Word jobs in spanish

Learning jobs in Spanish is another important piece in your Spanish vocabulary puzzle!

As you figure out how to learn Spanish, you realize that it’s important to know how to carry a regular, everyday conversation. This is why learning how to say different jobs in Spanish is a good idea, considering no matter your age, the topic of a career will make itself known. It’s also a nice icebreaker!

In this article, we will teach you 100 jobs in Spanish and how to use them with correct grammar! We have also included some Spanish job-related phrases you can use in conversation!

A Grammar Guide to Jobs in Spanish

Knowing how to use grammar correctly is important when it comes to conversational Spanish. Grammar comprises many aspects, such as adjectives in Spanish but for now, we will only focus on the basics that focus on careers in Spanish.

Masculine & Feminine Jobs

Like all Spanish words, job words/titles in Spanish have gender.

Jobs names that end with the suffix -o are masculine and those ending with the suffix -a are feminine.

Take these careers in Spanish for example:

• Abogado (A male lawyer) and Abogada (A female lawyer)
• Ingeniero (Male engineer) and Ingeniera (Female engineer)
• Mesero (Male waiter) – Mesera (Waitress/Female waiter)

Masculine Jobs that End with a Consonants

The general rule of masculine job words is that they end with -o, but there are some masculine Spanish professions that end with the suffix -r or -n. Feminine jobs always end with -a.

Some examples of this are:

• Profesor (Male teacher) and Profesora (Female teacher)
• Doctor (Male doctor) and Doctora (female doctor)
• Adminstrador (Male administrator) -and Administradora (Female administrator)

Jobs ending with -ista, -ante, -e, or -a

Spanish job words can also sometimes end with the suffix -ista, -ante, -e, or -a and include both genders in its meaning.

For example:

• Electricista (Male and/or female electrician)
• Estudiante (Male and/or female student)
• Cantante (Male and/or female singer)
• Policía (Male and/or female police)

100 Jobs in Spanish

Now that you know how to use words related to jobs in Spanish, here are 100 jobs in Spanish listed in alphabetical order!

A

• el actor / la actriz (actor / actress)
• el agente de viajes / la agente de viajes (travel agent)
• el agricultor / la agricultora (farmer)
• el albañil / la albiñila (mason)
• el albañil / la albiñila (mason)
• el animador / la animadora (animator)
• el artesano / la artesana (craftsman)
• el astrónomo / la astrónoma (astronomist)
• el autor / la autora (author)
• el azafata / la azafata (flight attendant / stewardess)

B

• el bailarín / la bailarína (dancer)
• el banquero / la banquera (banker)
• el barrendero / la barrendera (street sweeper)
• el biólogo / la bióloga (biologist)
• el bombero / la bombera (firefighter)
• el broker de bolsa / la broker de bolsa (stock broker)

C

• el científico / la científica (scientist)
• el contador / la contadora (accountant)
• el cajero / la cajera (cashier)
• el carnicero / la carnicera (butcher)
• el carpintero / la carpintera (carpenter)
• el cartero / la cartera (postman)
• el cocinero / la cocinera (chef)
• el conductor / la conductora (conductor)
• el consultor / la consultora (consultant)

D

• el dentista / la dentista (dentist)
• el detective / la detectiva (detective)
• el diseñador de modas / la diseñadora de modas (fashion designer)
• el DJ / la DJ (DJ)

E

• el economista / la economista (economist)
• el economista / la economista (economist)
• el ecólogo / la ecóloga (ecologist)
• el editor / la editora (editor)
• el enfermero / la enfermera (nurse)
• el escritor / la escritora (writer)
• el estilista / la estilista (stylist)
• el exterminador / la exterminadora (exterminator)

F

• el farmacéutico / la farmacéutico (pharmacist)
• el filósofo / la filósofa (philosopher)
• el florista / la florista (florist)
• el fotógrafo / la fotógrafa (photographer)
• el futbolista / la futbolista (soccer player)

