English Jobs & Professions Vocabulary
This page teaches the common English words for jobs and professions, grouped by field: everyday work like teacher and driver, public service like doctor and police officer, the arts, and skilled trades. Learn to say what someone does and ask 'What do you do?'.
Level: A2. “What do you do?” is one of the first questions you meet in English, and the answer is a job. This page gathers the most useful words for jobs and professions, grouped by field so related ones stick together, each with a plain definition and a short example you can copy.
By the end of this page you can…
…name common jobs in English, say what you and other people do for work, ask What do you do?, and use the article a or an correctly before a job.
How this list was chosen
Every word here comes from the English frequency list (hermitdave/FrequencyWords), which ranks words by how often they appear in a large collection of everyday subtitles. From that list we kept the job words an A2 learner needs and grouped them by field — everyday work, public service, the arts, skilled trades — instead of by rank, so related jobs sit together. The Rank column is the word’s real position in the list; lower means more common.
Everyday jobs
| Rank | Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 371 | doctor | a person who treats sick people | The doctor gave me some medicine. |
| 1015 | teacher | a person who teaches | Our teacher explains things clearly. |
| 1356 | driver | a person who drives a vehicle | The bus driver was very friendly. |
| 1391 | cook | a person who prepares food | He works as a cook in a small cafe. |
| 1564 | nurse | a person who cares for the sick | The nurse checked my temperature. |
| 1826 | chef | a trained, professional cook | The chef made a wonderful dinner. |
| 4068 | waiter | a person who serves food in a restaurant | The waiter brought the menu. |
| 4093 | farmer | a person who grows crops or keeps animals | The farmer wakes up very early. |
| 5750 | cleaner | a person whose job is cleaning | The cleaner comes every morning. |
Public service and safety
| Rank | Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 350 | police | the force that keeps public order | Call the police if you see a crime. |
| 744 | officer | a member of the police or armed forces | A police officer helped us find the way. |
| 981 | judge | a person who decides cases in court | The judge listened to both sides. |
| 1037 | lawyer | a person trained in the law | My lawyer read the contract for me. |
| 1192 | guard | a person who protects a place | A guard stood at the gate. |
| 1634 | soldier | a member of an army | The soldier wore a green uniform. |
| 2415 | pilot | a person who flies a plane | The pilot welcomed us on board. |
| 5348 | dentist | a doctor for teeth | I see the dentist twice a year. |
Arts and media
| Rank | Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1868 | artist | a person who makes art | The artist painted the whole wall. |
| 2467 | reporter | a person who reports the news | A reporter asked the mayor a question. |
| 2499 | actor | a person who acts in films or plays | The actor learned all his lines. |
| 2549 | writer | a person who writes books or articles | The writer signed my copy of her book. |
| 2940 | singer | a person who sings | The singer has a beautiful voice. |
| 4667 | journalist | a person who writes for the news | The journalist checked every fact. |
| 4727 | photographer | a person who takes photos | The photographer took our wedding photos. |
| 5650 | painter | a person who paints | The painter finished the house in a week. |
| 6006 | musician | a person who plays music | The musician practises three hours a day. |
Science, business and skilled trades
| Rank | Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1028 | professor | a senior university teacher | The professor gave an interesting lecture. |
| 1477 | manager | a person who runs a team or shop | The manager approved my holiday. |
| 1896 | secretary | a person who manages an office’s paperwork | The secretary booked the meeting room. |
| 3638 | engineer | a person who designs machines or structures | The engineer tested the new bridge. |
| 3731 | scientist | a person who does science | The scientist ran the experiment twice. |
| 6403 | accountant | a person who manages money and tax | My accountant files my tax return. |
| 6773 | mechanic | a person who repairs machines and cars | The mechanic fixed the engine quickly. |
| 8403 | carpenter | a person who makes things from wood | The carpenter built us a new table. |
| 8485 | plumber | a person who fixes water pipes | The plumber stopped the leak. |
Talking about work
| Rank | Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 151 | work | activity you do to earn money; a place of work | I go to work at eight. |
| 269 | job | the work a person is paid to do | She has a new job in a bank. |
| 494 | office | a place where people do desk work | He works in a busy office. |
| 566 | boss | the person in charge of you at work | My boss is fair and kind. |
| 590 | company | a business organisation | She works for a big company. |
| 1482 | career | your working life over many years | Teaching is a rewarding career. |
| 2203 | factory | a place where goods are made | They make cars in that factory. |
Example sentences
Play each line, then say it aloud. These use the job words in natural, everyday patterns.
- What do you do? I am a teacher.The standard question and answer about work.
- She is a nurse and he is a doctor at the same hospital.'a' before each job, two health roles.
- He works as a cook in a small cafe.work as a + job describes someone's role.
- The bus driver was friendly and the trip was smooth.driver = a person who drives.
- A police officer helped us find the station.police officer is the full, neutral form.
- My lawyer read the contract before I signed it.lawyer = a person trained in the law.
