What Top Developers Want in 2025: A Comprehensive Industry Analysis

Executive Summary

The global developer landscape is experiencing its most significant transformation in over a decade as we enter 2025. Based on comprehensive analysis of major developer surveys including Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2024, GitHub's State of the Octoverse 2024, and additional industry research covering over 65,000 developers worldwide, three critical trends are fundamentally reshaping how developers work and what they demand from employers.

AI-first development workflows have achieved mainstream adoption, with 76% of developers using or planning to use AI tools , representing a dramatic increase from 70% in the previous year. This isn't merely tool adoption—it's workflow transformation, with organizations redesigning fundamental development processes to accommodate AI capabilities.

Technology stack optimization is driving unprecedented shifts in language popularity and framework preferences. Python has overtaken JavaScript as GitHub's most popular language for the first time in over a decade , while Rust maintains the highest developer admiration score at 83% . These changes reflect developers' growing preference for tools that enhance both performance and developer experience.

Workplace satisfaction challenges have reached crisis levels, with only 20.2% of developers reporting happiness at work . This creates unprecedented opportunities for organizations that prioritize developer experience, technical debt reduction, and meaningful career development.

The implications for engineering leadership are clear: success in 2025 requires sophisticated technology strategies that balance proven reliability with cutting-edge capabilities, competitive compensation aligned with specialized skills, optimized work environments that leverage AI for productivity gains, and systematic approaches to developer experience that address the satisfaction crisis affecting the industry.

Tech Stack Preferences: The Great Technology Realignment

Programming Languages: A Historic Shift in Popularity and Preference

The programming language landscape is undergoing its most significant transformation since the rise of web development. While JavaScript maintains its position as the most widely used language at 62.3% , Python has achieved a historic milestone by overtaking JavaScript as the most popular language on GitHub . This dramatic shift reflects the massive influx of data scientists, machine learning researchers, and STEM professionals joining the development community .

The complete programming language usage hierarchy reveals JavaScript (62.3%), HTML/CSS (52.9%), Python (51%), SQL (51%), TypeScript (38.5%), Bash/Shell (33.9%), Java (30.3%), C# (27.1%), C++ (23%), and C (20.3%) . However, usage patterns don't align with developer satisfaction—Rust leads developer admiration with an impressive 83% score , indicating strong preference for languages that prioritize performance, safety, and developer experience.

TypeScript represents one of the most significant adoption success stories, growing from 12% usage in 2017 to 37% in 2024 . This trajectory demonstrates developers' clear preference for type safety and improved development tooling. The JetBrains Language Promise Index positions TypeScript, Rust, and Python as clear leaders , reflecting their versatility and cross-domain appeal that makes them valuable investments for organizations planning their technology futures.

Backend Technology Evolution: Performance and Safety Take Priority

Backend development preferences reveal a strategic focus on performance optimization, memory safety, and AI integration capabilities. While JavaScript/TypeScript dominates at 41% usage, followed by Java at 39% and Python at 37% , the most telling indicator for 2025 planning is adoption intent—Go and Rust are the languages developers most plan to adopt .

Python's backend dominance extends far beyond general usage statistics. More than half of the world's programmers now use Python—a dramatic increase from 32% seven years ago . This growth is primarily fueled by Python's central role in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science applications, making it essential for organizations building AI-enhanced products.

The accelerating trend toward memory safety and performance optimization is driving increased adoption of systems programming languages. Rust's appeal lies in its unique combination of memory safety guarantees with zero-cost abstractions, making it attractive for performance-critical applications . Similarly, Go's design principles emphasizing simplicity, efficiency, and concurrency continue driving adoption in cloud computing, microservices, and DevOps tooling.

Frontend Framework Landscape: Performance Meets Developer Experience

The frontend ecosystem demonstrates clear maturation toward performance-focused solutions that don't compromise developer experience. React maintains strong adoption at 39.5% , while Vue.js maintained its number two position despite Angular's continued progress . However, the most significant indicator for future adoption trends is developer satisfaction—Svelte achieves an exceptional 73% retention rate, with developers who used it wanting to continue working with the framework .

Framework adoption patterns reveal interesting organizational dynamics. New challengers including Alpine.js, Qwik, and Solid are favored by small companies seeking performance advantages, while Web Components solutions like Lit and Stencil are overwhelmingly used by large enterprises . This bifurcation suggests that framework selection increasingly depends on organizational context, team size, and performance requirements rather than universal "best practices."

Looking toward 2025, React is expected to maintain market dominance while incorporating significant performance optimizations, with advancements promising 40% faster load speeds through enhanced Concurrent Mode . The broader industry trend toward compile-time optimization and smaller runtime bundles will accelerate, with frameworks like Qwik and Solid.js pushing the boundaries of startup performance and hydration efficiency .

Database Technology: The PostgreSQL Revolution

PostgreSQL has achieved a decisive victory in database preferences, used by 49% of developers . This represents a remarkable trajectory from 2018, when only 33% used PostgreSQL compared to MySQL's 59% market share . The current database hierarchy shows PostgreSQL (48.7%), MySQL (40.3%), SQLite (33.1%), Microsoft SQL Server (25.3%), and MongoDB (24.8%) .

This shift toward PostgreSQL reflects sophisticated developer preferences for advanced features, extensibility, JSON support, and strict SQL compliance. The trend indicates that top developers in 2025 will prioritize databases offering sophisticated querying capabilities, strong consistency guarantees, and extensive ecosystem support over simpler alternatives.

AI Integration: From Experiment to Essential Infrastructure

AI tool adoption has crossed the critical threshold from experimentation to essential infrastructure. ChatGPT dominates with 82.1% usage among developers , achieving more than twice the adoption of GitHub Copilot at 41.2% . The JetBrains survey reveals that 69% of developers have tried ChatGPT for coding purposes, with 49% using it regularly in their development workflows .

Enterprise adoption demonstrates remarkable organizational momentum, with nearly 80% of companies either formally allowing third-party AI tools or having no restrictions in place . More significantly, 18% of developers are already integrating AI capabilities directly into their products , indicating AI is becoming a core product capability rather than just a development tool.

GitHub data reveals the explosive growth driving this adoption: a 59% surge in contributions to generative AI projects and a 98% increase in total AI projects . The fastest-growing open source AI project by contributor count was ollama/ollama , suggesting significant developer interest in locally run large language models that reduce dependency on cloud services.

Cloud Infrastructure: Multi-Cloud Strategies Emerge

Amazon Web Services maintains market leadership with 48% usage, followed by Microsoft Azure at 27.8% and Google Cloud at 25.1% . However, market share doesn't correlate with developer satisfaction—Hetzner emerges as the most admired cloud platform despite its smaller market presence , suggesting developers value focused, developer-friendly services over comprehensive enterprise offerings.

