Jobs Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese: 70+ Easy Job Titles with Pinyin for Beginners

If you want to talk about work in Mandarin, this is one of those topics that shows up everywhere. New people ask, “What do you do?” Friends compare jobs, recruiters ask about experience, and then somehow everyone ends up discussing salaries, overtime, and whether the office has free coffee. Very serious business.

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

In Traditional Chinese, job titles are usually clear and practical. A lot of them are built from simple words you can learn fast. By the end of this guide, you will know how to say common jobs, read them in pinyin, and use them in real sentences without sounding like you copied a résumé from the internet and hoped for the best.

Need a quick baseline first? You can review more basic everyday words in Traditional Chinese basic words and phrases, and if you want to test yourself later, try the Traditional Chinese vocabulary test or the Traditional Chinese placement test.

Table of Contents

Core Work Words You’ll See Again And Again

Before the job titles, here are the building blocks. These words show up constantly in workplace talk, emails, and introductions. Tiny words, big survival energy.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
工作	gōngzuò	work; job	我在台北找工作。	Wǒ zài Táiběi zhǎo gōngzuò.	I’m looking for a job in Taipei.
職業	zhíyè	occupation; profession	你的職業是什麼？	Nǐ de zhíyè shì shénme?	What is your occupation?
公司	gōngsī	company	他在一家科技公司上班。	Tā zài yī jiā kējì gōngsī shàngbān.	He works at a tech company.
老闆	lǎobǎn	boss; owner	老闆今天很忙。	Lǎobǎn jīntiān hěn máng.	The boss is very busy today.
同事	tóngshì	coworker	我的同事很友善。	Wǒ de tóngshì hěn yǒushàn.	My coworkers are very friendly.
上班	shàngbān	to go to work	我每天八點上班。	Wǒ měitiān bā diǎn shàngbān.	I go to work at 8 every day.
下班	xiàbān	to get off work	你幾點下班？	Nǐ jǐ diǎn xiàbān?	What time do you get off work?
加班	jiābān	to work overtime	我今天要加班。	Wǒ jīntiān yào jiābān.	I have to work overtime today.

70+ Easy Job Titles In Traditional Chinese

Here comes the main event. The list is grouped by theme so your brain does not have to sprint through a giant wall of vocabulary like it’s late for a train.

Office And Business Jobs

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
經理	jīnglǐ	manager	她是行銷經理。	Tā shì xíngxiāo jīnglǐ.	She is a marketing manager.
主管	zhǔguǎn	supervisor; manager	主管今天不在辦公室。	Zhǔguǎn jīntiān bú zài bàngōngshì.	The supervisor is not in the office today.
秘書	mìshū	secretary	秘書幫我安排會議。	Mìshū bāng wǒ ānpái huìyì.	The secretary arranged the meeting for me.
會計	kuàijì	accountant	會計正在算帳。	Kuàijì zhèngzài suàn zhàng.	The accountant is calculating the accounts.
出納	chūnà	cashier; teller	出納在櫃台後面。	Chūnà zài guìtái hòumiàn.	The cashier is behind the counter.
業務員	yèwùyuán	salesperson; sales rep	他是汽車業務員。	Tā shì qìchē yèwùyuán.	He is a car sales representative.
銷售員	xiāoshòuyuán	salesperson	銷售員很會介紹產品。	Xiāoshòuyuán hěn huì jièshào chǎnpǐn.	The salesperson is very good at introducing products.
企劃	qǐhuà	planner; project planner	這個企劃很重要。	Zhège qǐhuà hěn zhòngyào.	This project plan is important.
人事	rénshì	human resources; HR	你可以問人事部。	Nǐ kěyǐ wèn rénshì bù.	You can ask the HR department.
行政人員	xíngzhèng rényuán	administrative staff	行政人員負責文件。	Xíngzhèng rényuán fùzé wénjiàn.	The administrative staff handles documents.
接待員	jiēdàiyuán	receptionist	接待員很有禮貌。	Jiēdàiyuán hěn yǒu lǐmào.	The receptionist is very polite.