- The engineer tested the new bridge for a week.engineer designs and checks structures.
- The chef made a wonderful dinner for the guests.chef = a trained professional cook.
- The artist painted a huge picture on the wall.artist → the verb paint gives painter too.
- The pilot welcomed us on board the plane.pilot = a person who flies a plane.
- A reporter asked the mayor several questions.reporter and journalist both work with the news.
- The mechanic fixed the engine in an hour.mechanic repairs machines and cars.
- My boss gave me a new job in the London office.boss, job and office in one work sentence.
- She works for a big company and travels a lot.work for + a company.
- The farmer wakes up early to feed the animals.farmer grows crops and keeps animals.
- He is an actor, and his sister is a singer.'an' before actor (vowel sound), 'a' before singer.
- The plumber came quickly and stopped the leak.plumber fixes water pipes.
Recap cheat-sheet
A few patterns to remember before the quiz.
Quick recap before the quiz.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| verb + -er/-or | teach → teacher; drive → driver; act → actor |
| a / an + job | a nurse; an engineer; an officer |
| ask about work | What do you do? I am a teacher. |
| work as / for | work as a cook; work for a company |
Practice
Jobs and professions practice
Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.
1 Match each job to what the person does.
- doctor
- pilot
- farmer
- mechanic
Show answer
- doctor → treats sick people
- pilot → flies a plane
- farmer → grows crops and keeps animals
- mechanic → repairs cars and machines
Linking the job to the action helps you remember it.
2 Match the verb to the job it makes.
- teach
- drive
- sing
- write
Show answer
- teach → teacher
- drive → driver
- sing → singer
- write → writer
Many jobs are just the verb + -er.
Hint: before a vowel sound
Show answer
an — Use 'an' before a vowel sound: an engineer, an actor.
Hint: verb + -er
Show answer
teacher — teach → teacher, a person who teaches.
6 Put the words in order.
Show answer
What do you do — The question for jobs: What do you do?
Quiz
Jobs and professions quiz
12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.
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Show answer
doctor — A doctor treats sick people; a dentist treats teeth.
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Show answer
driver — drive + -er = driver.
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Show answer
He is an engineer. — Use 'an' before a vowel sound: an engineer.
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Show answer
pilot — A pilot flies a plane.
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Show answer
chef — A chef is a trained professional cook.
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Show answer
judge — A judge decides cases; a lawyer argues them.
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Show answer
engineer — An engineer designs machines and structures.
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Show answer
police officer — Police officer works for everyone; the -man/-woman forms are older.
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Show answer
mechanic — A mechanic repairs machines; a plumber fixes pipes.
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Show answer
What do you do? — 'What do you do?' asks about a person's job.
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Show answer
journalist — A journalist (or reporter) writes the news.
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Show answer
boss — Your boss is the person in charge of you at work.
Next
- Related set: English Nature & Geography Vocabulary
- Previous set: English Weather Vocabulary
- Core lists: 100 Essential English Verbs, Common English Adjectives
- New here? Start with Start Learning English Here
All English vocabulary topics
Vocabulary, pronunciation, phrases, practice and exam help, ordered by level. Pick a topic and go straight to it. New lessons go live every day, so topics marked Coming soon fill in over the next weeks.
Vocabulary
A1 13 topics · 13 ready
- 01 100 Most Common English Words
- 02 English Words 101-250 (Frequency)
- 03 100 Essential English Verbs
- 04 Common English Adjectives
- 05 English Question Words & Phrases
- 06 English Time Expressions
- 07 English Food & Cooking Vocabulary
- 08 English Animals Vocabulary
- 09 English Clothing Vocabulary
- 10 English Weather Vocabulary
- 11 English Family & Relationships Vocabulary
- 12 English Colours Vocabulary
- 13 English Numbers, Dates & Money
A2 14 topics · 14 ready
- 14 English Words 251-500 (Frequency)
- 15 English Words 501-1000 (Frequency)
- 16 Everyday English Adverbs
- 17 English Body & Health Vocabulary
- 18 English House & Furniture Vocabulary
- 19 English Kitchen & Tableware Vocabulary
- 20 English Transport & Travel Vocabulary
- 21 English Places in Town Vocabulary
- 22 English Jobs & Professions Vocabulary You are here
- 23 English Money & Shopping Vocabulary
- 24 English Emotions & Feelings Vocabulary
- 25 English Sports & Exercise Vocabulary
- 26 English Verbs of Motion
- 27 English Irregular Verbs Reference
B1 11 topics · 11 ready
- 28 English Words 1001-1500 (Frequency)
- 29 English Words 1501-2000 (Frequency)
- 30 English Connectors & Linking Words
- 31 English Nature & Geography Vocabulary
- 32 English Technology & Internet Vocabulary
- 33 English Education & School Vocabulary
- 34 English Medical & Pharmacy Vocabulary
- 35 English Arts, Music & Film Vocabulary
- 36 100 Essential English Phrasal Verbs
- 37 Commonly Confused English Words
- 38 British vs American English