Container orchestration continues its maturation trajectory, with Kubernetes usage reaching 31.2% while Docker maintains its position as the most used and admired tool with a 78% admiration score . The vast majority of developers (86%) now work in cloud-hosted or hybrid environments, with only 14% remaining in purely on-premises setups .

Industry predictions suggest that cloud-native development adoption will accelerate dramatically, with 95% of new digital workloads expected to deploy on cloud-native platforms by the end of 2025 . This indicates that cloud-native architecture knowledge will become table stakes for development teams.

Compensation Expectations: Premiums for Specialization

Technology-Specific Salary Hierarchies

Compensation patterns reveal clear premiums for specialized and emerging technologies, with niche expertise commanding substantial salary advantages. Erlang developers currently command the highest median salary , demonstrating how technologies with limited talent pools create premium compensation opportunities. The JetBrains survey establishes a clear hierarchy of highest-paying programming languages: Scala, Go, Kotlin, C++, Rust, C, Shell, Java, and Python .

Interestingly, Shell scripting commands high compensation primarily because it's heavily utilized by DevOps engineers, who typically command higher salaries due to their specialized role responsibilities . This demonstrates that compensation often reflects role specialization and organizational impact rather than purely technical complexity.

Geographic and Role-Based Variations

Compensation variations by geography and specialization reveal significant strategic implications for talent acquisition. In the United States, mobile developers report the highest earnings, while Germany and Ukraine position data engineers as the highest-paid professionals. Back-end developers earn the most in India and the United Kingdom . These patterns suggest that compensation strategies must account for local market dynamics and specialization demands.

Persistent Equity Challenges

The data reveals concerning disparities that organizations must address. Gender-based compensation gaps persist, with 28% of male developers classified as top-paid employees compared to only 19% of female developers . Additionally, full-time employment has decreased in the United States from 69% to 65% , suggesting continued evolution toward alternative employment arrangements that may impact traditional compensation and benefits structures.

Work-Life Balance Priorities: Beyond Remote Work

The Evolution of Work Arrangements

Work arrangement preferences have evolved beyond the binary remote-versus-office debate toward nuanced hybrid solutions. Hybrid work arrangements remain stable at 42% , while in-person work has increased to 20% for the third consecutive year, rising from 15% in 2022 . Remote work accounts for 38% of arrangements , indicating that organizations and developers are finding optimal balances rather than pursuing extreme positions.

The Developer Satisfaction Crisis

Professional developer satisfaction presents the industry's most concerning challenge: only 20.2% report being happy at work, while 47.7% describe themselves as complacent and 32.1% as actively unhappy . This satisfaction crisis represents both a significant talent retention risk and a competitive opportunity for organizations that systematically address developer experience.

Technical debt emerges as the primary frustration for 63% of professional developers , affecting both individual contributors and management equally. This universal concern indicates that technical debt reduction should be a strategic priority for organizations serious about developer satisfaction and productivity.

Productivity Challenges and Collaboration Inefficiencies

Atlassian's State of Teams research reveals staggering productivity losses, with 25 billion work hours lost annually to ineffective collaboration within the Fortune 500 . Remarkably, 93% of executives believe teams could deliver similar outcomes in half the time with more effective collaboration .

Communication challenges significantly impact developer productivity. JetBrains research identifies understanding user requirements (38%) and communication with other job roles (34%) as the most challenging aspects of developers' work . In organizations with poor meeting cultures, people spend 50% more time in unnecessary meetings than making progress on high-priority work .

AI's Positive Impact on Work-Life Balance

Teams leveraging AI demonstrate measurably superior collaboration and productivity outcomes. Atlassian's research shows that teams using AI regularly are 1.8 times more likely to have goal clarity, 2.2 times more likely to make knowledge easily accessible, 1.6 times more likely to be effective, and 1.9 times more likely to adapt to change . Leaders using AI report having 19% more time for creative collaboration with their teams and 12% more daily focus time for priorities .

Career Development Preferences: Self-Directed Learning and Systematic Gaps

Learning Methodology Preferences

Online resources overwhelmingly dominate as developers' preferred learning method, chosen by 82% of developers learning to code . API and SDK documentation serve as the preferred resource for 90% of developers , highlighting the critical importance of comprehensive, well-organized technical documentation for technology adoption and developer productivity.

Professional developers invest substantial time in continuous learning and problem-solving, with 61% spending more than 30 minutes daily searching for answers to development questions . The breakdown shows 37.9% spending 30-60 minutes daily, while 25.9% spend over an hour , indicating that learning support infrastructure directly impacts daily productivity.

Organizational Upskilling Gaps

HackerRank's research reveals concerning gaps between developer needs and organizational support. Developers are three times more likely than their managers to report that upskilling opportunities aren't offered at their company . Only 22% of developers report being regularly given time for upskilling and learning, while 48% must find time independently . This gap represents a significant opportunity for organizations willing to systematically invest in developer growth.

Career Motivation and Retention Dynamics

Career and learning opportunities rank closely behind higher compensation as motivators for job changes . When considering new opportunities, higher pay ranks first among attraction factors, with over 21% of developers prioritizing compensation . However, retention factors differ significantly from attraction factors—while team culture may not drive initial job interest, it represents a major factor in long-term retention .

Investment Priorities and Skills Focus

GitLab's survey identifies evolving IT investment priorities, with security maintaining its leading position at 19% (though down 5% year-over-year), followed closely by AI at 19% (up 8% year-over-year) . DevSecOps platforms show strong growth at 17% (up 6% year-over-year), while automation demonstrates dramatic growth at 16% (up 14% year-over-year) . These trends indicate where organizations should focus training and development investments.

Key Takeaways: The Five Critical Shifts for 2025

AI Integration Has Reached Critical Mass: With 76% adoption rates and organizational workflow redesign beginning, AI is no longer optional—it's becoming essential infrastructure that teams either embrace strategically or risk competitive disadvantage.
The Technology Stack Great Realignment: Python's historic overtaking of JavaScript on GitHub , combined with Rust's 83% developer admiration score , signals fundamental shifts in language preferences toward performance, safety, and AI-readiness.
Developer Satisfaction Crisis Creates Competitive Opportunity: With only 20.2% of developers happy at work and technical debt frustrating 63% of professionals , organizations that systematically address developer experience will gain significant talent advantages.
Specialization Commands Premium Compensation: Niche technologies like Erlang, Scala, and Go demonstrate how specialized expertise creates substantial salary premiums, while generic skills face commoditization pressure.
Self-Directed Learning Dominates, but Organizational Support Lags: While 82% of developers prefer online learning resources , only 22% receive regular company time for upskilling , creating retention risks and skill development gaps that forward-thinking organizations can exploit.

