C# (.NET) entered the top three most loved languages according to the StackOverflow 2024 survey
The annual StackOverflow developer survey is one of the most authoritative snapshots of the programming industry. The 2024 results brought a pleasant surprise for the C# and .NET community: the platform not only strengthened its position but also entered the top three most "loved" technologies among professional developers.
In the "Most Loved Technologies" category, C# took an honorable third place, yielding only to Rust and TypeScript. At the same time, Microsoft .NET showed an even more impressive result, rising several positions compared to last year.
Why is C# back in the top?
Experts attribute this growth to several key factors:
- Release of .NET 8 — an LTS release that brought significant performance improvements (up to 50% in some AOT compilation scenarios).
- Cross-platform capability — .NET now fully works on Windows, Linux, and macOS, while Blazor and MAUI allow writing for web, mobile, and desktop.
- Open source — the .NET Foundation is actively developing the ecosystem, and the community has gained the ability to influence the roadmap.
- Syntax convenience — C# continues to evolve (top-level statements, records, primary constructors), making code more concise without losing readability.
What do the numbers say?
According to the StackOverflow 2024 survey (over 90,000 developers participated):
- About 27% of respondents noted C# as one of their favorite technologies.
- The share of developers using C# professionally grew to 34%.
- The average salary of C# developers in the US exceeded $120,000 per year, placing the language in the top 5 by profitability.
- The .NET Core/5+ platform surpassed the classic .NET Framework in popularity among new projects.
What does this mean for beginners and pros?
For those choosing a technology stack, the survey results are an excellent signal. C# and .NET are not legacy technologies, but an actively developing ecosystem with strong Microsoft support and a huge community.
If you are learning C#, now is the best time: the platform is becoming multiplatform, new niches are emerging (for example, Blazor for full-stack web in C#), and the demand for .NET developers remains consistently high.
On the PythonLib website, we often compare various technologies, and C# (.NET) is one of the most interesting competitors to Python in the areas of enterprise development, web backend, and data tools. Follow new articles — we have prepared a series of materials on the modern capabilities of .NET 8 and integration with Python.