Jobs in French for Beginners 80 Useful Professions and Phrases

Talking about jobs is one of those beginner French skills that turns up everywhere: introductions, small talk, forms, job interviews, family conversations, and that awkward moment when someone asks what your brother does and your brain offers only baguette.

The good news: French job vocabulary is very learnable once you know a few patterns. Many profession names look familiar to English speakers, but French adds useful little complications like gender, articles, and endings that love to change just when you thought things were going fine.

In this guide, you’ll learn 80+ common jobs in French, how to talk about what someone does, and a few polite real-life phrases that make you sound much more natural.

If you want more beginner support after this, you can also explore French lessons, take a French placement test, or check your level with a French vocabulary test.

Table of Contents

How To Say Jobs In French

The most common word for “job” is le métier (luh may-TYAY), meaning profession, trade, or line of work. You’ll also hear le travail (luh tra-VAI), which means work or job more generally, and la profession (lah pro-feh-see-ON), which is a bit more formal.

Quel est ton métier ? — What is your job? (casual)
Quel est votre métier ? — What is your job? (polite/formal)
Tu fais quoi dans la vie ? — What do you do in life? / What do you do for work? (very natural, casual)
Je suis + profession — I am a…
Il est / Elle est + profession — He is / She is a…

Important beginner note: in French, job titles usually appear without an article after être.

Je suis professeur. — I am a teacher.
Elle est médecin. — She is a doctor.
Mon frère est ingénieur. — My brother is an engineer.

After être, French usually says Je suis professeur, not Je suis un professeur. Tiny rule, big difference.

Useful Phrases For Talking About Jobs

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Quel est ton métier ?	kel ay ton may-TYAY	What is your job?	Quel est ton métier ? Tu travailles dans quel domaine ?	What is your job? What field do you work in?	Casual; use with friends or peers.
Quel est votre métier ?	kel ay VOT-ruh may-TYAY	What is your job?	Quel est votre métier ?	What is your job?	Polite or formal.
Tu fais quoi dans la vie ?	too fay kwah dahn lah vee	What do you do for a living?	Tu fais quoi dans la vie ? — Je suis comptable.	What do you do for a living? — I’m an accountant.	Very common in spoken French.
Je suis…	zhuh swee	I am…	Je suis infirmière.	I am a nurse.	No article before the profession here.
Je travaille comme…	zhuh tra-VAI kom	I work as a…	Je travaille comme serveur.	I work as a waiter.	Useful when introducing your role.
Il est… / Elle est…	eel ay / el ay	He is… / She is…	Elle est avocate.	She is a lawyer.	Watch masculine/feminine endings.
Je cherche du travail.	zhuh shersh du tra-VAI	I’m looking for work.	Je cherche du travail depuis deux mois.	I’ve been looking for work for two months.	Very practical phrase.
Je suis au chômage.	zhuh swee oh sho-MAHZH	I am unemployed.	En ce moment, je suis au chômage.	At the moment, I’m unemployed.	Neutral expression.
Je travaille à temps plein.	zhuh tra-VAI ah tahn plan	I work full-time.	Je travaille à temps plein dans une banque.	I work full-time in a bank.	Temps plein = full-time.
Je travaille à temps partiel.	zhuh tra-VAI ah tahn par-syel	I work part-time.	Je travaille à temps partiel le week-end.	I work part-time on weekends.	Partiel = partial.
Je suis en télétravail.	zhuh swee ahn tay-lay-tra-VAI	I work remotely.	Cette semaine, je suis en télétravail.	This week, I’m working remotely.	Modern and very common.
Je travaille dans…	zhuh tra-VAI dahn	I work in…	Je travaille dans la santé.	I work in healthcare.	Good when you don’t want to name the exact job.

