If you are a computer programmer, which language makes most money? SQL? C++?

My son (high school) wants to learn computer languate to get a good job. Which language is good?

If you are a computer programmer, which language makes most money? SQL? C++?
Java is likely the quickest to become decent with, but C++ is the bulk of what is being programmed today. If you can learn .Net that is also marketable. The older languages (Cobol, Fortran, etc) are good to learn about but the only money in them is from companies too cheap to upgrade to C++ based systems. In short, as those systems die off, so will his career.





Think of it like an inverted Bell curve, with the highest pay coming for the cutting edge, "hot" computer languages and the outdated, "only old retired guys know how to code for them" languages. In the middle is the safest--right now C++-- but someday that will go the way of Fortran, Cobol %26amp; the rest.





If your son wants to learn a computer language, he needs to know that in order to be consisnetly successful in this business he will never stop having to learn--a new technology, a new language--in order to keep up with the hungry, new generaton that will forever be right behind him.
Reply:Hi! C++ is relatively old but is one of the basic programming languages. SQL is a new programming language that revolves mainly in database management. SQL is usually used in tandem with other languages such as java, ruby on rails, PHP, etc.





I suggest that your son still learns C/C++ but try to expand further after that. Let him try to study java (since it is quite known by many) and ruby on rails (a new language but is getting popular and demanding).
Reply:To start with? Probably Java is the easiest to grasp.





It can take years to be proficient at a language, but it's the concepts and logic that are hard when first starting. Java does a lot for you and there is a Java boom at the moment.





Once the concepts of programming are learnt, switching to any language shouldn't be hard. Because you're not changing the logic, all that is different is the syntax (How you write it).





Where is the money? Many high integrity systems use C++ but it's the dated languages that can make you the coin! Lisp, Prolog, Ada, COBOL because no one knows how to code in these languages anymore! Many banks and much of defence still use these because it is much too expensive to reverse/forward engineer these dedicated/high ntegrity systems. Niche markets which can earn 100K p/a.
Reply:Java or C# are easier to grasp and get a job easily.