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Is Coding for Me? What Programming Language Should I Learn?

40 min to complete · By Kim Desmond

Becoming a professional engineer takes time, patience, and persistence. For those who persevere, the rewards can be life changing. But, there’s a reason why engineers are in high demand and make great money: it’s not easy to do!

Are you the type of person who would excel at coding? If so, what would be the best coding language to learn for you? This article provides information about the most popular programming languages in order to help you decide.

First: Why Learn to Code?

If you’re on this page, you probably already know a few reasons why learning to code is worth the effort. Below are some of the reasons why learning to code is worth the time and effort.

Coding can solve global problems

Since the beginning of time, engineering has been used to solve problems. The wheel was engineered to make transportation easier. Medicine was engineered to improve health and life expectancy. Computers were engineered to help perform complex mathematical and scientific calculations, improve business operations, and even win wars.

Software engineering has endless uses - from communication and networking, to data storage and processing, to technological innovations that shape our world. In addition to solving problems, software engineering also enables fun things like online entertainment and gaming. If you want a career that will make a measurable impact, learning to code is a great path.

Coding is used across all industries

Because software engineering is so useful for solving problems, it has proliferated across every industry sector. Whether you’re interested in high technology, finance, government, non-profit, travel, hospitality, healthcare, energy, or any other sector, it is likely that there will be a programming job for you.

Coding skills are needed in multiple job roles

In addition to the various industries that need coders, many job roles need technical skills as well. Some job roles that benefit from coding skills include:

  • Software developer
  • Data scientist
  • Product manager
  • Project manager
  • Quality assurance engineer
  • Testing automation engineer
  • Technical support
  • Business analyst
  • Scrum master
  • Team lead
  • Entrepreneur

For more information, check out our blog on Software Engineer Career Paths.

student at whiteboard

Coding is good for your brain

Just like exercising a muscle, you can exercise your brain through learning challenging concepts like coding. By challenging your mind, your brain forms new connections between neurons, resulting in positive physical changes. Improve your skills to improve your neuroplasticity!

Coding is in high job demand

In the United States, Software development jobs are projected to grow 25 percent through 2032, and Data science jobs are projected to grow 35 percent. There are currently not enough skilled engineers to fill the current demand. For this reason, a strong portfolio of projects is generally more important than a university degree for securing work as an engineer. Additionally, the high job demand for engineers results in high salaries, which leads to the next point…

Coding jobs earn strong salaries

“After CodingNomads, I applied for a new job and got a $50,000 raise over what I was making before.”

“Following my completion of the course I was also able to secure a position as a data scientist for a CA startup, which increased my salary about 70% from my software engineering job I held prior to this opportunity.”

“I went from making $40,000 per year before the bootcamp, to $120,000 per year with the job I got through CodingNomads.”

These are just a few quotes from graduates of CodingNomads’ software engineering and data science programs.

The median annual wage for software developers in the United States is $127,260, and data scientists earn a median salary of $103,500 per year. Learning to code can set you and your family up for the future with strong career paths and salary potential.

Coding can enable you to work remotely

Now more than ever, companies are hiring remote workers to increase their talent pool, and decrease their overhead costs by requiring less office space. All you need is to prove your worth by proving your work, and a strong wifi connection. That’s why we’re called CodingNomads. Our software engineering and data science programs prepare graduates to secure work all around the world.

CodingNomads graduates

Is Coding for Me?

Now that you understand the various reasons why it’s worth it to learn to code, it’s time to figure out if you’re the type of person that would excel at learning to code, and succeeding on the job.

Truth be told, coding is not for everyone. Skills can be learned, but it takes a special level of dedication and motivation to learn, find a job, and do well at the job. People who love a challenge excel in these types of high pressure environments.

Traits of Successful Software Engineers

Here are a few personality traits that are a common thread in those who succeed. Are you the type of person that revels in solving a tricky problem? Are you the type of person who improves from failure, rather than let it consume you? Read on about the ideal engineering mindset so you can determine whether coding is for you.

Positive attitude

Learning to code, and working as a professional engineer can at times be daunting, confusing and frustrating. A positive mental attitude can make the difference between giving up too soon, and pushing through until you succeed.

While learning to code, there is a big difference between people who say, “I don’t understand any of this and feel like I’m not making progress,” and people who say, “I don’t understand any of this, but I’m going to keep trying.” Who will be quicker to succeed?

In the interview process, there’s a difference between people who say, “I’ve never used that technology before,” and people who say, “I don’t have direct experience with that technology, but I’m excited to learn about it!” Who would you hire?

