In the fast-paced world of technology, programming languages are constantly evolving and changing. As a programmer, staying up to date with the latest languages and trends is crucial to ensure that your skills remain in demand and your career is successful. One key factor that many programmers consider when choosing a language to specialize in is earning potential. In this blog, we will explore the highest paying programming languages to boost your career in 2023.
Highest-paying Programming Languages in 2023
According to a recent Stack Overflowsurveyin which around 70,000 developers from over 180 countriesparticipated, the following are the highest-programming languages around the world in 2023.
1. Clojure
Average Base Salary: $106,644 PA
Clojure is a modern functional programming language that is designed to be highly expressive, concise, and concurrent. It is built on top of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and provides seamless interoperability with Java code. Clojure’s unique features have made it a popular choice for a wide range of applications, from web development to scientific computing.
Why is Clojure the highest-paying programming language in 2023?
Niche Language: Clojure has a dedicated community of developers, but it is not as widely used as some other programming languages. This niche status leads to high demand and higher salaries for Clojure developers.
Suitable for Complex, Mission-Critical Applications: Clojure’s functional programming style is well-suited for tasks that involve processing large amounts of data or handling complex business logic. As a result, companies that rely on Clojure for their core systems are willing to pay a premium to attract and retain talented developers.
Requires Expertise: Proficiency in Clojure requires a deep understanding of functional programming concepts. Developers who are proficient in Clojure can leverage these concepts to create highly efficient and scalable systems. This level of expertise is in high demand, and companies are willing to pay top dollar for it.
Top Companies Using Clojure
Nubank
Accenture
GO-JEK
CircleCI
Walmart
Zalando
Soundcloud
Use cases of Clojure
Web development
Big data processing
Concurrent programming
DevOps automation
Game development
Machine learning
Scientific computing
2. Erlang
Average Base Salary: $103,000
Erlang is a functional programming language that was designed for use in telecommunication systems. It is known for its ability to handle concurrency, fault tolerance, and distributed computing. Erlang’s unique features have made it a popular choice for a variety of applications, including banking, healthcare, and gaming.
Why is Erlang one of the highly-paid programming languages in 2023?
Niche Language: One reason why Erlang is highly paid is because it is a niche language. While it has a dedicated community of developers, it is not as widely used as some other programming languages. This means that Erlang developers are in high demand and can command higher salaries as a result.
Suitable for mission-critical systems: Erlang is suitable for mission-critical systems that require high availability and fault tolerance. Erlang’s design focuses on concurrency and fault tolerance, which makes it well-suited for building distributed systems that can handle failures without disrupting the overall system.
Real-time systems: Erlang is particularly well-suited for building real-time systems such as chat applications, financial trading systems, and online gaming platforms. Its low-latency messaging and fast processing times make it a popular choice for these types of applications.
High-demand skill: Erlang developers are in high demand, particularly in industries such as finance, telecommunications, and gaming. Companies are willing to pay a premium for developers with Erlang skills due to the language’s unique capabilities and the scarcity of experienced Erlang developers.
Top Companies Using Erlang in 2023
WhatsApp
Klarna
Heroku
Postmates
General
Demonware
bet365
Some common use cases of Erlang
Telecommunications infrastructure
Messaging systems
Real-time systems
Financial systems
Gaming platforms
Fault-tolerant systems
Concurrent systems
Distributed systems
High-availability systems
Ad tech platforms
Social media platforms
E-commerce platforms
Cybersecurity systems
Robotics applications
Data streaming applications
Cloud infrastructure
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F# is a functional programming language developed by Microsoft that is widely used for developing applications on the .NET platform. F# is designed for building scalable and robust applications.
Why is F# one of the highly-paid programming languages in 2023?
Strong Type System: F# has a strong type system that allows developers to write code that is more reliable and easier to maintain. This feature is particularly useful for companies that require high-quality code, such as those in the financial, healthcare, and aerospace industries.
Functional Programming: F# is a functional programming language that allows developers to write code that is more concise, expressive, and easier to reason about. This makes it easier to write high-quality code that is maintainable and scalable, which is important for companies that need to maintain large codebases over time.
