around about the same and Ruby doesn’t really stand out as being lower paid on average like PHP does.
Pay based on language is pretty bad anyway. If you’re a software developer you will know several languages and picking up a new one shouldn’t be that big of a deal. You should be able to hire a good software developer who’s never touched a line of Ruby in his or her life and they should be able to get up to speed and making apps fairly quickly. You should pick the best tool for the job.
But if you’re looking to be familiar with languages that have the most jobs then Java and C# stand far above the rest. Python is probably next in line because it’s usage is growing rapidly. If you’re purely backend server stuff kind of person, then obviously C. (Most of us here are webdevs and don’t fit this description) But if you’re in the US and you’re willing to move, you can probably find plenty of jobs in any languages within a reasonable distance from your location, I don’t know about the rest of the world.
This is a good article:
Here is what they used for their information:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/static/interactive-the-top-programming-languages
Exactly my feelings. What does it matter if language A pays 4 times language B if you are going to struggle with it / hate working with it / burnt out soon.
Working with a language you like and will be able to continue using long-term will ultimately “pay” more.
I wish I could get this through to my COBOL friends who hate their jobs but (used to) love computers. A company heavily recruited for COBOL positions from my college. I have quite a few friends stuck in that world.
Personally, if COBOL or Assembler/MIPS paid $250k/yr on average I still wouldn’t do either one of them. I would hate my life.
I appreciate your opinion. It’s very important for me. So, for educational purposes, i would like to know which languages are highest paid. It will extremely help me.
I don’t say, that i am going to learn it. Of course, i believe that i should code only a language, which i really like.
So, i would like to tell me if you want.
Thank you for your time, for your effort and your everything!
Yes! Of course!
I would like to know which languages are highest paid, for educational purposes. I don’t think SQL is highest paid.
What’s your opinion about ? :
1.ActionScript
2. C++
3. Python
4.XSLT
Well, then you’d be wrong according to every single resource I found on Google. Stored Proc guys get paid good money.
What’s your opinion about ?
1.ActionScript - Dying
2. C++ - Losing ground but still very popular, too slow development time doesn’t outweigh performance
3. Python - Gaining more ground
4.XSLT - is this still a thing?
Why would you even question ActionScript and XSLT? Flash is dying and XSLT never really gained much traction in the first place and since much better things have replaced it.
That said, the question is flawed. You’re looking for an answer to a question about the real world that really has no bearing on the real world. If all you know is a single language, then you’re going to get paid less than a Software Developer. Simple. That makes you a code monkey. If a language starts taking off in popularity and starts having jobs in sectors you’re interested in, then learn it. It’s not hard to pick up a new language.
But even still, it’s rare to find a developer who only works in a single language. Personally, I work in Java, Javascript, SQL (DB2), PHP, some Korn Shell Scripts, and some Perl (and of course HTML/CSS). These are the things I am required for my job as a Web Developer (which actually isn’t even my official title btw). We also have C++, which I don’t touch but I probably could if I needed to, but I haven’t really used it since college so I’d rather not. I’m also trying to steer some of the head developers towards Python to replace PHP, Korn, and Perl. We are already slowly phasing out the C++ to Java.
I don’t know anyone who strictly works in a single language, especially in web development. So asking “what language pays more” is not a real question.
If you’re still curious, use this: http://www.indeed.com/salary
It’s not very accurate, since it’s only based on a small sub section of job listings that post salaries.
This might be more accutate: http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/index.htm
You would be wrong. DBAs, Business Intelligence, Analytics, are all on the rise. SQL Server has a lot going for it and a lot of companies are buying into it. I almost switched my carrier on my last move to go into SSIS, SSRS, and SSAS full time, but I just love programming too much still and although a lot of SSIS can involve programming, it just wasn’t enough for me to switch.
ActionScript - Dead. Or at least I consider it dead. I haven’t had a client ask for Flash in nearly 5 years. I used to deal with it quite a bit too.
C++ - Great if you want to get into gaming, or if you also deal with building hardware.
Python - This is up and coming and gaining momentum, but I still have no idea who uses it within an enterprise (such as what types of business are using it).
XSLT - Not a programming language, I still use it from time to time when I need to translate an XML file from one format to another.
C# - This is big, and VB.NET is in there too, but not as much. I use it daily and love to write it, it is such as simple language that can handle a lot of complexity.
PHP - You won’t get paid top dollar, but if you are one of the few who love PHP, it will suit you well. I still have a love for PHP, and then I write a project in it and I’m over it for a few more weeks 
(I don’t really hate PHP, I just use it sparingly when I need something thrown together quick and don’t want to pay out for a .NET hosting solution)
I think Pyhton and Django are great and people liking it are increasing by the day. But, in terms of the pay I’m not so sure. I don’t agree with the classification on a monetary basis. Because each have their unique purposes. In my opinion SAP programmers and Oracle developers are earning huge sums these days.
I don’t know what you mean when you say “for educational purposes”. This kind of questions is kind of subjective although there’s lots of places that do have a list of the best paid jobs where you can see which one is paid the best.
SQL may not be the highest on that list but it will sure be among the top. Someone that knows SQL really well is very well paid. SQL is more than simply using SELECT or UPDATE commands. And, although the standard may be the same for all databases, not all databases follow the same standard and, even if they do, they may only follow bits and pieces. Each database is a world on its own.
Also, PHP may be not very well paid but if you’re really good at it and know how to communicate how good you are and convinced the person that hires you, you may very well get more money than with .NET which is, traditionally, paid higher.
