At Code Platoon, we track national demand for programming languages so that our Veteran, Servicemember, and military spouse students get the best training for their new software engineering or DevOps engineering careers. 

This article highlights the programming languages with the highest salaries and most frequently targeted job postings for 2022. We’ve also published our findings for 2021, 2020, and 2019. 

Our 2022 findings show that Python and Javascript developers continue to be paid well, ranking #3 and #4 in salary. C++ holds #1 in compensation but there are relatively few job postings. Java, Javascript, and Python lead in jobs posted.

How we identified the top programming languages for 2022

To measure compensation, we examined the 15 most popular coding languages according to Stack Overflow’s Developer Survey. We mapped the average salary for those languages’ job listings on Indeed.com, one of the largest job listing sites. We tracked the total number of job postings targeting those 15 most popular languages to measure demand.

Ranking programming languages by pay and number of job openings

Python: Python is an interpreted, multi-purpose programming language. It holds the #3 position in the Average Salary and Job Postings categories. Python continues to grow in use for data science, machine learning, cybersecurity, and DevOps engineering. 

Javascript: Javascript took #2 in Job Postings and #4 in Average Salary. Javascript is an indispensable language for programming web applications and remains popular with employers.

Java: Integral to large-scale, legacy business applications and gaining new relevance from its Google adoption for Android, Java climbs to #1 in Job Postings and #2 in Average Salary. 

C++: C++ is used primarily in gaming and high-performance applications. It stands at #1 in Average Salary and #5 in Job Postings. C++ is fast and stable, but it’s also among the most difficult programming languages to learn. 

C#: C# maintains a user base through its continued use for the Unity gaming engine. It stands at #4 in Job Postings and #6 in Average Salary. 

PHP: PHP is a general-purpose scripting language that powers WordPress. It’s ranked #7 in Job Postings and #8 in Average Salary.

C: C is an older–but still widely used–programming language. It holds #5 in Average Salary and #6 in Job Postings. Concepts that are hidden to users in scripting languages like Python and Java are exposed in C, offering more flexibility. However, its complexity makes it challenging to learn.

SQL: SQL (or Structured Query Language) is the standard language for relational database management systems. It’s a query language that allows users to draw information from databases. SQL ranks #7 in Average Salary and #8 in Job Postings. 

What will be the most popular programming language in 2023?

Speculating how these programming languages will fare in the future is difficult because the supply of qualified applicants affects the number of open positions. However, Python will likely continue growing as companies increasingly adopt data analytics tools, infrastructure software development, and AI tools (all areas where Python shines). Javascript will also continue to be the “language of the web.”

If you’re looking for more information on the various programming languages and their relative popularity in the workforce, the TIOBE Index and Stack Overflow provide authoritative reports. They consider industry demand and incorporate different approaches to determining the best programming languages.

Are you a Veteran, Servicemember, or military spouse interested in learning to code? If you’re a military community member looking to transition to a tech career, you can apply to one of our programs to get started. 

Rod Levy is the Founder and Executive Director of Code Platoon. Rod spent 20+ years in finance and entrepreneurship. He was a Partner at G-Bar Limited Partners, where he co-founded and managed their volatility-arbitrage trading desk (BBR Trading). He was one of the founders of Cerrio, an internal software start-up. He holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he graduated with honors. Rod has also completed Dev Bootcamp’s web developer program.

On Saturday, July 16, twenty students graduated from Code Platoon’s Full-stack Software Engineering Bootcamp: Evening and Weekend program. As part of the ceremony, the new graduates showcased the web applications they developed with the skills they learned during the 28-week program. 

Here are their tech demonstrations:

Our first group is TR-APP Job Tracking App. TR-APP is a web application for job seekers that organizes job posts, documents, and application reminders in one location. Users can search for and save job postings to their dashboard, set reminders for specific applications, and plan their commute to interviews with a Google maps integration and local weather data.

Check out TR-APP developed by Everett Yeckley, David Tetreau, Jorge Prias, Felipe Lopez, and Will Compton: two Army Veterans, an Air Force Veteran, a Marine Corps Veteran, and an Active Duty Servicemember in the Navy, respectively.