Seamless Interoperability: F# is designed to work seamlessly with other .NET languages, such as C# and VB.NET. This makes it easy to integrate F# code with existing .NET applications and libraries, making it an attractive option for companies that have a significant investment in .NET technology.
Big Data: F# is a popular choice for developing big data applications due to its functional programming approach and support for parallel and asynchronous programming. Companies that deal with large volumes of data, such as those in the financial and healthcare industries, can use F# to build high-performance, scalable data processing systems.
Cross-Platform: F# can be used to build applications that run on a wide range of platforms, including Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android. This makes it an attractive option for companies that require cross-platform compatibility, such as those in the mobile and gaming industries.
Top Companies Using F#
Microsoft
McKinsey & Company Inc
Morgan Stanley
Nike, Inc.
BlueMountain Capital
Quantica Trading
Applications of F#
Financial modeling and analysis
Data science and machine learning
Web development and cloud computing
Game development
Scientific computing and research
High-performance computing
Algorithmic trading
Cross-platform mobile app development
Audio and video processing
Internet of Things (IoT) applications
4. LISP
Average Base Salary: $95,000 PA
LISP is a family of programming languages known for their expressive power, flexibility, and advanced meta-programming capabilities. LISP is one of the oldest high-level programming languages, and it has influenced many other languages over the years. It is a popular language for artificial intelligence research and development, as well as for scientific computing, data analysis, and symbolic mathematics.
Why are LISP programmers highly-paid in 2023?
Specialized Applications and Niche Markets: LISP is a popular language for artificial intelligence research and development, symbolic mathematics, and scientific computing, which are specialized areas with high demand. Its unique features and functional programming paradigms make it a preferred language for specific applications and domains, creating niche markets for LISP experts.
Advanced Meta-Programming Capabilities: LISP’s macro system enables advanced meta-programming capabilities, which allow developers to extend and modify the language itself. This unique feature of LISP enables powerful code generation and automated programming, contributing to its reputation as a language for solving complex problems.
Scalable and High-Performance Applications: LISP is a powerful language for building scalable and high-performance applications, particularly in specialized areas like AI and scientific computing. Its functional programming paradigms, garbage collection, and dynamic typing make it a preferred language for these applications, contributing to its reputation as a language for solving complex problems.
Top Companies Using LISP
NASA
Boeing
JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
BBN Technologies
ITA Software
Symbolics
Franz Inc.
Cadence Design Systems
Intelligent Information Systems
Xerox PARC
Common use cases of LISP
Symbolic computations
Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Natural language processing
Compiler design
Graphical user interface development
Database management
Web application development
Computer algebra systems
Robotics and automation
Music composition and sound synthesis
5. Ruby
Average Base Salary: $93,000 PA
Ruby is a dynamic, object-oriented programming language that is often used for web development and scripting. It is known for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a popular choice for startups and small businesses.
Why is Ruby one of the highly-paid programming languages in 2023?
High demand: Ruby is a popular programming language used by many companies, particularly in the web development space. Its popularity is fueled by the robustness of the Ruby on Rails framework, which makes it easy to build complex web applications quickly and efficiently.
Complex language: Ruby is considered a relatively complex language, requiring a high level of expertise to use effectively. As a result, developers who are proficient in Ruby are in high demand and can command higher salaries than those who specialize in more straightforward languages.
High productivity and efficiency: Ruby on Rails is known for its productivity and efficiency, which can result in faster development times and lower costs for companies. As a result, companies are willing to pay a premium for developers who can work effectively with Ruby and Rails to deliver high-quality software quickly.
Top Companies Using Ruby
Airbnb
GitHub
Shopify
SoundCloud
Kickstarter
Bloomberg
Basecamp
Hulu
Crunchbase
Groupon
Applications of Ruby
Web development
Server-side scripting
DevOps tools
Cloud computing
Data analysis and visualization
Gaming and animation
Mobile application development
Robotics and IoT
AI and ML
Automation and testing
6. Elixir
Average Base Salary: $92,959 PA
Elixir is a functional, dynamically-typed programming language that runs on the Erlang Virtual Machine (BEAM). Elixir’s syntax is similar to Ruby’s, but its performance and scalability make it a popular choice for building modern, high-performance web applications.