And on the job, there’s a difference between an engineer who gets frustrated and loses steam when something doesn’t work, and another who understands that this is just part of the process. Who would you prefer to work with?

All of these examples could be the same person with the same skills and experience. The difference is attitude. A positive mental attitude will not only help you in learning to code, but will also help you in every aspect of your life. If positivity doesn’t come naturally to you, you can practice positivity, and develop a positive mental attitude over time. Celebrate your small wins, practice gratitude, and believe in yourself. You can do it!

Confidence

Confidence and attitude go hand-in-hand, but confidence takes it a step further to truly believing in yourself that you can get the job done. Not only believing in yourself, but being able to convince someone else to pay you to do it. Hiring an engineer is an investment for a company, and they’ll be taking a risk hiring a new developer like you. They won’t expect you to know everything in the interview, nor on the job. But they’ll expect you to be able to figure it out. It’s important to give an employer the confidence that you’ll be a good investment.

One of our favorite alumni success story examples is a student who completed CodingNomads’ Python bootcamp. They saw that a Python job had just been filled at a company, so reached out directly to the engineering manager on LinkedIn to see if they needed another. They were invited to interview at the company for a JavaScript / React job, and then ended up getting hired as a Java developer. Even though they didn’t have any experience in Java, they made it clear that they were the type of person who was willing and able to learn anything and get the job done.

Confidence doesn’t have to be arrogance. You don’t need to pretend like you know something that you don’t. Your peers will quickly see through that. You can be honest about your skills and limitations, and still be confident. If this sounds like you, coding could be a great path.

Curiosity

More often than not, you can find several different ways to solve the same software engineering problem. Trying different solutions requires curiosity - a strong desire to know or learn something. Curiosity presents as self-motivation, which is critical for success as an engineer. If you’re the type of person who enjoys searching online, digging into forums and documentation, software engineering could be a great path for you.

Problem solving

A phrase we commonly repeat is, “software engineers don’t find problems, they find solutions.” Another is, “the better you get, the harder the problems get.”

For some people, this sounds like an absolute nightmare job scenario. For others, this sounds like an exciting adventure.

Software engineering can be difficult, complex and abstract. If you’re the type of person who loves a good challenge, enjoys tinkering with the details until you reach your desired result, and relishes in finding solutions no matter how difficult it was to achieve, coding could be a great career path for you.

Self-teaching

Many resources exist to help you learn to code and land your first job as a software engineer. Pursuing an educational program will certainly speed up your learning process and validate whether you’re doing it right. However, whether you choose to learn through a university degree or a coding bootcamp, these external learning methods only represent the tip of your learning journey.

Learning to code with an education program generally prepares you with enough knowledge to get your foot in the door as an entry-level software developer. Because every company uses different technologies, and because technology is constantly evolving, it would be impossible to learn everything you ever need to know in your schooling.

At CodingNomads we focus on teaching core software engineering fundamentals, as well as teaching students how to learn. That way you’re equipped with a strong foundation of best practices, but also understand how to look things up and find additional learning resources to complete any task put in front of you. The very best engineers are those who are really good at Googling. If you’re the type of person who is confident in picking up new skills on your own, you could excel at being a software engineer.

Persistence

Persistence is undoubtedly one of the most important soft skills to be successful in software engineering. Very few things work - or even make sense - on the first - or even 10th - attempt.

For many people, it can take a few months until things “click.” For most people, it takes at least six months of dedicated, consistent studying to go from a beginner to a job-worthy professional.

Even when it feels like you’re taking one step forward and two steps back, those who succeed are those with the persistence to not give up. If you’re the type of person who is self-motivated and doesn’t give up easily, software engineering could be a great path for you.

the two states of every programmer

What Programming Language Should I Learn?

If you’ve determined that coding could be a good path for you, the next step is to figure out what programming language to learn.

“What is the best programming language” is one of the most heated debates in the software engineering industry. Everyone has their own opinion, and frankly, it’s all completely subjective based on the coding one enjoys. The next step is to determine which type of development you prefer.

Front end vs. back end development

First, let’s look at the difference between frontend and backend development to determine which would be a better fit for you.

Frontend Development

Frontend development, also called client-side development, deals with user interface (UI), user experience (UX), and the way things look and feel visually. Front end developers thrive when a website looks and feels awesome, and they can see the result of their code in a visual way.

If you are a more visually-driven person, then front end development would be a better fit for you. In this case, you'll want to choose a front-end / client-side language like JavaScript.

Backend Development

Back end development, also called server-side development, deals with the software data, architecture, logic, and the way things work behind the scenes.