Education And Language Jobs

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
老師	lǎoshī	teacher	我的老師很親切。	Wǒ de lǎoshī hěn qīnqiè.	My teacher is very kind.
中文老師	Zhōngwén lǎoshī	Chinese teacher	她是我的中文老師。	Tā shì wǒ de Zhōngwén lǎoshī.	She is my Chinese teacher.
英文老師	Yīngwén lǎoshī	English teacher	英文老師今天教文法。	Yīngwén lǎoshī jīntiān jiāo wénfǎ.	The English teacher is teaching grammar today.
補習老師	bǔxí lǎoshī	tutor	我晚上要去補習老師那裡。	Wǒ wǎnshàng yào qù bǔxí lǎoshī nàlǐ.	I have to go to my tutor tonight.
教授	jiàoshòu	professor	這位教授研究語言學。	Zhè wèi jiàoshòu yánjiū yǔyánxué.	This professor studies linguistics.
研究員	yánjiūyuán	researcher	研究員正在做實驗。	Yánjiūyuán zhèngzài zuò shíyàn.	The researcher is doing an experiment.
圖書館員	túshūguǎn yuán	librarian	圖書館員幫我找書。	Túshūguǎn yuán bāng wǒ zhǎo shū.	The librarian helped me find a book.

Health And Care Jobs

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
醫生	yīshēng	doctor	醫生說我需要休息。	Yīshēng shuō wǒ xūyào xiūxí.	The doctor said I need to rest.
護士	hùshì	nurse	護士很細心。	Hùshì hěn xìxīn.	The nurse is very careful.
牙醫	yáyī	dentist	我星期五要看牙醫。	Wǒ xīngqíwǔ yào kàn yáyī.	I need to see the dentist on Friday.
藥師	yàoshī	pharmacist	藥師會提醒你怎麼吃藥。	Yàoshī huì tíxǐng nǐ zěnme chī yào.	The pharmacist will remind you how to take the medicine.
物理治療師	wùlǐ zhìliáoshī	physical therapist	物理治療師教我做運動。	Wùlǐ zhìliáoshī jiāo wǒ zuò yùndòng.	The physical therapist taught me exercises.
營養師	yíngyǎngshī	nutritionist	營養師建議我少吃甜食。	Yíngyǎngshī jiànyì wǒ shǎo chī tiánshí.	The nutritionist suggested that I eat less sweets.
看護	kànhù	caregiver	看護照顧年長者。	Kànhù zhàogù niánzhǎngzhě.	The caregiver looks after older adults.

Service And Retail Jobs

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
服務員	fúwùyuán	server; service staff	服務員幫我們點餐。	Fúwùyuán bāng wǒmen diǎncān.	The server took our order.
店員	diànyuán	store clerk	店員正在整理貨架。	Diànyuán zhèngzài zhěnglǐ huòjià.	The store clerk is organizing the shelves.
收銀員	shōuyínyuán	cashier	收銀員幫我結帳。	Shōuyínyuán bāng wǒ jiézhàng.	The cashier checked me out.
櫃員	guìyuán	bank teller; counter staff	櫃員請我出示證件。	Guìyuán qǐng wǒ chūshì zhèngjiàn.	The counter staff asked me to show my ID.
導購員	dǎogòuyuán	sales promoter	導購員介紹新手機。	Dǎogòuyuán jièshào xīn shǒujī.	The sales promoter introduced the new phone.
美容師	měiróngshī	beautician	美容師很專業。	Měiróngshī hěn zhuānyè.	The beautician is very professional.
髮型師	fǎxíngshī	hair stylist	我的髮型師很會剪瀏海。	Wǒ de fǎxíngshī hěn huì jiǎn liúhǎi.	My hair stylist is great at cutting bangs.
司機	sījī	driver	司機正在開車。	Sījī zhèngzài kāichē.	The driver is driving.
快遞員	kuàidìyuán	delivery person	快遞員把包裹送來了。	Kuàidìyuán bǎ bāoguǒ sòng lái le.	The delivery person brought the package.

