Career Vocabulary: A Guide to Jobs and Professions in Spanish

At some point in any Spanish conversation, you’re likely to hear the question: “¿A qué te dedicas?”—“What do you do for work?” Whether you’re chatting with friends, meeting new people, or navigating the professional world, being able to talk about jobs in Spanish is a must. In this article, we’ll explore essential career vocabulary and the grammar you need to say someone’s job correctly. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be ready to answer that question with confidence!

How to Talk About Your Job in Spanish: Grammar

To talk about your profession, you’ll use the verb ser (to be). In Spanish, we use the verb ser to talk about permanent states. While it is always possible to change careers, we use this verb to point out people’s jobs because we consider professions to be a characteristic that helps define a person. First, you’ll need to learn how to use ser to talk about the present. Here’s a chart with the simple present conjugations of the verb ser:

Pronoun	Ser Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Soy	I am
Tú	Eres	You are
Él/Ella/Usted	Es	He/She is, You are
Nosotros	Somos	We are
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Son	They/You are

Here are some examples sentences using the verb ser to talk about professions:

-Yo soy doctor. / I am a doctor.

-Ella es maestra. / She is a teacher.

-Él es piloto. / He is a pilot.

-Ellas son ingenieras. / They are engineers.

Notice that in the English translation, we use the word “a” (I am a doctor). But in Spanish, you don’t include this word. You just use the conjugation of ser followed by the name of the job.

You can also use the verb trabajar (to work). With trabajar, you’ll also need to add como (as)  after the verb conjugation to use it correctly. Here’s the simple present conjugation chart for the verb trabajar:

Pronoun	Trabajar Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Trabajo	I work
Tú	Trabajas	You work
Él/Ella/Usted	Trabaja	He/She works, You work
Nosotros	Trabajamos	We work
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Trabajan	They/You work

Let’s see some examples of how to use trabajar to talk about jobs:

-Usted trabaja como chef. / You work as a chef.

-Tú trabajas como dentista. / You work as a dentist.

-Ellos trabajan como periodistas. / They work as journalists.

-Nosotros trabajamos como economistas. / We work as economists.

Gender Correspondence: Masculine and Feminine Forms for Jobs

In Spanish, all nouns are either masculine or feminine. And, in the case of jobs in Spanish, you need to remember that the gender of both the noun and the article that precedes it need to match the gender of the person you’re describing. Now, this might sound like a nightmare if you’re not used to changing job titles from masculine to feminine or the other way around. But, it’s actually not that scary. 

Here’s a chart you can use to easily tell if a noun is masculine or feminine and the article that should accompany it: 

	Article	Endings
Masculine	El	-o, -r, -n
Feminine	La	-a

Note that, to switch from the masculine form to the feminine form, you need to replace the -o ending with -a. But, if the word ends with -r or -n, you simply add the -a ending. Here are some side-by-side examples:

-El carpintero / La carpintera (Carpenter)

-El anfitrión / La anfitriona (Host/Hostess)

-El locutor / La locutora (Broadcaster)

You’ll also find jobs that have a neutral form and don’t need to be changed to fit the masculine or feminine gender. These job titles usually end -e, -ista, or -ante. Here are some examples:

-El maquinista / La maquinista (Machinist)

-El cantante / La cantante (Singer)

-El gerente / La gerente (Manager)

-El artista / La artista (Artist)

In addition to these exceptions, there are also job titles that end in -a that can be masculine AND feminine. An easy way to tell when they’re referring to a masculine or feminine subject is to pay attention to the article (el/la). Let’s see some examples:

-El policía / La policía (Policeman/Policewoman)

-El taxista / La taxista (Taxi driver)

-El psiquiatra / La psiquiatra  (Psychiatrist)

How to Talk About Jobs in The Plural Form

Luckily, talking about professions in the plural form is quite easy. All you have to do is pay attention to their endings. Here’s what you need to do to switch a job title from the singular to plural form:

If the job title ends with a vocal like -a, -o, or -e: Add -s

If the job title ends with a consonant: Add -es

Remember that you also need to use the plural articles los (masculine) and las (feminine). Keep in mind that there are some exceptions like juez and jueces. Here are some side-by-side examples of job titles in their singular and plural forms:

-El doctor / Los doctores (Doctor/Doctors)

-La fiscal / Las fiscales (Prosecutor/Prosecutors)

-El policía / Los policías (Policeman/Policemen)

-El panadero / Los panaderos (Baker/Bakers)

-La maestra / Las maestras (Teacher/Teachers)

List of Jobs in Spanish By Areas

Let’s look at the names of some common jobs in Spanish. The following tables organize job titles in Spanish by areas of work such as healthcare, education, technology, or the arts, allowing you to explore related professions together.