The next project is Through the Lifting Glass, a weightlifting team management app. Through the Lifting Glass lets coaches track their team rosters and lifting progress, schedule practices and lifting events on the calendar, post workouts and photos, and send messages to the team. Athletes can track their progress, view their teammates’ records, schedule team bonding events, and communicate with their teammates.

The team behind Through the Lifting Glass is Stephanie Lentell, Kevin Belk, Juan Laporte, Devin Glauner, and Melissa White: two Air Force Veterans, a Marine Corps Veteran, an Army Veteran, and an Army spouse.

Ahead of the Game is the third project in this showcase. Ahead of the Game users can find the game locations of their favorite baseball, hockey, and football teams. Users can schedule text notifications for each saved game, sync games to their Google Calendar, and join chats with other users planning to attend games.

Chris Hicks, Scott Rametta, Latasha Wise, Stephen Howard, and Dan Miller–an Active Duty Air Force Member, Navy Veteran, Army Veteran, Air Force Veteran, and Marine Corps Veteran– created Ahead of the Game.

The final project developed by Charlie E&W Platoon graduates is Parents-n-Parks. Parents-n-Parks connects local parents and families with similar interests. The App uses a Google Maps integration to find local events, family-friendly locations, and ratings while planning events. It allows users to send friend requests and invite each other to meetups.

Check out the Parents-n-Parks presentation by Tressa Sharma, Anthony Lemke, Josh Richardson, Ka Leung, and William Keirn, one Army and four Marine Corps Veterans, respectively.

Congratulations to the Charlie Evening and Weekend Platoon graduates! We’re proud of the creativity and skills demonstrated during this cohort’s final presentations.

If your organization is looking for employees that are trained leaders, quick thinkers, and detailed problem-solvers, then Veterans would make a great addition to your tech teams. 

But hiring and retaining Veterans isn’t as simple as deciding to do so. You may need to adapt everything from your hiring process to onboarding and promotion pathways to become a Veteran-friendly organization. Here are seven key steps used by our corporate partners to get started.

1. Understand military skills

Some Veterans’ positions in the military match well with civilian positions. Others’ may seem unqualified, at least until you know how to translate their skills. If your organization struggles to get Veterans into interviews, your first action should be to improve your hiring team’s knowledge of military skills. You can also create resources for Veteran candidates that explain the hiring process and professional expectations, as our partner Grainger does.

2. Behavioral interviewing

Veterans generally perform best and are most comfortable with behavioral-based and situational interviews. For example, asking candidates with military backgrounds to talk about a time they solved a problem, quickly learned something new, or led a team will likely result in a more reviewable answer than a closed-ended question or question focused on an industry-specific skill.

3. Communicate onboarding expectations

For a recently transitioning Servicemember, your company may be the first civilian employer they’ve ever had. Veterans may need some help learning to navigate the civilian workforce. Some suggestions for onboarding Veteran employees include:

• Clearly state expectations, like dress codes, for example, in the welcome letter.
• Have a tangible onboarding plan with check-ins for feedback and goals for the first 90 days.
• Help build a social network within the team. For example, plan a lunch or coffee break for everyone to get to know each other or have the team answer an ice-breaker question at the beginning of meetings.

4. Training and skills support

Like hiring any candidate, a former military member joining your team will likely have stronger and weaker areas related to the position. Your organization can develop training programs to help Veteran employees close knowledge gaps and gain confidence in their abilities. For example, our partner Underwriters Laboratories provides programs to help Veterans build their skills for future promotions and leadership opportunities.

5. Veteran resource groups and mentorship

Veteran-friendly companies often have Veteran resource groups or mentorship programs to help Veterans make connections and adapt to the civilian company culture. Our partners at Accenture, Motorola Solutions, and Echo, have such programs available. 

6. Clear career advancement pathways

While in the military, Servicemembers know where their orders will come from and what is required to rise in the ranks. After their Service, some Veterans find the civilian workforce culture confusing. Providing a clear, written-out pathway for promotions during onboarding and scheduling frequent career advancement check-ins could help assuage some of these transitional frustrations.

Our partner Sprout Social has taken this idea one step further by including a 1-year growth timeline on every job description.

7. Support non-profit Veterans’ organizations

One of the best ways to show Veterans that your organization supports them is to partner with non-profit Veteran organizations. Offer an employer match to donations for Veterans organizations, give your employees paid volunteering opportunities, or do both like our partners Enova, DRW, and Wayfair. 

A partnership can reaffirm your commitment to Veteran employees and also give your civilian employees more opportunities to interact with Veterans and build their awareness of Veterans’ issues.

If you’re interested in hiring Veterans for paid tech apprenticeships or full-time positions or offering a Veteran-focused volunteer opportunity for your employees, consider joining our corporate partners. Email corporatepartners@codeplatoon.org or visit our corporate partners page for more information.

Kayla Elkin is the Marketing Content Specialist at Code Platoon. In this role, she utilizes her marketing, writing, and editing skills developed from previous positions in higher education and educational technology. Kayla has degrees in English and Sociology from Clemson University and completed the Study in India Program (SIP) at the University of Hyderabad. She lives with her partner in northern Chicago.

So, you’ve decided you want to go back to school or attend a training program. Now you have to wade through all of the VA’s educational benefits options and acronyms. If this process confuses you, then don’t worry. This post will introduce five popular military educational programs–the GI Bill®, VET TEC, VRRAP, VR&E, and SkillBridge–and explain what they fund, how to qualify, and how to apply for them. 

1. GI BILL®

The GI Bill is the most well known VA Educational Benefit. It can be used on more traditional college or university degrees as well as non-accredited training or certificate programs. The GI Bill covers only in-person instruction for non-accredited programs. So, if you choose to attend an out-of-state training program, you will need to move for it.

If you are an active duty Servicemember, a Veteran who served at least 90 days after September 11, 2001, or the spouse or dependent of one of the above, then you may be eligible to use the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Depending on how long you served, your full tuition costs or a percentage of them will be covered. GI Bill benefits may also include a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) stipend and up to one thousand dollars of necessary books or supplies.

2. VET TEC

Veteran Employment through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) is another option for Veterans and active duty Servicemembers with at least one day left on their GI Bill. Spouses and dependents are not eligible for VET TEC, even if they were given their Servicemember’s GI Bill benefits.

The VET TEC program funds Veterans and Servicemembers who want to attend a high-demand tech training program and start meaningful employment in the field soon after. Although the program requires participants to have remaining GI Bill funding, it will not use any of that time. A student can start a program with VET TEC, and all remaining GI Bill will still be there after completing the program.

VET TEC also incentivizes VA-approved training providers by holding full tuition payments until after the participant graduates and is gainfully employed in the technology field. 

To join a Veteran tech program with VET TEC, you will need to apply for VET TEC on the VA website. You can also check out our VET TEC Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the process.

3. VRRAP

The Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP) VA program pays for Veterans who are unemployed from the Covid-19 pandemic to receive education and training for high-demand career paths. Although VRRAP is a temporary program that will stop accepting applications after December 11, 2022, accepted participants will continue receiving benefits into 2023.

VRRAP covers up to 12 months of tuition and fees for an associate’s degree or non-college degrees and certificate programs. The program will also provide a housing allowance based on the Post 9/11 GI Bill’s BAH rates. 

To qualify for VRRAP, you must be a Veteran who is ineligible for GI Bill benefits or other education assistance programs. Like with VET TEC, you must apply for VRRAP on the VA’s website.

4. VR&E

If you have a service-connected disability that limits your ability to work, you may qualify for Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), formerly called Voc Rehab. VR&E offers funding for education, training, and apprenticeship programs to Veterans and Servicemembers with documented service-connected disabilities.

To qualify, Veterans must have at least a 10 percent disability rating, and active duty Servicemembers must have at least a 20 percent pre-discharge disability rating. 