G

• el guardián de tráfico / la guardián de tráfico (traffic warden)
• el ganadero / la ganadera (rancher)
• el geógrafo / la geógrafa (geographer)
• el guardian / la guardiana (guardian)

H

• el historiador / la historiadora (historian)

I

• el informático / la informático (IT)

J

• el jardinero / la jardinero (gardener)
• el juez / la jueza (judge)
• el joyero / la joyera (jeweller)

L

• el lector de noticias / la lectora de noticias (news reader)
• el limpiador de ventanas / la limpiadora de ventanas (window cleaner)
• el lechero / la lechera (milkman)
• el limpiador / la limpiadora (cleaner)
• el lingüista / la lingüista (linguist)
• el locutor / la locutora (announcer)

M

• el médico veterinario / la médica veterinaria (veterinarian)
• el marinero / la marinera (sailor)
• el matemático / la matemática (mathematician)
• el mecánico / la mecánica (mechanic)
• el modelo / la modelo (model)
• el músico / la música (musician)

O

• el obrero / la obrera (worker)
• el óptico / la óptica (the optician)

P

• el paleontólogo / la paleontóloga (paleontologist)
• el panadero / la panadero (baker)
• el paramédico / la paramédica (peramedic)
• el pediatra / la pediatra (paediatrician)
• el peluquero / la peluquera (hair stylist – barber)
• el periodista / la periodista (journalist)
• el pescador / la pescadora (fisherman)
• el piloto / la pilota (pilot)
• el pintor / la pintora (painter)
• el plomero / la plomera (plumber)
• el politico / la politica (politician)
• el presidente / la presidente (presidente)
• el profesor universitario / la profesora universitaria (college professor)
• el programador de computadoras / la programadora de computadoras (computer programmer)
• el psicólogo / la psicóloga (psychologist)

Q

• el químico / la química (chemist)

R

• el radiólogo / la radióloga (radiologist)
• el recepcionista / la recepcionista (recepcionist)
• el recolector de basura / la recolectora de basura (garbage collector)
• el reportero / la reportera (reporter)

S

• el sacerdote (priest) / la monja (nun)
• el salvavidas / la salvavidas (lifeguard)
• el sastre / la sastra (tailor)
• el secretario / la secretaria (secretary)
• el sirviente / la sirvienta (servant)
• el sociólogo / la socióloga (socialogist)
• el soldado / la soldada (soldier)
• el soldador / la soldadora (welder)

T

• el taxista / la taxista (taxi driver)
• el terapeuta / la terapeuta (therapist)
• el traductor / la traductora (translator)
• el técnico de sonido / la técnica de sonido (sound technician)

V

• el vendedor / la vendedora (salesman)
• el vigilante / la vigilante (watchmen)

Z

• el zapatero / la zapatera (shoemaker)

Jobs in Spanish – Common Phrases & Expressions

Here are some Spanish question words, phrases, and expressions about jobs in Spanish to add to your everyday conversation, with examples!

• ¿En qué trabajas? (What’s your job?)

When you ask someone what job they have.

For example:

You: Trabajo en el departamento de recursos humanos. ¿En qué trabajas? (I work in the human resources department. What’s your job?)

Person: En verdad, trabajo en la recepción. (I work at the front desk, actually.)

• ¿A qué te dedicas? (What do you do?)

Similar to the previous phrase, when you ask someone what they do for a living.

Person: Trabajo en la area de belleza. (I work in the area of Beauty)

You: Interesante. ¿A qué te dedicas? (Interesting. What do you do?)

Person: Cortes de cabello. (Hairstyling)

• ¿Qué tal va tu trabajo? (How’s your work going?)

You ask someone how they are doing in their job.

You: ¡Oye! No te he visto en un tiempo. ¿Qué tal va tu trabajo? (Hey! I haven’t seen you in a while. How’s your work going?)

