Java vs R: Performance, Popularity, Salaries, Features, and Applications
If you want to work on big data, web applications, cloud-based app development, and Android apps, you should learn Java.
Java is a general-purpose high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language that is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible.
Java is intended to let programmers write once, run anywhere (WORA). This means that compiled Java code can run on all platforms that support Java without the need to recompile.
If you want a highly customizable language to use for data analysis, statistical computing, data mining, bioinformatics, etc. you should use R.
R is an open-source programming language and environment for statistical computing and graphics.
R is used among data miners, bioinformaticians, and statisticians for data analysis and developing statistical software
Comparing programming languages and choosing which one to learn can be tricky, there are many factors to consider in order to choose the right programming language for the job you want to do.
Popularity, opportunities, types of projects, salaries, resources, learning curve, etc. are some of the factors that many people consider when comparing programming languages and choosing which one to learn.
Here are some of the comparisons and considerations you should make when choosing to learn a new programming language.
JAVA VS R POPULARITY
Comparing the popularity of programming languages is not an easy task because each programming language is different and they all seek to solve different problems.
Plus, other programming languages have been around for a longer time than others, giving them more time to be tried and tested, so, bear that in mind.
If you want to learn a programming language solely for its popularity among developers, you should learn Java over R.
Generally, Java is more popular than R. As of July 2023, the TIOBE INDEX ranks Java as the 4th most popular programming language while R is ranked 17th.
According to a Stack Overflow survey of 2023, Java is the 7th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 22.42% of developers.
On the other hand, R is the 21st most commonly used programming language, it is used by 4.23% of developers.
Ultimately, if your choice of which programming language to learn depends on popularity, you should learn Java over R.
Also read Is Java Enough to Get a Job
JAVA VS R SALARY
Another popular criterion that many people use to compare programming languages and as an incentive to learn a new programming language is salary.
Salaries for developers differ from one company to the other and from one country to the other.
Experience is another factor that comes into play as far as salaries are concerned.
The more experience you have with a certain technology or programming language, the more likely you are of getting a higher salary.
Generally, R developers get higher salaries than Java developers. Glassdoor reported that, in the United States, R programmers with 1 – 3 years of experience get an average pay of $82,535 per year.
On the other hand, Java programmers with 1 – 3 years of experience get an average pay of $77,878 per year, about $4,600 less than R programmers.
According to the Stack Overflow survey of Top-paying programming languages in 2023. R developers get a median salary of $74,963 per year while Java developers get a median salary of $72,701 per year.
So, if the salary is your major incentive for learning a language, you should learn R over Java, because you are more likely to get a higher salary as an R developer than as a Java developer.
Here are 10 Programming Languages that Pay more than $90,000
IS R HARDER THAN JAVA
If you are coming from a statistical and data analysis background, you will find R much easier than Java. But if you have no experience in statistics or programming, you may find Java easy to work with than R.
R is primarily used for statistical computing and data analysis. It has a rich set of libraries and packages specifically designed for statistical operations, data manipulation, and visualization.
If you are working in a data science or statistical analysis domain R will be very easy to work with.
Java, on the other hand, is a general-purpose programming language widely used for developing a wide range of applications, including web, desktop, mobile, and enterprise software.
It has a large ecosystem, extensive libraries, and is known for its readability and scalability.
Although Java is verbose, it has a more structured and object-oriented approach to programming, which can be easier for beginners to grasp.
The good news is that there are plenty of helpful resources for both Java and R to help you learn the languages.
The Java and R communities are very active and helpful, in case you get stuck with something.
Also read Best Way to Learn R
JAVA VS R FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS
JAVA
Java helps developers to write once and run everywhere (WORA). This makes Java very popular in the enterprise world. It is suitable for Android app development, web development, big data, micro-services, etc.
Another great feature of Java is its interoperability with other languages like Kotlin and Scala. This makes it easy to call Kotlin or Scala code in a Java codebase and vice-versa.
As a result, developers can add more functionality to their Java codebase seamlessly using Kotlin or Scala.
Java powers some of the complex applications developed by companies like Google, Oracle, Airbnb, Intel, Amazon, eBay, Microsoft, Pinterest, Uber, LinkedIn, Spring, Flipkart, TripAdvisor, and many others.
R
R has a wide range of built-in functions and packages for data analysis, and users can create custom functions and scripts to perform specific tasks.
R is also powerful for data visualization, thanks to the ggplot2 library and the lattice library, which provides a high-level interface to powerful data visualization.
R is also more popular among researchers and the academic community.
R is used by companies such as Amazon, Flipkart, Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Twitter, HP, Uber, Airbnb, American Express, and many others
SHOULD I LEARN JAVA OR R
If you want a popular language that can help you work on big data technology, cloud-based applications, web applications, distributed applications, and Android apps, you should learn Java over R.
If you want a high-paying language that is highly customizable for data analytics, data visualization, machine learning, Statistics, data mining, and more, you should learn R over Java.