For organizations undertaking IBM i futurization initiatives, the technology decisions matter—but ultimately, success depends on people. Even the most sophisticated futurization approach will fail without the right talent to implement and maintain the futurized systems. This reality makes the availability of skilled developers a critical factor in language selection.
In our previous posts, we explored how JavaScript has emerged as the enterprise-ready language for IBM i futurization, delivers superior speed-to-market, and offers significant cost advantages compared to Java. Today, we’ll examine perhaps the most compelling reason to choose JavaScript: its massive developer ecosystem and how it solves the talent challenges facing IBM i organizations.
The Talent Crisis in IBM i Environments
Organizations running IBM i systems face a well-documented talent challenge that’s growing more acute each year:
- The average age of RPG developers is now over 50, with many approaching retirement
- Universities and technical schools rarely teach RPG or COBOL anymore
- Young developers show little interest in learning legacy languages
- As skilled RPG developers retire, critical knowledge is being lost
- Growing salary premiums for the dwindling pool of RPG talent
The Global Developer Landscape: JavaScript vs. Java
This talent gap creates significant operational risk and limits organizations’ ability to enhance and maintain their critical business applications. The choice of transformation language can either solve this problem or perpetuate it in a different form.
When evaluating transformation languages, the size and health of the developer ecosystem should be a primary consideration. Recent data tells a compelling story about JavaScript’s dominance:
Developer Population
According to recent statistics from multiple sources:
- JavaScript consistently ranks as the most widely used programming language, used by over 62% of professional developers worldwide Statista, 2024
- JavaScript has approximately 13.8 million developers worldwide compared to Java’s 9 million developers Cogent, 2023
This significant difference of nearly 5 million professionals represents a substantial competitive advantage for organizations adopting JavaScript.
Growth Trends
The gap between JavaScript and Java continues to widen:
- In the job market, JavaScript expertise is increasingly in demand, with 53.6% of employers worldwide needing JavaScript skills, while only 42% of student developers report proficiency in the language CareerFoundry, 2023
- According to JetBrains’ State of Developer Ecosystem Report, JavaScript has maintained its position as the most used programming language from 2017 to 2024 MyCodelessWebsite, 2024
- Node.js, JavaScript’s server-side platform, remains the top web framework used by developers at 42.65% MyCodelessWebsite, 2024
Developer Interest and Satisfaction
Developer attitudes toward these languages reveal another important dimension:
- A 2022 study by State of JS found that 84.7% of JavaScript developers use the language in a professional context K&C, 2024
- Java, despite being a mature language, has seen a slower rate of adoption among new developers compared to JavaScript and Python inVerita, 2024
These trends paint a clear picture: JavaScript represents not just the present but the future of software development, with Java increasingly challenged to maintain its position.
Why the Developer Advantage Matters for IBM i Futurization
The massive JavaScript developer advantage translates to several concrete benefits for organizations futurizing IBM i applications:
1. Solving the Hiring Challenge
The hiring advantages for organizations choosing JavaScript are significant:
- Java developers are aging, with the average age being 36 years old, creating succession planning challenges Zippia, 2025
- JavaScript hiring processes are typically faster, with companies reporting more qualified applicants for positions CareerFoundry, 2023
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 25% growth in software developer jobs between 2022 and 2032, making talent acquisition increasingly competitive CodeGym, 2024
- The demand for Java developers is projected to grow by 13% between 2018 and 2028, signaling continuous need but at a lower rate than overall software development CodeGym, 2024
2. Reduced Training and Onboarding Costs
JavaScript’s widespread adoption leads to significant savings in training and onboarding:
- The average JavaScript developer salary ($48/hour) is lower than the average Java developer salary ($62/hour), potentially reducing overall staffing costs inVerita, 2024
- According to industry data, software developers are expected to increase to 28.7 million by 2024 (up 3.2 million from 2020), with JavaScript developers representing a larger portion of this growth Kinsta, 2024
- New hires typically have prior experience with JavaScript, reducing the learning curve for IBM i futurization projects
- The vast JavaScript ecosystem means more pre-built solutions are available, reducing the need for custom development
