Is learning Python or JavaScript more useful for someone starting out in 2025?

I spent 6 months grinding through Python tutorials and can build scripts fine, but a buddy who did JavaScript landed a freelance gig in 3 months. Which one actually opens more doors for a beginner trying to get practical experience?

3 comments

3 Comments

nora11027d ago

But have you actually tried to sell a Python script to a small business owner? Half the time they don't even know what a .py file is, let alone how to run it. JavaScript gets you paid because you can point at a button on their website and say "I can make that do what you want" and they can see it working in their browser right then. Your buddy probably hustled his butt off to land that gig, but 3 months vs 6 months is a real difference in how fast you can start earning. Python's big in AI and automation, sure, but that's a longer road with steeper competition. If someone wants to trade time for money fast in 2025, JavaScript's still the better bet for landing that first real client.

susan_wright3427d ago

Wait, is your buddy actually making solid money from that freelance gig or is it more of a side hustle that pays pocket change? I think people sometimes compare the wrong things. Python is great for data stuff and automation, but JavaScript runs basically every website in some form, so it's literally everywhere. If you want to land a client fast and get real world experience, JavaScript gives you the instant payoff of building visible stuff like buttons and forms that people actually click on. Python might take longer to show results unless you're diving into data analysis or backend work, which isn't as flashy for a beginner. Just be careful not to count your chickens before they hatch with that freelance story.

miles_roberts25d ago

Yeah but how many JavaScript devs are fighting over the same small business websites versus Python guys getting into actual growing fields like AI and machine learning? If your buddy's making real cash now, that's one thing, but betting on JavaScript in 2025 feels like betting on horses when everyone else is buying electric cars.