Server-side developers are less concerned with how a website looks. Instead, they thrive on crunching code on the server to make software applications work. If you are a more data-driven person, then you'll want to learn a back-end / server-side language like Java, Python or C.

What about full-stack development?

Full-stack development is quite the buzzword these days, both in coding bootcamps and in job postings. While it is possible to specialize in one programming language that has full-stack frameworks - like JavaScript + Node.JS, Python + Django / Flask, or Java + Spring Framework, the reality is that most developers focus on either the front end or the back end. That’s because these are two very different skill sets, as outlined above.

As this Infoworld article very aptly puts it, full-stack engineering is “a recipe for slower development, lower-quality software, soaring technical debt, and overstressed engineers…If you’re a developer just getting started in your career, be wary of any job posting looking for a full-stack engineer. You’ll be expected to do two jobs for one salary, each in half the time.”

Of course understanding the entire stack and adding full-stack skills to your repertoire is beneficial. But in practice, it’s best to focus on getting good at one end of the stack to increase your hireability and job success.

unicorn on hind legs at sunset

The best coding language to learn by job demand

Now that you’ve determined whether you’d be more interested in front end vs. back end development, let’s look at the language choices for you. Most people want a language that has a lot of job demand, right? Here we’ll look at the top six most in-demand programming languages based on job postings, as you see that most jobs are clustered at the top.

Top programming languages 2024

Python

A general-purpose, server-side programming language, Python is used for various tasks, from simple scripts and automations, all the way to complex web applications and artificial intelligence.

Python has soared in popularity over the last decade thanks to its use in the growing industries of data science, machine learning and AI. Python is considered easier to learn and use than other major programming languages, which is why it’s become the language of choice by data scientists.

While Python is also used for general software engineering and web development, the job demand for Python is more focused in the data realms.

If you want to get into data science, data analysis, machine learning or AI, Python is the best coding language to learn for you.

READ MORE: Why Learn Python Start learning Python now.

Java

Java is a general-purpose, server-side programming language that is used in many of the world’s largest and most sophisticated companies. Java is also widely used for the Internet of Things (IoT), and is the main programming language behind Android OS, which is used in 85% of smartphones worldwide.

Because of the wide range of applications and companies running on Java, Java has dominated the coding job scene for decades. There are plenty of entry-level Java developer roles suitable for coding bootcamp graduates, and there is less competition than JavaScript, which is the most common language taught at bootcamps.

Java is considered more difficult to learn than Python, yet easier to learn than C or C++. Despite the learning curve, learning Java will set you up to learn other languages and technologies with more ease thereafter.

If you want to become a core software engineer, and you enjoy a good challenge, Java is the best coding language to learn for you. If you're not sure, but you're ready to work hard, we would also suggest Java because it is a strong language with entry-level job roles.

READ MORE: Why Learn Java Start learning Java now.

C++

C++ is useful for applications that require high-performance image processing and real-time physical simulations. Therefore it is very popular for game development, internet browsers, enterprise software applications, and advanced computation and graphics such as flight simulators and radar processing.

C++ is considered a bit harder to learn than other server-side languages like Java and Python. However, if you are interested in game development or visual application development, C++ is the best coding language to learn for you.

JavaScript

JavaScript is distinct from Java and Python in that it is primarily a client-side / front-end language, meaning it executes on the browser rather than on the server. That said, with JavaScript frameworks such as Node.js and Express, Javascript also now enables server-side and full-stack development.

JavaScript is most commonly used for web development, such as creating complex, dynamic features on web pages.

If you are interested in the visual design / UI / UX aspects of coding, JavaScript is the best coding language to learn for you.

Start learning JavaScript now.

C

C is one of the oldest programming languages that formed the foundation on which Java and Python are both built. C is known for reliability and speed, and is commonly used in operating systems, enterprise development, games, graphics, and hardware drivers.

Because of the legacy systems built on C, it remains in the game for job demand. It's considered the tougher than Java and Python to learn. But if you find yourself learning C, it will be easier to learn other languages afterwards.

C# / .NET

C# (pronounced C sharp) is an object-oriented programming language that was built by Microsoft as an extension of C. C# was built to incorporate the best features of Java and C++.

.NET is technically not a programming language, but rather a software framework developed by Microsoft that primarily runs on Microsoft Windows. .NET supports several programming languages, such as C#, F#, and Visual Basic, allowing software developers to build applications for Windows, web, mobile, and other platforms.

Similar to Java, the .NET framework is used for various purposes, including web and desktop applications, mobile applications, backend services, game development and cloud services.

