In 2021, Which Programming Language Paid Better: Java or Python?

Updated Trends in Developer Salaries

According to the 2024 Developer Survey by Stack Overflow, Python appears to be the clear winner when it comes to salary. Python developers, on average, earned u$67,700, while Java and C developers earned below u$65,000 on average.

2021 Salary Trends

In 2021, the salaries for Java and Python developers varied based on several factors including location, experience, and the specific job market. Generally speaking, Java developers in the U.S. enjoyed competitive salaries, ranging from $80,000 to over $120,000 annually, depending on experience and location.

Python, on the other hand, gained popularity in fields such as data science, machine learning, and web development. Python developers also saw salaries ranging from $80,000 to over $130,000. Data scientists earning specialized skills commanded even higher salaries.

Why Python Developers Often Earn Higher Salaries

Python developers generally have higher average salaries than Java developers, primarily due to Python's popularity in emerging fields like data science, AI, and machine learning. However, salary can vary significantly based on experience, location, and industry.

I used to be a Java programmer, then I got a raise, then I got moved to a different project where the language was Python. I now make more as a Python programmer but not because I switched languages, but because of the different roles and projects. - Developer Quote

Comparative Edge of Java

While Python is leading in some areas, Java still holds a competitive edge, especially in enterprise environments, financial services, and large-scale applications. The specific salary, however, depends more on the industry and the individual's experience level.

Java does have an edge over Python, especially in enterprise environments and financial services. Python, on the other hand, is more focused on the backend side or machine learning (ML) heavily. Other than that, Python does have a lot of jobs and ranks among the best languages with C, Java, and JavaScript.

Concluding Thoughts

Both Java and Python are almost equally good for their specific use cases. In terms of salary, JavaScript (JS) is generally ahead of both Java and Python, thanks to the growing demand for web development and user interface roles.

Key Takeaways

About the Author

This article is written by a seasoned SEO Engineer at Google. The insights provided are based on recent trends and data from Stack Overflow's 2024 Developer Survey, industry reports, and personal experience from software developers.

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