Posted At: Jul 30, 2024 - 160 Views
In May 2024, we conducted the 14th annual Stack Overflow Developer Survey, inviting technologists from around the world to participate. Here are the key findings:
- Popular Technologies: JavaScript and PostgreSQL remain the most popular.
- Most Admired: Rust and Markdown continue to be the favorites.
- Work Frustrations: Developers are most frustrated by technical debt.
- AI Perspective: Developers don't see AI as a threat to their jobs.
The survey also revealed that 76% of developers are using or planning to use AI tools, but only 43% trust their accuracy, and 45% think AI tools struggle with complex tasks.
Technology updates
The Stack Overflow Developer Survey wouldn't be complete without adding new technology options for developers to consider. Many long-standing technologies remain popular as well.
Most Used Languages:
- JavaScript: 62%
- HTML/CSS: 53%
- Python: 51%
JavaScript:
- Most popular language every year since the survey started in 2011.
Python:
- Most desired language this year, overtaking JavaScript.
- Many users want to learn it next year.
- Top choice for those learning to code.
Rust:
- Most admired language with an 83% admiration rate.
- Most popular language that developers used and want to use again.
New Learners:
- Indicated they want to use an average of 12 different languages next year.
Embedded Technology:
- Included a section on embedded technology this year.
- Among the 3% of developers working with embedded tech: Raspberry Pi: 39%, Arduino: 30%
- Users of both Raspberry Pi and Arduino are interested in using Cargo next year, which also has an 83% admiration score.
Most Popular IDEs:
- Visual Studio Code: Consistently ranks as the top choice.
- Visual Studio: Close second and related alternative to Visual Studio Code.
Developer Preferences:
- Despite numerous options, developers favor sticking with Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio due to familiarity.
- Developers appreciate learning new tools but often avoid changes that may lead to frustration.
Alternative Choices:
- Neovim: Highly admired with an 83% admiration rate.
Future Interests:
- Visual Studio Code users are primarily interested in trying Neovim or Vim next year.
Where Developers Are Going and Where They Have Been
Continuous Learning in Software Development:
- Software development is an ongoing journey of learning.
Learning Methods:
- Online Resources: 82% of developers are learning to code online.
- In School: 49% are learning to code in traditional school settings.
Educational Background:
Current Learners:
- 11% of respondents are currently learning to code or identify as students.
- 17.3% attend school at least part-time, whether learning to code or having a developer role outside their studies.
Post-Secondary Education:
- 83% of developers have some level of post-secondary education, more than those who learned to code in school.
Developer Demographics:
Age Groups:
- Largest segment: 25-34 years old.
- Growing segment: Developers aged 35 and up: 2022: 31%, 2023: 35%, 2024: 39%
Career Stages:
- One in three developers have less than four years of professional experience.
- Mid-career developers continue to learn and grow.
Learning Resources:
- Technical Documentation: 84% of developers use technical documentation to learn.
- Of those, 90% use documentation found in API and SDK packages.
Consistent Trends:
- Despite hypotheses that AI could impact developer roles, the trends have remained consistent over the years.
Top Developer Roles:
- Full-Stack Engineers: 31%
- Back-End Engineers: 17%
Historical Context:
- In 2018, more developers reported being back-end engineers rather than full-stack engineers, the only year this happened.
Decline in Specific Roles:
- Designers and Front-End Developers have consistently decreased yearly.
- This decline is likely because these roles are being absorbed by other roles such as mobile developers and enterprise developers.
Overcoming Challenges and Frustrations
- The global economic challenges have affected many professions, including developers.
Salary Decreases:
- Most developers not in managerial positions report an annual salary decrease of at least $10K USD.
- Specific roles affected by market corrections in emerging technologies:
Blockchain Developers:
- 2023: Median salary over six figures.
- 2024: Median salary $86K USD annually.
- Site Reliability Engineers: $15K USD annual decrease.
- Back-End Developers: $9K USD annual decrease.
People Managers and Environment Support Roles:
- Developer experience and developer advocate professionals saw salary increases in 2024.
- Senior executives and engineering managers reported salary decreases this year.
Employment Status:
- Salary decreases are not due to changes in employment status.
- Consistent Full-Time Employment:
- 80-81% of developers report full-time employment over the last three years.
Salary Challenges:
- Developers are facing salary decreases, which is a source of frustration.
- Despite economic challenges, developers continue to persevere.
AI as a Job Threat:
- For the first time, we asked developers if they felt AI was a threat to their jobs:
- 70% of professionals agreed that AI was not a threat.
- 27% of developers learning to code were unsure about AI as a threat compared to 18% of seasoned professionals.
AI Tool Usage:
- 62% of professional developers are using AI tools this year, up from 44% last year.
- 76% of all respondents are currently using or planning to use AI tools.
- 72% of all respondents feel positive about using AI tools at work.
Skepticism Towards AI:
- 31% of developers remain skeptical about AI tools:
- 23% somewhat distrust their accuracy.
- 8% highly distrust their accuracy.
- 45% believe AI tools are bad or very bad at handling complex tasks.
The promise of GenAI was to deliver quick solutions and speed up time-consuming processes, but AI tools have not yet replaced the need for human involvement, contributing to their non-threatening perception.
Technical debt is a significant issue for 62% of developers, making it the most frustrating problem they face. This frustration is twice as common as the next major issues, which are complex tech stacks for building and deployment.
Developer Satisfaction and AI Insights
Despite the challenging work environment, 68% of professionals report being happy or complacent at work, with this number rising to 74% for people managers. Developers find the most satisfaction in improving code and database quality, and those who are happier also enjoy driving strategy at work.
When asked about the future impact of AI tools, developers echoed last year's sentiment that as tools mature, their role may shift from writing code to reviewing generated code. A common theme was spending "less time" on mundane tasks, as one developer noted: “Less time spent writing mundane things.”
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