Artes – Arts

Spanish	English
El artista/La artista	Artist
El actor/La actriz	Actor/Actress
El cantante/La cantante	Singer
El músico/La música	Musician
El fotógrafo/La fotógrafa	Photographer
El escultor/La escultora	Sculptor
El bailarín/La bailarina	Dancer
El director/La directora	Director
El diseñador/La diseñadora	Designer
El diseñador gráfico/La diseñadora gráfica	Graphic Designer
El escritor/La escritora	Writer

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Negocios – Business

Spanish	English
El empresario/La empresaria	Businessman/Businesswoman
El contador/La contadora	Accountant
El gerente/La gerente	Manager
El economista/La economista	Economist
El emprendedor/La emprendedora	Entrepeneur
El consultor/La consultora	Consultant
El ejecutivo/La ejecutiva	Executive
El administrador/La administradora	Administrator
El banquero/La banquera	Banker

Comunicaciones – Communications

Spanish	English
El periodista/La periodista	Journalist
El editor/La editora	Editor
El locutor/La locutora	Broadcaster
El reportero/La reportera	Reporter
El anfitrión	Host
El traductor/La traductora	Translator
El redactor/La redactora	Copywriter
El creador de contenido/La creadora de contenido	Content Creator
El gerente de redes sociales/La gerente de redes sociales	Social Media Manager
El anunciante/La anunciante	Announcer
El agente de relaciones publicas/La agente de relaciones publicas	Public Relations Agent

Educación – Education

Spanish	English
El profesor/La profesora	Teacher
El tutor/La tutora	Tutor
El director/La directora	Principal
El bibliotecario/La bibliotecaria	Librarian
El consejero/La consejera	Counselor
El asesor académico/La asesora académica	Academic Advisor
El conferencista/La conferencista	Lecturer
El investigador/La investigadora	Researcher
El asistente educativo/La asistente educativa	Teaching Assistant
El especialista en educación/La especialista en educación	Education Specialist

Cuidado de La Salud – Health Care

Spanish	English
El doctor/La doctora	Doctor
El médico/La médica	Doctor
El enfermero/La enfermera	Nurse
El dentista/La dentista	Dentist
El farmacéutico/La farmacéutica	Pharmacist
El cirujano/La cirujana	Surgeon
El psiquiatra/La psiquiatra	Psychiatrist
El terapeuta/La terapeuta	Therapist
El pediatra/La pediatra	Pediatrician
El optometrista/La optometrista	Optometrist
El nutricionista/La nutricionista	Nutritionist

Hospitalidad – Hospitality

Spanish	English
El chef/La chef	Chef
El barista/La barista	Barman/Barwoman
El recepcionista/La recepcionista	Receptionist
El mesero/La mesera	Waiter/Waitress
El guía turístico/La guía turística	Tour Guide
El empleado del hogar/La empleada del hogar	Housekeeper
El organizador de eventos/La organizadora de eventos	Event Planner
El conserje/La conserje	Concierge
El cocinero/La cocinera	Cook
El gerente de hotel/La gerente de hotel	Hotel Manager

Tecnologías de La Información – Information Technology

Spanish	English
El desarrollador de software/La desarrolladora de software	Software Developer
El especialista de TI/La especialista de TI	IT Specialist
El analista de sistemas/La analista de sistemas	Systems Analyst
El desarrollador web/La desarrolladora web	Web Developer
El ingeniero de redes/La ingeniera de redes	Network Engineer
El analista de datos/El analista de datos	Data Analyst
El experto en ciberseguridad/La experta en ciberseguridad	Cybersecurity Expert
El administrador de base de datos/La administradora de base de datos	Database Administrator
El diseñador UX/UI / La diseñadora UX/UI	UX/UI Designer
El programador/La programadora	Programmer

Leyes y Política – Law and Politics

Spanish	English
El abogado/La abogada	Lawyer
El juez/La jueza	Judge
El político/La política	Politician
El diplomático/La diplomática	Diplomat
El asistente legal/La asistente legal	Legal Assistant
El paralegal/La paralegal	Paralegal
El fiscal/La fiscal	Prosecutor
El alcalde/La alcaldesa	Mayor
El senador/La senadora	Senator
El embajador/La embajadora	Ambassador
El presidente/La presidenta	President