3. Improved Team Resilience and Continuity
The larger talent pool creates greater organizational resilience:
- The average Java developer salary in the U.S. ranges from $111,799 to $166,806 for senior roles, representing a 7.8% year-over-year growth in 2024 – one of the largest pay jumps in tech Motion Recruitment, 2025
- JavaScript developers’ salaries also remain competitive, though the larger talent pool offers more pricing flexibility
- According to salary comparisons, JavaScript developer compensation at various experience levels provides a balance of competitive pay and talent availability Hivex, 2024
- The emergence of TypeScript as both an enhancement to JavaScript and the fastest-growing language provides additional options for organizations seeking strict typing similar to Java K&C, 2024
4. Enhanced Innovation Capabilities
Access to a broader talent base facilitates innovation:
- Node.js, JavaScript’s server-side runtime, is regarded as “faster and more scalable than Java” for web applications according to industry experts Netguru, 2024
- React, a JavaScript framework, is used by 82% of JavaScript developers for frontend development, demonstrating the ecosystem’s innovation capabilities K&C, 2024
- JavaScript’s position in new technological fields is strengthening, as noted by analysts projecting its continued growth in enterprise applications TechMagic, 2025
- Full-stack development skills, which include JavaScript proficiency, are cited as being among the most in-demand technical skills for 2024 CodeGym, 2024
How Profound AppEvo Leverages the JavaScript Talent Advantage
Profound Logic is the only IBM i technology partner that takes you beyond modernization and into AI-enhanced futurization, empowering you to transition into the demands of tomorrow. Our Profound AppEvo platform is specifically designed to maximize the JavaScript talent advantage while providing the tools and support necessary for successful application futurization.
1. Simplified Developer Onboarding
Our platform significantly reduces the learning curve for developers new to IBM i environments:
- Intuitive development interfaces familiar to JavaScript developers
- Comprehensive documentation and code examples
- Automated code generation that follows best practices
This simplified onboarding process allows organizations to quickly leverage newly hired JavaScript talent, reducing time-to-productivity from months to weeks.
2. Collaborative Development Environment
Our platform supports modern collaborative development practices that JavaScript developers expect:
- Integration with popular version control systems
- Support for agile development workflows
- Built-in code review capabilities
- Continuous integration and deployment support
These features help organizations attract and retain JavaScript talent by providing a familiar, modern development experience.
3. AI-Enhanced Development Assistance
Unique to Profound AppEvo, our AI-enhanced development capabilities further amplify the JavaScript talent advantage:
- AI-powered code completion and suggestions
- Automated code quality and best practice enforcement
- Intelligent debugging assistance
These capabilities help less-experienced developers work more efficiently and confidently, effectively multiplying your development team’s capabilities.
Talent Strategies for Futurization Success
Leveraging JavaScript for IBM i futurization enables several strategic approaches to talent management, and we provide comprehensive support for each approach through our Profound AppEvo solution:
1. Mixed-Team Approach
Organizations can adopt a mixed-team strategy that combines:
- Experienced IBM i professionals who understand the business domain
- JavaScript developers who bring modern development expertise
- UI/UX specialists who can transform green screen experiences
- Integration experts who can connect systems and technologies
We support this approach through expert services that provide guidance and support at every stage, ensuring that your transformation aligns with your business goals and technical requirements. Our team brings deep knowledge of both legacy IBM i systems and modern technologies, creating the perfect bridge between these worlds.
2. Gradual Skill Transition
Rather than an abrupt shift, organizations can implement a gradual skill transition:
- Train select RPG developers in JavaScript fundamentals
- Pair experienced RPG developers with JavaScript specialists
- Gradually shift the skill balance as futurization progresses
- Maintain core RPG expertise for legacy system support
- Build a multi-skilled team that can work across technologies
Our team facilitates this transition through our comprehensive training and knowledge transfer services, which include hands-on workshops, user training for new interfaces, and documentation creation. Our phased approach and unique coexistence technology allow modernized and legacy components to operate side-by-side, giving your team time to build skills while maintaining business continuity.
