Programming Languages and Tools Named in Entry-Level Software Job Listings, 2026

We analyzed 2,517 US software listings labeled “Entry level” on LinkedIn, January–August 2026. Python was named most often, but it frequently appeared as an example or an alternative rather than an individual requirement. 5% named an AI coding tool or assistant as a qualification.

If you're starting out in software development, the list of languages in a job listing can look like an intimidating checklist: Python, Java, C++, JavaScript, SQL. Often, it's a menu.

At Global Software Companies (GSC), we analyzed 2,517 US software listings labeled “Entry level” on LinkedIn between January and August 2026, counting the languages and tools each one named as a qualification, whether required, preferred or optional. The typical listing named two programming languages. When Python appeared among required qualifications, it was usually one choice among several or an example.

Which Programming Languages Do Entry-Level Software Listings Name?

Python was named most often: in 1,156 of 2,517 listings (46%). Java (32%), C++ (31%) and JavaScript (27%) followed. 2,135 listings (85%) named at least one programming language as a qualification.

Java and C++ were close: 815 and 776 listings.

Shares of 2,517 listings. Rust (4.2%) and PowerShell (2.9%) came next. HTML (10.1%) and CSS (8.7%) are markup and styling languages, so they aren't counted as programming languages here. Counting identical descriptions once (2,186 unique listings), C++ edges ahead of Java, 32.8% to 31.8%.

The chart's split matters more than the ranking.

Does Naming a Language Mean It's Required?

Often not. Python was listed among required qualifications in 935 listings (37%), but in 571 of those (61%) it was given as one of several accepted languages or as an example. A required line that says “Python, Java or C++” is offering a choice, not asking for all three. Another 221 listings named Python only as preferred or optional.

Python isn't unusual. Of the ten languages named most often, eight followed the same pattern. In most listings that put the language among required qualifications, it was one option among several, or an example. The exceptions were SQL and Bash, which were more often listed as requirements in their own right.

Why Do C and C++ Rank So High?

Largely because of the kind of work. 656 listings (26%) mentioned embedded or hardware-related work: firmware, drivers, real-time systems or hardware integration. C++ was named in 73% of those listings, against 16% of the other 1,861; C in 46%, against 7%.

Outside embedded work, the list looks different. Python (43%), Java (36%) and JavaScript (33%) led, and C++ dropped to seventh. Which languages matter depends on what kind of software you want to build.

Which Frameworks, Cloud Platforms and Databases Do Listings Name?

React was the framework named most often (19%), Amazon Web Services (AWS) the cloud platform (22%) and Microsoft SQL Server the database (10%). AWS was named about 1.6 times as often as Microsoft Azure.

Shares of 2,517 listings. Counting identical descriptions once, PostgreSQL was ahead of SQL Server (9.1% to 6.8%), so the two are close rather than ranked.

Cloud skills were mostly a plus rather than a requirement: for each of the three platforms, more than half of the listings that named it did so only as preferred or optional. At least one of the three main cloud platforms was named in 657 listings (26%).

Which AI Coding Tools Do Entry-Level Listings Name?

This was one of the more surprising aspects of the data. Only 131 of 2,517 listings (5%) named at least one AI coding tool or AI assistant as a qualification, and 77 (3%) listed one among required qualifications. In 68 of those 77, the tool was one of several options or an example.

Among dedicated coding tools, Anthropic's Claude Code (67 listings) and Cursor (49) were named most often, followed by OpenAI Codex (41) and GitHub Copilot (37). Among general-purpose assistants, Claude was named in 40 listings and ChatGPT in 19.

Most of those counts are small, and a few come from a handful of employers.

A listing can name several tools; 11 listings named one of 7 other tools, each in fewer than 5 listings. Some counts come from few employers: Microsoft Copilot's 12 listings came from 3 organizations, and OpenAI Codex's 41 from 23. Counting identical descriptions once, GitHub Copilot moves ahead of Codex (37 to 30).

Even fewer asked applicants to check what those tools produce.

Do Listings Ask Applicants to Check AI-Generated Code?

Despite this being a growing aspect of university courses only 70 listings (3%) explicitly mentioned checking or reviewing output from AI coding tools: 50 as a part of the job, 26 as a required qualification and 9 as a preferred one (a listing can do more than one).

More listings mentioned AI in the work itself. 397 (16%) mentioned using AI tools, named or not, to help write, test or review code, as part of the job or as a qualification.

These figures describe what listings say, not what employers check in practice. Testing and code-review duties aren't an explicit requirement to check AI output, and silence on checking doesn't make unchecked code acceptable.

How Should You Read the Languages in a Listing?

GSC's advice for reading these listings:

• Check whether a language list offers alternatives or requires several languages. A required line often names options rather than asking for all of them.

• Decide what kind of software you want to build, then check listings for that kind of role. Embedded and hardware listings named C and C++ far more often than others.

• Check whether cloud experience is required or preferred; in this dataset, each of the three main platforms was more often preferred or optional.

To dig further, download the dataset and filter it for the roles and places you're interested in, or start from our worked notebook on Kaggle. For a wider view of the occupation, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics' profile of software developers and the Department of Labor's O*NET list of their software skills, which flags the technologies most frequently included in employer job postings.

Methods and Limits

GSC analyzed 2,517 US software listings labeled “Entry level” on LinkedIn and posted January–August 2026, from its dataset US entry-labeled software job listings (version 2026-10-12b): the listings in our analysis of experience requirements that asked for 2 years' experience or less, or stated no minimum, excluding internships and specialist AI roles. We classified each listing with AI assistance under written rules, a GSC researcher checked about 1 in 5 of the classifications by hand, and the AI tool names were checked against the listing text. “Named as a qualification” covers required, preferred and optional wording; “listed among required” includes lists of alternatives. Duties and the employer's own technology weren't counted.

These are selected listings, not a representative sample of US jobs, and 78% were posted in July–August, so we make no trend claims. A listing that names a tool doesn't say how the job uses it. Every figure here can be recomputed from the download. Read the full methods.

Download the data and read how we did it. Related: We analyzed 5,625 “entry-level” software jobs and Do you need a degree for an entry-level software job?

Last updated 4 November 2026. Corrections: [email protected].

This article draws on GSC’s analysis and the outside sources linked in the text:

• Global Software Companies, US entry-labeled software job listings, version 2026-10-12b, CC BY 4.0. Definitions, selection rules and limitations: methods.

Other sources: