# Matlab | | | |---|---| |Level:|Beginner| |Skills Needed:|Basic knowledge of programming is recommended, but not required| |Platform:|Mostly desktop| |Popularity Among Programmers:|Not as popular as Python (its closest rival), but its popularity is increasing for hardware engineering and running visualizations| |Benefits:|- Can be used to easily run and test algorithms<br>- Easily debugged<br>- Enables extensive data analysis and visualizations<br>- Relatively simple to learn| |Downsides:|As an interpreted (vs. compiled) language, it’s relatively slow; installation files take a significant amount of space on the computer| |Degree of Use:|Not used extensively, outside of the science and research domains| |Annual Salary Projection:|$100,766| [^1] [^1]:https://www.simplilearn.com/best-programming-languages-start-learning-today-article