Strategic Implications: A Playbook for Engineering Leadership

Technology Strategy: Balancing Innovation with Stability

Implement Graduated AI Adoption Strategy: Rather than wholesale AI integration, establish a three-tier approach. Tier 1 involves low-risk productivity tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT for code review and documentation, which 82.1% of developers already use . Tier 2 focuses on AI-enhanced development workflows and testing automation. Tier 3 encompasses AI-powered product features and customer-facing applications. This graduated approach allows teams to build AI competency while managing organizational risk.

Modernize Language Portfolio Strategically: Given Python's GitHub dominance and Rust's exceptional developer satisfaction , engineering leaders should evaluate current technology stacks against these emerging preferences. Create specific adoption plans for high-impact languages: introduce TypeScript for existing JavaScript codebases (given its growth from 12% to 37% usage ), pilot Rust for performance-critical services, and establish Python competency for AI/ML initiatives.

Prioritize PostgreSQL Migration Planning: With PostgreSQL usage growing from 33% to 49% while MySQL declined from 59% to 40% , plan database modernization initiatives that leverage PostgreSQL's advanced features, JSON support, and extensibility. This is particularly crucial for teams building AI-enhanced applications that require sophisticated querying capabilities.

Establish Cloud-Native Excellence: With 95% of new digital workloads expected to deploy on cloud-native platforms by end of 2025 , invest systematically in Kubernetes expertise, serverless architecture competency, and multi-cloud strategies. Focus on developer experience improvements that reduce deployment friction and accelerate iteration cycles.

Talent Acquisition and Retention: Competing in a Specialized Market

Develop Premium Compensation Strategy for Specialized Skills: Create salary bands that reflect the market reality where specialized technologies command significant premiums. Budget 15-25% salary premiums for developers with expertise in high-demand, low-supply technologies like Rust, Go, and advanced AI/ML frameworks. This investment pays dividends in reduced hiring timelines and improved technical capability.

Address the Developer Satisfaction Crisis Systematically: With only 20.2% of developers happy at work , implement targeted interventions. Establish quarterly technical debt reduction sprints (addressing the top frustration for 63% of developers ), create career development paths with clear technical and leadership tracks, and implement developer experience metrics that track satisfaction trends over time.

Implement Structured Learning and Development Programs: Bridge the gap where developers are three times more likely than managers to report missing upskilling opportunities . Allocate 20% of developer time specifically for learning, technology exploration, and skill development. Create internal AI training programs, sponsor conference attendance, and establish mentorship programs that pair experienced developers with those learning emerging technologies.

Optimize Work Arrangements Based on Data: Recognize that hybrid arrangements at 42% represent the new equilibrium , not a temporary accommodation. Design office spaces and collaboration tools that maximize the benefits of in-person interaction while preserving the productivity advantages of focused, remote work time.

Operational Excellence: Eliminating Productivity Barriers

Combat Collaboration Inefficiency Systematically: Address the 25 billion work hours lost annually to ineffective collaboration by implementing structured communication protocols. Establish "meeting-free mornings" for deep work, create asynchronous decision-making processes, and use AI tools to improve meeting effectiveness and knowledge accessibility.

Invest in Documentation and Knowledge Management: With 90% of developers relying on API and SDK documentation and 61% spending over 30 minutes daily searching for development answers , comprehensive documentation infrastructure directly impacts productivity. Implement documentation-as-code practices, create searchable knowledge bases, and use AI tools to maintain documentation currency.

Establish AI-Enhanced Collaboration Standards: Teams using AI regularly demonstrate 1.8 times better goal clarity and 2.2 times better knowledge accessibility . Provide AI literacy training, establish guidelines for AI tool usage in collaboration, and measure productivity improvements from AI-enhanced workflows.

Measurement and Continuous Improvement

Implement Developer Experience Metrics: Track leading indicators of developer satisfaction including build times, deployment frequency, time-to-resolution for development blockers, code review cycle times, and time spent on technical debt versus new features. These operational metrics predict satisfaction trends and retention patterns.

Create Technology Adoption Scorecards: Regularly assess your technology stack against industry trends. Track adoption rates of emerging technologies within your organization, benchmark against industry usage patterns, and identify skill gaps that require targeted hiring or training investments.

Monitor Competitive Positioning: Given the rapid pace of change in developer preferences, establish quarterly reviews of compensation benchmarks, technology adoption trends, and workplace satisfaction metrics. Use this data to proactively adjust strategies rather than react to talent attrition.

Conclusion: Preparing for the Next Wave of Developer Evolution

The developer landscape of 2025 demands sophisticated leadership that balances technological innovation with human-centered management practices. Organizations that successfully navigate the AI integration imperative, technology stack realignment, and developer satisfaction crisis will build sustainable competitive advantages in an increasingly talent-constrained market.

The data reveals clear priorities: embrace AI as essential infrastructure, modernize technology stacks toward performance and safety, address systematic developer experience problems, and invest in specialized talent with appropriate compensation premiums. Most critically, recognize that developer satisfaction issues create unprecedented opportunities for organizations willing to systematically address technical debt, collaboration inefficiencies, and career development gaps.

Success requires moving beyond reactive hiring strategies toward proactive developer experience design. This means treating developer productivity, satisfaction, and growth as strategic business investments rather than operational costs. Organizations that implement these strategic approaches will not only attract and retain top talent but will also accelerate their technical capabilities and competitive positioning in an AI-enhanced future.

The transformation is already underway. The question for engineering leaders is not whether these changes will impact their organizations, but how quickly they can adapt their strategies to leverage the opportunities these shifts create.

References

[Technology](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology/) → [Top paying technologies](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#top-paying-technologies) ## Top paying technologies Erlang developers take the top spot this year for highest reported median salary. [Top paying technologies →](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#4-top-paying-technologies) [AI](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/ai/) → [Sentiment and usage](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/ai#sentiment-and-usage) ## AI tools in the development process 76% of all respondents are using or are planning to use AI tools in their development process this year, an increase from last year (70%). Many more developers are currently using AI tools this year, too (62% vs. 44%). [AI tools in the development process →](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/ai#1-ai-tools-in-the-development-process)

In 2024, Python overtook JavaScript as the most popular language on GitHub, while Jupyter Notebooks skyrocketed—both of which underscore the surge in data science and machine learning on GitHub. We’re also seeing increased interest in AI agents and smaller models that require less computational power, reflecting a shift across the industry as more people focus on new use cases for AI. Our data also shows _a lot_ more people are joining the global developer community. In the past year, more developers joined GitHub and engaged with open source and public projects (in some cases, [empowered by AI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me2Kc75UiWs)). And since tools like GitHub Copilot started going mainstream in early 2023, the number of developers on GitHub has rapidly grown with significant gains in the global south. While we see signals that AI is driving interest in software development, we can’t fully explain the surge in global growth our data reflects (but we’ll keep studying it).

