What is the best paying programming language?

Cobol, as a lot of programs were coded in this language before the yr. 2000 but,currently, perhaps C++ is one of the best paid programming languages...

It really depends what you want to do. Some people say that python is the most stable but difficult to work with. PHP is simple but may be tricky and C++ is very comprehensive but may be complicated. Some people only work with Microsoft tools because of certain limitations. So, the answer is inconclusive.

I really like pascal back in high school but its probably worthless today.

Although I heard there is a high demand for web developers who know php/asp and sql, I think the highest paid jobs are in core systems that use complex scripting languages that may be based on any number of languages.

As with anything, the demand and supply rules of the market will answer this question. The best paid programming language jobs are the hardest ones and are generally the ones least in demand.

COBOL is a very old language used mainly in Mainframes which are huge, old and very powerful and reliable computers run by large organizations such as banks. Some Mainframes also run PL/I.

The other high-demand high-pay field in programming is Real Time. This means work with embedded electronic devices where time is of the essence. For instance, the software running on a laser guided bomb can't slow down or restart itself mid flight. It must be 100% bug free and 100% optimized. The languages used for this type of programming are C, Assembly Languages (varies by processor), and sometimes C++.