Computer languages now of greater value than speaking an additional human language

• Coders are on average paid £16k more than those in jobs which require employees to be multilingual
• Speaking multiple human languages was once seen as an asset which would future proof careers; but now it's computer languages which are in demand
• While salaries that require languages have increased by 7.8% since 2017, salaries that require computer languages have increased by 9.2% since 2017

Time spent on computers may in fact be more profitable for children in the long run than socialising, as jobs that require coding skills earn on average £16,523 more per year than positions which require an additional human language, Adzuna reveals.

The data - collated in June 2018 by Europe’s fastest growing job site - takes into account 10 of the most sought after coding and human languages listed by employers in Britain.

And it shows the average salary of people who code is £50,286 - compared to just £33,376 for jobs which require an employee to speak a second language. ‘Java developer’ is now the best paid coding job in the UK, offering an average advertised salary of £61,980, meanwhile ‘Arabic speaker’ is the most sought after second language to have in the UK, offering an average advertised salary of £43,544.

Since 2017 alone, coding salaries have increased by 9.2% whereas language salaries have only increased by 7.8% and come in just under the national average salary (£33,708).

Additionally, not only are coding jobs increasingly paying better, they’re also more increasingly prevalent, as Adzuna have seen a 14.2% rise in computer coding advertised vacancies in the past year.

Interestingly, the research uncovered that languages, though slightly stooping, are still in demand by UK employers. In some case they are willing to pay above the average wage for employees with an additional language and in many cases this means reaching out overseas, even though Brexit looms on the horizon.

Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, commented:

“In the past, one of the best ways for people to improve their employability and earning potential was to speak a second language. However, in 2018, computer languages look set to out-earn human ones. Java and Python have become the new Mandarin.

At Adzuna we feel it’s really important to talk about these emerging trends, so that our education system and our national conversation can adapt to these changes in the job market and so that we can ensure we are arming our children and young people with the right skills for the future.”

Table 1: Top 10 most sought after codes (wage descending)

Table 2: Top 10 most sought after languages (wage descending)