Jira and Confluence top the list for most used asynchronous tools developers use for the third year. [Asynchronous tools →](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#1-asynchronous-tools) [Technology](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology/) → [Admired and Desired](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#admired-and-desired) ## Programming, scripting, and markup languages JavaScript, Python and SQL are all highly-desired and admired programming languages, but Rust continues to be the most-admired programming language with an 83% score this year. [Programming, scripting, and markup languages →](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#2-programming-scripting-and-markup-languages) [Technology](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology/) → [Admired and Desired](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#admired-and-desired) ## Web frameworks and technologies

How satisfied are you in your current professional developer role? [All Respondents](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#job-industry-and-satisfaction-job-sat) [Individual Contributor](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#job-industry-and-satisfaction-job-sat-ic) [People Manager](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#job-industry-and-satisfaction-job-sat-pm) All Respondents to-do Not Happy at Work32.1%Complacent at Work47.7%Happy at Work20.2% Download I acknowledge that the downloaded file is licensed under the [Open Database License](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/) [Download chart](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/charts/stackoverflow-dev-survey-2024-professional-developers-job-industry-and-satisfaction-job-sat-social.png) Share

[Technology](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology/) 62.3% Have used JavaScript in the past year. [Methodology](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/methodology/) 48,019 Respondants shared salary information. [Developer profile](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/developer-profile/) → [Key territories](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/developer-profile#key-territories) ## Top 10 countries Unknow graph No description 🇺🇸 USA18.9%🇩🇪 Germany8.4%🇮🇳 India7.2%🇬🇧 UK5.5%🇺🇦 Ukraine4.6%🇨🇦 Canada3.6%🇫🇷 France3.6%🇵🇱 Poland2.6%🇳🇱 Netherlands2.5%🇧🇷 Brazil2.3% [Community](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/community/) 76.3% Have a Stack Overflow account. [Advertising & Talent Reach devs & technologists worldwide about your product, service or employer brand.](https://stackoverflow.co/advertising/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=survey&utm_campaign=dev-survey-2024&utm_content=adveetising-dropdown)

![Graph from GitHub's Octoverse 2024 report showing the top-line statistics about the state of programming languages on GitHub in 2024. This includes call outs about Python now being the most-used language on GitHub, the continued growth of infrastructure as code (IaC) as HCL and Shell see increased utilization, and TypeScript standing as the third most-used language after Python and JavaScript.](https://github.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GitHub-Octoverse-2024-programming-languages-insights.png?w=1024&resize=1024%2C301) **Python becomes the most used language on GitHub, overtaking JavaScript after a 10-year run as the most used language.** This is the first large-scale change we’ve seen in the top two languages since 2019—and it speaks to the rise in Python that’s accompanied the generative AI boom we’ve seen over the past two years.

* **Python is now the most used language on GitHub as global open source activity continues to extend beyond traditional software development.** We saw Python emerge for the first time as the most used language on GitHub (more on that later). Python is used heavily across machine learning, data science, scientific computing, hobbyist, and home automation fields among others. The rise in Python usage correlates with large communities of people joining the open source community from across the STEM world rather than the traditional community of software developers. This year, we also saw a 92% spike in usage across Jupyter Notebooks. This could indicate people in data science, AI, machine learning, and academia increasingly use GitHub. Systems programming languages, like Rust, are also on the rise, even as Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Java remain the most widely used languages on GitHub. **💡 Oh, and if you’re a visual learner, we have you covered.👇**

All Respondents to-do JS62.3%HTML/CSS52.9%PY51%SQL51%TS38.5%Bash/Shell 33.9%Java30.3%C#27.1%C++23%C20.3%PHP18.2%PowerShell13.8%Go13.5%Rust12.6%Kotlin9.4%Lua6.2%Dart6%Assembly5.4%Ruby5.2%Swift4.7%R4.3%Visual Basic 4.2%MATLAB4%VBA3.7%Groovy3.3%Scala2.6%Perl2.5%GDScript2.3%Objective-C2.1%Elixir2.1%Haskell2%Delphi1.8%MicroPython1.6%Lisp1.5%Clojure1.2%Julia1.1%Zig1.1%Fortran1.1%Solidity1.1%Ada0.9%Erlang0.9%F#0.9%Apex0.8%Prolog0.8%OCaml0.8%Cobol0.7%Crystal0.4%Nim0.4%Zephyr0.3% Download I acknowledge that the downloaded file is licensed under the [Open Database License](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/) [Download chart](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/charts/stackoverflow-dev-survey-2024-technology-most-popular-technologies-language-social.png) Share

### [Programming, scripting, and markup languages](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#2-programming-scripting-and-markup-languages) JavaScript, Python and SQL are all highly-desired and admired programming languages, but Rust continues to be the most-admired programming language with an 83% score this year. Which **programming, scripting, and markup languages** have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year? (If you both worked with the language and want to continue to do so, please check both boxes in that row.)

[2023](https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/devecosystem-2023/) ## Key Takeaways ### Which programming languages have you used in the last 12 months? * * * 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 20172018201920202021202220232024JavaScriptPythonHTML / CSSSQLJavaTypeScriptShellC++C#CGoPHPKotlinRustDartSwiftLuaRubyScalaObjective-C ### Programming, scripting, and markup language usage * * * 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 65% 64% 69% 70% 69% 65% 61% 61% JavaScript 32% 41% 49% 55% 52% 53% 54% 57% Python 60% 55% 61% 61% 60% 54% 52% 51% HTML / CSS 42% 47% 56% 56% 54% 49% 52% 48% SQL 47% 51% 50% 54% 49% 48% 49% 46% Java 12% 17% 25% 28% 29% 34% 34% 37% TypeScript – 29% 40% 39% 37% 34% 34% 36% Shell 17% 18% 20% 27% 23% 25% 25% 25% C++ 20% 22% 24% 22% 21% 23% 21% 22% C# 15% 16% 17% 23% 19% 20% 19% 18% C 8% 12% 18% 19% 17% 19% 17% 18% Go 30% 26% 29% 27% 32% 20% 18% 17% PHP

* **TypeScript, Rust, and Python** are the clear leaders, reflecting their versatility and appeal across domains. * **Python dominates in AI and ML**: Its long-standing popularity continues in data-intensive fields. * **C++ in AI**: Surprisingly, a significant number of C++ developers report active involvement in AI and ML projects, highlighting its relevance in performance-critical applications. ### **Developer experience, emerging tech, and most lucrative languages**Copy heading link This year, we also explored topics gaining more and more traction in the community, such as developer experience (DX) and technologies like virtual reality (VR):

According to our latest survey data, 11% of backend developers currently use Go, while only 5% use Rust. Despite their appeal to developers working on scalable, high-performance applications, more versatile languages like JavaScript/TypeScript (41%), Java (39%), or Python (37%) dominate the ...

The languages most respondents plan to adopt are clearly Go and Rust. Both languages are built with performance and concurrency in mind and have compiler safety guarantees in place to help reduce bugs. However, while we see Rust’s popularity growing, the share of Go developers remains stable. * * * * * * ### Will Rust replace C++? The only language to set a new usage record among this year’s most popular ones is Rust. Aspiring to replace C++ with its strict safety and memory ownership mechanisms, Rust has seen its user base steadily grow over the last five years. According to our data, one in six Go users is considering adopting Rust. * * * * * * ### JavaScript vs. TypeScript JavaScript remains the most popular programming language in the world, boasting a massive developer community and a plethora of resources. However, TypeScript is rapidly gaining traction. Its adoption has surged from **12%** in 2017 up to an impressive **35%** in 2024.

This year, we decided to take things further and introduce a new index to the public – the JetBrains Language Promise Index. This index is based on a combination of audience growth over the past five years, the stability of this growth, the share of people expressing an intention to adopt the language, and the share of its users who want to adopt another language. The undisputed leaders of the **JetBrains Language Promise Index** are TypeScript, Rust, and Python. Python, which started out with a **32%** share in our first survey seven years ago (nearly on par with PHP's **30%**), is now used by more than half of the world’s programmers. ## Technologies ### Do you develop any applications? If so, where is the end-user application executed? * * * 62% Browser 40% Server / Cloud 38% Desktop 32% Mobile 8% IoT / Embedded 7% No, I don't develop applications 2% Console 1% Other ### Desktop vs. mobile development

All Respondents to-do Node.js40.8%React39.5%jQuery21.4%Next.js17.9%Express17.8%Angular17.1%ASP.NET CORE16.9%Vue.js15.4%ASP.NET12.9%Flask12.9%Spring Boot12.7%Django12%WordPress11.8%FastAPI9.9%Laravel7.9%AngularJS6.8%Svelte6.5%NestJS5.8%Blazor4.9%Ruby on Rails4.7%Nuxt.js3.6%Htmx3.3%Symfony3.2%Astro3%Fastify2.2%Deno1.9%Phoenix1.9%Drupal1.9%Strapi1.7%CodeIgniter1.7%Gatsby1.6%Remix1.6%Solid.js1.2%Yii 20.9%Play Framework0.8%Elm0.6% Download I acknowledge that the downloaded file is licensed under the [Open Database License](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/) [Download chart](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/charts/stackoverflow-dev-survey-2024-technology-most-popular-technologies-webframe-social.png) Share

### [Link to section](https://share.devographics.com/share/prerendered?localeId=en-US&surveyId=state_of_js&editionId=js2024&blockId=front_end_frameworks_ratios&params=&sectionId=libraries&subSectionId=front_end_frameworks) Front-end Frameworks Ratios Over Time Last year's big story was Vue overtaking Angular in raw usage among our respondents. Despite Angular's progress this year, Vue managed to keep its number two spot – as well a gain a whopping three spots in terms of retention percentage! Meanwhile, Svelte usage is increasing at a steady pace, while it continues to top the rankings in terms of overall positive opinions. All Respondents Query Builder React Vue.js Angular Preact Svelte Alpine.js Lit Solid Qwik Stencil HTMX #### Mode: ValueRank #### View: UsageAwarenessInterest Satisfaction AppreciationPositivity #### Usage: Proportion of respondents **having used** an item 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

73% of developers that used it want to keep working with Svelte. Fun fact: Our team at Stack Overflow used Svelte for the first time in building our 2024 Developer Survey results site. We could go on and on about Svelte, [listen to us do just that in a interview with one of our own](https://stackoverflow.blog/2023/10/31/why-stack-overflow-is-embracing-svelte/). [Web frameworks and technologies →](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#2-web-frameworks-and-technologies) [Technology](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology/) → [Admired and Desired](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#admired-and-desired) ## AI Search and Developer Tools

### [Link to section](https://share.devographics.com/share/prerendered?localeId=en-US&surveyId=state_of_js&editionId=js2024&blockId=front_end_frameworks_work&params=&sectionId=libraries&subSectionId=front_end_frameworks) Used at Work Comments for “Used at Work” 13 While there are no substantial income differences based on which frontend frameworks respondents used at work, company size tells a different story. New challengers Alpine.js, Qwik, and Solid are being favored by small companies, while Web Components solutions Lit and Stencil are overwhelmingly used by large companies. Which of these tools do you use in a professional context? Multiple All Respondents vs. Yearly Income vs. Years of Experience vs. Company Size Query Builder 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 1 ### React 8,548 2 ### Vue.js 3,976 3 ### Angular 3,642 4 ### Svelte 1,409 5 ### Lit 557 6 ### Preact 490 7 ### Alpine.js 389 8 ### Solid 345 9 ### HTMX 316 10 ### Stencil 235 11

In 2025, major JavaScript frameworks like React, Next.js, Angular, Vue.js, and Svelte have introduced cutting-edge features enhancing web development. React gains a 40% faster load speed with Concurrent Mode, while Next.js revolutionizes server-side rendering and code optimization.

But for teams that rely on a rich ecosystem of third-party tools, it might not be the best fit—yet. While React, Angular, Vue, and Svelte dominate the conversation, 2025 has seen the rise of several promising newcomers. Frameworks like Solid.js and Qwik are pushing the boundaries of what’s ...

