Spanish Phrases: Common jobs and professions in Spanish

The following are the names of some common job titles in Spanish.

Note: a jobs and professions crossword and wordsearch are available to help you learn this vocabulary.

Generally, the gender of the Spanish noun matches the gender of the person in question. The feminine of the majority of job titles is formed by changing the final -o to -a (for those ending in -o) or adding -a (where the masculine has a different ending). Words ending in -e, as well as in -ista, generally apply to both genders. Exceptions are noted below.

soy ...	-	I am (a) ...
es ...	-	he/she is (a) ...
abogado, -a	-	lawyer
actor	-	actor
actriz	-	actress
agricultor, -a	-	farmer
artista	-	artist
autor, -a	-	author, writer
bárman	-	barman
basurero, -a	-	refuse/garbage collector, dustman, "bin man"
biólogo, -a	­-	biologist
cajero, -a	-	cashier, teller
camarero	-	waiter, bar tender
camarera	-	waitress, (female) bar tender
chef	tʃɛf	chef
chofer (de camión) (masculine or feminine)	-	coach driver, bus driver (Mexico)
científico, -a	-	scientist
cocinero, -a	-	cook, chef
conductor, -a de autobús	-	bus driver, coach driver
conserje	-	caretaker, janitor; porter, doorkeeper
controlador, -a de boletos	-	ticket inspector
dentista	-	dentist
doctor, -a	-	doctor
economista	-	economist
encargado, -a de limpieza	-	cleaner
enfermero, -a	-	nurse
estudiante	-	student
físico, -a	-	physicist
hombre de negocios	-	businessman
informático, -a	-	IT specialist, computer specialist
ingeniero, -a	-	engineer
intérprete	-	interpreter
investigador, -a	-	researcher
maestro, -a	-	(primary school) teacher
médico, -a	-	doctor, physician
mesero, -a	-	waiter/waitress, bar tender (Mexico)
mujer de negocios	-	businesswoman
músico, -a	-	musician
peluquero, -a	-	hairdresser
policía	-	policeman
(mujer) policía	-	policewoman
portero, -a	-	caretaker, janitor; porter, doorkeeper
profesor, -a	-	(secondary school) teacher, lecturer
traductor, -a	-	translator
vendedor, -a	-	shop assistant, sales assistant

 Suggest a change / cambios sugeridos

Grammar: saying he is a teacher etc

Note that in simple statements such as he is a teacher, Spanish speakers generally don't use the article:

When the job name is qualified, the article is generally used: