2024 Developer Ecosystem: Shedding AI fears, improving DevEx

Each year, JetBrains, the maker of developer tools like IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm, compiles its “State of Developer Ecosystem Report,” and the 2024 edition offers plenty of insights for the tech community to dissect.

Based on the input of over 26,000 developers worldwide, this year’s edition highlights key trends in programming languages, tools, and processes—placing a particular focus on AI adoption, career shifts, and the state of developer experience (DevEx). 

AI’s growing acceptance in development tools

Headlining the 2024 report is the diminishing fear surrounding AI among developers.

While the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and Google Gemini initially came with widespread concerns over their implications for jobs and ethics, the report suggests developers are increasingly embracing these technologies. 

AI tools are already paying dividends in productivity. Specifically, “73% of developers have tried, and 56% regularly use, ChatGPT for coding and other development-related activities.”

GitHub Copilot, the second most popular tool, has been “tried by 42% and is regularly used by 29%” of developers. This adoption coincides with perceived benefits such as “less time spent searching for information” (67% of respondents) and “faster coding and development” (58%). 

Developers estimate that these tools save significant amounts of time, with nearly 60% reporting saving anywhere between 1–4 hours a week. However, adoption remains contested across workplaces, with only 29% of companies allowing the use of third-party AI tools for all projects.

A slightly smaller percentage (26%) permit AI tools for only some projects, while 25% admit to having no policy governing AI use. Only 11% prohibit AI entirely.

Of course, there are concerns around the AI-driven “new era of slop” for things like security reports.

JavaScript reigns while TypeScript and Rust surge

JavaScript retains its position as the world’s most popular programming language—used by 61% of developers worldwide to create websites, per JetBrains’ findings. However, TypeScript and Rust are leading a new wave of languages emphasising safety, performance, and developer satisfaction.

“Will TypeScript replace JavaScript?” the report rhetorically asks—and answers: “The shortest answer is NO! JavaScript is one of the most popular and fundamental technologies in the software development industry, and it’s safe to say that it isn’t going anywhere soon.”

Instead, TypeScript is increasingly viewed as a complementary extension of JavaScript. The language, which introduces static typing to improve error detection and maintainability, has rapidly grown from just 12% adoption in 2017 to a significant 37% this year.

Rust, meanwhile, has set a new usage record among popular languages. Known for its robust memory safety guarantees and concurrent programming capabilities, the report notes that as Rust’s user base grows, it is aspiring to “replace C++ with its strict safety and memory ownership mechanisms.” In fact, one in six Go developers surveyed is planning to adopt Rust as their next skill.

The report also introduces the JetBrains Language Promise Index, which combines factors like audience growth and developer intent to adopt or switch languages. TypeScript, Rust, and Python dominate this new index, demonstrating bright futures for all three.

Python, in particular, continues its steady ascent—now used by over half (57%) of developers globally thanks to its versatility in fields like AI, data science, and web development. The report notes Python’s impressive rise from “a 32% share in our first survey seven years ago” to its current position as an indispensable tool for coding professionals.

Split between desktop and mobile development

Challenging the notion that mobile development has surpassed desktop, JetBrains finds desktop applications to still have the edge.

According to the 2024 edition of the developer ecosystem report, 38% of developers now target desktop platforms for their work compared to 32% for mobiles. Similarly, developers run their code primarily on browsers (58%), but desktops are not far behind at 53%. This balance emphasises the ongoing relevance of desktops in areas needing greater computing power or specialised tooling.

Testing has been made more robust and accessible over the years, thanks to tools like Playwright, Selenium, and JetBrains Aqua. Unit tests are the most popular type (used by 78% of developers), followed by integration (63%) and end-to-end (48%) testing. Just 5% of respondents admitted they bypass testing entirely.

As for databases, the usual suspects continue to dominate. MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQLite, and Redis remain at the top of most-used databases, demonstrating little disruption in the ecosystem. Open-source solutions seem particularly entrenched as the backbone of today’s applications. Interestingly, PostgreSQL has been steadily gaining share, rising to 45% of developers this year.

Developer experience gains traction

The concept of developer experience (DevEx) – referring to the satisfaction developers feel with their tools, environments, and workflows – is gaining traction, according to the 2024 ecosystem report.

Nearly half of tech managers report that their companies actively measure aspects of developer productivity and experience, with 16% employing dedicated specialists or teams for this purpose. While team leads are the primary stakeholders in assessing productivity (67%), specialised platform engineering teams are also stepping up to improve developer satisfaction.

Among the factors influencing DevEx are both technical and non-technical considerations, such as streamlined tools and clear communication channels. As DevEx is increasingly associated with creating effective development cycles, organisations are prioritising its assessment.

Demographics, salaries, and unnecessary meetings

Developer salaries continue to vary widely by region. The highest median annual salaries were reported in the US ($144,000), followed by the UK ($82,200), and Canada ($80,100).

At the other end of the spectrum, developers in India and the Middle East reported median figures of just $18,000. For languages commanding the highest pay, Scala, Go, Kotlin, and C lead the pack, with developer preference steadily growing for these in-demand skillsets.

Gender disparities remain in high-paid roles. Only 31% of top-paid employees (defined as those earning within the top quartile in their location) are women, suggesting significant work is still needed to achieve pay equality.

Developers report spending the majority of their working time directly tackling code, with 46% dedicating over 60% of their work hours to coding activities. However, meetings, work-related chats, and emails still vie for attention.

While effective communication is essential, 33% of respondents spend between 10–20% of their time on these activities. Frustrations with unnecessary meetings were also highlighted.

Overall, the 2024 “State of Developer Ecosystem Report” by JetBrains once again highlights key trends among developers—including the increasing acceptance of AI tools like ChatGPT and developer experience (DevEx) becoming a priority for companies seeking greater satisfaction and efficiency.

As we head towards the end of the year, we look forward to following the development of these trends into 2025 and beyond.

(Photo by Brooke Cagle)

See also: Linux Foundation releases ‘Census III’ open source report

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Tags: AI, artificial intelligence, coding, development, devex, JavaScript, jetbrains, languages, programming, python, report, research, rust, study