PostgreSQL debuted in the developer survey in 2018 when 33% of developers reported using it, compared with the most popular option that year: MySQL, in use by 59% of developers. Six years later, PostgreSQL is used by 49% of developers and is the most popular database for the second year in a row. [Databases →](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#1-databases) [Technology](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology/) → [Most popular technologies](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#most-popular-technologies) ## Other tools Docker is used the most by professional developers (59%) and npm is used the most by developers learning to code (45%). [Other tools →](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#1-other-tools) [Technology](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology/) → [Most popular technologies](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#most-popular-technologies) ## Asynchronous tools

All Respondents to-do PostgreSQL48.7%MySQL40.3%SQLite33.1%Microsoft SQL Server25.3%MongoDB24.8%Redis20%MariaDB17.2%Elasticsearch12.5%Oracle10.1%Dynamodb7.9%Firebase Realtime Database5.8%Cloud Firestore5.4%BigQuery4.8%Microsoft Access4.2%Supabase4%H23.8%Cosmos DB3.3%Snowflake2.6%InfluxDB2.5%Cassandra2.4%Databricks SQL1.9%Neo4J1.9%IBM DB21.7%Clickhouse1.7%Solr1.5%DuckDB1.4%Firebird1.1%Couch DB1%Cockroachdb1%Couchbase0.7%Presto0.6%Datomic0.4%EventStoreDB0.3%RavenDB0.3%TiDB0.2% Download I acknowledge that the downloaded file is licensed under the [Open Database License](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/) [Download chart](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/charts/stackoverflow-dev-survey-2024-technology-most-popular-technologies-database-social.png) Share

ChatGPT is used by twice as many developers as its next closest alternative, GitHub Copilot. ChatGPT has a popular free option that developers observably like. Which **AI-powered search and developer tools** did you use regularly over the past year, and which do you want to work with over the next year? Select all that apply. [All Respondents](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#most-popular-technologies-ai-search-dev) [Professional Developers](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#most-popular-technologies-ai-search-dev-prof) [Learning to Code](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#most-popular-technologies-ai-search-dev-learn) [Other Coders](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#most-popular-technologies-ai-search-dev-other)

All Respondents to-do ChatGPT82.1%GitHub Copilot41.2%Google Gemini23.9%Bing AI15.8%Visual Studio Intellicode13.6%Claude8.1%Codeium6.1%WolframAlpha5.6%Perplexity AI5.3%Tabnine5%Phind3.8%Meta AI3.2%Amazon Q2.6%You.com1.4%Cody1.3%OpenAI Codex1.3%Whispr AI1%Quora Poe0.9%Snyk Code0.9%Replit Ghostwriter0.4%Lightning AI0.3%AskCodi0.3%Andi0.2%Neeva AI0.2%Metaphor0.2% Download I acknowledge that the downloaded file is licensed under the [Open Database License](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/) [Download chart](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/charts/stackoverflow-dev-survey-2024-technology-most-popular-technologies-ai-search-dev-social.png) Share

Almost half of tech managers reported that their companies measure developer productivity, DevEx, or both, and 16% of companies have dedicated specialists responsible for developer productivity engineering and developer experience. ## AI ### Which of the following AI tools have you ever used or tried for coding and other development-related activities? * * * * Trial * Usage 69% 49% ChatGPT 40% 26% GitHub Copilot 17% 7% Google Gemini 14% 5% JetBrains AI Assistant 9% 3% CodeGPT plugin in VS Code Show more ### How many developers use ChatGPT or Copilot while programming? 69%of developers have tried, and **49%** regularly use, ChatGPT for coding and other development-related activities. The second most popular AI tool for developers, GitHub Copilot, has been tried by **40%** and is regularly used by **26%** of our respondents. Many coders are clearly getting a feel for AI, but only time will tell whether this emerging tooling will be embraced in the long run.

### **Artificial intelligence: The new normal in software development**Copy heading link AI continues to dominate discussions in tech, and for good reason. Our survey reveals just how deeply it has permeated the developer workflow: * **Policy shifts around AI**: Nearly 80% of companies either allow third-party AI tools or have no formal restrictions, signaling a growing comfort with AI integration. * **AI-enhanced software**: 18% of developers are already integrating AI capabilities into their products, showcasing its steady infiltration into the apps we all use. ### **The JetBrains Language Promise Index**Copy heading link For the first time, we’re introducing the JetBrains Language Promise Index, which ranks languages based on growth, stability, and adoption willingness. The inaugural results spotlight three standout performers:

* **A surge in global generative AI activity**. AI is growing and evolving fast, and developers globally are going far beyond code generation with today’s tools and models. While the United States leads in contributions to generative AI projects on GitHub, we see more absolute activity outside the United States. In 2024, there was a 59% surge in the number of contributions to generative AI projects on GitHub and a 98% increase in the number of projects overall—and many of those contributions came from places like India, Germany, Japan, and Singapore. * **A rapidly growing number of developers worldwide—especially in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.** Notable growth is occurring in India, which is expected to have the world’s largest developer population on GitHub by 2028, as well as across Africa and Latin America. We also see Brazil’s developer community growing fast. Some of this is attributable to students.

* Yet, there’s a growing need among developers for smaller models with good performance and lower compute costs, driven by a desire for the embedded use of AI models in smartphones. * Notably, the fastest-growing open source AI project in 2024 by contributor count was [**ollama/ollama**](https://github.com/ollama/ollama), suggesting increased experimentation with locally run LLMs. * As models become smaller and less compute intensive, we expect more developers will use them in applications. Build with AI on GitHub Models At GitHub, we believe every developer can be an AI engineer with the right tools and training. From playground to coding with the model in GitHub Codespaces to production deployment via Azure, GitHub Models shows you how simple it can be. [Sign up for the limited public beta >](https://gh.io/models)

All Respondents to-do Amazon Web Services 48%Microsoft Azure27.8%Google Cloud25.1%Cloudflare15.1%Firebase13.9%Vercel11.9%Digital Ocean11.7%Heroku8.2%Netlify7%VMware6.6%Hetzner5%Supabase3.8%Linode, now Akamai3.1%OVH3%Managed Hosting3%Oracle Cloud Infra. 2.9%Render2.8%Fly.io2.6%OpenShift2.4%Databricks2%PythonAnywhere1.9%Vultr1.7%OpenStack1.6%Alibaba Cloud1.2%IBM Cloud Or Watson1.1%Scaleway0.9%Colocation0.7% Download I acknowledge that the downloaded file is licensed under the [Open Database License](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/) [Download chart](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/charts/stackoverflow-dev-survey-2024-technology-most-popular-technologies-platform-social.png) Share

Which **cloud platforms** have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year? (If you both worked with the platform and want to continue to do so, please check both boxes in that row.) Desired and Admired to-do 0.8%62.5%Colocation0.9%55.6%Scaleway1.4%40.3%IBM Cloud Or Watson1.4%40.9%Alibaba Cloud1.5%51.1%Vultr2.1%41.6%PythonAnywhere2.1%49%OpenStack2.2%50.2%Render2.4%55.1%OVH2.4%62.6%Managed Hosting2.5%52%OpenShift2.7%54.9%Databricks2.9%56.3%Oracle Cloud Infra. 3.5%55.2%Linode3.8%39.1%VMware3.9%61.7%Fly.io4%25.8%Heroku5.2%49.4%Netlify5.3%62.8%Supabase5.6%74.6%Hetzner10.4%56.6%Digital Ocean10.6%59.4%Vercel11.8%54.8%Firebase15.8%68.2%Cloudflare23.4%55.6%Google Cloud24.9%59.9%Microsoft Azure43.4%63.3%Amazon Web Services AdmiredDesired Download I acknowledge that the downloaded file is licensed under the [Open Database License](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/)