Common Job Patterns You Should Notice

French profession words often change for masculine and feminine forms. Sometimes the change is small, and sometimes it looks like the word got a quick makeover.

un serveur / une serveuse — waiter / waitress
un acteur / une actrice — actor / actress
un infirmier / une infirmière — nurse
un boulanger / une boulangère — baker
un avocat / une avocate — lawyer

Some profession names stay the same in masculine and feminine, especially in modern French.

un médecin / une médecin or une femme médecin — doctor
un professeur / une professeure — teacher, professor
un architecte / une architecte — architect
un journaliste / une journaliste — journalist

Usage varies a bit, and modern job-title feminization has expanded a lot in France. You may see forms like autrice, professeure, or ingénieure. Not everyone uses exactly the same form, but these are now widely recognized.

Office And Professional Jobs In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
un employé / une employée	uhn ahm-plwah-YAY	employee	Ma sœur est employée dans une assurance.	My sister is an employee at an insurance company.	Very general term.
un directeur / une directrice	uhn dee-rek-TUR / dee-rek-TREES	manager, director	Il est directeur d’une petite entreprise.	He is the director of a small company.	Directeur can mean director or manager depending on context.
un comptable	uhn kon-TABL	accountant	Mon oncle est comptable.	My uncle is an accountant.	Same basic form for men and women.
un avocat / une avocate	ah-vo-KA	lawyer	Elle est avocate à Lyon.	She is a lawyer in Lyon.	Not to be confused with avocat meaning avocado.
un secrétaire / une secrétaire	seh-kreh-TAIR	secretary	Il travaille comme secrétaire médical.	He works as a medical secretary.	Same form in writing.
un assistant / une assistante	ah-sees-TAN / ah-sees-TANT	assistant	Je suis assistante de direction.	I am an executive assistant.	Very common office role.
un ingénieur / une ingénieure	ahn-zhay-NYUR	engineer	Mon frère est ingénieur en informatique.	My brother is a software engineer.	Often followed by en + field.
un consultant / une consultante	kon-sul-TAN	consultant	Elle travaille comme consultante.	She works as a consultant.	Business French staple.
un commercial / une commerciale	kom-mer-syal	sales representative	Il est commercial dans l’automobile.	He works in car sales.	In French this means a sales role, not “commercial” as an adjective.
un informaticien / une informaticienne	ahn-for-ma-tee-syen	IT specialist	Elle est informaticienne dans une école.	She is an IT specialist in a school.	Very useful word in French-speaking workplaces.
un développeur / une développeuse	day-veh-lo-PUR / day-veh-lo-PUHZ	developer	Je suis développeur web.	I am a web developer.	Often paired with web, logiciel, or mobile.
un traducteur / une traductrice	trah-duk-TUR / trah-duk-TREES	translator	Elle est traductrice de l’anglais vers le français.	She is a translator from English into French.	Good word for language learners, obviously.

Education And Language Jobs In French

If you’re also learning school words, this pairs nicely with school vocabulary in French.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
un professeur / une professeure	pro-feh-SUR	teacher, professor	Ma mère est professeure de français.	My mother is a French teacher.	In casual speech people often say prof.
un instituteur / une institutrice	ahn-stee-too-TUR / ahn-stee-too-TREES	primary school teacher	Mon voisin est instituteur.	My neighbor is a primary school teacher.	Traditional term; also professeur des écoles.
un étudiant / une étudiante	ay-tu-dyan / ay-tu-dyant	student	Je suis étudiante en droit.	I am a law student.	Not a job, but often needed in introductions.
un chercheur / une chercheuse	sher-SHUR / sher-SHUHZ	researcher	Elle est chercheuse à l’université.	She is a researcher at the university.	Academic and scientific contexts.
un bibliothécaire	bee-blee-oh-teh-KAIR	librarian	Mon père est bibliothécaire.	My father is a librarian.	Same written form for both genders in many cases.
un formateur / une formatrice	for-ma-TUR / for-ma-TREES	trainer, instructor	Il travaille comme formateur en entreprise.	He works as a corporate trainer.	Common in adult education.

