These are three of essentially the most troublesome and three best programming languages ​​to study

Whether you're looking to change the direction of your career or expand your programming skills, the languages ​​you choose to learn will have a significant impact on your time commitment and prospects.

Some languages ​​use familiar syntax, require minimal code commands for sophisticated work, and are open source with a helpful developer community to help users get the most out of them.

Others are complicated due to the complex syntax, the structure and organization of the code, and the not-so-smooth onboarding experience.

5 hot jobs currently hiring

• Test Engineer High Tech – based only in the Netherlands, Capgemini, Eindhoven
• Software developer (C++), Artisans, Zwolle
• Senior Software Developer C#, Infarma-Pharmagest, Anagni
• .NET C# developer M/F, CONSORT GROUP, Nantes
• Python developer, Alliander, Arnhem

One might think that languages ​​that are difficult to learn would be better compensated. As we will see, this is not always the case.

The most difficult programming languages

C++

Calling all scaleup founders! Attend the Soonicorn Summit on November 28th in Amsterdam.

Meet the executives from Picnic, Miro, Carbon Equity and more during this exclusive event dedicated to the founders of Scaleup!

Although C is considered a minimalist and reasonably straightforward language, C++ is considered the opposite. C++ is difficult to learn due to its multi-paradigm structure and tricky syntax.

Although it is well known that it is particularly difficult for beginners, it is also difficult for programmers who have never worked with low-level languages ​​before.

In return for its complexity, this language offers unparalleled performance and can support applications such as real-time simulation engines, financial trading systems and AAA video games.

The C++ salaries published in Stack Overflow's annual survey aren't particularly exciting. The average annual compensation, including salary, bonuses, and benefits (before taxes and deductions), for C++ developers was $64,444.

Still, on the House of Talent Job Board, you'll see C++ salaries in the US reach highs of nearly a quarter million. Remember that if you decide to pursue further training, you will have to plan a significant amount of time to really learn the language.

Space

You don't need to have any technical knowledge to understand why learning whitespace is so difficult.

The language uses spaces – specifically spaces, tabs, and newlines – as its only syntax elements. This means that the source code of programs written in whitespace is invisible.

Originally developed 21 years ago by Chris Morris and Edwin Brady at the University of Durham, Whitespace is more of an intellectual challenge than a practical tool.

Certainly a fun dinner party or conversation piece, but not a bank for your professional development or next career step.

Cow

Cow is another esoteric language designed to be a spiritual challenge. With 12 commands, all variations of the word “moo”, and a contrived syntax, it is extremely difficult for most programming purposes.

Again, its practical applicability is limited and it isn't used to create usable software, but its absurd structure gets people talking – or moo-ment – about language design and limitations.

Easiest programming languages ​​to learn

JavaScript

JavaScript is an essential language for web development and supports frontends and modern web applications.

It has easily accessible syntax, instant visual feedback, and an extensive documentation library.

And considering that 84% of Stack Overflow's 48,019 respondents said technical documentation was the most important online resource for learning code (83.9% of respondents), the large Javascript library is very helpful.

Of course, survey participants also used Stack Overflow (80.3%), written tutorials (68.4%), blogs (61.4%), how-to videos (54.2%), and video-based e-courses (49.9%).

Additionally, JavaScript has long been the most popular programming language in the Slack Overflow survey, with the exception of 2013 and 2014 when SQL topped the charts.

The average annual salary for JavaScript developers is $63,694 in 2024 and the language works hand in hand with HTML and CSS.

python

Python's syntax closely resembles natural English and its philosophy emphasizes code readability, making it an accessible language for beginners.

Data scientists, machine learning engineers, and back-end web developers all love it, and its extensive libraries and frameworks make it versatile for a variety of applications.

For experienced developers, it is the perfect tool for automating repetitive tasks. It is one of the four main languages ​​used at Google and is also used at Intel, IBM, Netflix, Facebook and Spotify.

For those who are strategically educating themselves, Python is a smart move. According to the same survey, those who are competent can expect an annual salary of $67,723.

ruby

Likewise, Ruby is known for its simple syntax and is also used to build web applications in plain English.

Its main framework, Ruby on Rails, simplifies web development by handling many of the repetitive tasks involved in building websites, such as setting up web pages and databases.

For this reason, Ruby is widely used by startups and small businesses, although only 4.7% of Slack Overflow respondents said they had completed significant development work in Ruby in the last year, compared to Node.js (40.8%) and React (39.5%). ).

However, with an average annual compensation of $90,221, Ruby ranks fifth when it comes to the highest-paying technologies, after Erlang ($100,636), Elixir ($96,000), Clojure ($95,541), and Nim ($94,924).

For absolute beginners, Ruby is the perfect introduction to building real-world projects without getting bogged down in complicated code, and it's well worth it. Win-win situation.

Are you ready to find your next programming role? Check out The Next Web job board