Person: ¡Excelente! He recibido dos ascensos desde la última vez que hablamos. (Great! I got two promotions from the last time we spoke.)

• ¿Te gusta tu trabajo? (Do you like your job?)

Whether a person likes their job or not, a question that holds a lot of value.

You: Eres tan gruñón todo el tiempo. ¿Te gusta tu trabajo? (You are so grumpy all the time. Do you like your job?)

Person: Si, aunque son muchas horas, pero la paga es buena. (Yes, the hours are long, but the pay is good.)

• ¿Qué es lo que haces en tu trabajo? (What do you do in your job?)

To specifically ask someone what type of stuff they do in their job.

You: ¿Qué es lo que haces en tu trabajo? (What do you do in your job?)

Person: Solo horneo los pasteles en el restaurante. (I only bake the cakes at the restaurant.)

• ¿Qué es lo que quieres hacer en unos años? (What do you want to do in a few years?)

To ask someone what they see themselves doing in the future.

You: ¿Qué es lo que quieres hacer en unos años? (What do you want to do in a few years?)

Person: ¡Espero tener un negocio exitoso! (I hope to have a successful business!)

• ¿Cuántos años vas trabajando en …? (How many years have you been working in …?)

How long someone has been working in their job.

You: ¿Cuántos años vas trabajando en la industria médica? (How many years have you been working in the medical industry?)

Person: Demasiados años no puedo esperar a la jubilación. (Too many years. I can’t wait for retirement.)

• Soy…, ¿y tú? (I am… and you?)

When introducing yourself to someone, you eventually tell them what you do, and then ask what job they have!

You: Yo soy modelo y tu? ¿A qué te dedicas? (I am a model and you? What do you do?)

Person: ¡Eso es genial! ¿Para qué marcas has modelado? Soy diseñadora de moda.. (That’s cool! For which brands have you modeled? I am a fashion designer..)

• Me dedico a… (I dedicate myself to…)

Another way of saying “My job is..”

You: Me dedico a las artes! (I dedicate myself to the arts!)

Person: ¿Qué arte? Tendrías que ser más específico. (Which art? You’d have to be more specific.)

• Trabajo en… (I work in…)

Another, another way of saying “My job is..”

You: ¿Entonces, Qué haces? (So, what do you do?)

Person: Trabajo en la industria del baile. (I work in the dancing industry)

• Llevo # ańos trabando como… (I have been working for # years as…)

A way of telling someone how many years you have been working at your job.

Person: Llevo 32 años trabajando como enfermera… (I have been working for 32 years as a nurse…)

You: Vaya, eso es mucho tiempo. ¡Debes haberlo visto todo! (Wow, that’s a long time. You must have seen it all!)

• Me gustaría ser… cuando sea mayor / cuando sea grande. (I would like to be … when I grow up / when I am older)

You can use this phrase to ask kids what they aspire to be in their adult years.

You: ¿Qué quieres ser de mayor, niña? (What do you want to be when you grow up, kiddo?)

Kid: ¡Me gustaría ser una princesa cuando sea grande! (I would like to be a princess when I grow up!)

• Me gusta mi trabajo. (I like my job)

Express your love for your career with this phrase!

Person: Hombre, realmente no quiero ir a trabajar. (Man, I really don’t want to go to work.)

You: No sé cómo se siente eso. Me gusta mi trabajo. (I don’t know how that feels. I like my job.)

• Me gusta mucho mi trabajo (I really like my job)

When you really, really like your job and you want to make it known!

Person: ¿Cómo va el nuevo trabajo? (How is the new job coming along?)

You: Me gusta mucho mi trabajo hasta ahora. (I really like my job so far)

• En mi trabajo, tengo que hacer… (At my job, I have to do…)

Use this phrase to explain what you do at your job!

Person: ¿Por qué te vas tan temprano? ¿A dónde vas? (Why are you leaving so early? Where are you going?)