Healthcare Jobs In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
un médecin	uhn may-deh-SAN	doctor	Mon père est médecin généraliste.	My father is a general practitioner.	Very common word; same core form for all genders.
un infirmier / une infirmière	ahn-feer-MYAY / ahn-feer-MYAIR	nurse	Elle est infirmière à l’hôpital.	She is a nurse at the hospital.	One of the first healthcare jobs learners meet.
un dentiste	uhn don-TEEST	dentist	Mon oncle est dentiste.	My uncle is a dentist.	Looks like English, thankfully.
un pharmacien / une pharmacienne	far-ma-syen	pharmacist	Elle est pharmacienne dans cette pharmacie.	She is the pharmacist in this pharmacy.	Very useful travel word too.
un psychologue	psee-ko-LOG	psychologist	Il travaille comme psychologue.	He works as a psychologist.	Same basic written form.
un kinésithérapeute	kee-nay-zee-tay-rah-PUT	physiotherapist	Elle est kinésithérapeute.	She is a physiotherapist.	Often shortened in speech to kiné.
un vétérinaire	vay-tay-ree-NAIR	veterinarian	Ma cousine est vétérinaire.	My cousin is a veterinarian.	Animal doctor, basically.
un ambulancier / une ambulancière	ahn-bu-lahn-sye	paramedic, ambulance worker	Il est ambulancier.	He is an ambulance worker.	Useful in emergency vocabulary.

Service And Food Jobs In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
un serveur / une serveuse	ser-VUR / ser-VUHZ	waiter / waitress	Je travaille comme serveuse dans un café.	I work as a waitress in a café.	Very common travel word.
un cuisinier / une cuisinière	kwee-zee-NYAY / kwee-zee-NYAIR	cook	Mon frère est cuisinier dans un restaurant.	My brother is a cook in a restaurant.	General cooking profession.
un chef / une cheffe	shef	chef, head cook	Elle est cheffe dans un grand hôtel.	She is a chef in a large hotel.	Chef can also mean boss.
un boulanger / une boulangère	boo-lahn-ZHAY / boo-lahn-ZHAIR	baker	Le matin, le boulanger ouvre très tôt.	In the morning, the baker opens very early.	Classic French job, naturally.
un pâtissier / une pâtissière	pah-tee-syay / pah-tee-syair	pastry chef	Elle est pâtissière.	She is a pastry chef.	Dangerous word if you like desserts.
un boucher / une bouchère	boo-SHAY / boo-SHAIR	butcher	Mon grand-père était boucher.	My grandfather was a butcher.	Useful for food and shopping vocabulary too.
un caissier / une caissière	kay-syay / kay-syair	cashier	La caissière est très gentille.	The cashier is very kind.	Common in stores and supermarkets.
un réceptionniste	ray-sep-syo-NEEST	receptionist	Il travaille comme réceptionniste dans un hôtel.	He works as a receptionist in a hotel.	Great travel-related word.

Manual, Technical, And Skilled Trade Jobs In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
un ouvrier / une ouvrière	oo-vree-YAY / oo-vree-YAIR	worker, laborer	Mon voisin est ouvrier dans une usine.	My neighbor is a factory worker.	General manual worker term.
un artisan	ahr-tee-ZAN	craftsperson, artisan	Elle est artisan et fabrique des bijoux.	She is an artisan and makes jewelry.	Same core form in many uses.
un plombier / une plombière	plon-BYAY / plon-BYAIR	plumber	Nous avons appelé un plombier.	We called a plumber.	Excellent emergency house word.
un électricien / une électricienne	ay-lek-tree-syen	electrician	Mon cousin est électricien.	My cousin is an electrician.	Often appears in practical life situations.
un mécanicien / une mécanicienne	may-kah-nee-syen	mechanic	Le mécanicien répare ma voiture.	The mechanic is repairing my car.	Useful for car trouble, sadly.
un chauffeur	show-FUR	driver	Il est chauffeur de taxi.	He is a taxi driver.	Can be used with taxis, buses, private driving.
un livreur / une livreuse	lee-VRUR / lee-VRUHZ	delivery driver	Le livreur arrive à midi.	The delivery driver arrives at noon.	Very current everyday word.
un agriculteur / une agricultrice	ah-gree-kul-TUR / ah-gree-kul-TREES	farmer	Elle est agricultrice en Bretagne.	She is a farmer in Brittany.	More formal than fermier in many contexts.
un maçon / une maçonne	mah-SON	bricklayer, mason	Son père est maçon.	His father is a mason.	Construction trade vocabulary.
un menuisier / une menuisière	muh-nwee-ZYAY / muh-nwee-ZYAIR	carpenter	Mon oncle est menuisier.	My uncle is a carpenter.	Woodworking profession.