Docker users have elevated this tool to most-admired (78%) this year along with being most-desired for the second year in a row. Which **developer** **tools for compiling, building and testing** have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year? (If you both worked with the technology and want to continue to do so, please check both boxes in that row.) Desired and Admired to-do 0.8%28.1%Chef1%35.6%Puppet1.2%58%Dagger1.2%30.9%Ant1.8%63.4%Pulumi3%62.5%Google Test3.3%63.2%Ninja4.3%72.4%Nix4.9%45.9%Chocolatey5.3%46%Unity 3D5.6%72.8%Pacman5.7%53.9%Unreal Engine6%61.7%Composer6%67.1%Podman6.7%73.7%Godot7.2%61.4%MSBuild7.2%76.1%Bun7.7%70.2%APT7.9%59%Ansible8.3%68.1%pnpm8.5%39%Webpack9.5%54.8%Maven 9.9%52.7%Gradle11.1%51%Yarn11.5%69.3%Visual Studio Solution11.5%67.6%NuGet11.7%65.9%Terraform13.8%60.2%Make16.4%69.8%Homebrew18.6%76.6%Vite21.3%62.2%Pip25%72.4%Kubernetes31.2%59.8%npm49.5%77.5%DockerAdmiredDesired Download

Most developers work in cloud-hosted or hybrid environments (86%); 14% work with solely on-prem environments. At my company, our applications, databases and services are hosted: All Respondents to-do Hybrid 46.4%Cloud only 39.5%On-prem14.1% Download I acknowledge that the downloaded file is licensed under the [Open Database License](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/) [Download chart](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/charts/stackoverflow-dev-survey-2024-professional-developers-developer-experience-professional-cloud-social.png) Share

Industry analysts expect 95% of new digital workloads to be deployed on cloud-native platforms by the end of 2025. The data is clear: software development is moving faster, becoming more distributed, and demanding broader capabilities from both teams and technology.

Scala 35% Go 34% Kotlin 33% C 32% C++ 31% Shell scripting 30% Java 29% Python 27% Rust 27% TypeScript 26% SQL 24% C# 23% JavaScript 19% HTML / CSS 16% PHP ### What are the highest-paying programming languages? The programming languages that command the highest paychecks are **Scala, Go, Kotlin, C++, Rust, C, Shell, Java,** and **Python.** However, salaries aren’t determined by language alone. Job roles matter! For example, Shell scripting falls under the top-paid category because it’s heavily used by DevOps engineers, who usually have higher salaries. For more detailed information about salaries in the tech industry, check out our [Salary Calculator](https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/devecosystem-it-salary-calculator/). ### Share of top-paid employees by gender Note: Top-paid employees are those whose salaries are in the top quartile in their country or region. * * * 28% Male 19% Female ### Have you ever made a career transition to tech or IT?

Looking at top-responding regions, mobile developers report higher earnings in the U.S., data engineers are the highest-paid in Germany and Ukraine, and back-end developers are top earners in India and the U.K. What is your current total **annual** compensation (salary, bonuses, and perks, before taxes and deductions)? Please enter a whole number in the box below, without any punctuation. If you are paid hourly, please estimate an equivalent yearly salary. If you prefer not to answer, please leave the box empty. [All Respondents](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#salary-comp-total) [United States](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#salary-united-states) [Germany](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#salary-germany) [India](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#salary-india) [United Kingdom](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#salary-united-kingdom) [Ukraine](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#salary-ukraine)

[Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#employment-employment-prof&text=Professional%20Developers&via=stackoverflow) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?text=Professional%20Developers&u=https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#employment-employment-prof) [LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#employment-employment-prof&mini=true&source=stackoverflow&summary=Professional%20Developers) Responses: 49,390 (75.5%) ### [Employment status by geography](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#1-employment-status-by-geography) Full-time employment has decreased in the U.S. since last year's survey (69% to 65%). Looking at employment in the top five countries, in the U.K. and Ukraine respondents not employed full-time are more likely to be independent contractors and in Germany and India are more likely to be a full-time student if not employed full-time.

The number of hybrid developers has stayed consistent this year with last year (42%), while the percentage of developers working in-person has increased (20%) for the third year in a row compared to 15% in 2022 and 16% in 2023. [Work environment →](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#1-work-environment) [Work](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work/) → [Purchasing technology](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#purchasing-technology) ## Tech endorsement factors APIs are pretty cool, but did you know that 75% of developers are more likely to endorse your technology if you provide access to APIs? Make sure to let back-end developers and engineering managers know about the API integrations you offer: they are even more likely to endorse your tech than the average coder. [Tech endorsement factors →](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#4-tech-endorsement-factors)

The number of hybrid developers has stayed consistent this year with last year (42%), while the percentage of developers working in-person has increased (20%) for the third year in a row compared to 15% in 2022 and 16% in 2023. Which best describes your current work situation? [All Respondents](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#employment-remote-work) [By Organization Size](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/work#employment-remote-work-org) All Respondents to-do Hybrid 42%Remote38%In-person20% Download I acknowledge that the downloaded file is licensed under the [Open Database License](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/) [Download chart](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/charts/stackoverflow-dev-survey-2024-work-employment-remote-work-social.png) Share

### [Most common frustrations](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#2-most-common-frustrations) Technical debt is the top frustration at work for professional developers according to 63% of respondents, regardless of whether they are an individual contributor or a people manager. However, they don't agree on how frustrating unreliable tools and services at work can be: people managers agree this is second to tech debt, but individual contributors find complex tech stacks for building or deployment to be slightly more frustrating. Which of these company challenges causes you the most frustration? Select all that apply.