Why is Elixir one of the highly-paid programming languages in 2023?
Scalability and Performance: Elixir is built on the Erlang Virtual Machine (BEAM), which is known for its scalability and performance in handling large amounts of concurrent connections. Thus, Elixir is a popular choice for building high-performance, fault-tolerant systems that can handle large amounts of traffic.
New Language with High Demand: Elixir is a relatively new language, but it has been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years, particularly in the web development space.
Productivity and Efficiency: Elixir is designed to be highly productive and efficient, with a syntax that is easy to learn and use. Its functional programming paradigm also promotes code that is easy to reason about and maintain. These factors can result in faster development times and lower costs for companies, making Elixir developers an asset.
Competitive Advantage for Companies: By using Elixir, companies can gain a competitive advantage by building high-performance, scalable systems that can handle large amounts of traffic. This can result in increased revenue and customer satisfaction, making Elixir developers an asset that companies are willing to pay a premium for.
Top Companies Using Elixir
Discord
Pinterest
Bleacher Report
Moz
Lonely Planet
PepsiCo
Square Enix
Brex
Cargo
PepsiCo
Use Cases of Elixir
Web development
Real-time applications
Distributed systems
Microservices
Networking and telecommunications
Internet of Things (IoT) platforms
Financial technology (FinTech) applications
Gaming and multimedia applications
Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI)
Test automation and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.
7. Scala
Average Base Salary: $92,780 PA
Scala is a high-level programming language that combines object-oriented and functional programming paradigms. It was designed to be a scalable language that can handle large-scale distributed computing systems.
Why are Scala Programmers highly paid?
Popularity and demand: Scala has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, particularly in the big data and distributed computing space. As a result, there is a high demand for skilled Scala developers in the job market, and this demand is expected to continue to increase as more companies adopt the language.
Performance and scalability: Scala is designed to be a high-performance language that can handle large-scale distributed computing systems. It runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which provides a high level of performance and scalability. This makes Scala a popular choice for building high-performance applications that can handle large amounts of data.
Interoperability with Java: Scala is interoperable with Java, which means that developers can use Java libraries and frameworks within Scala applications. This provides a high level of flexibility and makes it easier for companies to integrate Scala into their existing systems.
Functional programming paradigm: Scala is a functional programming language, which means that it promotes immutable data structures and pure functions. This promotes code that is easy to reason about and maintain and can lead to fewer bugs and more reliable systems.
Top Companies Using Scala
Twitter
LinkedIn
Netflix
Airbnb
Amazon
Coursera
Foursquare
The Guardian
Sony
Verizon
Common use cases of Scala
Big data processing with Apache Spark
Distributed computing and parallel processing
Web development with the Play Framework
Reactive programming with Akka
Machine learning and data analysis with Apache Flink
Financial technology (FinTech) applications
Gaming and multimedia applications
Test automation and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines
Internet of Things (IoT) platforms
Natural language processing (NLP) and text analytics
8. Perl
Average Base Salary: $90,073 PA
Perl is a high-level programming language that was designed for text processing and system administration tasks. It has been around since the late 1980s and has since gained a reputation as a reliable and efficient language.
Why is Perl one of the highly-paid languages in 2023?
Legacy systems: Perl has been around for a long time, and as a result, many legacy systems still rely on it. These systems often require skilled Perl developers to maintain and update them, creating a demand for Perl expertise in the job market.
Text processing: Perl was designed for text processing tasks, and as a result, it is still widely used in areas such as data mining, natural language processing, and web scraping. Its powerful regular expression capabilities and string manipulation functions make it a popular choice for these types of tasks.
System administration: Perl is often used for system administration tasks, such as managing network devices, configuring servers, and automating routine tasks. Its ability to work with a wide range of operating systems and file formats makes it a popular choice for these types of tasks.
