Top 10 Reasons to Learn JavaScript

Have you been looking around at programming languages, trying to decide which one you should learn? Or maybe you’ve been learning JavaScript for a while, but you’re not sure if you should continue with it. Either way, here are 10 reasons to learn JavaScript.

1. The main language of the web

JavaScript was created as a language to make the web an application platform. It was one of the first languages to make things interactive here on the web. It has grown to be something quite massive, with tons of different frameworks and libraries being introduced regularly, and getting new features into the core language itself! As long as the web is here, JavaScript will be too.

2. The most used language in the world

Being the main language of the web also means JavaScript is popular. Highly popular, in fact. According to Stackoverflow, JavaScript is used by 69.7% of professional developers. It is the eighth year in a row that JavaScript has placed number one as the most commonly used programming language. This also means it’s easier to find help if you ever get stuck (which you most certainly will)!

3. JavaScript is everywhere

JavaScript isn’t just a programming language to make fancy animations on websites. With technologies like Node.js, JavaScript can be found on the server. It is also used to program IoT devices, virtual reality applications, and even mobile applications with React Native.

4. JavaScript is easy to learn

Yes, it’s true! Although there are some quirks to the language (as with all of them), JavaScript is quite easy to learn. The great thing about learning JavaScript as perhaps your first programming language is that you can see instant results right in your browser, with the console, or even by calling alert() functions!

5. You can create almost anything you want

As we’ve seen with #4, JavaScript is everywhere. You can choose to focus on a specific area of web development (front or back-end), or explore other areas of application development. Nearly anything you want to create can be done with JavaScript.

6. Not limited to front or back-end development

Feeling overwhelmed with the new releases of front-end libraries and frameworks? Take a step back, and explore back-end development with Node.js or TypeScript. Learn the language once, and you can easily transition between these two roles.

7. New tools frequently released

This could be good or bad, depending on who you ask. As we’ve mentioned throughout this article, there are tons of libraries and frameworks in the JavaScript ecosystem, such as React, Angular, Vue, and so much more. Once you grasp the core fundamentals of JavaScript, you can explore these front-end libraries and frameworks, which will improve your overall skills as a developer.

8. JavaScript developers are in high-demand

Being the most commonly used programming language in the world means there’s a huge demand for JavaScript developers. They’re needed to write code on the front-end, as well as the back-end. Just about every company on the planet right now would benefit from your skills as a JavaScript developer.

9. JavaScript developers are well-payed

According to Indeed, the average base salary for a JavaScript developer is $103,770 per year, but it definitely goes well above this, depending on a few variables, such as how long you’ve worked with JavaScript, your experience, and your knowledge of the language.

10. It’s fun

The last reason you should learn JavaScript: it’s fun! That’s it. Once you build a few projects, getting really good with JavaScript, you will start to really enjoy the language. So, what are you waiting for? Start today, and in a year from now, you will be very glad you did!

Conclusion

There we have it, 10 reasons to learn JavaScript. Get started by reading about the birth of JavaScript, learning about objects, arrays, and functions, or checking out a JavaScript interview question.