No matter your age or starting point, many people may learn to code. Coding is an important skill for those who wish to work in the field of computer design and software engineering. There are many reasons to learn to code, including learning a skill that may create a future career path. For those interested in the field, the first step is to consider if this is the perfect option for your needs.
Is Coding Easy to Learn for Beginners?
Coding may be hard to learn for some people and easier for others. Like any other new skill, it takes time to determine what may be great for your needs and interest. If you enjoy learning how computers work and want to play a role in creating your own software programs, learning to code may be fun to learn, and that may make it less challenging for you.
How Long Does It Take to Learn to Code?
The length of time it takes to learn to code really depends on a few things, including how you plan to learn or if you’re considering learning through online coding programs. If you play to learn through self-study, it may take 6 to 12 months to learn a fair amount of coding. If you are engaging in coding boot maps, it could take 3 to 9 months to learn these skills. For those who are engaged in traditional degree programs, it may take between 2 and 4 years to fully learn to code.
The amount of time is also dependent on what you plan to learn and how deep your knowledge could go. The more in-depth of an education you are hoping to pursue, the longer the program could be.
What Careers Could I Pursue if I Learn to Code?
Those who learn to code may pursue a wide range of career paths depending on what they learn and what their interests are. Some may wish to work as a software engineer, while others may wish to work as a web developer. Other paths include working as a computer systems engineer or a database administrator. Some career paths may require additional education to reach the point.
For those who wish to work as a software developer, quality assurance analyst, or tester, there is demand in this field. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that, between 2020 and 2030, there is a need for 409,500 additional people to work in the field. That is a 22% increase, which is much faster than average.
Do Coders Make Great Money?
Those working as coders could make great money, depending on their education, skill, and career path selected. There are a few different areas to consider in this field, and some are more in-demand and higher paid than others. The BLS reports some of the highest paying positions in 2021 as those working as a computer and information research specialist or computer network architect, though other positions exist as well.
The BLS states that those who have a master’s and work as a computer and information research specialist earned a 2021 median pay of $131,490. Those who had a bachelor’s and worked as computer network architects earned $120,520. Computer programmers with a bachelor’s earned $93,000, while computer system analysts with a bachelor’s earned $99,270 as a median income in 2021.
Online Coding Programs
Where do you start if you want to learn to code? There are a range of bachelor’s programs available and some associate’s programs available through colleges and universities. However, some students may wish to take free courses to learn the basics of coding. A number of free online coding programs exist, including the following. Keep in mind these may not provide you with everything you need to do to work in all positions in the field.
Rithm School does offer free online coding courses as well as a full time coding education option.
This is a free option for coding education. It offers courses in HTML, CSS, and mySQL, among others. The program is about developing a broad level of skills as opposed to a singular focus.
This program offers a free tutorial in JavaScript, among other programs available. This program does not rely on simply watching videos and reading. It teaches through practice.
In this option, students may have a free education in Azure and .NET. There are a number of certifications and customizable lessons available as well.
Codeacademy offers a number of free coding courses across a number of platforms. Some of the languages available include Python, Java, Ruby, and others.
Udemy offers a number of free courses to choose from when it comes to online coding options. Some of the topics include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and others.
This program offers free online coding classes on multiple topics. Topics to choose from include web design, machine learning, and many others.
In Web Fundamentals by Google, there are many free options when it comes to online coding. Some options include UX basics, web design basics, and a multitude of others.
Codewars offers a number of free coding classes on multiple topics. The twist about this option is that the classes are taught with a martial arts theme.
Udacity offers free coding class options. Some of these cover different topics, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and others.
This program offers a free open source curriculum for those looking to get into coding. Topics available include full slack Ruby as well as JavaScript.
This is a free option for learning to code. Business topics are also available in topics such as blockchain and business design.
Solo Learn offers a number of free options for coding. They have 13 different options to choose from when it comes to learning to code.
There are a number of free and paid options when it comes to learning to code. Options to consider are CSS, JavaScript, HTML, and others.
This program offers a number of courses in coding. Many of these courses are shorter in a number of different topics.
After Hours Programming offers free modules on a number of different topics. Topics available include Html, Graphic Design, SEO, and others.
DigitalOcean is a free resource for learning different aspects of coding. Some of the available topics available are React and JavaScript.
Bento offers a number of free online coding classes to introduce the topic. Some topics available include JavaScript, Python, Databases, and others.
This program offers a number of free tutorials for students to choose from. Topics include CMS, Modern JavaScript, and others.
GA Dash offers a number of different course options for learning to code. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other topics are available, among other topics.
This is an offer for educational opportunities that may lead to employment and not an offer for nor a guarantee of employment. Students should consult with a representative from the school they select to learn more about career opportunities in that field. Program outcomes vary according to each institution’s specific program curriculum.