OK — here’s what I’d do if I were you (in fact, I’m doing it).
Forget React, Angular and Vue. Instead take your existing skills further by investing in these two key areas:
- Design systems and pattern libraries. This means learning things like Atomic Design, Storybook, Chromatic and the like. This will allow you to do proper modular user interfaces rather than simply converting visual design to HTML / CSS / JS.
- Learn hypermedia (I recommend htmx). This will allow you to work with the full stack (including any PHP framework) without involving front-end frameworks.
If you do both, you’ll be able to go out and offer your services as someone who can design and develop web UIs that are leaner in size, faster to build, and easier to maintain. That’s a much stronger value proposition than being yet another generic React dev.
(I’d add Tailwind, Web Components, Figma, and Webflow to the above list. Yes it’s a lot to learn but that’s the way our industry works).
If you want the reasoning as to why React and the like isn’t suited for the 90% of web UIs, you can read this article (it’s the last part in my “htmx and hypermedia” tutorial):
htmx on Sinatra Part 9: In Conclusion
…and here’s some stuff from other peeps:
Deep dive on going from Vue to Htmx in a large-scale production app
Why HTMX is crushing React, Vue & Svelte
Good luck.