Top 5 Reasons To Learn JavaScript in 2022
1. JavaScript Has Been The Most Commonly Used Language For Nine Years In a Row
JavaScript continues to be one of the most popular languages used by developers. According to the 2021 Stack Overflow Survey, JavaScript has maintained its stronghold as the most commonly used programming language for the ninth year in a row. Looking more closely at the numbers, JavaScript is being utilized by almost 70% of developers leading Python (44%) and Java (34%). In addition to that, TypeScript — a strongly-typed implementation of JavaScript — is used by 36% of developers. Finally, NodeJS, the JavaScript network application that allows building Web servers among other things sits in 6th position, right in front of Java.
2. The Development Environment Is Easy to Setup
You don’t need a complicated setup to develop with JavaScript. You can use JavaScript right in your browser! Simply open the developer tools in the Chrome browser for example (CTRL+Shift+i) and you can start typing JavaScript code immediately! A typical developer setup is using NodeJS and a code editor like Visual Studio Code, both are pretty straightforward to set up.
3. JavaScript Is The Most Versatile Language Out There
Developing powerful Web apps is the most popular use of JavaScript. You can develop a highly responsive front-end with React JS for example, the most popular front-end framework for building modern user interfaces. Similarly, you can develop a high-performance back-end with Node JS and Express JS pretty fast! JavaScript shines in other areas too. If you’re developing for the blockchain, the front-end will more than likely be built with React JS. Apps on the Ethereum network are developed using Solidity, a language that is syntactically very similar to JavaScript. Unit testing is of utmost importance when creating blockchain apps. Mocha/Chai is the typical testing framework also used by JavaScript developers. With Node JS, you can develop any type of network application like Web servers, but also chat or gaming applications. Your JavaScript skills can be reused for almost any platform out there using one of many JavaScript frameworks available: React Native for mobile, Electron for desktop, and TensorFlow for machine learning.
4. The JavaScript Language Is Being Improved Every Year
JavaScript has come a long way since its early days as a scripting language for the Netscape browser! In fact, the language has evolved tremendously, especially since the ECMAScript 2015 specification, commonly referred to as ES6. Each year, ECMA (the standards organization for JS) is adding new features to the JavaScript specification that improve the language. Since then, ES7, ES8, ES9, ES10, ES11, ES12 have been released! Contrary to popular belief that JavaScript is slow because it’s an interpreted language, it’s actually very fast thanks to its just-in-time compiler!
5. JavaScript Can Boost Your Career
JavaScript is a top skill in demand by employers. According to the 2020 HackerRank Developer Skills Report, over 50% of hiring managers are looking for JavaScript skills. Yet, JavaScript isn’t taught in standard computer science curriculums at universities. Learners have a better chance of learning JavaScript through a coding bootcamp or by watching online tutorials. The HackerRank report raise the fact that 1 in 3 hiring managers have already hired a bootcamp grad. Learning JavaScript commands a high salary. The average salary of a JavaScript developer is $111,069 per year (Indeed) in the U.S. and $82,786 per year in Canada (Indeed).
If you’ve been wondering what language to learn in 2022, JavaScript should be your top choice. It’s everywhere because it’s so versatile and it’s much in demand. It’s the best foundation to start a developer career.
