In May 2024, over 65,000 developers responded to our annual survey about coding, the technologies and tools they use and want to learn, AI, and developer experience at work. Check out the results and see what's new for Stack Overflow users.

65,437
Coders from 185 countries around the world.
62.3%
Have used JavaScript in the past year.
48,019
Respondants shared salary information.

Top 10 countries

Unknow graph No description ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ USA18.9%๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany8.4%๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ India7.2%๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง UK5.5%๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Ukraine4.6%๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Canada3.6%๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France3.6%๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ Poland2.6%๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Netherlands2.5%๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท Brazil2.3%

Educational attainment

66% of developers have a BA/BS or MA/MS degree despite only 49% of developers learning to code at school.

Educational attainment โ†’

Learning to code

Online resources are the top choice for developers to learn code according to 82% of responses.

Respondents 18 - 24 years old are most likely to learn code at traditional schools of all the age groups, and consistently so for the last three years.

Learning to code โ†’

Technical documentation preferences to learn how to code

API and SDK documents are the documentation source of choice for 90% of developers.

Technical documentation preferences to learn how to code โ†’

Databases

PostgreSQL debuted in the developer survey in 2018 when 33% of developers reported using it, compared with the most popular option that year: MySQL, in use by 59% of developers. Six years later, PostgreSQL is used by 49% of developers and is the most popular database for the second year in a row.

Databases โ†’

Other tools

Docker is used the most by professional developers (59%) and npm is used the most by developers learning to code (45%).

Other tools โ†’

Asynchronous tools

Jira and Confluence top the list for most used asynchronous tools developers use for the third year.

Asynchronous tools โ†’

Programming, scripting, and markup languages

JavaScript, Python and SQL are all highly-desired and admired programming languages, but Rust continues to be the most-admired programming language with an 83% score this year.

Programming, scripting, and markup languages โ†’

Web frameworks and technologies

73% of developers that used it want to keep working with Svelte. Fun fact: Our team at Stack Overflow used Svelte for the first time in building our 2024 Developer Survey results site. We could go on and on about Svelte, listen to us do just that in a interview with one of our own.

Web frameworks and technologies โ†’

AI Search and Developer Tools

Most developers who use ChatGPT want to keep using it (75% Admired), while most who use Replit Ghostwrite or Tabnine are least likely to keep using it (36% Admired). If you aren't familiar with Replit, we have an interview for you to familiarize yourself.

AI Search and Developer Tools โ†’

AI Search and Developer Tools

Most developers use ChatGPT of all the AI tools, and 74% want to keep using it next year. 41% of ChatGPT users want to use GitHub Copilot next year.

AI Search and Developer Tools โ†’

Top paying technologies

Erlang developers take the top spot this year for highest reported median salary.

Top paying technologies โ†’

AI tools in the development process

76% of all respondents are using or are planning to use AI tools in their development process this year, an increase from last year (70%). Many more developers are currently using AI tools this year, too (62% vs. 44%).

AI tools in the development process โ†’

AI tools next year

In the next year, most developers agree that AI tools will be more integrated mostly in the ways they are documenting code (81%), testing code (80%), and writing code (76%).

AI tools next year โ†’

Are AI tools a threat to your job

70% of professional developers do not perceive AI as a threat to their job.

Are AI tools a threat to your job โ†’

Most important ethical issues for AI

Misinformation and disinformation in AI results are a top ethical concern in this year's survey for 79% of developers. Source attribution is the next top ethical concern (65%) which Stack Overflow is working to protect for our community members.

Most important ethical issues for AI โ†’

Employment status

84% of respondents are working: either part-time, freelancing, or full-time.

Employment status โ†’

Work environment

The number of hybrid developers has stayed consistent this year with last year (42%), while the percentage of developers working in-person has increased (20%) for the third year in a row compared to 15% in 2022 and 16% in 2023.

Work environment โ†’

Tech endorsement factors

APIs are pretty cool, but did you know that 75% of developers are more likely to endorse your technology if you provide access to APIs? Make sure to let back-end developers and engineering managers know about the API integrations you offer: they are even more likely to endorse your tech than the average coder.

Tech endorsement factors โ†’

Frequency of visiting Stack Overflow

93% of respondents visit Stack Overflow at least multiple times per month if not multiple times per day.

Frequency of visiting Stack Overflow โ†’

How you choose to use Stack Overflow

Everyone agrees that finding answers quickly is the primary reason to use Stack Overflow. Understandably, those learning to code are more likely to use Stack Overflow to learn coding skills than professional developers or other coders.

How you choose to use Stack Overflow โ†’

Years of professional work experience

1 in 4 are 1 to 4: as in 25% of professional developers report having one to four years of work experience. The majority of respondents are early-to-mid career professionals (nine or less years experience) and the majority of people managers are mid-to-later career professionals (10+ years experience).

Years of professional work experience โ†’

Daily time spent searching for answers/solutions

61% of all respondents spend more than 30 minutes a day searching for answers or solutions to problems.

People managers spend less time searching than individual contributors (40% vs. 36% spend 30 minutes or less).

Daily time spent searching for answers/solutions โ†’