What’s your occupation? In this vocabulary list, we’ll learn the names of some occupations in Japanese.

仕事 (しごと, shigotou) – work; job; business; occupation; employment; vocation; task

職業 (しょくぎょう, shokugyou) – occupation; business

Of course, we have to start off by learning what the word ‘occupation’ is in Japanese. As you might be able to tell from the word definitions, 仕事 is a more general term like the word ‘work’, whereas 職業 is more specific, like the term ‘occupation’. One might say that you have 仕事 tomorrow, but you won’t say that you have 職業 tomorrow.

先生 (せんせい, sensei) – teacher; master; doctor

教員 (きょういん, kyouin) – teacher; instructor; teaching staff; faculty member

警察 (けいさつ, keisatsu) – police; police officer

消防士 (しょうぼうし, shouboushi) – fireman; firefighter

銀行家 (ぎんこうか, ginkouka) – banker; bank proprietor; bank manager

サラリーマン (sarariiman) – office worker; company employee; company man

This is a Japanese made term that comes from the English words “salary man”. Used as a general term to refer to office workers drawing a fixed salary.

ＯＬ – female office worker; office lady

Another made in Japan term that comes from the abbreviation of “office lady”. Yes, they literally pronounce it as OL.

作家 (さっか, sakka) – author; writer; novelist; artist

科学者 (かがくしゃ, kagakusha) – scientist

研究者 (けんきゅうしゃ, kenkyuusha) – researcher