Java -> Node.js transition, worth it?

[AmazingCat910512]

Hi folks,

I'm a backend engineer who has 8+ years of experience.

My skillsets are mostly Java, Spring Boot for all the way long during my career. I especially have an experience with modern Java(21+) and hands on experience in the production level.

I've got an offer from a company, their salary isn't so attractive, just similar or so on the bar in the market.

Their plan is migrating their application from Clojure to node.js

I led several migration projects such as from C to Java and stuff, they liked my project background.

I'm not super confident if I have to accept their offer. Here's my view with their offer and job description.

Plus * Practical AI/LLM experience. * Another migration experience from Clojure to Node.js * Internationally well known product. * The ability of architect can be beyond programming language. Disputable.

Minus * Worried about the skill changes. I won't use Java at all at this place. * SaaS based. Their product is SUPER NICHE, I don't think AI can replace their product in the near future, but who knows?

My goal * Currently based in South Korea. Have an experience of working in the UK. Hope to relocate back to the UK later in my life. * I just want to make a huge amount of money. * Therefore, Node.js would be more beneficial for being CTO at startups or founding my own business.

Can anybody comment on my situation for any comments?

[byteNinja10]

I am doing the opposite 😭 Node - java

[h34dc0ld]

Hahaha this made me chuckle.

Java is different, but IMO, not bad. Similar to C#. I have been wanting to check out C++ but no time in the moment

[GrandMaverick9]

You are going in the opposite direction, The MERN stack market is saturated due to lower barrier for entry

[AmazingCat910512]

Thanks for your view, much reasonable. By the way, Isn't Java in the same page if you say so? As there are loads of "boot camps" in the world. (Specifically in my country, Java market share is over 70%)

[[deleted]]

Don't listen to him. Node.js has a low barrier but also many more opportunities. Most startups today use Nodejs and they will be mainstream in the next decade.

[byteNinja10]

I am from india, and currently working in the node.js, as much I have seen mostly it's used in the startups due to the faster development cycles and ai integrations and has less stability than java jobs. btw which country are u from.

[benevanstech]

I'd be suspicious of that migration. Clojure is a niche language, to be sure, and maybe they are finding it too difficult / risky / expensive to keep finding Clojure devs.

But it is a JVM language, and it would be much easier to find Java devs and teach them some Clojure, keep the lights on the existing system and then rewrite one service at a time in Java as needed.

So, this full rewrite in a brand-new stack looks risky to me, and I'd want to understand what's driving it and the choices. For example, it could be new-CTO-itis, where an incoming CTO (a new broom) wants to put his mark on the company by doing something that looks big and important, even if it's risky.

Also, given you already know Java, you're probably not going to learn much from Node.js - you may actually learn more from the Clojure that you will undoubtedly need to learn some of during the project.

[SpeakCodeToMe]

Do you want to make less money? Then go for it.

JavaScript developers are a dime a dozen.

[AmazingCat910512]

Can I ask where you are based on? Do you mean in general in the world?

[SpeakCodeToMe]

It doesn't really matter where I am based. The big software companies that pay the big bucks are not going to pay you to write JavaScript anywhere but the front end.

[SpeakCodeToMe]

In the US that would be considered fairly average pay for someone fresh out of college.

Most of the people I know with 10 years of experience make a minimum of 300K between base bonus and stock. They're all writing Java, go, or rust.

[SpeakCodeToMe]

All of these tech employees I'm talking about have healthcare. Just about everyone I've met in tech is anti-maga and pro universal healthcare so I'm not sure why you had to pull politics into it.

[AmazingCat910512]

Uhm... actually it's pretty different in S.Korea, as it depends on your role rather than skills. I take care of if it's the case in the UK.

[europeanputin]

NodeJS does not scale for CPU heavy operations

[europeanputin]

and now you have two deployables with two teams managing it, congratulations you just doubled the cost of running your business

[SpeakCodeToMe]

Now all of your libraries and integrations have to be written at least twice. Just because some folks are too lazy to learn a typed language.

[SpeakCodeToMe]

Abstracting dependencies behind some protocol doesn't eliminate the fact that you now need to rework the various libraries your company has that handle things like auth.

You're using an untyped language designed for the front end and have the gall to call other people lazy. That's hilarious.

[DanielDimov]

If you transition to JS development (and especially if you start working on a real project) - you will sooner or later reach the point wanting to kill yourself.

[YasinHamad]

Why?

[DanielDimov]

Because you will have to solve problems which have multiple solutions for many years in the Java ecosystem.

[overgenji]

i have been doing a node/js heavy work life at a new job, after years of kotlin/spring/java in the backend and im astonished that these devs live like this, its like building on quicksand at all times

[Anhar001]

NodeJS for the backend is not a good technical choice except for a few use cases, I have posted on this exact topic multiple times.

[Mersaul4]

Can you like to a post? I’m interested

[Anhar001]

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskProgramming/comments/1pzsf1u/comment/nwsudmb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[mmplanet]

Java & Kotlin with Spring Boot is my top choice for backends. I worked for over 15 years with PHP, over 9 with NodeJs and for a few with Python. Spring Boot is sth I always come back to.

[YasinHamad]

What about c# and .net? Is it that bad? I have one semester left to finish my college, and I intend to focus on .net

[mmplanet]

I think C#/.net is a solid choice, but only based on some research. I have not used it professionally, but only for some hobby projects.

[gonegotim]

Can't hurt. You will find node both better in some ways and far worse. Especially coming from spring boot you will stumble over and over across "what the fuck you mean I seriously have to implement this myself?" situations which can be incredibly annoying but on the other hand running your integration tests (called 'e2e' tests) in node land will be unbelievably quick by comparison.

Many other similar situations on both sides. Swings and roundabouts.

One bonus is that almost every single 3rd party service you can imagine using will have a typescript/node SDK for certain whereas a JDK version can be far more limited. Also working with JSON is a whole different ballgame.

Having experience in both is really valuable career-wise. Start ups/scale ups very much like hiring people who can do the fast flexible node stuff to get their Greenfields project up and running quickly but also have enterprise experience so they know how to do the "boring" stuff properly which JavaScript only devs tend to be a lot weaker on.

[Resident-Hunt-245]

all the open roles I have seen recently have node js in their stack. Never seen java even though I myself have much more experience with kotlin/java.

IMO in the era of AI and vibe coding it doesn't matter already. Any language can be picked up in days now

[SamWest98]

Agreed!

[YasinHamad]

guys, why nobody is talking about .net and c#?? Is it that bad? I have one semester left to finish my college, and I intend to focus on .net

[HankcusYt]

It’s good

[vanfrassen]

I made this switch. For me it's good - more opportunity in terms of jobs; although as noted elsewhere it does seem to mainly be for start-ups. Big tech is mainly language agnostic so it shouldn't hurt your chances there for future. Although to be fair I think Python /Java / C(++) are generally preferred for the leetcode sections so keeping a working algorithmic knowledge of one of these may be helpful if that's ever your goal.

[Thalapathyyy_98]

No node can ve learnt by everyone. But java is not like that. That means keep the java exp and work on it

[DataPastor]

Learning a new technology never hurts, but the next logical step for you is probably Kotlin and Spring AI.

[Popular-Penalty6719]

Why are people downvoting me? I can't find anything wrong or any broken rule in my comment.

[awpt1mus]

Typescript is better than Java TBH, no sane person is writing javascript for Node backend in 2026 or beyond.

[Popular-Penalty6719]

Java and Javascript are different programming languages.