CPAN library: Perl has a vast collection of modules and libraries available through the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN). This library of resources makes it easy for developers to build complex applications quickly and efficiently.
High performance: Perl is a high-performance language that can handle large amounts of data efficiently. Its fast execution speed and low memory footprint make it a popular choice for applications that require high-speed processing and real-time analytics.
Top Companies Using Perl
Amazon
com
Cisco Systems
IBM
JP Morgan Chase
NASA
Reuters
Siemens
Ticketmaster
Yelp
Common Applications of Perl
Text processing and manipulation
Web development and CGI scripting
System administration and automation
Network programming and socket handling
Bioinformatics and genomic data analysis
Test automation and quality assurance
Data mining and data analysis
Financial and scientific computing
Graphical user interface (GUI) development
Security and encryption
9. GO
Average Base Salary: $89,204 PA
Go, also known as Golang, is a popular programming language that was developed by Google in 2009. It is a statically typed language that is known for its simplicity, efficiency, and strong support for concurrency.
Why is Go considered one of the highly-paid programming languages?
Concurrency support: Go was designed with concurrency in mind, making it a great choice for building applications that require high-performance concurrent processing. It has built-in support for goroutines and lightweight threads that allow developers to run multiple tasks concurrently.
Performance: Go is a compiled language that generates machine code, making it highly performant and efficient. It has a simple and straightforward syntax that allows developers to write code that runs fast without sacrificing readability or maintainability.
Scalability: Go was designed to be highly scalable, making it a great choice for building large-scale applications. Its lightweight threads and built-in support for distributed computing make it easy to scale applications horizontally across multiple machines.
Cloud-native development: Go is a popular choice for cloud-native development, as it is well-suited to building microservices and containerized applications. Its small binary size and fast startup times make it ideal for running in cloud environments, where efficiency and speed are critical.
Top Companies Using Go
Google
Uber
Twitch
Dropbox
Docker
Netflix
The New York Times
IBM
SoundCloud
BBC
Common Applications of Go
Web development
Networking and distributed systems
Cloud computing and microservices
DevOps and automation
Data analysis and machine learning
Security and encryption
Gaming and graphics programming
Mobile application development
Command-line utilities and tools
10. Rust
Average Base Salary: $87,047 PA
Rust is a modern systems programming language that was created by Mozilla in 2010. It is designed to be fast, safe, and reliable, making it a great choice for building complex and high-performance applications.
Why is Rust one of the highly-paid programming languages?
Performance: Rust is a compiled language that generates highly optimized machine code, making it one of the fastest programming languages available. It is also designed to work well with other languages, making it a great choice for building high-performance systems that require interoperability.
Reliability: Rust is designed to be reliable and predictable, making it a great choice for building critical systems such as operating systems, web browsers, and financial software.
Growing popularity: Rust is a relatively new language, but it is growing in popularity which has led to a high demand for developers with experience in Rust.
Open-source ecosystem: Rust has a vibrant open-source making it easy for developers to build complex applications quickly and efficiently, without having to reinvent the wheel.
Cross-platform support: Rust is designed to work seamlessly across multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, macOS, and more. This makes it a great choice for building cross-platform applications that can run on multiple operating systems.
Top Companies Using Rust
Mozilla
Dropbox
Cloudflare
Microsoft
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Google
Facebook
Figma
Yelp
Discord
Common Applications of Rust
Systems programming
Web development
Game development
Networking
Data storage
Cryptography and security
Scientific computing and numerical analysis
These are the top 10 high-paying programming languages of 2023. You can check the longlist in Stack Overflow.
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Businesses across sectors are using different old and new programming languages to develop their websites, apps, data management, embedded systems, and more. However, choosing the correct language for your career boost from so many choices can be a tedious task. To make your life easier we have listed the top demanding programming languages that can help you make an informed decision. If you are a developer wondering what language you should choose to skyrocket your career, now you know which languages are leading the pack in 2023!
Rajni Rethesh is a Senior Content Strategist and Writer with extensive expertise in the B2B domain. She is the author of the bestselling women-centric book, 'Sitayana'.
