Not sure whether to pursue a career in React development? These advantages and disadvantages of being a React developer will give you the answer!
React is a popular JavaScript library in web development. So, React development is lucrative for those interested in building websites and mobile apps.
But is it as good a profession as rumored? Read on to know what you gain and lose when working in this position!
Overview of React Devs
React, a popular JavaScript library created by Facebook, is known for making websites more interactive and user-friendly, and React developers play a vital role in this process. Here’s a breakdown of React developers.
- Build components, including buttons, forms, or more complex things like entire sections of a page.
- Manage data: Get data from a server, store it, and display it to users. I often use Redux to do this task.
- Implement client-side routing to ensure that when users click on different parts of a website, they go to the right place.
- Check if everything works as it should by running tests.
- Optimize the website’s performance.
- Collaborate with web designers, project managers, and other developers to bring a website to life.
- Stay updated.
To be a React developer, you must know JavaScript and React’s basics. You also need good problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work with a team.
Although this job offers benefits in employment demand, community, resources, and advancement opportunities, it requires you to keep up with fast-paced changes and shortcomings in its features
There are four main reasons why this career is a good choice for those who love programming and creating cutting-edge websites.
1. High Demand for Recruitment
The first reason for being a React developer is the need for these roles is booming and will keep growing over the next decade:
- Between 2022 and 2032, jobs for web developers can increase by 16%. It is way faster than the average job growth in most other fields.
- Every year, there are estimated to be about 19,000 jobs for web developers. That’s a lot of opportunities!
Now, why is there such a high demand for React developers specifically?
- More things we do are happening on the internet, so we need more web apps and websites.
- React developers are experts at making easy-to-use websites, so companies want them on their teams.
- Technology keeps changing, and React developers help keep websites up to date.
So, if you want a job with a bright future, becoming a React developer is a good choice. The demand for your skills is only going up!
2. Community and Resources
The second reason to get this job is the fantastic community and the available learning resources’ abundance. React has millions of fans and users. When many people use something, it gets better and more efficient.
If you face a problem or a bug, you can ask in a React forum, for example, Reddit’s r/reactjs and Stack Overflow. And chances are someone else has already fixed it.
Regarding resources, you can find many ready-made tools and components made by other developers. Also, there are step-by-step guides to learn React on Codecademy and freeCodeCamp.
3. High Performance
After many years of working with React, I admit that this library excels in delivering high-performance web applications due to:
- Quick updates with Virtual DOM: It only changes what’s needed, not the entire page.
- Component building blocks: React encourages you to build web features in small pieces to make your code efficient and your app fast.
- Lazy loading and code splitting: React allows you to load only the parts of your app when needed.
- Server-side rendering (SSR): React can also render web pages on the server, which means they load faster and are more friendly to search engines.
4. Promising Career Growth
React isn’t limited to one industry. You can work in various fields like finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and more, giving you diverse job choices.
Because React skills are in demand, companies pay well for React developers. In 2023, a React developer can earn up to $101,846 per year. So, you can expect competitive salaries if you work in this role.
As you gain experience, you can move up the career ladder to roles like front-end lead or UI/UX architect.
While React offers many benefits for building websites, I must contend with the rapid pace of change, the absence of strict conventions, and the need to rely on extra libraries for certain features.
5. Fast-Paced Changes
React is constantly changing. While this keeps the library up-to-date and competitive, it can also be a challenge. New features, practices, and tools come out often, and if you don’t keep up, you might get left behind.
The need to adapt to constant changes can lead to project delays and rework. I often need to update existing codebases to align with new React versions or refactor their code to incorporate recently introduced patterns.
6. No Convention
One of the drawbacks of React is that it doesn’t impose strict development conventions. This feature means that React projects can vary significantly in code organization, style, and structure.
Each developer (or team) may have his own coding conventions and preferences. This issue can lead to challenges when working on a legacy project or teaming up with other developers.
7. Not a Framework with Full Features
React is a library for building UIs rather than a framework with full features. So, while React excels at handling the view layer of apps, it doesn’t provide built-in solutions for other aspects, such as routing or form handling.
As a result, you need to rely on extra libraries and tools, which can lead to a fragmented ecosystem and increased complexity.
Should You Pursue React Development?
If you ask me if you should pursue this career, the answer is yes because it is an exciting career with high demand, a supportive community, and diverse opportunities.
Yet, you need to adapt to the rapid evolution and strict conventions’ lack. Also, you need extra development tools to finish your tasks.
So, if you enjoy continuous learning and flexibility, React suits you! But if you prefer a more structured approach or complete solutions out of the box, you should explore other frameworks.
Conclusion
As you can see, React development is a promising career with high demand, good support, and promising career growth. Yet, you must constantly update to keep up with fast-paced changes.
Now you know the pros and cons of being a React dev. Do you think this job is suitable for you? Please comment to let me know!