Chapter 1: The Shift in Programming Salaries

In today's tech landscape, software engineers and developers can easily earn a salary of $100,000 in their first year. While tech sales are often touted on social media as one of the fastest paths to a lucrative income, diving deeper into the field typically involves mastering a programming language. Surprisingly, Python, once revered for its high earning potential, has fallen behind. Other modern programming languages are now more likely to help you achieve that coveted six-figure salary.

Here are three lists highlighting some of the top-paying programming languages today.

Exponent’s Salary Insights

(source)

1. Clojure — $106,644
2. Erlang — $103,000
3. F# — $95,526
4. LISP — $95,000
5. Ruby — $93,000
6. Elixir — $92,959
7. Scala — $92,780
8. Perl — $90,073
9. Go — $89,204
10. Rust — $87,047

Notably, Python does not appear on this list.

Dev Jobs Scanner Insights

(source)

1. Solidity - $165K, potentially up to $1M
2. Rust — $122K, with a ceiling of $300K
3. Scala - $120K, reaching up to $400K
4. Haskell — $118K
5. Go — $116K
6. TypeScript — $115K
7. Ruby — $114K
8. Swift — $104K, going up to $230K
9. JavaScript — $102K, with potential up to $300K
10. Python — $99K, with offers reaching $500K

While Python is still in demand, it ranks lower compared to other languages, particularly for newcomers in the field.

Java Revisited Salary Insights

(source)

1. Scala — $150,000
2. Go — $140,000
3. Objective-C — $135,000
4. Kotlin — $130,000
5. Ruby — $130,000
6. Swift — $125,000
7. Java — $120,000
8. C++ — $120,000
9. C — $120,000
10. TypeScript — $120,000
11. Python — $120,000

Though Python is included here, it's not in the top tier. Its reputation has suffered due to perceived slowness and other drawbacks, though there are effective workarounds for these issues.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I'm Annie, a writer focused on relationships and side hustles. For just $5 a month or $50 a year, you can access exclusive content aimed at helping you achieve your financial and romantic aspirations. Supporting my work through this membership helps make your dreams a reality. Unlock additional insights with my affiliate link. (© Annie Wegner 2022-Present.)

Explore more stories from Annie Wegner and countless other writers on Medium. Your membership directly supports our collective work.