You: Lo siento. En mi trabajo, tengo que hacer papeles que olvidé. (I am sorry. At my job, I have to do paperwork that I forgot.)

Enrich your vocabulary to better your Spanish conversational skills!

Careers are a common topic, so learning how to talk about them in Spanish is a good way to improve fluency. Other useful topics for conversation that can be tackled next is topics like how to say you’re welcome in Spanish or what body parts in Spanish are!

Becoming a master conversationalist in a language can take time and effort when doing it on your own. Consider getting an online language tutor at AmazingTalker for a professional and overall better learning experience. Choose from a variety of courses to suit your needs, and customize them to suit your fluency goal.

All of these and more, at AmazingTalker!

December 15, 2020 Vocabulary

List of Professions in Spanish! Learn useful job names with pictures and example sentences. Learn these names of jobs and professions to enhance your jobs vocabulary words and help you to describing your job and Saying “What do you do?” in Spanish
There are many different words for occupations in Spanish, some more common than others.
Whether it’s a career, a Saturday job or work experience, it’s useful to be able to talk about jobs, work and your current and future plans.
There are two basic ways to ask “what is your job” in Spanish: ¿A qué te dedicas? and ¿Qué haces? This lesson presents a list of jobs and professions in Spanish through pictures and sentences with the vocabulary.

A list of common of jobs and occupations in Spanish

SPANISH	ENGLISH	PICTURES
abogado	lawyer
actor/actriz	actor/actress
aduanero	customs officer
agricultor	farmer
albañil	builder
arquitecto	architect
asesor	consultant
astronauta	astronaut
azafata	air hostess
basurero	dustman
bombero	fireman
camarero/a	waiter/waitress
camionero	lorry driver
cantante	singer
capataz	foreman
carnicero	butcher
cartero	postman
cientí­fico	scientist
cirujano	surgeon
cocinero	cook
conductor	driver
contable	accountant
criado	servant
dentista	dentist
dependiente	shop assistant
electricista	electrician
empleado	employee
empleado de banco	bank clerk
enfermero	nurse
escritor	writer
estudiante	student
farmacéutico	chemist
fontanero	plumber
granjero	farmer
ingeniero	engineer
jardinero	gardener
joyero	jeweller
juez	judge
librero	bookseller
marinero	sailor
médico	doctor
mecánico	mechanic
minero	miner
modelo	model
monitor	instructor
monje	monk
monja	nun
niñera	nanny
obrero	labourer
oficinista	office worker
panadero	baker
pastor	shepherd
peluquero	hairdresser
periodista	journalist
pescador	fisherman
piloto	pilot
pintor	painter
político­	politician
policía	policeman
portero	caretaker
profesor	teacher
psicólogo	psychologist
psiquiatra	psychiatrist
recepcionista	receptionist
relojero	watchmaker
reportero	reporter
sacerdote	priest
sastre	tailor
secretario	secretary
soldado	soldier
taquimeca	shorthand typist
taxista	taxi driver
técnico	technician
torero	bullfighter
traductor	translator
vendedor	salesman
veterinario	vet
zapatero	shoemaker

Making sentences with jobs and professions in Spanish

In order to make sentences about your job in Spanish, you will need to use the irregular verb SER (to be) in its forms SOY, ES and SON. Most of the time the structure to follow will be:

                Subject + SER + occupation or job in Spanish 

In English, it is possible to use the indefinite articles (A/AN) before an occupation, but this rule does not apply in Spanish. Besides, we only use UN or UNA before names of occupations when an adjective is added to describe the person, for example: Es un fotógrafo amable (he is a kind photographer) and Es una secretaria ocupada (she is a busy secretary).
Sometimes you can use the verb TRABAJAR plus the word COMO instead of SER to say what you do in Spanish, basically adding TRABAJA COMO (works as) after the subject, for example: “Él trabaja como bombero” (He works as a firefighter).
The last way to talk about someone’s job is by saying the field they work on instead of their profession, being these fields or CAMPOS words like Mercadeo (marketing), Construcción (construction), Ventas (sales) and others, e.g. “Ana trabaja en mercadeo” (Ana works in marketing) and “Ellos trabajan en construcción” (They work in construction).

