Programming Language Map: Job Breakdown

Which programming languages support the most jobs, with the least competition, in your state? New data from Experts Exchange suggests that the most popular languages don’t always coincide with employment trends.

Location, Location, Location – Programming jobs are often dependent on where we live. For instance, if you’re one of the millions of people who prefer Java, your safest bet to find a well-suited job may lie within Washington, Nebraska, or Mississippi. User-friendly Python, on the other hand, provides an abundance of jobs in California and New York. And wow – Microsoft’s C# is among the most widely demanded languages with low competition.

Why is C# the most demanded language?

Every year, demand and popularity among programming languages seem to trend in new directions. But why C#? One contributing factor may lie within emerging tech hubs like Detroit and Dallas. Many tech startups and firms are trending towards the innovative C# – as it’s often referred to as a blue chip (high quality, widely accepted) platform. It also doesn’t hurt that it provides beautiful, visual coding support tools. Since C# is still emerging, the demand for developers will likely evolve – but not subside.

The rest of the pack

Some developers consider Python as the Apple to programming languages since it focuses on readability and simplicity. Mega sites like Google and Yahoo use Python, and 10 states list Python as the most demanded language for tech jobs. This language isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Since Java and JavaScript both have widespread popularity, the combination of many jobs and low competition is rare. That being said, there doesn’t seem to be much of a geographical trend among these languages. Perl is all by itself in Maine – perhaps because Maine has heavy demand for bioinformatics professionals, where they must know the language.

Which programming language represents your state? Do you think that demand and competition among languages directly affect programmer salaries? We think so.

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