Creative And Media Jobs

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
作家	zuòjiā	writer	那位作家寫很多小說。	Nà wèi zuòjiā xiě hěn duō xiǎoshuō.	That writer writes many novels.
記者	jìzhě	journalist	記者正在採訪。	Jìzhě zhèngzài cǎifǎng.	The journalist is interviewing people.
編輯	biānjí	editor	編輯改了文章。	Biānjí gǎi le wénzhāng.	The editor revised the article.
攝影師	shèyǐngshī	photographer	攝影師在拍婚禮。	Shèyǐngshī zài pāi hūnlǐ.	The photographer is shooting a wedding.
設計師	shèjìshī	designer	她是平面設計師。	Tā shì píngmiàn shèjìshī.	She is a graphic designer.
插畫家	chāhuàjiā	illustrator	插畫家畫得很可愛。	Chāhuàjiā huà de hěn kě’ài.	The illustrator draws very cute pictures.
演員	yǎnyuán	actor; actress	那位演員很有名。	Nà wèi yǎnyuán hěn yǒumíng.	That actor is very famous.
歌手	gēshǒu	singer	這位歌手唱得很好。	Zhè wèi gēshǒu chàng de hěn hǎo.	This singer sings very well.

Construction, Technical, And Skilled Jobs

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
工程師	gōngchéngshī	engineer	他是軟體工程師。	Tā shì ruǎntǐ gōngchéngshī.	He is a software engineer.
程序員	chéngxùyuán	programmer	程序員今天在寫程式。	Chéngxùyuán jīntiān zài xiě chéngxì.	The programmer is coding today.
技師	jìshī	technician	技師來修冷氣。	Jìshī lái xiū lěngqì.	The technician came to fix the air conditioner.
電工	diàngōng	electrician	電工正在檢查電線。	Diàngōng zhèngzài jiǎnchá diànxiàn.	The electrician is checking the wiring.
水電工	shuǐdiàngōng	plumber; handyman	水電工明天來修水管。	Shuǐdiàngōng míngtiān lái xiū shuǐguǎn.	The plumber will come tomorrow to fix the pipes.
木工	mùgōng	carpenter	木工做了一張桌子。	Mùgōng zuò le yī zhāng zhuōzi.	The carpenter made a table.
建築師	jiànzhúshī	architect	建築師設計這棟大樓。	Jiànzhúshī shèjì zhè dòng dàlóu.	The architect designed this building.
司機	sījī	driver	司機每天早上載學生上學。	Sījī měitiān zǎoshang zài xuéshēng shàngxué.	The driver takes students to school every morning.

Public Service, Law, And Government Jobs

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
警察	jǐngchá	police officer	警察在路口指揮交通。	Jǐngchá zài lùkǒu zhǐhuī jiāotōng.	The police officer is directing traffic at the intersection.
律師	lǜshī	lawyer	律師幫我看合約。	Lǜshī bāng wǒ kàn héyuē.	The lawyer helped me review the contract.
法官	fǎguān	judge	法官宣布結果。	Fǎguān xuānbù jiéguǒ.	The judge announced the result.
檢察官	jiǎncháguān	prosecutor	檢察官正在調查案件。	Jiǎncháguān zhèngzài diàochá ànjiàn.	The prosecutor is investigating the case.
公務員	gōngwùyuán	civil servant	他想成為公務員。	Tā xiǎng chéngwéi gōngwùyuán.	He wants to become a civil servant.
里長	lǐzhǎng	village or neighborhood chief	里長幫忙處理社區問題。	Lǐzhǎng bāngmáng chǔlǐ shèqū wèntí.	The neighborhood chief helps deal with community issues.

