An in-depth look at the software development industry from JetBrains shows that AI skills are now fundamental for developers.
JetBrains’ Developer Ecosystem Survey has been charting the industry’s evolution since 2017. For its 2025 edition, JetBrains gathered responses from over 24,500 developers worldwide and found a profession juggling new tools, new pressures, and a new understanding of its own work.
85% of developers are now using AI tools in their day-to-day coding. For many, these tools have become indispensable, with 62% saying they rely on at least one AI coding assistant or agent. The reason for this enthusiastic uptake is simple: it works.
Almost nine in ten developers are saving at least an hour a week, and for one in five, the time saved is eight hours or more—the equivalent of an entire workday handed back to them. It’s hardly surprising, then, that 68% of developers believe employers will soon make AI skills a standard job requirement.
Yet, there remains a cautious group of holdouts. About 15% of developers have not yet integrated AI tools into their work, a notable minority standing against the tide, whether due to security worries, scepticism about the quality, or simple preference.
This complicated relationship with AI is reflected in how developers feel about its growing role in society. While many are hopeful (29%) or excited (22%), many also feel uncertain or anxious about the future.
Generally speaking, developers are more than happy to hand over tedious work like writing repetitive code, generating documentation, or searching for information online. However, they draw the line at the creative core of their work, preferring to keep complex tasks like debugging or designing application logic in human hands.
Their biggest worries paint a clear picture of AI’s current limitations. Developers are concerned about the inconsistent quality of AI-generated code, its poor grasp of complex projects, and the serious privacy and security risks involved. Many developers also worry that over-reliance on these AI tools could dull their own coding skills over time.
Away from AI, the survey also captures the shifting sands of programming languages. TypeScript’s rise over the past five years has been nothing short of meteoric, while Rust, Go, and Kotlin continue to win over more developers. At the same time, older languages like PHP, Ruby, and Objective-C are seeing their user bases steadily shrink.
When looking to the future, developers are most keen to learn Go (11%) and Rust (10%). In an interesting twist, niche expertise can be extremely valuable; Scala is used by only 2% of developers, but 38% of the top-paid developers use it as their primary language.
Perhaps the most human story to emerge from the data is the quiet revolution happening around the idea of productivity. For years, companies have been obsessed with technical metrics, but in 2025, the focus has shifted decisively.
Developers are making it clear that their performance isn’t just about code. 89% say non-technical factors like clear communication, good job design, and supportive managers influence their productivity. Technical tools are still vital, but things like team processes and overall wellbeing are now seen as just as necessary. This has created a deep disconnect, with two-thirds of developers feeling that the way their work is currently measured fails to capture their real contributions.
The daily life of a developer is far from uniform. The job market in Japan is seen as “favourable” by 57% of developers, while in Canada, 66% describe it as “challenging”. Junior developers feel this pressure most acutely, with 61% finding the market tough.
But, despite the challenges and how technologies like AI are changing the required skills, the passion for development burns bright. More than half of all developers code for fun in their spare time. And in a field often stereotyped by its divisions, the survey confirmed one delightful constant: developers love dogs just as much as they love cats.
See also: DevSecOps at risk as security lags behind development speed
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