It’s not a surprise that most software developers and engineering talent aspire to work for FAANG companies – Facebook (Meta), Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. Engineering talent may find these companies appealing since they offer high salaries, excellent work cultures, and growth opportunities, which makes them one of the most desired workplaces on Indeed or Glassdoor.
But how to get a job in a FAANG company? All you have to do is to pick up the right programming language and become the best you can be – going beyond coding, grasping the logic, mastering data structures, and nailing algorithms.
So, if you are still wondering which programming language to choose, here’s the list of the top 12 programming languages used in FAANG and BigTech companies that could help you land your dream job there. Let’s move on.
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1. Python
Career opportunities: Very high
Average Python developer salary in the US: $141,658 /year (According to ZipRecruiter)
A champion of versatility, Python is a general-purpose language that is consistently reported as the most popular programming language for software engineers and top choice for data science and research. It is widely used in web development, data analysis, deep learning, and AI/ML, praised for its strong functionality in data automation and robust ability to handle complex algorithms. The easy-to-learn syntax and vast libraries makes Python the go-to language for both beginners and senior developers.
Why Should You Learn Python?
- General-purpose, high-level, interpreted language known for its ease of use
- Extensive libraries and tools, and code readability
- Capable of handling complex algorithms and is excellent for data automation
- Being open-source, it gets
- Large community of users driven to make Python better and more efficient
- Wide range mobile and web development frameworks like Django, TurboGears, Pyramid and Flask
- Many scientific application and machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow, Keras, and SciPy
FAANG Companies Using Python
Facebook (Meta)
Engineers at Facebook use Python for binary distribution, infrastructure management, and hardware imaging. Python’s simplicity and rich libraries make it suitable for automation and backend services.
Amazon
Amazon engineers use Python for scripting, machine learning, AI development, and automation tasks. It's also widely used for AWS Lambda and backend services that require quick development cycles.
Apple
Apple uses Python for automation tasks, testing, scripting, and internal development tools. Python is also used in machine learning and data science projects.
Netflix
Netflix’s recommendation algorithms and user personalization systems are often built in Python. Python plays a key role in server-side data analysis and it’s widely used for tasks such as content analysis, search history, SSL certificates, and operational automation.
Google’s engineers are driven by the philosophy that “Python where we can, C++ where we must”. Python is Google’s official server-side scripting language alongside C++, Go, and Java. Google's internal systems, such as YouTube and many parts of its cloud platform, use Python. Plus, it’s one of Google’s preferred languages for data analysis, automation, and machine learning applications (Google developed TensorFlow, a leading Python-based ML framework).
Among other companies that extensively rely on Python are Spotify, Dropbox, and Reddit.
Also Read: 12 Most In-demand Programming Languages to Learn
2. JavaScript
Career opportunities: Very high
Average JavaScript developer salary in the US: $106,583 /year (as per ZipRecruiter)
JavaScript has maintained its status as the #1 most commonly used programming language since Stack Overflow Stack Overflow released their first survey, except for 2013 and 2014.
JavaScript is an all-purpose programming language. It’s widely used to create interactive frontend web applications. Its high-level, interpreted, and just-in-time compiled features power many of the dynamic web applications we use today. Skills in JavaScript can help you land a wide range of job opportunities in full-stack development, data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, gaming, and information security.
Why Should You Learn JavaScript?
- Highly versatile language, used both in client-side and server-side scripting
- Best for beginners as it teaches you skills that can make learning of other programming languages like Python, C++, and Java easier
- Allows interoperability and supports various programming concepts such as OOP, imperative, and functional programming
- It’s significantly fast to run when it comes to client-side scripting due to its asynchronous programming paradigm
FAANG Companies Using JavaScript
Facebook (Meta)
A fun fact: Disabling JavaScript on your browser can prevent you from logging into your Facebook account. Facebook uses JavaScript for the overall functioning of its services and pages. Also, Facebook created React, a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. React is widely used for creating effective web applications allowing code sharing between iOS and Android.
Amazon
JavaScript is widely used for Amazon’s front-end development, enabling the interactive and dynamic features of the e-commerce site. Node.js, the server-side runtime for JavaScript, is also used for handling real-time and scalable applications.
Apple
Apple uses JavaScript for web development, particularly for its browser Safari. JavaScriptCore, a framework used to run JavaScript, can also be embedded in Swift applications for dynamic content and extensions.
Netflix
Netflix’s user interfaces (both web and mobile apps) use JavaScript. The frontend of Netflix’s web player is built with JavaScript. Also, Netflix uses Node.js for lightweight backend services and server-side rendering for its web applications.
