If you're looking for a job in finance, it pays to be strategic about the programming languages you learn. And when it comes to in-demand languages in banking and finance, there's a clear trio that are head and shoulders above the rest.
It won't surprise anyone to learn that SQL is the most in-demand programming language in financial services this year.
SQL
According to new analysis, 24.4% of job ads in finance mention SQL, down slightly from 2023's 24.32%. This is significantly higher than its proliferation in total technology jobs, where it hovers around 18%.
As a language to query databases, SQL is used to securely store transactional details for a specifically set time, and is ideal for large datasets. Hundreds of people can also work simultaneously on it, without corrupting it, and if something does happen, SQL can get up and running quickly with minimal downtime.
3 SQL jobs hiring right now
- Senior Software Engineer, Epsilon, Burbank
- Data Analytics Engineer I - Performance Excellence, Christus Health, Irving
- Senior Director, Data Science & AI - Enabling Functions, Genmab, Plainsboro
However, SQL is also considered to be one of the easiest languages to automate with AI.
While things still remain uncertain on the level of automation that will be possible, those instructing AI technology with SQL knowledge will still yield better results than those without.
Python
Next up, it's Python, which was listed in 18% of finance jobs listings. And when it comes to jobs requiring a scripting programming language, Python is the preferred choice, featuring in 60% of these listings. Its adaptability, simplicity of usage, and extensive ecosystem of libraries and frameworks have contributed to its meteoric rise in recent years. Stripe, Robinhood, and Zopa all use it.
Because of its ease of use and strong modeling capabilities, it is a great financial analysis tool, and is used by researchers, traders, and analysts alike.
Big data, cloud computing, and blockchain are all connected to finance through Python, making it especially valuable currency. All things considered, it's not really surprising that large organizations like Citi and Goldman Sachs already provide in-house training in the language.
Java
Though both Java and C++ are both very popular, in the analysis, there were more than seven times as many jobs in finance for Java users than for C++ users.
Java was mentioned in 14% of all finance jobs analyzed, compared to C++'s 2%. Though depending on where you want to work, the language preference changes. Major hedge funds favor C++ due to its low-level control and speed, and if you're a talented programmer, the financial rewards are high.
But Java is more commonplace, and easier to learn. It's also one of the primary programming languages used by numerous banks and financial institutions, who can operate open banking solutions with security, thanks to the language. Additionally, banks and other financial institutions can connect to third-party open banking services by using APIs, developed on the Java platform. Applications for processing payments are also made with Java.
There are many experienced programmers in the Java community, a large standard library, and well-documented open-source libraries too. This kind of maturity is important when dealing with payments and investments.
Making mistakes on a financial application can be very costly for a company, and Java is well-maintained and has been scrutinized for over three decades now. This stability makes it an ideal backend system for many banking and financial institutions.
3 great roles hiring now
- Engineer - Infrastructure Engineer I, Cencora, Carrollton
- Cloud Infrastructure Engineer, Brinks, Billings
- Sr. Network Engineer, Williamson Health, Nashville
Future Focus
Once considered something of a staid industry, banking and finance have completely changed in the last number of years. The mainstreaming of crypto and blockchain play their part, as does the rapid innovation in fintech. And as the industry continues to evolve, so does the demand for skilled programmers.
Collectively, SQL, Python and Java were mentioned in 56% of job listings analyzed, making them the safest bets for pivoting to a career in finance. Though if you're looking at a particular niche job title or sector, it's best to research job listings yourself, before committing to learning a new program.
You could find that R, JavaScript, VBA, SAS, C#, Shell or Powershell, Perl, COBOL, Matlab, VB.net, Scala, Kotlin, Swift, Delphi, Ruby, Typescript, Groovy, PHP, TCL, SAS, Stata, Julia, Rust, Verilog or VHDL, though less common, are actually more appropriate for you.