Ventas y Marketing – Sales and Marketing

Spanish	English
El vendedor/La vendedora	Salesperson
El gerente de cuentas/La gerente de cuentas	Account Manager
El gerente de marketing/La gerente de marketing	Marketing Manager
El representante de ventas/La representante de ventas	Sales Representative
El gerente de producto/La gerente de producto	Product Manager
El gerente de marca/La gerente de marca	Brand Manager
El investigador de mercado/La investigadora de mercado	Market Researcher
El asociado de ventas/La asociada de ventas	Sales Associate
El comercializador digital/La comercializadora digital	Digital Marketer
El representante de servicio al cliente/La representante de servicio al cliente	Customer Service Rep

Ciencia – Science

Spanish	English
El biólogo/La bióloga	Biologist
El químico/La química	Chemist
El físico/La física	Physicist
El ambientalista/La ambientalista	Environmentalist
El geólogo/La geóloga	Geologist
El meteorólogo/La meteoróloga	Meteorologist
El astrónomo/La astrónoma	Astronomer
El técnico de laboratorio/La técnica de laboratorio	Lab Technician
El genetista/La genetista	Geneticist

Oficios y Labores – Trades and Labor

Spanish	English
El mecánico/La mecánica	Mechanic
El electricista/La electricista	Electrician
El fontanero/La fontanera	Plumber
El carpintero/La carpintera	Carpenter
El soldador/La soldadora	Welder
El pintor/La pintora	Painter
El obrero de construcción/La obrera de construcción	Construction Worker
El maquinista/La maquinista	Machinist
El paisajista/La paisajista	Landscaper
El taxista/La taxista	Taxist
El panadero/La panadera	Baker
El jardinero/La jardinera	Gardener
El florista/La florista	Florist

Servicio Público – Public Service

Spanish	English
El policía/La policía	Policeman/Policewoman
El bombero/La bombera	Firefighter
El soldado/La soldada	Soldier
El guardia de seguridad/La guardia de seguridad	Security Guard

How To Talk About Jobs In Spanish

Talking about your job in Spanish is a great topic to start a conversation, but it can also be a useful way to work on your professional network. Whether you feel in the mood for socializing or want to get to know people in the same field as you, try using the phrases and questions below to improve your work-related conversations.

Asking Questions

When you want to ask what someone does for a living, you need to know how to use Spanish question words and work-related vocabulary. Here are some common questions you might ask about someone’s career or job in Spanish:

Spanish	English
¿En qué trabajas?	What is your job?
¿Cuál es tu trabajo?	What is your job?
¿Dónde trabajas?	Where do you work?
¿Qué haces en tu trabajo?	What do you do for work?
¿Desde cuándo trabajas como…?	Since when do you work as…?
¿Te gusta trabajar como…?	Do you like working as…?
¿Cómo es tu trabajo?	What is your job like?

Talking About Your Job

Once you know how to ask questions about someone’s job, you’ll need to be able to answer the questions, as well. There are many ways to describe what you do, from stating your exact job title to talking about your general area of expertise. Below, you’ll find a list of expressions used to talk about jobs and professions in Spanish:

Spanish	English
Trabajo como…	I work as…
Me dedico a…	I work in…
Trabajo en…	I work in…
Llevo # años trabajando como…	I’ve been working as a …. for # years.
Mi profesión es…	My profession is…
Mi área de trabajo es…	My area of work is…

Here are some examples of how you can use these phrases to describe your job in Spanish:

-Trabajo como investigador. / I work as a researcher.

-Trabajo en el banco. / I work in the bank.

-Me dedico a la enseñanza. / I work in teaching.

-Mi profesión es técnica de laboratorio. / My profession is laboratory technician.

-Mi área de trabajo es el cuidado a la salud. / My area of work is healthcare. 

-Llevo 8 años trabajando como reportera. / I have been working as a reporter for 8 years.

Learn Spanish with Langoly!

Now that you know the career vocabulary you need to talk about jobs in Spanish, it’s time to practice using it. To start, you can download a Spanish app to quickly increase your vocabulary. Spanish books, on the other hand, have more in-depth explanations and examples for Spanish grammar topics. You can also watch YouTube videos to test your understanding of the language or listen to a Spanish podcast to develop your comprehension.

Or, if you want to learn Spanish from zero and focus on the language you’ll need in real life, an online course is your best choice. We created the Siempre Spanish course to teach you Spanish in context, so you won’t have to rely on memorizing vocabulary lists. You study with native Spanish speakers and practice using what you learned in different scenarios. If you’d like to learn more about careers and professions, you can also listen to episode 08 of the Siempre Spanish podcast for free.