The frontend of many G-suite services like Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Drive is powered by JavaScript. Also, Google developed the V8 JavaScript engine, which powers Chrome and Node.js.
Other big companies using JavaScript are Walmart, eBay, PayPal, and LinkedIn. JavaScript powers Microsoft's Edge browser, and its cloud computing platform, Azure, uses Node.js.
3. Java
Career opportunities: Very high
Average Java developer salary in the US: $117,931 /year (as per ZipRecruiter)
Java is still one of the most used and in-demand languages today. With 9.45% rating, Java is featured on the #3 position on the TIOBE index of the most popular programming languages of 2024. Its core principle, “Write Once and Run Anywhere,” makes it a truly platform-independent and general-purpose programming language that allows code reusability, easy maintenance, and data abstraction. Most tech companies use Java to develop desktop or mobile applications, gaming consoles, and software applications based on databases.
Why Should You Learn Java?
- Follows the “Write Once, Run Anywhere” principle, which means that it is platform-independent.
- Its programs can run on any other operating system supporting Java Virtual Machine
- Allows code reusability, data abstraction, and easy maintenance
- Other useful features include automatic memory management, multithreading, and Remote Method Invocation (RMI)
- Its main use cases encounter e-commerce sites, gaming consoles, mobile devices, and complex web and mobile applications
FAANG Companies Using Java
Facebook (Meta)
Java is used for backend services and infrastructure tasks, particularly in Android app development and some large-scale systems.
Amazon
One of the key languages used at Amazon, Java powers large-scale systems like AWS. Its scalability and extensive ecosystem make it the go-to choice for cloud-based services and e-commerce operations.
Netflix
Java has always been an integral part of Netflix’s backend development. It’s widely used in building scalable, reliable microservices. Also, many of Netflix's core components, like handling millions of simultaneous user requests, are built with Java.
Google’s Gmail and Web Toolkit are built with Java. Google has also contributed to the development of Android SDK, which is powered by Java.
Since Java is widely used in services that need to be scaled, it is the top choice of tech giants like Square, Instagram, eBay, and Airbnb. It is also used for application development by cloud computing service providers like Microsoft.
4. C++
Career opportunities: High
Average C++ developer salary in the US: $120,212 /year (as per ZipRecruiter)
C++ or "C with Classes" is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language created as an extension to C, often used in delivering complex applications where high-performance is essential. It’s a go-to language for designing operating systems and browsers, developing games and banking applications, and maximizing performance in robotics. C++ also contributed to developing programming languages like C#, PHP, and Verilog.
Why Should You Learn C++?
- Powerful, high-performance language that large-scale companies use to deliver complex applications
- C++ codes are highly portable and supports object-oriented programming
- General-purpose, compiled, and statistically-typed language used for games, web development, and for applications where high-performance is key
FAANG Companies Using C++
Facebook (Meta)
C++ is often used in Facebook’s performance-critical applications including backend services and infrastructure and real-time systems, including its messaging service and video processing.
Amazon
C++ is used in Amazon’s systems where speed and efficiency are crucial, such as the recommendation engine and various AWS services like Elastic Load Balancing (ELB) and EC2.
Apple
C++ is used in areas where performance is critical, such as Apple's graphics and hardware interfaces, as well as for parts of macOS and iOS.
When it comes to complex applications, such as core search engine, Google Chrome, and optimizing internal systems, C++ is more of a necessity than an option for Google.
Evernote, Opera, and NASA are among other top companies using C++. Microsoft's Windows OS is majorly written using C++. Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer also have extensive use of C++.
5. Go
Career opportunities: High
Average GoLang developer salary in the US: $109,905 /year (as per ZipRecruiter)
According to the TIOBE index listing the world’s most popular programming languages, Golang ranks #8. Its popularity persists due to its simplicity, improved security, and code readability. Go rivals the functionality and high-performance of languages like Java and C++, but provides a much easier syntax. Being feature-rich, Go is super functional in server-side scripting and developing enterprise applications, cloud-based services, and machine learning packages.
Why Should You Learn Go?
- Open-source programming language developed by the tech giant
- Known for its simplicity, improved security, and code readability
- Supports multithreading, made even easier by its lightweight design and fast execution
- Supports object-oriented programming and eliminates virtual machine dependency (its code is not dependent on classes)
- Feature-rich and functional due to its short compilation time
Top FAANG Companies Using Go
Amazon
Amazon uses Go for building scalable cloud-based services at AWS.
