Written By Liz Eggleston
Course Report strives to create the most trust-worthy content about coding bootcamps. Read more about Course Report’s Editorial Policy and How We Make Money.
Course Report strives to create the most trust-worthy content about coding bootcamps. Read more about Course Report’s Editorial Policy and How We Make Money.
Ruby vs Python vs JavaScript vs Java vs .NET – how do you choose your first programming language? Some experts will argue that fundamentals are more important than the language itself, and while we agree, you do need to choose a language in order to learn those fundamentals. We’re running through the pros and cons of each language, the average salaries to expect, and the job prospects for each language.
No matter the bootcamp, you’ll learn basics like HTML/CSS, tools like GitHub and AWS, database languages like SQL, and soft skills. Remember, as a developer, you’ll end up learning many programming languages throughout your career – that’s the nature of tech. So no matter which programming language you choose, be prepared to adapt!
We’ll cover web development, mobile development, and data science in this guide, but Web Development is certainly the most robust landscape – you’ll need to choose between Ruby on Rails, Python, JavaScript, Java, and .NET.
Ruby is a dynamic, reflective, object-oriented, general-purpose programming language. Rails is a popular framework used by Ruby developers.
Benefits of Learning Ruby on Rails
Companies that use Ruby: Hulu, Twitter, ZenDesk, Basecamp, Shopify, Urban Dictionary, GitHub, Kickstarter
Ruby on Rails Jobs
The average salary for a Ruby On Rails Developer is $120,663 per year in the US. As Bloc mentor Ben Neely told us, “There’s a strong and growing demand for Ruby and Rails developers. It’s popular with startups. For a long time Rails was a niche startup language, but now it’s gained a lot of popularity even within larger corporations.”
Getting Started in Ruby on Rails
Bootcamps that Teach RoR:
Both Ruby and Python are general purpose, which means they’re really flexible and you can do just about anything with them. You can talk to a database or build a web application or build a script for your computer to run, or you can run almost all of Google’s internal tools.
While JavaScript has historically been known as a front-end language, Full Stack JavaScript uses JavaScript for the client-side and for the server-side.
There are so many JavaScript frameworks and libraries, but the most popular are the MEAN and MERN Stacks. In the MEAN & MERN Stacks:
Companies that use Full Stack JavaScript (Node.js): PayPal, LinkedIn, Yahoo, Netflix, Uber, and more.
Benefits of Learning Full Stack JavaScript:
Bootcamps that Teach Full Stack JavaScript:
Full Stack JavaScript Job Market:
The average salary for a Javascript Developer is $112,424 per year in the United States.
How to get started in JavaScript?
Python is a high-level general purpose programming language that can be used for scripting, web scraping, and creating data sets. It’s popular in the scientific community for scientific computing; Python is similar in many ways to Ruby, but is less verbose than other programming languages.
Benefits of Python
Python Developer Jobs
The average salary for a Python Developer is $117,947 per year in the US. With Python skills, you can be a Software Engineer or Web Developer; and because Python is great for data analytics, you could also get a job as a Data Analyst or a Data Scientist.
Websites Built with Python
Python Coding Bootcamps
C# is a high-level (aka easy-to-read) programming language created by Microsoft and .NET is the framework on which the language is built.
Companies that use .NET
Benefits of Learning .NET
Jobs/Salary .NET
The average salary for a .NET Developer is $92,040 per year in the United States.
.NET/C# Bootcamps:
Java is a general purpose, object-oriented programming language used in web development and Android development.
Companies that use Java
Benefits of Learning Java
Downsides to Java
Java Developer Jobs
The average salary for a Java Developer is $102,593 per year in the United States.
Getting Started in Java
Java Coding Bootcamps
What's an Object Oriented Programming Language?
Until 2014, there was only one choice if you wanted to build iOS apps: Objective C. In 2014, Apple launched Swift. That doesn’t mean Objective C is obsolete – many apps are still built on Objective C and developers are needed to maintain those codebases. And to build Android apps, you’ve got one choice: Android! Read our full guide to Mobile Development Bootcamps.
Objective-C is a powerful language that has been used for developing apps for all of Apple’s platforms since about 2000.
Objective C: The Pros & Cons
Jobs in Objective C
Objective C Bootcamps
Most Bootcamps teach both iOS and Objective C, including:
Swift is the first protocol-oriented programming language, created by Apple and used to develop iOS apps. Read more about Swift here.
Benefits of Learning Swift:
Jobs in Swift
Examples of Swift Apps:
Android is a smartphone operating system (OS) developed by Google. It is designed for touchscreen devices like smartphones, tablets, and smart watches, as well as Android TV.
Android Languages + Technologies
You’ll learn Android Studio, Java, and XML – and Android Bootcamp should also teach you how to launch your apps on the Google Play store.
Benefits to Learning Android
Android Jobs
The average salary for an Android Developer is $113,858 per year in the United States.
Android Bootcamps
If you want to be a Data Science, you’ll need to choose between Python vs R – though you’ll probably end up using both.
So there you have it – the ultimate rundown of all major coding languages. Remember that no matter which language you choose, programming is about continuous learning. Here are some tips for choosing between the above coding languages:
Liz Eggleston is co-founder of Course Report, the most complete resource for students choosing a coding bootcamp. Liz has dedicated her career to empowering passionate career changers to break into tech, providing valuable insights and guidance in the rapidly evolving field of tech education. At Course Report, Liz has built a trusted platform that helps thousands of students navigate the complex landscape of coding bootcamps.
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