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Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2024 Summary

Jul 30, 2024

Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2024 Overview

Key Technologies and Trends

  • Most Popular Technologies:
    • JavaScript and PostgreSQL remain top choices.
    • Rust and Markdown are most admired technologies.
    • Developers express significant frustration with technical debt at their workplaces.
  • AI Perception:
    • Developers generally do not see AI as a threat to their jobs.
    • 76% are using or planning to use AI tools, though only 43% trust their accuracy.

Developer Sentiments

  • Increased realism of job versus projects.
  • Notable increase in developers comfortable with AI, but skepticism remains.
  • Technical Debt: A major source of frustration for developers
    • 62% identified it as their main concern.

Languages and Frameworks

  • Programming Languages Usage:
    • JavaScript (62%), HTML/CSS (53%), Python (51%) are most commonly used.
    • Rust leads in admiration with an 83% admiration rate.
    • Python remains the most desired language among learners for its simplicity.

Learning and Resources

  • Learning Platforms:
    • 82% of developers learn to code using online resources; only 49% in formal schooling.
    • High reliance on Stack Overflow and technical documentation.
  • Satisfaction and Frustrations:
    • Developers report greater satisfaction in improving overall code quality rather than just maintaining legacy systems.

Economic Challenges for Developers

  • Salary declines of 10K USD or more reported, especially among software developers in non-managerial roles.
  • Blockchain-related roles observed a significant decrease in median annual salary from over six figures to about 86K USD.
  • Many fear the consequences of market saturation combined with the shift to remote work models affecting compensation.

Developer Roles

  • Most common roles are still full stack (31%) followed by backend (17%).
  • Learning opportunities are abundant, but focus on a limited number of languages remains prevalent in practical applications.

Embedded Technologies

  • 3% of developers revealed working with embedded technologies.
  • Popular platforms include Raspberry Pi (39%) and Arduino (30%).

Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)

  • Most Popular Choices:
    • Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio consistently rank highest despite the rise of alternatives like Neovim.

Conclusion

  • Overall satisfaction amidst economic difficulties and high levels of frustration around technical debt are critical takeaways for understanding the future landscape of software development.