Apple
Apple uses Go for cloud services and backend systems where high performance, scalability, and concurrency are crucial.
Netflix
Netflix uses Go for building for performance-critical systems like container management (Titus), resilience testing (Chaos Monkey), and real-time data processing in its microservices architecture.
Developed by Google, Go is widely used in Google’s infrastructure, including GCP, Kubernetes, and other backend services. Google also built some of its key applications like Google Chrome, Google App Engine, and Google Earth using Go.
Go is also employed in heavy-loaded systems of Twitch. Uber uses GoLang for its geofence service. Soundcloud uses Go with Ruby on Rails to conduct real-time static analysis. Other big companies that use Go are Dropbox and Dailymotion.
6. Swift
Career opportunities: High
Average Swift developer salary in the US: $123,994 /year (as per ZipRecruiter)
According to Stack Overflow, Swift is the 6th most loved programming language. Swift is a powerful, open-source programming language developed by Apple for building iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS applications. It offers strong type safety, memory management, and is optimized for high performance on Apple devices, making it the go-to choice for developing mobile apps, desktop software, and system-level programs. With the backing of Apple, Swift is well-positioned to dominate iOS development in the coming years. Therefore, the demand for Swift developers is only expected to grow.
Why Should You Learn Swift?
- Concise, readable and maintainable code, requiring fewer lines than Objective-C to accomplish the same tasks
- Faster, safer, and less-time consuming in handling errors such as system failures and bugs
- Can be integrated with Objective-C easily and is compatible with the Linux operating system
FAANG Companies Using Swift
Meta’s WhatsApp utilizes the high performance and extensive functionality of Swift.
Amazon
Swift is widely used for the development of Amazon’s iOS applications like the Amazon Shopping app, Prime Video, and Alexa.
Apple
Known for its speed, safety, and simplicity, Swift is the primary language for most Apple software development. It’s used by Apple for developing iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS applications.
Netflix
The Netflix app for iOS is written in Swift. Plus, Swift helps Netflix create a smooth experience for users on iPhones and iPads.
While Google primarily focuses on Android development, it also develops iOS apps like Google Ads and Google Maps to ensure compatibility on Apple devices.
Swift is also Uber’s primary app development language ensuring swift functionality of its iOS app. Other big companies that use Swift are LinkedIn, Coursera, Twitter, Vimeo, and Groupon.
7. Kotlin
Career opportunities: High
Average Kotlin developer salary in the US: $127,151 /year (as per ZipRecruiter)
Kotlin is an open-source, statistically-typed, and general-purpose single language designed by JetBrains. Being an indispensable part of Android app development, Kotlin is used by over 60% of Android professionals due to its interoperability with Java and all its frameworks. It’s used for Android app development, server-side applications, and cross-platform mobile development, offering concise syntax and fault-free nature. Despite its recent release, Kotlin garnered a large community of developers worldwide.
Why Should You Learn Kotlin?
- Intuitive and easy to read, which makes writing code faster
- Easy to maintain due to its fault-proof nature
- Supports interoperability with all Java tools and frameworks
- Its code can easily be migrated to Java
- Compatible with development tools like Spring, JetBrains, and Gradle
FAANG Companies Using Kotlin
Amazon
Amazon is a Network Technology partner for Kotlin and uses it widely across Amazon’s Android applications, such as those related to Kindle or the Amazon Shopping app and Amazon’s cloud computing platform – AWS, for deploying server-side applications to hosts.
Netflix
Netflix used Kotlin for rebuilding their UI player in the Android app.
Kotlin is now Google's preferred language for Android development. It is extensively used in developing popular apps like Google Maps, Google Drive, and the Google Home app.
Other top companies that use Kotlin are Netflix, Foursquare, Basecamp, Capital One, Coursera, Uber, and Pinterest.
8. Ruby
Career opportunities: High
Average Ruby developer salary in the US: $134,186 /year (as per ZipRecruiter)
Ruby ranked among the top 15 most loved programming languages, with around 46% of developers expressing enjoyment working with it. It is an interpreted, dynamic, and high-level programming language with a focus on simplicity and productivity. Designed to be intuitive and flexible, it allows developers to create complex applications with fewer lines of code. The language has a strong, supportive community, offering a wide range of libraries and tools that fast-track the development process. Ruby is widely used in web development, particularly with the Ruby on Rails framework. It is also applied in data processing, prototyping, and other areas where fast development and clean code are essential.
Why Should You Learn Ruby?
