Jobs and Titles in Spanish
Talking about jobs and professions is one of the first things you do when meeting someone new. In Spanish, job titles follow clear gender patterns and use a unique grammar rule: no article before the profession. "Soy médico" (I am a doctor) drops the "a" entirely. This guide covers common professions, their masculine and feminine forms, and the grammar behind it all.
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Common Professions — Profesiones Comunes
Most Spanish job titles have masculine (-o) and feminine (-a) forms. The table shows both where applicable. Remember: use "Soy + profession" without an article.
In Spanish, you say "Soy médico" (I am doctor) — no article. This is unlike English ("I am a doctor") and unlike French ("Je suis médecin"). But if you add an adjective, the article comes back: "Soy un buen médico."
More Professions — Más Profesiones
These professions include both gendered forms and some that stay the same regardless of gender, changing only the article.
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Workplace Vocabulary
Knowing where people work is just as important as knowing what they do. Here are essential workplace words:
- la oficina — office
- la empresa — company
- el trabajo — work / job
- el jefe / la jefa — boss
- el sueldo — salary
- la reunión — meeting
Useful Phrases About Work
Use these sentences to talk about your career in Spanish:
- Soy ingeniera — I am an engineer (female)
- Trabajo como profesor — I work as a teacher
- Trabajo en un hospital — I work in a hospital
- ¿A qué te dedicas? — What do you do for a living?
- Estoy buscando trabajo — I am looking for work
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you use an article before professions in Spanish?
No. When stating your profession with ser, you omit the article: "Soy médico" (I am a doctor), not "Soy un médico." However, if you add an adjective, the article returns: "Soy un buen médico" (I am a good doctor).
Do job titles change for gender in Spanish?
Most do. Words ending in -o change to -a for feminine: médico/médica, abogado/abogada. Words ending in -or add -a: profesor/profesora. Some words like periodista stay the same for both genders, changing only the article (el/la periodista).
How do you ask someone what they do for work in Spanish?
The most common question is ¿A qué te dedicas? (informal) or ¿A qué se dedica? (formal), meaning "What do you do for a living?" You can also ask ¿En qué trabajas? (What do you work in?).
Are job titles different in Spain vs Latin America?
Some are. A computer scientist is an informático in Spain but often a computista or ingeniero en sistemas in Latin America. A waiter is camarero in Spain but mesero in Mexico and mozo in Argentina. The words in this guide are universally understood.
What is the structure for saying your job in Spanish?
Use Soy + profession without an article: "Soy ingeniera" (I am an engineer). For past jobs, use Era + profession: "Era profesor" (I was a teacher). To say where you work, use Trabajo en... or Trabajo como....