Public Service, Safety, And Transport Jobs In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
un policier / une policière	po-lee-syay / po-lee-syair	police officer	Sa sœur est policière.	His sister is a police officer.	Common public service term.
un pompier / une pompière	pon-PYAY / pon-PYAIR	firefighter	Mon voisin est pompier.	My neighbor is a firefighter.	Very common and useful.
un militaire	mee-lee-TAIR	member of the military	Il est militaire.	He is in the military.	Same basic form.
un facteur / une factrice	fak-TUR / fak-TREES	mail carrier, postman	Le facteur passe le matin.	The mail carrier comes in the morning.	Very everyday word.
un agent de sécurité	ahn zhahn duh say-ku-ree-TAY	security guard	Il travaille comme agent de sécurité.	He works as a security guard.	Multi-word profession phrase.
un pilote	pee-LOT	pilot	Elle est pilote de ligne.	She is an airline pilot.	Can also mean driver/operator in some contexts.
un conducteur / une conductrice	kon-duk-TUR / kon-duk-TREES	driver	Il est conducteur de bus.	He is a bus driver.	Often for buses, trains, and official transport roles.
un marin / une marine	mah-RAN	sailor	Son grand-père était marin.	Her grandfather was a sailor.	Less common for beginners, but useful in real life and culture.

Creative, Media, And Public-Facing Jobs In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
un journaliste	zhoor-nah-LEEST	journalist	Elle est journaliste à la radio.	She is a journalist on the radio.	Same basic form.
un photographe	fo-to-GRAF	photographer	Mon ami est photographe.	My friend is a photographer.	Looks very familiar.
un acteur / une actrice	ak-TUR / ak-TREES	actor / actress	Il veut devenir acteur.	He wants to become an actor.	Devenir = to become.
un musicien / une musicienne	mu-zee-syen	musician	Elle est musicienne dans un groupe.	She is a musician in a band.	Common hobby-to-job crossover word.
un écrivain / une écrivaine	ay-kree-VAN / ay-kree-VEN	writer	Mon oncle est écrivain.	My uncle is a writer.	Modern feminine form écrivaine is widely used.
un designer	dee-ZAI-ner	designer	Elle travaille comme designer.	She works as a designer.	Borrowed-looking word, common in modern French.
un vendeur / une vendeuse	van-DUR / van-DUHZ	salesperson	Le vendeur m’aide à choisir un téléphone.	The salesperson helps me choose a phone.	Very practical shopping word.
un coiffeur / une coiffeuse	kwah-FUR / kwah-FUHZ	hairdresser	Ma tante est coiffeuse.	My aunt is a hairdresser.	Very common personal-service job.