- Widely used for building scalable web applications quickly, especially with Ruby on Rails
- Its syntax is intuitive, making it easier to write and maintain code
- Has a large, supportive community, providing ample resources and libraries
- Emphasizes simplicity and productivity, helping developers deliver features faster
Top FAANG Companies Using Ruby
Amazon
Ruby is used for its simplicity and productivity in scripting and automation tasks. Amazon uses Ruby in AWS for managing infrastructure, particularly in services like AWS OpsWorks.
Apple
Ruby is commonly used for scripting and automation tasks, particularly within Apple’s server infrastructure and DevOps environments.
Netflix
Netflix uses Ruby scripts for managing deployment pipelines, automating cloud infrastructure, and DevOps workflows.
Several other big tech companies use Ruby in their software development. Shopify’s entire platform is built on Ruby on Rails, powering millions of e-commerce stores. Twitch uses Ruby for parts of its backend services.
9. Rust
Career opportunities: High
Average Rust developer salary in the US: $109,905 /year (as per ZipRecruiter)
According to Stack Overflow's 2023 Developer's Survey, Rust has been voted as the most loved programming language for an impressive 7th consecutive year. A remarkable 86.1% of Rust developers expressed their desire to continue using it. Rust is a system-level programming language designed for performance, speed, and safety. Its key strengths include memory safety, high performance comparable to C and C++, and advanced concurrency support, which makes it easier to write safe, concurrent applications without the usual risks of race conditions. Rust is widely used in building operating systems, compilers, and device drivers. It is also gaining popularity in game development and game engines as well as blockchain technology and cryptography.
Also Read: Is C++ being replaced by Rust: C++ vs Rust
Why Should You Learn Rust?
- Combines the control of low-level programming languages with the safety of higher-level languages
- Fast and efficient language used to create performance-critical applications
- Makes it easier to write safe and efficient concurrent code, reducing data race risks
- Has a great community of developers who are always willing to help and offers excellent tools, such as Cargo
Top FAANG Companies Using Rust
Amazon
Rust is used for its both performance and memory safety in optimizing Amazon’s cloud services and AWS infrastructure.
Apple
Apple uses Rust in various projects, including the development of components for Safari and other security-related projects.
Netflix
Netflix uses Rust in building performance applications like content delivery network (CDN) and optimizing video processing pipelines.
Google has integrated Rust into several internal tools and uses it for projects such as Fuchsia and other security-sensitive applications and systems programming.
Several other big tech companies use Rust. Microsoft employs Rust in its Azure projects, while Dropbox in its file synchronization engine.
10. R
Career opportunities: High
Average R developer salary in the US: $102,607 /year (as per ZipRecruiter)
R is among the top 10 most commonly used languages for data analysis and machine learning. It is an open-source programming language primarily used for statistical computing and data visualization. Its key strengths include its wide range of packages, like ggplot2 and dplyr, which simplify complex data manipulation tasks. Applications built in R are used for processing statistics, including linear and nonlinear modeling, calculation, testing, and analysis. R is particularly useful when working with large datasets, statistical modeling, and machine learning, and is widely adopted in industries like finance, healthcare, and predictive modeling.
Why Should You Learn R?
- Excels in data-driven tasks like statistical analysis and data visualization
- Offers powerful libraries for machine learning, making it a perfect tool for AI and predictive analytics
- Integrates with Hadoop, Spark, and other big data technologies
- Boasts an active online community of developers, which is always a plus when learning new technologies
Top FAANG Companies Using R
Facebook and other Meta companies use R programming for behavior analysis and social media analytics.
Netflix
R is used by Netflix for data analysis, particularly in research and development projects related to viewer behavior, content recommendations, and A/B testing.
Google uses R primarily for data analysis and statistical computing. It is also widely used in research, data science and data visualization projects.
Other big tech companies using R are Microsoft (Microsoft Excel and Azure Machine Learning), IBM (data science and ML applications), and LinkedIn (data analysis and recommendation algorithms).
11. Scala
Career opportunities: High
Average Scala developer salary in the US: $129,348 /year (as per ZipRecruiter)
HackerRank report places Scala as the 14th most sought-after programming language worldwide. True to its name, Scala effortlessly supports scalability. Scala is a general-purpose, type-safe programming language that blends functional and object-oriented programming, making it highly adaptable for complex and scalable applications. One of its key strengths is its capability to run on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), offering integration with Java libraries. Developers choose Scala for its ability to reduce boilerplate code and performance efficiency and can use Scala for any task that they normally would use Java, including data processing, distributed systems, and high-performance backend applications. It is also widely used in data engineering, cloud computing, and large-scale software systems.
