Posted by Python and Java, you’ve probably heard of them both. They are both popular and in-demand programming languages, but which one should you learn first? You’d want to consider things like which language is easier to learn, which offers the better salary and whether the language is in high demand or not. Let’s take a closer look at Java vs. Python in 2018.
Most Popular Introductory Teaching Language
It used to be that Java was the first language taught to new developers. No more. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of California, Berkeley, both of which have top-ranked Computer Science departments, have recently switched their introductory courses to Python. Eight of the the top CS departments in the US have also followed this example.
Here are some reasons this could be the case:
- Python is a relatively easy language to learn. It reads similarly to English, which means it removes a lot of syntax-learning stress from coding beginners. Python handles the complexity for you. Let’s look at how you say, ‘Hello World’ in Java vs. Python, and you’ll see what we mean.
class HelloWorldApp {
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("Hello World!"); // Prints the string to the console.
}
}
print("Hello World")
- Many of the most exciting technologies these days rely heavily on Python. These include machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, robotics and cyber security.
- It’s also great for back-end web development, video game development, desktop GUIs (Graphic User Interfaces) and Software Engineering.
- It required minimal setup to get started.
When it comes to Java vs. Python in 2018, it seems like Python is pulling ahead, but read on to find out why it’s not so clear cut.
Most Popular Language
The TIOBE index looks at the popularity of various programming languages. This is determined by looking at a number of variables including the number of skilled engineers in a particular language world-wide as well as the courses offered in that language. This information is combined with popular search engine results for the different languages on Google, Bing, Yahoo!, Wikipedia, Amazon, YouTube, etc. For June 2018, same as June 2017, Java was ranked as the most popular language.
Image Source: https://www.tiobe.com/tiobe-index/
Some benefits of Java include:
- The language is over 20 years old and used by billions of devices and millions of developers.
- You can write code once and it can then run on any operating system, which makes it very scalable. Java is run on many hardware and operating systems through the Java Virtual Machine.
- Many Fortune 500 companies, up to 90%, are using Java as their server-side programming language.
- There is an excellent Java community and documentation.
So far, it seems to be a draw: both languages have benefits. Certainly Python is worth learning as a beginner and Java has massive popularity and utility. Let’s see how the languages compare if we look at job demand and salary.
Job Demand: Java vs. Python in 2018
Indeed, the world’s largest job search engine, gives one a good indication of the most in-demand jobs. Stackify took the 50 most popular jobs from the TIOBE index and searched for them on Indeed. Here are top five most in-demand languages as far as job vacancies go. Java tops the list, though Python is not far behind.
Image Source: https://stackify.com/popular-programming-languages-2018/
Salaries: Java vs. Python in 2018
How do Java salaries compare with those offered to Python developers? Read on to find out.
According to Indeed, the average Java salary in the US is $101,077 per annum, as of June 2018. This is based on salary estimates from 14,973 employees over the past 36 months. A Java developer at Apple would earn, on average, $114,212 per annum. However, a Python developer would come out with an even healthier salary of $114,490 per annum, on average. And if you secured a job at the Bank of America as a Python developer, you’d emerge with a whopping $153,895 per annum!
In closing, it’s hard to draw a definitive conclusion when it comes to Java vs. Python in 2018. Python salaries appear slightly better, but Java jobs seem to be in higher demand. Whereas Python is easier to learn, Java has a higher popularity ranking.
If you’re interested in learning Java, consider signing up for HyperionDev’s Mobile Developer Bootcamp, which is taught online via mentor support. You can become a fully functional Android developer in six months. If it’s Python you’re after, check out HyperionDev’s Full Stack Web Developer Bootcamp. Alternatively, if you’re keen to learn both Python and Java, why not sign up for the HyperionDev Software Engineering Bootcamp which covers both. Both Full Stack Web Development and Software Engineering are taught online over six months and are fully supported by expert mentors.