Extra Common Jobs And Titles

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
學生	xuéshēng	student	我是大學生。	Wǒ shì dàxuéshēng.	I am a university student.
研究生	yánjiūshēng	graduate student	她是研究生。	Tā shì yánjiūshēng.	She is a graduate student.
助理	zhùlǐ	assistant	他是我的助理。	Tā shì wǒ de zhùlǐ.	He is my assistant.
翻譯	fānyì	translator; interpreter	翻譯幫忙開會。	Fānyì bāngmáng kāihuì.	The interpreter helped with the meeting.
導遊	dǎoyóu	tour guide	導遊帶我們去故宮。	Dǎoyóu dài wǒmen qù Gùgōng.	The tour guide took us to the National Palace Museum.
飛行員	fēixíngyuán	pilot	飛行員正在準備起飛。	Fēixíngyuán zhèngzài zhǔnbèi qǐfēi.	The pilot is preparing for takeoff.
空服員	kōngfúyuán	flight attendant	空服員很親切。	Kōngfúyuán hěn qīnqiè.	The flight attendant is very friendly.
郵差	yóuchāi	mail carrier	郵差今天送信來了。	Yóuchāi jīntiān sòng xìn lái le.	The mail carrier delivered the mail today.
保全	bǎoquán	security guard	保全在大樓門口。	Bǎoquán zài dàlóu ménkǒu.	The security guard is at the building entrance.
清潔人員	qīngjié rényuán	cleaner; cleaning staff	清潔人員打掃教室。	Qīngjié rényuán dǎsǎo jiàoshì.	The cleaning staff cleaned the classroom.

How To Say Your Job In A Simple Sentence

The most common pattern is very easy:

Pattern	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Pinyin	English
我是 + job title	I am a/an…	我是老師。	Wǒ shì lǎoshī.	I am a teacher.
他是 + job title	He is a/an…	他是工程師。	Tā shì gōngchéngshī.	He is an engineer.
她是 + job title	She is a/an…	她是醫生。	Tā shì yīshēng.	She is a doctor.
我在 + place + 上班	I work at…	我在銀行上班。	Wǒ zài yínháng shàngbān.	I work at a bank.
我從事 + work field	I work in / do…	我從事教育工作。	Wǒ cóngshì jiàoyù gōngzuò.	I work in education.

Notice that 我是老師 is often enough. Mandarin likes short, direct sentences. No need to dress it up like a corporate mission statement.

Useful Phrases For Talking About Jobs

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	English Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
你做什麼工作？	Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?	What do you do?	你做什麼工作？	Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?	What do you do?
你的職業是什麼？	Nǐ de zhíyè shì shénme?	What is your occupation?	你的職業是什麼？	Nǐ de zhíyè shì shénme?	What is your occupation?
我在銀行上班。	Wǒ zài yínháng shàngbān.	I work at a bank.	我在銀行上班。	Wǒ zài yínháng shàngbān.	I work at a bank.
我在一家科技公司工作。	Wǒ zài yī jiā kējì gōngsī gōngzuò.	I work at a tech company.	我在一家科技公司工作。	Wǒ zài yī jiā kējì gōngsī gōngzuò.	I work at a tech company.
我自己開店。	Wǒ zìjǐ kāi diàn.	I run my own shop.	我自己開店。	Wǒ zìjǐ kāi diàn.	I run my own shop.
他是自由工作者。	Tā shì zìyóu gōngzuòzhě.	He is a freelancer.	他是自由工作者。	Tā shì zìyóu gōngzuòzhě.	He is a freelancer.
我現在找工作。	Wǒ xiànzài zhǎo gōngzuò.	I’m looking for a job now.	我現在找工作。	Wǒ xiànzài zhǎo gōngzuò.	I’m looking for a job now.
我想換工作。	Wǒ xiǎng huàn gōngzuò.	I want to change jobs.	我想換工作。	Wǒ xiǎng huàn gōngzuò.	I want to change jobs.
他剛找到新工作。	Tā gāng zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò.	He just found a new job.	他剛找到新工作。	Tā gāng zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò.	He just found a new job.
這份工作很累。	Zhè fèn gōngzuò hěn lèi.	This job is tiring.	這份工作很累。	Zhè fèn gōngzuò hěn lèi.	This job is tiring.
我今天要加班。	Wǒ jīntiān yào jiābān.	I have to work overtime today.	我今天要加班。	Wǒ jīntiān yào jiābān.	I have to work overtime today.
下班後我想休息。	Xiàbān hòu wǒ xiǎng xiūxí.	After work, I want to rest.	下班後我想休息。	Xiàbān hòu wǒ xiǎng xiūxí.	After work, I want to rest.

