The React.js framework has shot to the top of tech trends, with 556 million downloads per month recorded in March 2020.
More and more companies are starting to use this technology for its remarkable performance flexibility and its ability to build scalable solutions with interactive user interfaces.
But what is React.js for? And how do you choose the right React.js developer to take your project to the next level?
We'll give you all the information you need to shed light on the subject.
What is React.js?
React.js is an open-source JavaScript library developed and maintained by Facebook for building user interfaces. It is used for developing single-page applications and can be combined with React Native for creating cross-platform applications.
React.js vs React Native: What's the difference?
React.js is a JavaScript-based library, while React Native is a framework that uses a set of components adapted for mobile devices, brought by the React package.
The syntax and workflow of React.js and React Native are similar, but the execution is completely different.
React Native is designed to build native mobile apps indistinguishable from apps built with Objective-C or Java. Whereas React can be used to create desktop, web, mobile, and hybrid applications.
React Native uses the same basic UI elements as iOS and Android apps and assembles them using React.js syntax to compose a rich mobile user interface.
Why is React.js so popular?
- Performance: React.js uses a powerful reconciliation algorithm called Virtual DOM that compares the current page structure with the planned structure and updates the right components as soon as data changes.
- Scalability: It uses a single language for server-side, client-side and mobile applications.
- Stability: React.js is backward-compatible, meaning it rarely changes its interface. This allows upgrading existing projects to the latest version of React.js without modifying the codebase or with only minor adjustments.
- Flexibility: It can be easily combined with different state managers (e.g., Flux, Redux, Reflux or Alt) and allows the application of various architectural patterns.
- Component-based: React is based on components. It allows creating encapsulated components that manage their own state and compose them to create complex user interfaces.
- SEO compatibility: It can be processed on the server and the virtual DOM will be rendered to the browser as a normal web page.
Is there a demand for React.js developers?
The demand for React.js developers is growing at a record pace.
The framework is now used by more than one million websites worldwide. Major companies such as Twitter, Facebook, Atlassian, Cloudflare and Glassdoor all use React.js.
According to the HackerRank Developer Skills Report 2020, JavaScript is the most known and most demanded programming language, while React.js is the second most used framework.
Google Trends shows that interest in React has grown over the last few years and has even surpassed another well-known framework, Angular.
What is the average salary of a React.js developer?
React.js developers earn one of the highest salaries among JavaScript developers.
Here is the salary ranking for each country:
- United States - $93,025
- Canada - $59,091
- Australia - $52,381
- United Kingdom - $47,379
- Germany - $59,664
- Netherlands - $50,366
- Spain - $35,647
- Austria - $47,565
- Belgium - $47,034
- Sweden - $49,585
- Singapore - $42,553
- New Zealand - $38,066
- Hong Kong - $44,275
The United States far exceeds other countries in terms of compensation rates. The average salary for React developers in the country's tech hubs like San Francisco and New York can reach $111,000 per year.
As the demand for React.js and React Native developers is growing rapidly, supply is struggling to keep up. As a result, many companies are having difficulty finding qualified, ready-to-work candidates.
It is therefore no surprise that offshore sites in North Africa are becoming an attractive alternative for American and European companies. The region offers a large pool of experienced React.js Front-end developers at a competitive price.
How to recruit the best React.js developers?
Portfolio and references
A developer's resume and portfolio speak volumes about their expertise.
First, the candidate must have at least two years of React experience and must have already developed various single-page applications (SPAs).
Next, they must keep up with the latest trends and changes within the React ecosystem, as new features and libraries are regularly released.
You can also find information about your candidate's work on various forums. This allows you to better understand their capabilities.
Technical skills every React developer must have:
- Good understanding of vanilla JavaScript.
- Experience with at least a few modern technologies such as Angular, Vue, Backbone JS.
- Knowledge of various architectural patterns compatible with React and state managers based on the Flux approach.
- Experience with adjacent technologies such as Node, Webpack, Babel, Redux, HTML5, and some CSS preprocessors (Styled Components, CSS Modules, SASS, LESS).
- Knowledge of Jest for test coverage.
- Experience with React Native.
Interview questions for a React.js developer
A well-orchestrated interview process is fundamental for selecting a good developer. We've divided it into three steps:
- A first personal interview
- A test task (no more than 4 hours)
- A second technical interview
This framework will help you assess the candidate's skills as well as their ability to quickly react to changing requirements and solve common development problems.
To help you hire a React.js developer faster, use these key questions during the interview:
- What do you like most about React?
- What is the most difficult performance problem you have solved with React.js?
- What is the difference between React and other JavaScript frameworks?
- What can you say about JSX?
- Can React be used without JSX?
- Can you describe the React component lifecycle?
- Can you compare and contrast the different React component lifecycle methods?
- Can you differentiate between state and props?
- What are the limitations of React?
- What is the difference between the real DOM and the virtual DOM?
- Can you compare MVC with Flux?
- What is the difference between pure components and general components in React?
- What is the difference between React.js and Angular?
- What is the significance of keys in React?
- How can you create an event in React?
- Explain the difference between ES6 and ES5 syntax in React?
- How do you create Higher Order Components (HOC) in React?
- Can you differentiate between createElement and cloneElement?
Conclusion
Recruiting React.js and React Native developers can be challenging. Nevertheless, with the growth of offshore services and the help of the information mentioned in this article, you will have no difficulty finding the right candidate for your project.
For greater efficiency, you can contact our experts to help you recruit developers.