From your list
1.ActionScript - dead
2. C++ - Still used a lot in certain fields
3. Python - I don’t know any big company that uses it but it’s growing.
4.XSLT - this is not a programming language. It’s not used as often as it could, I guess the reason being that XML is not as used as it could
The best paid languages are languages created by big companies and that I guess that you could call “corporate languages” like Java or .NET, basically because this kind of companies have a huge marketing and sales department and they will sell it to other companies, specially the big ones and goverments, and experts do need to spend a lot of cash for certifications.
So true. SAP is huge these days and many major companies have installed it to integrate CRM, invoicing, services, etc in just one system. So a SAP expert is hugely paid.
Thank you for your reply!
P.S. I am going to answer everyone.
I read these articles :
I asked about ActionScript and XSLT because both articles say " On the high end of the spectrum, Java and ActionScript are used heavily in enterprise software, and enterprise software is certainly known to pay well " .
I really didn’t know that they are dead.
Forgime, for my noob questions, but i am really confused. Everyone says a different opinion which is not based on the truth. Some people, don’t say the truth, on purpose.
I’ve said that my question is not correct. However, i’d like to know some things about the general Market of Programming.
And yes, i know that nobody would have a good career, with a single language. I know that. You should know 2+ more languages.
Your 2 links, didn’t really help me. I don’t care about salaries, cause i want to know the highest paid programming languages. Atleast, your opinion sir.
Also, do you believe that a Web Developer be paid better than a Software Developer ?
Sorry. I did not got it.
Cobol? Is this language alive? Is it a high paid language?
Which p.languages should someone know to earn " $250k/yr on average", as you said?
Thank you a lot!
I read these articles :
I asked about ActionScript and XSLT because both articles say " On the high end of the spectrum, Java and ActionScript are used heavily in enterprise software, and enterprise software is certainly known to pay well " .
I really didn’t know that they are dead. Forgime, for my noob questions, but i am really confused.
What’s the meaning of “SSIS, SSRS, and SSAS” ?
I really didn’t know that SQL is important for making a good career. And i can’t understand it. lol.
As i said, i had a serious discussion with a famous professor and he told me that Php and Ruby, are not the highest paid languages.
I would appreciate if i hear your opinion about the highest paid languages. Many people, support that Java and .Net, are the highest paid languages. What do you believe? Do you believe the same or not?
Tell me your opinion about these :
—> I 'd like to rate every languages, between 1-10, the highest paid. lol. It’s crazy but it will help me too.
Oh ok. :goof:
lol. Yes. It’s funny but i could not say it better. lol 
Please, if you have free time, and if you want, answer me on my full reply.
Thank you a lot !
I don’t agree with much said in those articles. XSLT and ActionScript were dead back in 2013 too! Maybe that is why they went up in value though, not many people are wasting their time with either technology anymore. So the number of people who know them, are limited.
Google Search will help you here. SQL Server Integration Service, SQL Server Reporting Services, and SQL Server Analysis Services. We have an entire department dedicated to these where I work.
As for your listing, who cares? I’ve already stated my opinion on half of those. I won’t rank them 1-10 ,because you only have 8 items… 
, so that’d be a bit unfair. I also won’t rank them because countless other sites have already done so utilizing data collected globally or regionally.
I care! Your opinion is very important for me. At least, if you wanna not help me more, can you post these sites? Cause, most people, generally, don’t want to help. On purpose of course. I am not talking about Sitepoint Society.
And is it possible, to tell me your opinion about these 8 p. languages? Forget the rating.
Thank you a lot cpradio ! I am glad you posted, and i’d be more if you help me more.
Uber HQ person !
These articles are one year old and still I wonder where they got this information from.
Java is very widely used and I don’t expect that to change in the near future. It is very verstatile and you can see it from web applications to desktop and many of the games you play in your phone are made with Jave.
ActionScript used to be huge when Flash was big. That stopped being true even before Steve Jobs passed away. Apple decided to follow their own path when concentrated their efforts in HTML5 for their new iPhone. They argued that Flash was too much and too heave for mobile phones, needed too much battery. A year or two later, ActionScript was dead. You can still see it here and there but although Flash survived thanks to youtube (most videos used the Flash video encoder) even that’s changing.
I wouldn’t say that XSLT is dead. In certain areas is widely used. In some others, it is not. But XSLT is a markup language, not a programming language. Still, I don’t know why it ranks so high in those articles. XSLT is not that hard to learn and it doesn’t need the effort a programming language needs to master.
Mawburn; can confirm this but I think that he’s talking about SSIS= SQL Serveer Integration Services, SSRS = SQL Server Reporting Services and SSAS= SQL Server Analysis Services.
Well, SQL is not a programming language so it shouldn’t be on the list. Still, many programmers do have to deal with databases so they do have to know enough to do some stuff, even they’re not database experts.
He’s right. They’re not. Although Ruby is much better paid than PHP. Too many so-called PHP developers. Of course, an amazing PHP developer worths its weight in gold 
These two are high on the list, I would say Java more than .NET but, as I said, most “corporate” programming languages tend to enjoy of higher salaries than programming languages frequently used in open source software such as PHP or Ruby.
Assembly? It is very particular of the machine you’re programming with so, yes, it is nice to know. I guess that it would depend on the hardware. I would assume that’s highly paid but, to be honest, I only learnt some when I was studying and never used it again.
Still used in the certain coorporations but it is rare. Of course, if you find a real expert and you have some software created with Delphi, you’ll pay him loads. There are not that many people that knows Delphi anymore.
I’ll put it in the mid-range salary.
Same as Ruby on Rails. I would think this is mid-range. Not as high as more traditional used languages as .NET or Java
I would put this one, and Java at the top of the list. Maybe C# too
With point 5
Well, as I said, this is not a programming language (although PL/SQL is) but a true database expert does have a high salary.
With point 5
Pffff! I don’t know. After all, this is a question of perception and lots of factors have influence over the salary. My guess would be