How Long Does it Take To Learn Coding? 👨🏻‍💻

Coding is one of the most essential skills for someone to learn when entering the job market. Doing so opens the door to job opportunities in lucrative fields like software development, cybersecurity, and network engineering. 

It can be particularly daunting, however, for someone entirely new to the field. The reality is that coding is a lifelong pursuit. The field continually evolves with the introduction of new technologies, so there isn’t really a set point at which a person has “learned” how to code. 

That being said, we can make rough estimates based on the current field, which we’ve done in the table below using the five most popular coding languages as an example.

How Long Does It Take To Learn Coding?

The times above are presented strictly as averages; a person’s innate ability to learn, their requisite experience, and their choice of learning platform will greatly impact their route to success, as we discuss in the sections below.

Choosing a Programming Language Is Critical

The following subsections outline the programming languages listed in the sections above, including a basic history, common challenges, a breakdown of average learning time, and the candidates who may be best suited to each one. 

Python

Python is the industry standard for data analysis, machine learning, and automation scripting for coders. The language was invented in the early 1990s for backend web development in the early days of the internet and emphasizes readability, simplicity, and explicitness. 

Despite these goals, however, many students of Python are quick to point out that its status as an interpreted language — which basically means that the source code requires an interpreter program to be executed — can lead to performance issues compared to compiled languages (e.g., C++). In addition, the language has a high rate of memory consumption, which makes it less than ideal for use in certain applications like embedded systems and HPC applications.

Python is one of the more difficult languages to learn, with average times coming in just slightly higher than the median on our list. It is, however, also one of the most accessible: Python is commonly taught in college programs, making the language available for students to pick up in an elective course to begin their journey. In addition, nearly every coding bootcamp includes a thorough coverage of Python fundamentals.

JavaScript

Another industry standard, JavaScript, has been popular since the mid-90s. It was originally developed to add interactivity to the initially stiff pages of the early internet, making it a go-to tool for webdev experts specializing in mobile and desktop applications. The language has evolved significantly since its founding and has recently expanded into server-side programming.

Historically, however, much of Javascript’s “legacy code” (code that’s already been published and is publicly available) is “client-sided,” meaning that it is interpreted on the user’s browser (i.e., Google, Firefox, Opera) rather than on an independent server. This leads to several concerns with Javascript, including cross-browser functionality and inherent security concerns. 

Java

Despite the similarities in name, Java is not related to Javascript, despite starting simultaneously with a similar name. Although they are both C-style languages, Java was initially developed for interactive television programs but has since evolved into one of the most stable and scalable programming languages in the world. Because of its WORA (“write once, run anywhere”) principle, it is the go-to language for enterprise-level applications and scientific computing use cases.

Java is described by experts as a “verbose” language, basically meaning that it requires more lines of code to perform a task than simpler languages like Python or Javascript. This often causes slowdowns in execution, affecting runtime performance as well as memory leaks, which are a consistent problem reported by avid Java developers.

SQL

Along with C/C+, SQL is arguably the oldest programming language on this list, originating at IBM labs in the 1970s. As such, it’s seen the most changes over the years from its original purpose, which was to manipulate and retrieve stored data. Despite its evolution, however, SQL is still considered to be the industry standard for any programming language having to do with database retrieval and archival coding.

Whereas the other programming languages on this list are designed for extensive applications, SQL specializes in one thing and does it incredibly well. For new students, this means a steep learning curve, as they need to understand how databases work to formulate correct data queries. Similarly, it has many database-specific extensions that often create compatibility issues with different browsers.

C/C+

Bell initially developed C in the early 1970s for system programming and served as the foundation for the UNIX operating system. Since then, it has become a standard for operating systems and other embedded systems (i.e., a specialized computing system that performs specific operations within a larger system). 

Unlike the other languages on this list, however, C/C+ is a “low-level programming language,” which essentially means that it is as close to manipulating the actual hardware of a computer system as possible. While this gives C/C+ a high level of operational agility, however, it also makes simple actions like storing memory exceptionally difficult.

Coding Pathways

So, how long does it take to learn coding? It really depends on what language you want to learn and how you go about learning. Although there are multiple self-help-esque sources out there to help you learn by yourself, the reality is that these options a.) take significantly longer, b.) leave you with little motivation to complete your studies, and c.) don’t provide you with any form of certification.

The reality of the job market for most coding positions is that while many of them don’t specifically require a degree, recruiters are looking for applicants who have some verifiable skills. The two best pathways for this include:

• Getting a formal education: typically a degree in computer science or a related field, but many data analysts who regularly work with code for a living have backgrounds in mathematics or statistics. 
• Getting an industry certification through a coding bootcamp, in which students take a shorter (typically between 6-18 months), highly specialized crash course to learn the foundational coding skills.

Despite conventional wisdom, our data suggests that most recruiters in coding positions are more interested in the specialized knowledge that comes from a coding bootcamp, particularly following the move to online learning that started in 2020. For most applicants who are seeking to switch careers quickly, these typically make an ideal fit. 

How Long Does It Take To Learn Coding With Springboard?

Learning to code typically takes 9-12 months to gain a moderate level of proficiency, assuming that you are good about sticking to whatever program you choose. A big part of what comes next is determining what kind of coding job you are interested in and picking a program that supports and certifies that skill set. 

Springboard’s Software Engineering Bootcamp is a 9-month course offering 1:1 mentorship in programming language foundations and other lucrative skill sets like AI for engineers and AI interactive learning. The bootcamp was developed in partnership with Colt Steele, an industry leader with over 10 years of experience; over nine months, you’ll learn job-ready full-stack skills, work through smaller projects and assessments that reinforce your learnings of front-end and back-end development plus you’ll learn to collaborate with generative AI and code faster with a new AI learning unit. You’ll complete 20 mini-projects, two cumulative projects, and two capstone projects. (Check out some past projects from Springboard alumni here!)

This 100% online bootcamp is also one of the few courses to offer a job guarantee, meaning if you don’t land a job after graduation, we’ll refund your tuition.

Since you’re here…
Interested in a career in software engineering? Join our mentor-led Software Engineering Bootcamp or our foundational Software Engineering Course if you’re just starting out. We help people make the switch every day (just peep our reviews). You can do it, too!