Why Should You Learn Scala?
- Its Java Virtual Machine compatibility, allows developers to use existing Java libraries and frameworks
- Boasts advanced multithreading and concurrent processing capabilities
- Its concise syntax reduces boilerplate code, improving readability and maintainability
- Widely used in big data frameworks like Apache Spark
Top FAANG Companies Using Scala
Amazon
Amazon uses Scala within its AWS infrastructure for building scalable applications. This enables Amazon to develop high-performance data processing and distributed computing systems.
Netflix
Netflix primarily uses Scala for real-time data processing and backend systems. Scala is also integral to Netflix's big data platform, particularly in conjunction with Apache Spark, which is crucial for analytics and personalized recommendations.
Google uses Scala in data processing and machine learning. One notable examples is in Google Cloud Dataflow, where Scala is leveraged to build and manage data processing pipelines for big data analytics.
Other big companies using Scala are X (real-time data processing), Spotify (backend services), and Uber (ride-sharing algorithms optimization).
12. PHP
Career opportunities: High
Average Scala developer salary in the US: $102,005 /year (as per ZipRecruiter)
PHP is one of the oldest and most widely used server-side scripting languages primarily designed for web development. Its key strengths include ease of use in developing dynamic and interactive web pages and excellent integration with databases, particularly MySQL.
Developers choose PHP for its simplicity, extensive documentation, and active community support. The language is widely used for building websites and content management systems, making the perfect tool for e-commerce platforms, blogs, and enterprise applications. Some of the popular frameworks you should learn to crack FAANG interviews are Laravel, Symfony, and Codelgniter.
Why Should You Learn PHP?
- Has a straightforward syntax, which makes it beginner-friendly
- With over two decades, it offers extensive documentation and community resources
- Integrates easily with databases like MySQL
- Popular frameworks like Laravel and Symfony fast-track development process
Top FAANG Companies Using PHP
Hack (PHP):
Facebook originally started with PHP, but it later developed Hack, a programming language based on PHP widely used for its web application server-side development.
Google has some services that still use PHP, particularly in legacy codebases.
The world’s largest content-driven site Wikipedia also uses PHP. Other companies that use PHP for their computing infrastructure are WordPress, Slack, Mailchimp, Etsy, and Tumblr.
FAANG Tech Interview Preparation
Interview Process
Typically, the interview process at FAANG is designed in 5-7 rounds and aims to test your knowledge of Data Structures and System Design and evaluate your coding proficiency.
The common interview rounds at FAANG include:
- Application Submission
- Initial Screening
- Technical Phone Interviews
- On-Site or Virtual Interviews: Technical Interviews, Behavioral Interviews, and System Design Interviews
- Assessment of Fit
- Final Decision
- Offer and Negotiation
- Onboarding
Technical Competence
This is a crucial phase of interview preparation. You’re required to get a strong grasp over all the required tech skills for the FAANG interviews.
- Programming Languages & Frameworks: As for the programming languages, we've already discussed them in detail above. You can choose a language like JavaScript, Python, C++, or Scala based on your field, and make sure you have a strong understanding of its core concepts. The most popular frameworks used by FAANG include React.js, Hadoop, Node.js, Django, and Flask. The most used database technologies, on the other hand, are MySQL, Redis, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Cassandra.
- Data Structures & Algorithms: Almost every BigTech company focuses on assessing the candidates’ Data Structure & Algorithms skills during the interviews. You'll need to cover everything from core data structures like arrays, strings, and stacks to advanced ones like trees and graphs, as well as algorithms such as searching, sorting, and dynamic programming.
- Other Subjects: You’ll be asked numerous questions about Operating Systems, Computer Networks, and Database Management Systems during tech interviews. Thus, you must grasp these fundamentals to do well in your FAANG interview.
Mock Interviews & Other Tips
Taking mock interviews is essential. You can get help from mentors, seniors, and peers who can provide the right feedback for your performance. Some additional tips to crack FAANG interviews include:
- Prepare a professional resume
- Put your skills to the test in coding challenges
- Build strong problem-solving and analytical skills
- Grow your network and ask for referrals
Also Read: Effective Ways to Assess Developer's Problem-Solving Skills in Tech Hiring
Conclusion
Candidates well-versed in multiple programming languages and modern programming tools, frameworks, and databases have a high perspective of landing high-paying jobs at top tech companies like Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. To prepare for FAANG interviews, focus on learning the technologies these companies use and the challenges they face.
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