If you’re looking to get into general-purpose software development and you’re a Window’s aficionado, .NET and C# would be the best coding language and framework to learn for you.

The Best Way to Learn to Code

Now that you have an idea of which coding language is the best to learn for you, one final aspect to consider is: what is the best way to learn to code?

Ideally, the best way to learn to code is to learn one programming language top to bottom. If you try to split your time between multiple languages, it will take you a very long time to become proficient enough to get hired with any of them. Whereas if you focus and get really good at one language, it will be easier to pick up additional languages in the future.

Our graduates don't always end up working in the language they studied with us, because employers know that if they're really good at one language, they can pick up another on the job. So even though you should choose one to learn first, you don't need to see it as your one and only forever :)

In terms of the type of education that would be best for you to learn to code, there are three main avenues you can take:

Free / low-cost online coding courses

It is entirely possible to learn to code for free online, or for a very low cost. If you are just getting started learning to code, we recommend trying free and low-cost coding resources to see if you enjoy coding before investing in a bootcamp or university education.

The downside of free / low-cost online coding courses is that they require more self-motivation and self-learning than a coding bootcamp or university. Additionally, many free / low-cost online learning resources and tutorials don’t tie everything together, and lack continuity and completeness.

That’s why at CodingNomads, we’ve turned our curriculum inside-out, so that anyone in the world can learn to code from start to finish. You can visit our course catalog to see the subjects, courses and career tracks we offer, and start learning to code for free to see how you like it.

Coding bootcamp

Because of the time and investment required for a university degree, coding bootcamps have grown in popularity over the last decade as a lower cost, lower time-commitment way to learn to code. In addition, many coding bootcamps offer job search assistance and placement, making them more hands-on and effective for landing your first programming job than university education.

Coding bootcamps can cost anywhere between $2,000 - $30,000, so they still require a bit of investment. All that said, successful coding bootcamp graduates can expect to earn $60,000+ at your first coding job, and $100,000+ within the first 3 years of work. Considering your earning potential, coding bootcamps can be an excellent way to quickly learn to code and break into the lucrative software engineering job market.

If you’d like hands-on support to learn to code and find your first job fast, a coding bootcamp could be the best way to learn to code for you.

At CodingNomads, affordability is important to us. Check out our coding bootcamp mentorship programs.

University degree

Because the demand for software engineers outweighs the number of qualified university candidates for jobs, a university degree in software engineering or computer science is not necessarily required. Additionally, more modern learning methods like coding bootcamps tend to teach more practical skills than university degrees, which focus more on the theoretical. At CodingNomads, many of our students are also pursuing computer science degrees, and join our programs for mentorship and project support.

That said, university degrees are still highly regarded, especially for large companies or government positions.

If you have the time and money to spend on a university degree, learning to code at university is a strong way to learn coding fundamentals.

average coding bootcamp cost

Image Source: Best Colleges

Summary: Is Coding for Me? What is the best coding language to learn?

This article discussed how to determine if coding is for you, and the best programming languages to learn based on your interests and goals.

Is coding for me?

Coding could be a great avenue if you possess the following characteristics, and/or are willing to develop them over time!

  • Positive mental attitude
  • Confidence
  • Curiosity
  • Problem solving skills
  • Self-teaching and self-motivation
  • Persistence

What is the best coding language to learn in 2024?

The best coding language to learn depends on the type of programming you enjoy. Ranked in order of 2024 US job postings on LinkedIn, here are the best programming languages to learn:

Language Number of US Jobs Most Common Uses Job Market Difficulty Median US Salary
Python 313,259 Best for scripting, automation, data science, machine learning, and AI Medium-to-Difficult for beginners. Ideal for those with relevant experience. $115,995
Java 302,612 Best for general, server-side, enterprise software development Easy-to-Medium for beginners. Lower competition with other bootcamp grads. $98,460
C++ 272,227 Best for game development and visual application development Medium-to-Difficult for beginners. Limited coding bootcamp options. $124,310
JavaScript 255,855 Best for web development and client-side/front-end development Easy-to-Medium for beginners. Higher competition with other bootcamp grads. $104,236
C 140,079 General language used in operating systems, enterprise, games, graphics, and hardware drivers. Kinda old school. Easy-to-Medium for beginners. Once you know C, you can pick up Java and Python fairly easy and qualify for even more jobs. $97,189
.Net 61,233 Best programming language for Windows development Medium-to-Difficult for beginners. Significantly less jobs, and limited coding bootcamp options. $119,052

Ready to start learning to code for free? See our Catalog.