If you already have your VA disability rating, you can apply for VR&E benefits on the VA website.

5. SkillBridge

Although the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program does not provide funding, it is still a fantastic opportunity for transitioning Servicemembers to receive civilian job training during their last 180 days in the military.

Many SkillBridge-approved training providers will accept the GI Bill or VET TEC. Some, like Code Platoon, even offer scholarships for SkillBridge participants. The application process for SkillBridge is complicated, but we have resources to simplify the process on our SkillBridge page.

If you have questions or need help identifying the best option for you, our recruitment team is here to help. Send me a message or schedule a phone conversation by emailing me at greg@codeplatoon.org.

Greg Drobny is a former Airborne Infantryman, PSYOP Team Chief, political consultant, professional mil blogger, and is Code Platoon’s Student Outreach and Recruitment Manager. He holds a BA and MA in history, as well as a Masters of Science in organizational psychology. He is married with four children who keep him more than slightly busy, and is passionate about helping Veterans find their paths in life and develop the skills needed to pursue their goals.

According to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), eighty-six percent of Active Duty Servicemembers, fifty-one percent of military spouses, and forty-three percent of Veterans worry about their personal finances. 

I have created this budgeting and banking guide for the military community with statistics like these in mind. If you are a Veteran, spouse, or Servicemember and aren’t sure how to make a budget, choose banking accounts, or save money for emergencies, I hope you find this guide helpful.*

Part One: Make Your Budget

At the heart of budgeting is a fundamental question: how much money do you earn and how much do you spend? Having a deep knowledge of your income and outflow is crucial to people of all financial backgrounds. I need a budget. You need a budget. Even celebrities need a budget. 

A budget requires time to set up and implement. You can either set up your budget yourself in a spreadsheet or use software like You Need a Budget or Mint to get you started.

When you create your budget, I recommend choosing between a “Zero-based Budget” and “50/30/20 Budget” styles.

A Zero-based Budget is where you list your income and match it up against your expenses. Make adjustments until the income minus the costs equals zero.

A 50/30/20 Budget is another option. For this budget, you will allocate your after-tax income between two checking accounts and a savings account as follows:

1. 50% in Checking Account #1 for your fixed expenses like groceries and rent.
2. 30% in Checking Account #2 for your inessential expenses like movies or dates.
3. 20% in Savings Account #1 for your debt repayment and emergency fund.

Part Two: Open Banking Accounts

Whatever budget you end up making, you will need at least a checking account and a savings account in your daily life. 

Use a checking account for your daily banking, like receiving paychecks and paying bills. As a member of the military community, you can open a checking account without any fees through USAA Bank for military members or Chase Military Banking.

Use a savings account to build savings for an emergency fund and pay off debt. Your emergency fund should be able to sustain your current lifestyle for three to six months. If that’s too big of a number, start with whatever you can and work your way up.

When you open a savings account, you want an Annual Percentage Yield (APY) of at least 0.5% interest. You can use Bankrate to check for the best available rates when you’re ready to open your savings account.

Part Three: Now do it Yourself!

It’s time to put these strategies to practice. You can follow the action items below to get started on your new budget and banking accounts:

1. Create and follow either a Zero-based Budget or a 50/30/20 Budget
2. Ensure you have a checking account with a bank that doesn’t charge fees
3. Ensure you have a savings account that offers 0.5% APY or higher
4. Come up with a plan to save an emergency fund able to cover at least three months’ expenses

If you have any questions or want to receive personalized financial advice, please contact a financial advisor.

Jonathan is Code Platoon’s Director of Education and a Senior Software Engineer at Venmo. He has taught nearly every Code Platoon graduate personally and is dedicated to student success. Before Code Platoon, Jonathan taught special education math in Chicago’s Harper High School, which was featured on NPR’s “This American Life.” Jonathan received his BS from Northwestern University and his Masters’s degree in Teaching during his fellowship with Teach for America.

*Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only. Neither Code Platoon nor I am giving you financial advice. Please contact a financial advisor if you have specific questions.