Common Word Building Patterns

Pattern	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Pinyin	English
noun + 員	staff / worker	店員、服務員、業務員	diànyuán, fúwùyuán, yèwùyuán	store clerk, server, sales rep
noun + 師	specialist / professional	醫生、律師、工程師、設計師	yīshēng, lǜshī, gōngchéngshī, shèjìshī	doctor, lawyer, engineer, designer
noun + 員 / 人員	staff member	行政人員、清潔人員	xíngzhèng rényuán, qīngjié rényuán	admin staff, cleaning staff
verb + 者	person who does X	記者、創業者、工作者	jìzhě, chuàngyèzhě, gōngzuòzhě	journalist, entrepreneur, worker

That -者 ending is useful. It often means “a person who does this thing.” You’ll see it in words like 工作者 and 自由工作者.

Practice Section

Try these quick drills. No pressure. Your future self will thank you when someone asks what you do and you do not freeze like a dodgy Wi‑Fi signal.

Prompt	Answer	Pinyin	English
I am a teacher.	我是老師。	Wǒ shì lǎoshī.	I am a teacher.
She is a doctor.	她是醫生。	Tā shì yīshēng.	She is a doctor.
I work at a company.	我在公司上班。	Wǒ zài gōngsī shàngbān.	I work at a company.
I’m looking for a job.	我在找工作。	Wǒ zài zhǎo gōngzuò.	I’m looking for a job.
He is a salesperson.	他是業務員。	Tā shì yèwùyuán.	He is a salesperson.
We have to work overtime.	我們要加班。	Wǒmen yào jiābān.	We have to work overtime.

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

Mistake	Why It’s Wrong	Better Version
我是工程師工作	Job title should not be followed by 工作 here.	我是工程師。
我做老師	This sounds unnatural in Mandarin for “I am a teacher.”	我是老師。
我工作在銀行	Word order is awkward.	我在銀行工作。 / 我在銀行上班。
她是醫師	醫師 is also used, but everyday Taiwan speech often says 醫生.	她是醫生。
我是個老師	This can sound okay, but often 我是老師 is simpler and more natural.	我是老師。
我在找一個工作	Possible, but often simpler to say 我在找工作.	我在找工作。

One more small note: 職業 is a more formal word than 工作. If someone asks 你的職業是什麼？, they are asking about your occupation. In casual conversation, 你做什麼工作？ usually feels more natural.

Quick Reference Summary

我是 + job title = I am a/an…
我在 + place + 上班 = I work at…
我在找工作 = I’m looking for a job
我想換工作 = I want to change jobs
下班 = get off work
加班 = work overtime
同事 = coworker
老闆 = boss or owner
職業 = occupation, formal
工作 = work, job, very common

If you want to keep going, the next useful step is learning business and workplace vocabulary in context. That pairs nicely with business types in Traditional Chinese and how to write an email in Traditional Chinese. Because yes, jobs are never just jobs. They come with emails. Many emails. Too many emails.

Yak Takeaway: In Mandarin, job titles are often short, direct, and easy to combine with 我是 or 我在…上班. Learn the common patterns first, then the job titles will start behaving themselves.