Are you wondering what the translations of some of the most common trabaho or occupations in Tagalog are? In today’s post, we will give you a glimpse of what the local job market is like in the Philippines and the common words and phrases related to this topic. So if you are looking for a quick way on how to describe your jobs when speaking with the locals, then you landed on the right post. Continue reading below to start learning.
Whether you are planning to travel, start a business, or migrate to the Philippines, it is important that you understand the labor force dynamics. More often than not, traditional Filipino families raise their children with the goal of helping them land the best opportunities in stable fields in various industries. Some of the most popular industries include turismo (tourism), pagmamanupaktura (manufacturing), agrikultura (agriculture), konstruksyon (construction), and serbisyong pang-negosyo (business services).
Instead of taking on an entrepreneurial stance, most of the locals focus more on developing themselves professionally with the aim of getting to the peak of the corporate ladder. For this reason, it is not surprising to find Filipino workers who will willingly work as an OFW than take the risk and start a business.
Vocabulary Related To Occupations In Tagalog
Interested in joining conversations related to one’s occupation? If you are, then you have to learn some of the most common words to use when speaking with the locals. For starters, get to know the related words regarding work and occupation in the table below.
| English | Tagalog Word |
| Salary | Sahod / Sweldo |
| Boss / Employer | Amo |
| Employee | Empleado |
| Company | Kumpanya |
| Laborer | Trabahador |
| Industry | Industriya |
| Task | Gawain |
| Duty | Tungkulin |
| Overtime | Obertaym (transliteration) |
| Work hours | Oras ng trabaho |
| Manager | Manedyer |
| Overseer | Tagapangasiwa |
| Deadline | Dédlayn (transliteration) |
| Deduction | Bawas |
| Benefits | Benepisyo |
| Feedback | Puna |
| Comment | Komento |
| Signature | Lagda / