Go and Kotlin the highest-paying languages for experienced software developers

[Daniel Puchert]

Highest-paying programming languages in South Africa

Go has been identified as the highest-paying programming language for experienced software developers, whereas Ruby provides the most compensation for those entering the job market.

This is according to OfferZen's Software Developer Salary Benchmark report, based on a survey of more than 3,400 South African developers conducted between September and November 2024.

 

[Tantric Smurf]

Too much elasticity in the industry to say what are the real salaries.

I've had interview requests for R150K for PHP jobs, and as low as R45K for same level of experience. Then my GoLang experience has attracted requests from R125K to R250K.

 

[system32]

Why program when you can just become an AI proompt engineer.

Try chat.deepseek.com

 

[Easter Bunny]

if you're a javascript dev, then you can get an increase of up to +-4k by changing this:

function bob(value) {
    // do stuff
}

to this:

function bob(value: any): any {
    // do stuff
}

(there's no typescript option in the code snippets )

 

[cguy]

Language is so loosely causally coupled to salary that it really doesn’t make sense to cut things up that way.

You may as well cut it up based on the model of car devs drive.

 

[hj007]

Language is so loosely causally coupled to salary that it really doesn’t make sense to cut things up that way.

You may as well cut it up based on the model of car devs drive.

Laravel guys all drive lambos, so there's that.

 

[cguy]

Laravel guys all drive lambos, so there's that.

I drive a 2016 X5. Will be buying something new this year or early next year. I wonder what type of dev that will make me.

 

[Saieden]

It's not knowing these languages "pay more", it's that every well payed dev worth their salt is using one or more of them in some capacity. The really good ones virtually don't care what language the job requires, you just learn it. MBB fundamentally misunderstand the difference between job description and actual work and expertise.

 

[hj007]

I drive a 2016 X5. Will be buying something new this year or early next year. I wonder what type of dev that will make me.

• BMW drivers might favor Python: Known for its versatility and efficiency, Python aligns well with someone who values both performance and practicality, like an X5 owner.
• JavaScript/TypeScript: If the BMW X5 owner is also into modern web development or startups, they might lean toward these languages.
• Java: A robust, enterprise-grade language could suit someone who drives a reliable and premium vehicle like a BMW.

 

[koeks525]

I do not think salary and programming language have a strong correlation. Salary is determined by many things, like the budget a company has for a given role, the candidate's negotiating (self-worth) abilities, the candidates overall value following an interview and track record. The net-result here is, some peeps are going to prioritize learning GoLang "because OfferZEN report says it pays more". :-(

I would like to think companies would value the underlying problem-solving and "out-the-box thinking" more than programming languages. A programming language can be taught (and nothing wow about learning a language, I think), but the underlying problem solving, and ability to thrive in unseen problems is more valuable, I think. But ey, I am not a hiring manager... just an engineer.