Hello everyone,

Just for some background, I started learning JavaScript as my first language at ~11 years of age. I'm sure many people will tell me JavaScript is by no means the go-to for starting out(many of you might even say it flat out stinks), but I didn't know peoples resentment toward it at the time. Over the years, I yo-yo coded my way to knowing some basic Node.js concepts and having a short wack at one particular C++ project. Here I am now, taking a Udemy coarse on full-stack Django development basics. As far as I'm concerned, my knowledge is somewhere between newbie and intermediate--- At JavaScript, that is. As I take the Udemy coarse, I realize how little of one language, JavaScript, I actually acquired over the years. I mainly learned through projects. I would set my mind to a goal, then pursue it to partial completion(no kidding, I didn't ever really see my projects through to reach my aspired dreams). This was okay for learning syntax I already know, but now, after all this time, I'm starting to realize more and more that I have to 'seek out' new information and concepts in order to apply them. There were a ton of procedures that I could have a approached in a cleaner, more efficient ways if I had only learned more syntax formerly. Needless to say, I could get along pretty far with a basic understanding. For me, the initial appeal was in creating games. Even now that draws me, but now I have my own set of other reasons to set up a website.

Anyway, getting back to the question, my understanding of JavaScript/Node is more or less equal to what I know about Python/Django. No doubt, the course served me well.

For some time, I had convinced myself I would be "more comfortable" with JavaScript in the workplace.

Now, knowing that the language has much depth and many important concepts untapped by myself,

I have reason to believe it would be just as 'hard' as python is.

So I look it up, and as it turns out, a good many people say it is harder to work with JavaScript than it is with Python.

Of course, there have to be many other factors that come into play as well. It is not just what language you can be "okay" at as much as what language is easier to master. There is much demand for JavaScript, but there are a ton of developers working and knowing the language. I'm not absolutely certain, but it seems JavaScript is the most commonly learned programming language, even more so than python. So, without a doubt, there is good supply of JavaScript developers to hire.

Then money talks.

The annual salary for a JS developer is something like 70-85k/yr.

Python Developers often get >100k annually(less than a c++/Java developer, but still significantly more than JavaScript)

So now to the ultimate question:

Why is JavaScript so popular a career choice if it is harder and pays less than Python?

At this point in time, do you recommend I take Python for better wages?

Thank you, all response is much appreciated(and a happy new year to you all!)

I have 2 yoe in full stack but with php, jQuery, Javascript. Php and jQuery are dying so if I stick with that I'll be in a lot of trouble a couple years down the road. So I want to make a switch.

I was thinking Node.Js or Python, I'm mostly interested in backend, but maybe could be full stack. I ask which one is best in terms of getting the best/most opportunities in the job market. I know basic python but only the language per se, so I would have to learn a bit for either one.

In indeed, a python search gets 11k results and a node search gets less than 2k, but it doesn't seem right that python has 10 times the amount of jobs, I thought node was more popular. I'm in Canada if that matters.

I’m choosing a backend stack and stuck between Python and Node.js.

Both seem solid and both have huge ecosystems. I’m interested in real-world experience — what you’re using in production, what you’d start with today if you were picking from scratch, and what downsides only became obvious over time.

I’m especially interested in clear, experience-based opinions.