Information Technology is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide, thanks to the rise of automation, e-commerce, online entertainment, cybersecurity, and Cloud computing.

Software is the foundation of IT.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, employment of software developers is projected to jump by a whopping 22% from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.

The world is changing fast. Companies all over the world, including giants like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, are removing the condition of having a degree while recruiting top talent.

You can become a Computer Programmer or Software Developer without a university degree.

If you are planning to start a career in IT, here are the top 10 programming languages which will help you get a job without the need for a college or university degree.

Javascript

JavaScript is one of the world’s most famous programming languages. JavaScript is immensely popular among the developer community and companies worldwide, mainly due to its capabilities and functionality.

JavaScript is a cross-platform object-oriented scripting language usually used to make dynamic and interactive web applications.

When you favorite a tweet on Twitter, post a comment on Facebook and update your status, it’s JavaScript that makes it possible for you to see web pages and object load in real time without refreshing the entire page.

JavaScript is used in mobile programming, web development, databases, game programming, robotic applications, and in various advanced human-computer interaction platforms.

The world of JavaScript is vast. The JS stack is full of tools and languages which you can learn to become an expert programmer.

For example, with JavaScript, you can learn jQuery, a JavaScript library designed to simplify HTML DOM tree traversal and manipulation, CSS animation, and Ajax.

Some other technologies linked with JavaScript which have huge demand include Node.js and VanillaJS.

According to a survey by programming platform DevSkiller, JavaScript is the most in-demand skill of 2020. The opportunities for JavaScript will continue to grow in 2021 and beyond.

According to PayScale, JavaScript Software Engineers on average take home around $82,000 US dollars annually.

Python

Python is perhaps one of the most talked about programming languages in world. Everyone is aware of Python. But what actually makes this programming language so powerful?

In a nutshell, you can use Python for automation. Name a task and Python can automate it within a few scripts.

Scraping a webpage for data, automating edits in Paint software, data entry, data processing and more, can be automated easily with Python.

Python works with several frameworks, including Flask and Django.

Python is also popular in Data Science and AI. It is widely used in the development of complex web solutions, like ecommerce websites and subscription platforms.

An IEEE study found that employers worldwide prefer Python developers above any other skills because of Python’s power, especially when it comes to FinTech software, Machine Learning, and AI.

Some major platforms using Python include Google, Spotify, Netflix, Uber, Dropbox, Pinterest, and Instacart.

You can take several career paths after learning Python without needing a college degree, such as Software Engineering and Data Science.

According to PayScale, the average salary for Python experts is $91,000 US dollars.

Java

Java is an extremely powerful programming language that has many applications.

Java is known for its strongly typed structure.  Some of its key highlights are, declarative and functional programming, high-quality libraries, profiling tools, static analyzers, annotation system, and a huge choice of solid IDEs.

Learning Java will give you a strong gasp of the Java platform, which is very powerful and forms the basis of several other programming languages and frameworks.

For example, if you learn Java, learning the Android programming language will become much easier for you.

According to a report by Burning Glass, a company that provides real-time data on job growth, skills in demand, and labor market trends, Java is the second most popular language in the world as of 2020.

The average salary for someone with Java programming skills is $91,400 US dollars, according to PayScale.

Go

Go or Golang is a relatively new programming language that has become very famous among developers.

Go programming language is closer to C in syntax, but what makes it special is its built-in support for concurrency, simplicity, security, and specific strengths that could be used to program servers.

Go was developed back in 2007 by some Google engineers who wanted to combine the powers of all the famous programming languages and use the real capabilities of multi-core processing.

Go has minimal grammar, few keywords, and there are just a limited number of ways to do a specific task. That makes programming relatively easier in Go.

Golang is the fourth most popular language among the Github community, beating old giants like C++, C, and C#.

Golang has an average salary of $116,000 US dollars, according to data from PayScale.

C#

C# is an object oriented imperative language that is used to develop complex web applications.

What makes C# special? Technologies such as LINQ for data transformation and filtering, statistically typed structure, dynamic features, JSPN APIs, and a strong ecosystem of data accessibility and product development makes this programming language stand out.

If you learn C#, several additional pathways will open up in the area of programming for you.

C# is strongly intertwined with the .Net framework, which in itself a very in-demand skill. According to a Stack Overflow survey, about 31% of developers on the platform like C#.

According to PayScale the average salary for jobs that require C# is around $82,000 US dollars.

Ruby

Ruby is an object-oriented programming language that is gaining popularity worldwide.

Everything in Ruby is an object, which makes it easier for developers to reuse code and implement “chaining,” where many lines of code can be consolidated into one.

Ruby is mostly used with the Rails framework, and both are collectively known as Ruby On Rails.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of programming in Ruby is its easy syntax. With Ruby, you can focus more on thinking and crafting your core logic instead of worrying about the syntax errors.

Ruby provides several ways to implement a task, but all of its tools and features are consistent and fit together nicely.

Software Engineers with a strong practical knowledge of Ruby on average make around $97,000 US dollars, according to PayScale.

Kotlin

Kotlin is a cross-platform, statically typed, programming language that is famous for making it easier for developers to implement complex features and functionalities.

One of the biggest reasons why Kotlin is so powerful is its origins. The language was developed by JetBrains.

Because the language comes directly from industry, and not academia, it solves a lot of inherent and complex problems for developers.

It’s open source. It’s integration with Java is very strong, and you can convert any Java code to Kotlin with converters.

Unlike other languages Kotlin does not enforce any particular programming philosophy. It has no runtime overhead.

Kotlin is used for Android app development and server-side, client-side web development.

According to PayScale, the average salary for a programmer with Kotlin skills is around $98,000 US dollars.

R

The R language has been gaining a lot of popularity lately mainly because of its immense applications and strong capabilities in statistical computing, data science, data mining, complex AI applications, and machine learning.

R is usually compared to Python as both are used with data science and analytics.

The scope of the R language is very focused, and the demand for R language skills remains high in highly advanced and growth-oriented areas.

R is famous for its factors and formulas inside machine learning models and its plot features. Package management in RStudio is also much easier than other competitors.

However, R is comparatively difficult to learn because of its structure and syntax. But if you develop a taste for it, things will become much easier and fun.

Companies hire R language experts for various roles like data scientist and data engineer.

According to PayScale, the average salary for someone with R programming skills is about $80,000 US dollars.

SQL

SQL, or Structured Query Language, is the most-requested programming language by employers, according to a report by Dice.

Every company has data, and they need to process and make sense of it.

Whether you are building a website, a mobile app, or a complex web application, you usually need to build and maintain a database.

All of this makes SQL a hot programming language because it makes it extremely easy for companies to maintain, process, analyze, and save data.

A quick search on any jobs portal will show you how much demand there is for SQL skills.  This demand is bound to rise in 2021 and beyond.

According to Glassdoor, average salary for SQL is $81,600 US dollars.

C

Learning C will help you understand the low-level architecture and inner workings of computer systems.

Despite popular belief, C is far from obsolete. In fact, C is one of the most in-demand programming languages in 2020, according to a 2020 CodinGame annual survey of HR professionals and developers.

Apart from software companies, Learning C will also open up opportunities with companies that are working on hardware.

Having C in your skillset shows you have a bottom-up, in-depth understanding of how computer systems work, exponentially increasing your chances of employment without a college degree.

Employers hire C experts for roles such as Embedded Software Engineer, Software Engineer, and Developer.

The average salary, accordingly to PayScale, for someone with C programming skills is $90,000 US dollars.