There’s no denying that 2020 was one heck of a year for us and the technology domain. Many tech trends came into existence, and several got almost extinct at the same time. One of the most popular areas of technology that we’re going to talk about in this article is programming. Here’s what changed in the programming world last year and the best programming languages you should learn in 2021.
I’ll also share some of the best courses that you can enroll in, to learn these top programming languages.
Programming: Year Review
2020 was undoubtedly the year of full-stack development and insanely beautiful UI/UX designs. Apart from that, mobile app development also got a significant boost, thanks to many tools and frameworks and huge communities working on these open-source software.
Top Programming Languages To Learn In 2021
1. JavaScript (Web Development)
JavaScript needs no introduction. This programming language’s mind-boggling potential can be seen while working with Node.js and React frameworks that help you build amazing web applications. That said, it is also one of the easiest languages to learn. If you’re someone who wants to lay your roots in web development, this is the language to learn.
One of the best JavaScript courses is on Udemy and is taught by Jonas Schmedtmann. Make sure to check it out by clicking here.
| Level | Easy |
| Platform | Web |
| Estimated Average Annual Salary | $82,000 |
2. Python (Machine Learning, Web Development, Competitive Programming)
Python is one of the most popular programming languages amongst beginners and experienced individuals. The fact that you can also use it for web development makes it even better. Django and Flask are some of the popular Python frameworks for web development.
Apart from that, Python has always been the go-to language for AI/Machine Learning projects. Also, if you’re confused between Java or Python, I’d say start with Python as it’s a lot easier than Java and is one of the easiest programming languages to learn for beginners.
The best course to learn Python is taught by Ardit Sulce on Udemy, which follows a “learn by doing” approach, where you’ll build 10 Python apps. One of the best courses to learn Django is by Nick Walter.
| Level | Easy |
| Platform | Web, ML, Desktop, Competitive Programming |
| Estimated Average Annual Salary | $77,362 |
3. Dart For Flutter (Responsive Cross-Platform Mobile Applications)
Flutter by Google is one of my favorite software development kits for developing Mobile Applications with beautiful and responsive UI’s. If you have any object-oriented programming experience, learning Dart will be a piece of cake. Flutter concepts revolve around a long list of widgets that might feel overwhelming to learn but, once you get the hang of it, the sky’s the limit.
Flutter apps are natively compiled; meaning, you don’t need to maintain a separate code base for your Android and iOS apps; hence saving a lot of time. Not to mention, Hot Reload and Hot Restart save you from the annoyance of long app compiling times. All these features combined make this one of the top programming languages to learn in 2021.
Angela Yu has one of the best Flutter courses on the internet.
| Level | Intermediate |
| Platform | Web, Android, iOS |
| Estimated Average Annual Salary | $87,512 |
4. Java (Web Development, Android Apps Development, Competitive Programming)
Java was one of the most popular languages until last year when Python clinched the crown. Besides the fact that it uses a lot of memory, it’s still a pretty great language to learn. It is used in Android app development, competitive programming, and to build highly scalable and secure complex web apps using frameworks like Spring.
One of the best courses to learn Java is “Java Programming Masterclass for Software Developers” by Tim Buchalka.
| Level | Easy – Intermediate |
| Platform | Web, Data Analytics, Desktop, Competitive Programming |
| Estimated Average Annual Salary | $69,722 |
5. Swift (iOS, macOS Applications)
If you aim to become an iOS app developer, then Swift is the language to learn. Introduced by Apple in 2014, it has been proven to be a pretty good language to develop macOS and iOS applications. Also, since Apple develops it, we know it’s going to be pretty future-proof.
| Level | Intermediate |
| Platform | macOS, iOS Applications |
| Estimated Average Annual Salary | $104,000 |
6. Go (Back-end Development, Desktop Applications, Systems Programming)
Developed by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson, Go is a low-level language that can help you become a systems programmer. If you’ve programmed in C or C++ before, Go will not be difficult to learn. Beginners can easily understand Go, which also makes it one of the best languages to begin your programming journey with.
Todd McLeod’s “Google’s Go Programming Language” course is one of the best courses online to learn Go.
| Level | Easy |
| Platform | Back-end, Desktop, Systems Programming |
| Estimated Average Annual Salary | $110,000 |
7. C# (Game Development)
C# is an object-oriented programming language developed by Microsoft. It sure has come a long way from building Windows apps to building games and VR development. By learning to code in C#, one can use the Unity gaming engine to develop games.
In my experience, I found C# to be one of the hardest programming languages to learn. If you want to learn only C#, check out this course, or if game development via Unity is what you’re looking for, this course will not disappoint you.
| Level | Hard |
| Platform | Game Development |
| Estimated Average Annual Salary | $95,000 |
Learn To Code With Best Programming Languages In 2021
Before you troll me for not including other programming languages, let me tell you that this list is very subjective. No programming language is perfect and if you’re a beginner, you should get your hands dirty by practicing any of the above-mentioned languages and then pick the one you like the most.