Names of Occupations and Job Titles in Spanish

Chances are that when you start talking with native Spanish speakers, one of the first things youll talk about is your jobs or occupations—or what you hope to do someday. Heres a guide to talking about occupations in Spanish along with a list of the most common types of jobs. List of Occupational Names Many of the job titles below seem familiar, as many are English cognates, having come from Latin. Keep in mind, though, that in a few cases the meanings in similar-sounding titles dont always line up exactly, sometimes because of cultural differences. A secondary-school teacher in Latin America, for example, might be known as a profesor, while in the United States, at least, the word professor is used primarily at the university level. In this list, the masculine forms are given. The feminine forms are given following a slash (/) in cases where they dont follow the rules above. Note also that different words may be used in some areas, or for certain specialties. Accountant—contador, contableActor/actress—actor/actrizAdministrator—administradorAmbassador—embajadorArchaeologist—arqueà ³logoArchitect—arquitectoArtist—artistaAthlete—atleta, deportistaAttorney—abogadoBaker—panaderoBarber—barberoBartender—mesero, cantineroBeautician—esteticistaBiologist—bià ³logoBusinessman/businesswoman—hombre/mujer de negocios, empresarioButcher—carniceroCaptain—capità ¡nCarpenter—carpinteroChemist (pharmacist)— armacà ©uticoChemist (scientist)—quà ­micoChief executive officer—director generalClerk (office worker)—oficinistaClerk (retail worker)—dependienteCoach— ntrenadorComputer programmer—programadorCook—cocineroDancer— bailarà ­n/bailarinaDentist—dentistaDoctor, physician—mà ©dicoDriver—conductorEditor—redactorElectrician—electrici staEngineer—ingenieroFarmer—agricultor, granjeroFirefighter—bomberoFlorist— floristaGeologist— geà ³logoGuard—guardiaHotelier, innkeeper—hoteleroJeweler—joyeroJournalist—cronistaKing/queen—rey/reinaLandlord—dueà ±oLawyer—abogadoLibrarian—bibliotecarioMail carrier—carteroMechanic—mecà ¡nicoMidwife—comadronaMinister (politics)—ministroMinister (church)—pastorModel—modelo (no separate feminine form)Musician—mà ºsicoNurse— nfermeroOptometrist—optà ³metraPainter—pintorPharmacist—farmacà ©uticoPilot—piloto (separate feminine form rarely used)Poet—poetaPresident—presidente/presidentaProfessor—profesor, catedrà ¡ticoPsychologist—sicolà ³gicoRabbi—rabinoSailor—marineroSalesman/saleswoman—dependiente, vendedorScientist—cientà ­ficoSecretary—secretari oServant—criadoSocial worker—asistente socialSoldier—soldadoStudent—estudianteSurgeon—cirujanoTeacher—maestro, profesorTherapist—terapeutaVeterinary—veterinarioWaiter—camarero, meseroWelder—soldadorWriter—escritor Grammar of Occupations Gender One matter of some confusion can be the gender of the occupational names. In many cases, the same word is used to refer to a man as to a woman. For example, a male dentist is el dentista, while a female dentist is la dentista. In some cases, there are distinct forms, such as el carpintero for a male carpenter and la carpintera for a female carpenter. In many cases, both forms can be used to refer to a female. For example, the boss is el jefe if hes male, but either la jefe or la jefa if shes female, depending on the region and, sometimes, whos speaking. Similarly, la mà ©dica is used to refer to a female doctor in some areas, but in other areas la mà ©dico is used and/or might be considered more respectful. In nearly all cases, using la with the masculine form is the safer choice if youre not sure of local usage. Otherwise, the feminine form of the occupations ending in -o are formed by changing the -o to an -a. Occupations that end in -dor are changed to -dora for the feminine. Occupation names that already end in -a are the same in masculine or feminine. Use of the Indefinite Article Unlike English, Spanish does not use the indefinite article—a or an in English, and un or una in Spanish—when specifying someones occupation: No soy marinero; soy capità ¡n. (I am not a sailor; I am a captain.)Mi madre es profesor de ciencia. (My mother is a science teacher.)Felipe Calderà ³n era presidente de Mà ©xico. (Felipe Calderà ³n was president of Mexico.)Se hizo actriz extraodrinaria. (She became an extraordinary actress.) However, the article can be used in other situations, such as when talking about an occupation in general: Un actor es una persona que interpreta un papel. (An actor is a person who plays a role.)El juez condenà ³ a un dentista por hacer extracciones innecesarias. (The judge sentenced a dentist for performing unnecessary extractions.) ¿De dà ³nde saca la inspiracià ³n un escritor? (Where does a writer get inspiration from?) Some occupation names can be used in ways characterize actions rather than referring to occupation, in which case the article can be used. Todos sabà ­an que el despota era un carcinero psicopà ¡tico. (Everyone knew the dictator was a psychopathic butcher).Mi moto es un psicolà ³gico, y la velocidad mi terapia. (My motorcycle is a psychologist, and speed my therapy.) Key Takeaways Many occupations names in Spanish are similar to those of English because they both come from Latin.The indefinite article (un or una) is not typically used when referring to someones occupation.Separate feminine and masculine forms exist for the names of some occupations, although their use varies across regions.