Below, there are some examples of sentences using a list of jobs and professions in Spanish

• María es oficial de policía.

          María is a police officer.

• Es una secretaria ocupada.

          She is a busy secretary.

• Es un fotógrafo amable .

         He is a kind photographer.

• Alex es un buen intérprete.

         Alex is a good interpreter.

• La enfermera es muy amable.

          The nurse is very kind.

• El señor Gómez es carpintero.

         Mr Gomez is a carpenter.

• Él trabaja como bombero.

         He works as a firefighter.

• Ellos trabajan en construcción.

         They work in construction.

• Ana trabaja en mercadeo.

          Ana works in marketing.

• Dice el veterinario que es la única probabilidad de salvarlo.

          The vet says that it’s our only chance to save him.

Here comes a list of common jobs or occupations in Spanish and English language. Let’s find out how to say names of various jobs and careers. This list will help you expand your vocabulary and take a closer step in the process of mastering Spanish and English.

Jobs word list in Spanish and English language

Vocabulary list of jobs in Spanish and English

abogado — lawyer

actor/actriz — actor/actress

aduanero — customs officer

agricultor —  farmer

arquitecto —  architect

asesor —  consultant

astronauta —  astronaut

azafata — air hostess

bombero — fireman

camarero/a — waiter/waitress

camionero —  lorry driver

cantante —  singer

capataz —  foreman

carnicero —  butcher

cartero — postman

científico —  scientist

cirujano —  surgeon

cocinero —  cook

conductor —  driver

contable —  accountant

criado — servant

cura — priest

dentista —  dentist

electricista — electrician

empleado —  employee

empleado —  de banco bank clerk

enfermero —  nurse

escritor —  writer

estudiante —  student

farmacéutico —  chemist

fontanero —  plumber 

granjero —  farmer

ingeniero  — engineer

jardinero  — gardener

joyero —  jeweller

juez —  judge

librero —  bookseller 

marinero —  sailor

médico —  doctor

mecánico — mechanic

minero —  miner

modelo — model

monje — monk

monja — nun

obrero — labourer

oficinista — office worker

panadero — baker

peluquero  — hairdresser

periodista — journalist

pescador — fisherman

piloto — pilot

pintor — painter

político — politician

policía — policeman

portero — caretaker

profesor — teacher

psicólogo — psychologist

psiquiatra  — psychiatrist

recepcionista — receptionist

reportero — reporter

sacerdote — priest

sastre — tailor

secretario — secretary

soldado — soldier

taxista — taxi driver

técnico — technician

torero  — bullfighter

traductor — translator

vendedor — salesman

veterinario — vet

zapatero — shoemaker

So you’ve got a list of names of jobs in Spanish and English. This is one of the most common subject that you need to know when studying a language. Keep up on our site to sharpen your Spanish and English skills through various language words and idioms.

There are two basic ways to ask “what is your job” in Spanish: ¿A qué te dedicas? and ¿Qué haces? This lesson presents a list of jobs and professions in Spanish through pictures and sentences with the vocabulary. We have included a lot examples and simple explanations on the topic as well. Comencemos…

Vocabulary intro: A list of jobs and professions in Spanish

There are many different words for occupations in Spanish, some more common than others. The picture below shows a list of jobs and professions in Spanish and how they can be used in basic sentences. Later, we will explain to you how these sentences work and how you can make your own. Think of people you have met that have these occupations so you can associate the new vocabulary with memories. This way it will be easier to remember.

How to ask “What is your Job ?” in Spanish

First of all, to ask “what’s your job” in Spanish you can use any of the following questions: ¿En qué trabajas (tú)?, ¿Cuál es tu trabajo? (what’s your job?), ¿Qué haces(tú)? (what do you do?), and ¿A qué te dedicas? (what do you do?). Most of the time the verbs TRABAJAR (to work), HACER (to do) and DEDICAR (to do) will be used when someone asks about your job in Spanish or when you do it. To ask in a more formal way, we simply change the pronoun TÚ for USTED and the verb forms as in ¿En qué trabaja usted?

Notice that the preposition EN will be placed before the word QUÉ in the question ¿En que trabaja…? and the preposition “A” is needed before QUÉ in the question “¿A qué te dedicas?”. Unlike English, questions in Spanish will place the preposition at the beginning not at the end.

Ways to ask what people do in Spanish

¿Usted es ingeniero? Are you an engineer?

¿En qué trabaja usted? – Yo soy pescador What do you do? – I am a fisherman

¿A qué te dedicas? – Yo soy secretaria What do you do? – I am a secretary

SER + job names in Spanish

In order to make sentences about your job in Spanish, you will need to use the irregular verb SER (to be) in its forms SOY, ES and SON. Most of the time the structure to follow will be:

Subject + SER + occupation or job in Spanish (trabajo u ocupación)

Since Spanish verbs change depending on the subject, it would be incorrect to say “Yo ser contador” because the verb SER must change to SOY to fit YO resulting in “Yo soy contador”. In English, it is possible to use the indefinite articles (A/AN) before an occupation, but this rule does not apply in Spanish. It would sound strange if we said “Yo soy un contador“. Besides, we only use UN or UNA before names of occupations when an adjective is added to describe the person, for example: Es un fotógrafo amable (he is a kind photographer) and Es una secretaria ocupada (she is a busy secretary). Both “amable” and “ocupada” are adjectives you can use to describe people in Spanish.

Below, there are some examples of sentences using a list of jobs and professions in Spanish along with the verb SER. Use the player to listen to the examples.

Your browser does not support the audio tag. Marta es contadora en una compañía. Marta is an accountant in a company

Your browser does not support the audio tag. Carla es administradora de empresas. Carla is a business manager

Your browser does not support the audio tag. María es oficial de policía. María is a police officer

Él es fotógrafo profesional. He is a professional photographer

Alex es un buen intérprete. Alex is a good interpreter

Él es el alcalde de nuestra ciudad He is the mayor of our city

El señor Gómez es carpintero. Mr Gomez is a carpenter

Los campesinos son muy trabajadores. The farmers are very hard-working people

Other ways to say what you do in Spanish

Sometimes you can use the verb TRABAJAR plus the word COMO instead of SER to say what you do in Spanish, basically adding TRABAJA COMO (works as) after the subject, for example: “Él trabaja como bombero” (He works as a firefighter). The last way to talk about someone’s job is by saying the field they work on instead of their profession, being these fields or CAMPOS words like Mercadeo (marketing), Construcción (construction), Ventas (sales) and others, e.g. “Ana trabaja en mercadeo” (Ana works in marketing) and “Ellos trabajan en construcción” (They work in construction). Listen to these examples of sentences with jobs and professions in Spanish using “TRABAJA COMO” and more.

La enfermera es muy amable. The nurse is very kind

El doctor de la clínica es muy bueno. The doctor of that clinic is very good

Carlos trabaja como Cajero en un banco. Carlos works as a cashier in a bank

Él trabaja como bombero. He works as a firefighter

Él trabaja en construcción. He works in construction

Las trabajadoras de la fábrica están de vacaciones. The workers of that factory are on vacations

Related Spanish Worksheets:

• Jobs and Occupations in Spanish – PDF Worksheet
• Making Questions in Spanish – PDF Worksheet
• Dialogues about Jobs and Occupations in Spanish – PDF worksheet