Software development is a dynamic field where programming languages, frameworks, and technologies can live and die in a few years, and job market needs are constantly changing. However, developers are still among the most in-demand tech professionals, and learning the right programming languages and other skills can help you find a well-paying job in this field.
A Pluralsight report identified the most popular software development technologies from last year, along with those with the fastest growth.
The most popular software development technologies in 2025
These are the 10 most popular software development technologies in 2025, according to the report:
- AI Agents and LangChain
- RAG and RAG Agentic
- Piton
- AWS and Azure
- Kubernetes and Docker
- Angular, React and Blazor
- SQL
- linux
SEE: Python is the most popular programming language today, according to the TIOBE programming community index.
“We predict that in 2025 the biggest disruptor to technology overall will be the adoption of AI agents,” wrote Adam Ipsen, chief content strategist at Pluralsight. The LangChain software framework can be used to create and direct such agents.
“Even if you don't have a technical role or don't want to become an AI specialist because you work as something like a cloud architect or programmer, knowing AI is becoming an essential skill in 2024 and beyond (for AI specialists). cloud, this is especially important as these spaces quickly intersect with services like Amazon Q),” Ipsen wrote in last year’s report.
This will remain valid until 2025, even though the focus has shifted from large general language models to semi-autonomous AI agents.
SEE: NVIDIA added more AI processing power to its small Jetson Orin developer kit.
Meanwhile, Python remains the most popular programming language in the world. Pluralsight chose Python skills as the most popular software development skill last year.
“Python dominates data science and machine learning libraries, and in recent years this fact alone has dramatically increased its popularity and relevance in the industry,” Ipsen wrote.
The big takeaways for technology leaders
Large language models, agents and RAG are interconnected to form a combination of the most in-demand AI skills.
“In 2025, we predict that organizations will look for specialists who can combine these two techniques. [agentic AI and RAG] to create highly autonomous AI agents that are empowered by your business data or other relevant information sources, known as Agentic RAG,” Ipsen said.
Employees who know more than one of these skills will be valuable, and team leaders should give them time and encouragement to learn them.
Working in multi-cloud environments, especially AWS and Microsoft Azure, is another skill set that will benefit organizations and employees looking to upskill for higher-paying positions.