Everyday Job Phrases You’ll Actually Use

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Je travaille dans un bureau.	zhuh tra-VAI dahn zun boo-RO	I work in an office.	Je travaille dans un bureau près de la gare.	I work in an office near the station.	Simple workplace phrase.
Je travaille à l’hôpital.	zhuh tra-VAI ah lo-pee-TAL	I work at the hospital.	Je travaille à l’hôpital depuis trois ans.	I’ve worked at the hospital for three years.	Notice the elision: à l’.
Je travaille à domicile.	zhuh tra-VAI ah doh-mee-SEEL	I work from home.	Le vendredi, je travaille à domicile.	On Fridays, I work from home.	Another remote-work phrase.
Je commence à huit heures.	zhuh ko-monss ah weet ur	I start at eight o’clock.	Je commence à huit heures tous les jours.	I start at eight every day.	Useful for talking about schedules.
Je finis à dix-sept heures.	zhuh fee-NEE ah dees-set ur	I finish at 5 p.m.	En général, je finis à dix-sept heures.	In general, I finish at 5 p.m.	France often uses the 24-hour clock.
J’ai un entretien d’embauche.	zhay uhn ahn-truh-tyan dom-BOSH	I have a job interview.	Demain, j’ai un entretien d’embauche.	Tomorrow, I have a job interview.	Very practical phrase.
Je cherche un emploi.	zhuh shersh uhn ahm-PLWA	I am looking for a job.	Après mes études, je cherche un emploi.	After my studies, I’m looking for a job.	Emploi is a common formal-ish word for job.
Je gagne bien ma vie.	zhuh gan-y byan mah vee	I earn a good living.	Elle aime son travail et gagne bien sa vie.	She likes her job and earns a good living.	Natural expression.
Je suis en stage.	zhuh swee ahn stahzh	I am doing an internship.	En ce moment, je suis en stage dans une agence.	At the moment, I’m doing an internship at an agency.	Useful for students and young professionals.
Je suis indépendant / indépendante.	zhuh swee ahn-day-pon-DAN	I am self-employed.	Depuis l’année dernière, je suis indépendante.	Since last year, I’ve been self-employed.	Good freelance/business phrase.

Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

Wrong: Je suis un professeur. Better: Je suis professeur.
After être, job titles usually do not take un/une.
Wrong: Elle est serveur. Better: Elle est serveuse.
Check whether the profession changes in the feminine.
Wrong: Mon père est un avocat, like only “lawyer.”
Be careful: avocat can also mean avocado depending on context. French enjoys keeping things interesting for no reason.
Wrong: Je travaille comme un médecin. Better: Je travaille comme médecin.
Again, no article in this structure.
Wrong: Tu fais quoi? in very formal situations. Better: Quel est votre métier ?
Use the polite version with people you don’t know well.

Quick Reference: 20 Very Common Jobs

French	Meaning	French	Meaning
professeur	teacher	médecin	doctor
infirmier / infirmière	nurse	serveur / serveuse	waiter / waitress
cuisinier / cuisinière	cook	chef / cheffe	chef
vendeur / vendeuse	salesperson	comptable	accountant
avocat / avocate	lawyer	ingénieur / ingénieure	engineer
journaliste	journalist	photographe	photographer
boulanger / boulangère	baker	coiffeur / coiffeuse	hairdresser
plombier / plombière	plumber	électricien / électricienne	electrician
policier / policière	police officer	pompier / pompière	firefighter
chauffeur	driver	réceptionniste	receptionist

Mini Practice

Try answering these out loud in French:

Quel est ton métier ?
Tu travailles où ? — Where do you work?
Tu travailles à temps plein ou à temps partiel ?
Tu commences à quelle heure ?
Est-ce que tu travailles en télétravail ?

You can also build simple answers with these patterns:

Je suis étudiant. — I am a student.
Je suis infirmière. — I am a nurse.
Je travaille dans un restaurant. — I work in a restaurant.
Je travaille comme développeur. — I work as a developer.
Je cherche un emploi. — I’m looking for a job.

Keep Building Your French Conversation Skills

Job vocabulary becomes much more useful when you can actually use it in conversation. For that, have a look at conversational French and practice introducing yourself, asking polite questions, and talking about daily life without sounding like a textbook with shoes.

Yak Takeaway

If you learn just three things from this lesson, make them these: Je suis…, Je travaille comme…, and Quel est ton métier ? Add a solid set of common professions, and suddenly you can handle a lot of real French small talk. Which is nice, because “My aunt is a baker and my cousin is a dentist” is weirdly more useful than grammar charts at parties.