3. Global Talent Leverage
JavaScript’s global adoption enables organizations to:
- Tap into global talent pools when local resources are limited
- Implement distributed development models
- Leverage offshore resources for specific project components
- Create follow-the-sun development capabilities
- Access specialized expertise regardless of location
We directly address the critical issue of finding skilled RPG/COBOL resources by transforming applications to popular, open-source languages like Node.js and Python. This transformation opens access to a larger pool of developers globally, significantly improving your ability to attract and retain technical talent while reducing dependency on scarce legacy skills.
4. Knowledge Capture and Preservation
A well-planned futurization strategy includes systematic knowledge capture:
- Document critical business rules during the conversion process
- Create comprehensive process workflows and decision logic maps
- Implement knowledge sharing sessions between legacy and modern developers
- Build comprehensive API documentation for system functionality
- Develop training materials that preserve institutional knowledge
We excel in this area through our automated code conversion technology, which preserves your valuable business logic while modernizing the underlying technology. Our comprehensive Profound 360 Discovery involves collaborative workshops with key stakeholders to thoroughly understand your systems and business processes, resulting in detailed documentation of your applications and their interdependencies. This systematic approach ensures that the knowledge embedded in your systems over years is captured, preserved, and enhanced during the transformation process.
By partnering with Profound Logic, you gain access to proven technology that’s been refined through years of successful projects across various industries, comprehensive expert services throughout your transformation journey, and a future-ready approach that positions your applications for easy integration with new technologies as they emerge.
Real-World Results: The JavaScript Talent Advantage in Action
Organizations that have chosen JavaScript for IBM i futurization gain access to a robust talent market, as evidenced by these industry statistics:
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 25% growth in employment for software developers between 2022 and 2032, making talent acquisition strategies increasingly important CodeGym, 2024
- Those using JavaScript for web development report that 34.8% of companies testing for junior roles specifically test for JavaScript developers CareerFoundry, 2023
- According to Uplers’ salary comparison tool, JavaScript developers’ compensation remains competitive while offering a larger talent pool than specialized languages Uplers, 2024
Profound AppEvo leverages these JavaScript talent advantages by transforming legacy RPG and COBOL applications into modern, open-source languages like Node.js, effectively addressing the critical issue of diminishing specialized skills while positioning your organization to benefit from this expansive talent marketplace.
The JavaScript Future: Investing in Sustainable Talent Strategy
As you consider your IBM i futurization options, it’s important to take a long-term view of your talent strategy. The technology choices you make today will shape your ability to attract, retain, and develop technical talent for years to come.
JavaScript’s position as the world’s most widely used programming language isn’t just a current advantage—it’s a sustainable advantage likely to persist for the foreseeable future. Recent trends show JavaScript continuing to strengthen its position through:
- Ongoing evolution of the language itself (ECMAScript standards)
- Expanding ecosystem of frameworks and libraries
- Growing adoption in emerging technology areas
- Increasing integration with AI and machine learning platforms
- Continued dominance in web and application development
By choosing JavaScript for your IBM i futurization, you’re not just solving today’s talent challenges—you’re positioning your organization for sustainable talent success in an increasingly competitive technology landscape.
Planning Your Talent Strategy with Profound Logic
Understanding your current position and future needs is a critical part of any successful futurization strategy. What is your next step?
Profound 360 Discovery: A comprehensive, in-depth discovery conducted over 4-6 weeks that delivers:
- Detailed analysis of team capabilities and talent requirements
- Comprehensive skills gap assessment
- Customized training and knowledge transfer recommendations
- Complete talent acquisition and retention strategy
- Long-term talent development roadmap
This thorough assessment ensures your strategy is fully aligned with your technical futurization approach, maximizing the chances of project success.
Don’t let talent challenges delay your futurization journey. With the right strategy and JavaScript’s massive developer ecosystem, you can secure the skills needed to transform your IBM i applications for the future.
Stay tuned for our next post in the series, where we’ll explore how JavaScript enables modern architecture patterns for true IBM i futurization.