![](https://atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sot-24_hero_alerts-13.png) ![](https://atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sot-24_hero_calendar-14.png) ![](https://atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sot-24_hero_message-15.png) ## 25000000000 work **hours lost to ineffective collaboration** each year within the Fortune 500 (that’s 25 **_billion_**) ## **Teams are busier than ever, but accomplishing less.** ### Our data shows knowledge workers spend so much time planning and talking about work that it prevents them from actually _doing_ work that matters. 1/2 93% of executives say **teams could deliver similar outcomes in half the time** if they collaborated more effectively. ![](https://atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sot-24_introstat_halftime_dashes.png) ![](https://atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sot-24_introstat_halftime_scribble.png)

Mainland China and India are where people find it hardest to find tech work. In Mainland China, 41% find it challenging to find a job, and 30% find it very challenging. In India, the proportion of respondents who experience difficulty finding employment is also very high at 56%. ### What are the most challenging parts of your job? * * * 38% Understanding user requirements 34% Communication with other job roles 32% Understanding other people’s code 24% Context switching 21% Improving team processes 16% Debugging 16% Communication with other developers 15% Improving my technical skills 15% Writing code Show more ![](https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/devecosystem-2024/static/khalid-abuhakmeh-6ac3682f20e331c596e878812af04fbf.png) Communication, communication, communication. Technical work is rarely seen as the difficult aspect of the job, but working with others can be challenging. ### Khalid Abuhakmeh .NET Developer Advocate

## Teams are: Spread across disjointed goals **64%** of knowledge workers agree that their team is constantly being **pulled in too many directions** **70%** of knowledge workers agree that it would be easier to make progress **if they had fewer, more specific goals** ![](https://atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sot-24_keyresults_section01-collage.png) Drowning in notifications and meetings **65%** of knowledge workers say it’s more important to **quickly respond to messages** than it is to **make progress on top priorities** **50%** In organizations with poor meeting cultures, people spend **50% more time in unnecessary meetings** than making progress on high-priority work ![](https://atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sot-24_keyresults_section02-collage-e1717129275647.png) Struggling to share information **55%** of knowledge workers **find it hard to track down information** despite knowing a lot of people at their job

Teams that use the Atlassian platform spend 50% less time searching for information. ## Teams and leaders who use AI are better at collaborating AI is disrupting how businesses compete and how work gets done. ![](https://atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sot-24_ai-collage-600x425.png) ### Our data show that **teams that use AI** on a regular basis are: 1.8x more likely to have **goal clarity** 2.2x more likely to make **knowledge easy to find** 1.6x more likely to be **effective** 1.9x more likely to be **adaptable to change** ### **Leaders who use AI** have: 19% more time to **create work** with their teams 12% more time to focus each day on their **priorities** ![](https://atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/arrow-yellow.png) ![](https://atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/arrow-black.png) ![](https://atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/arrow-white.png)

Respondents 18 - 24 years old are most likely to learn code at traditional schools of all the age groups, and consistently so for the last three years. [Learning to code →](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/developer-profile#2-learning-to-code) [Developer Profile](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/developer-profile/) → [Learning to code](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/developer-profile#learning-to-code) ## Technical documentation preferences to learn how to code API and SDK documents are the documentation source of choice for 90% of developers. [Technical documentation preferences to learn how to code →](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/developer-profile#2-technical-documentation-preferences-to-learn-how-to-code) [Technology](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology/) → [Most popular technologies](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#most-popular-technologies) ## Databases

[Daily time spent searching for answers/solutions](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#1-daily-time-spent-searching-for-answers-solutions) 7. [Daily time spent answering questions](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#1-daily-time-spent-answering-questions) 2. [6.2. Developer Experience](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#developer-experience) 1. [Processes, tools, and programs within an organization](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#2-processes-tools-and-programs-within-an-organization) 2. [Cloud on On-prem environments](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#2-cloud-on-on-prem-environments) 3. [Resources for technical questions at work](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#2-resources-for-technical-questions-at-work) 4.

On an average day, how much time do you typically spend searching for answers or solutions to problems you encounter at work? (This includes time spent searching on your own, asking a colleague, and waiting for a response). [All Respondents](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#productivity-impacts-time-searching) [Individual Contributor](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#productivity-impacts-time-searching-ic) [People Manager](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/professional-developers#productivity-impacts-time-searching-pm) All Respondents to-do Less than 15 minutes a day9.3%15-30 minutes a day27%30-60 minutes a day37.9%60-120 minutes a day18.3%Over 120 minutes a day7.6% Download I acknowledge that the downloaded file is licensed under the [Open Database License](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/)

Executives, managers, and recruiters all believe developers value security over opportunity. But developers value opportunity more, 44% to 27%. Opportunity motivates developers pondering job changes more than perks or warm fuzzies. Team and culture won’t land candidates, but they’re a major factor in why developers stay. ### [What’s going on with upskilling?](https://www.hackerrank.com/research/developer-skills/2024#) Companies that invest in upskilling reap all kinds of benefits, from productivity to retention, but the perceptions and application of upskilling remain wildly inconsistent. Developers are 3X more likely than their managers to say that upskilling isn’t offered at their company Only 22% of developers say they’re regularly given time for upskilling/learning. 48% have to find the time on their own. ### [What’s going on with AI?](https://www.hackerrank.com/research/developer-skills/2024#)

What does the right opportunity look like? What factors motivate developers to accept a new job, stay in a current one, or walk away from the offer table? We asked developers to rank the incentives that would attract them to a new role or new company. While higher pay takes the number one spot – over 21% of developers ranked it first among the factors likely to attract them to a new role – career and learning opportunities were not far behind. Top incentives to move - first ranked HackerRank Developer Skills Survey **Pro tip:** Investing in skill development yields more than just productivity and competency gains – it also boosts recruitment and retention. ## Why do developers stay? We also asked developers what’s keeping them in their current position. Many factors carry over, but they are not exactly the same as the ones leading them elsewhere.

Growth opportunities – in both skills and career – are significant motivators not only for attracting skilled developers, but also holding on to them. Team and culture track significantly higher, too. While they may not be on the top shelf of factors attracting developers to new opportunities, they absolutely play a role in retention. Reasons developers stay HackerRank Developer Skills Survey **Pro tip:** Don't neglect culture in stressful times. It’s a key reason people stay. ## Recruiters and developers have differing ideas of what developers want We also checked in with talent acquisition professionals about what’s attracting candidates, and what are proving to be dealbreakers. Recruiters place team and culture right at the top, at odds with how developers are ranking attractors. Likewise, the top motivator for developers to move – higher pay – is way down the list.

![](https://about.gitlab.com/images/developer-survey/2024/investment-trends-hero.png) ### Top IT investment priorities in 2024 Results #### What are the top IT investment priorities for your organization in 2024? Filter by country Filter by industry Security 19% \-5% YoY AI 19% +8% YoY DevSecOps platform 17% +6% YoY Automation 16% +14% YoY Cloud computing 16% \-26% YoY DevOps 15% \-16% YoY Application monitoring and observability 13% +7% YoY Continuous integration, deployment, and delivery 13% \-4% YoY MLOps and data science 12% +8% YoY Value stream management, DORA metrics, and analytics 12% +31% YoY Analysis Security remains a top priority, taking the number one spot this year despite a slight decrease in the percentage of respondents who identified security as a priority. AI showed a slight but statistically significant increase from 2023 — suggesting that AI is increasingly becoming a primary focus for many organizations.