Professions in Spanish

In general, Spanish profession nouns change according to the gender of the person they refer to. Let's learn the rules for forming profession nouns and, of course, the exceptions to these rules.

Masculine Form	Feminine Form	English
el panadero	la panadera	baker

Nouns with O/A Forms

Many profession nouns have masculine forms that end in o. These forms can be made feminine by changing the o to an a. Here is a list of very common examples of this type of profession noun.

Spanish	English	Spanish	English
el médico	doctor	el ingeniero	engineer
el cirujano	surgeon	el maestro	teacher
el arquitecto	architect	el arqueólogo	archaeologist
el abogado	lawyer	el peluquero	stylist
el biólogo	biologist	el carnicero	butcher
el carpintero	carpenter	el payaso	clown
el farmacéutico	pharmacologist	el químico	chemist
el bombero	fireman	el jardinero	gardener
el geólogo	geologist	el ginecólogo	gynecologist
el secretario	secretary	el joyero	jeweler
el bibliotecario	librarian	el cartero	mailperson
el mecánico	mechanic	el ministro	minister
el músico	musician	el enfermero	nurse
el fotógrafo	photographer	el político	politician
el psicólogo	psychologist	el científico	scientist
el camarero	waiter	el cocinero	cook

Exceptions

The masculine and feminine forms of the following nouns are the same. Only the article changes to match the gender of the person.

Masculine Profession	Feminine Profession	English
el piloto	la piloto	pilot
el modelo	la modelo	model

examples
Sandra es médica y Dan es músico. Sandra is a doctor and Dan is a musician.
Jake es atleta y Maureen es poeta. Jake is an athlete and Maureen is a poet.

Nouns that End in a Consonant

There are also many profession nouns with masculine forms that end in a consonant. These forms can be made feminine by adding an a to the end of the masculine form. Here is a list of very common examples of these profession nouns.

Spanish	English	Spanish	English
el profesor	teacher	el bailarín	dancer
el administrador	administrator	el embajador	ambassador
el director	director	el entrenador	trainer
el programador	programmer	el redactor	editor
el agricultor	farmer	el pescador	fisher
el investigator	investigator	el capitán	captain
el pastor	pastor	el vendedor	salesperson
el traductor	translator	el escritor	writer

Nouns that Don't Change

There are also many profession nouns that always have the same form.

• If a noun ends in -ista, -ia, or e, only the article changes to match the gender of the person.
• There are also some nouns that always end in a, regardless of whether they are masculine or feminine. Most of these end in -ta.

Masculine Form	Feminine Form	English
el dentista	la dentista	dentist
el policía	la policía	police officer

Here is a list of common professions that follow this rule.

el contable	accountant	el poeta	poet
el atleta	athlete	el guardia	guard
el psiquiatra	psychiatrist	el terapeuta	therapist
el ayudante	assistant	el presidente	president
el detective	detective	el asistente de vuelo	flight attendant
el agente	agent	el intérprete	interpreter
el cantante	singer	el asistente social	social worker
el estudiante	student	el artista	artist
el esteticista	beautician	el oficinista	office worker
el electricista	electrician	el florista	florist
el periodista	journalist	el psicoanalista	psychoanalyst
el recepcionista	receptionist	el taxista	taxi driver

Many nouns that historically only had one form for the masculine and feminine are changing as women take on roles previously only filled by males. For example, it is now fairly common to see the word presidentaused to refer to female presidents.

Exceptions

Not all nouns that end in -ista, -ia, or e follow the above rule. The following masculine nouns have a very different feminine form:

Masculine Form	Feminine Form	English
el dependiente	la dependienta	sales clerk
el duque	la duquesa	duke / duchess
el alcalde	la alcaldesa	mayor

Remember, the rules above are more like generalizations for groups of nouns. There are many exceptions to these rules, but the majority of profession nouns you come across will follow them.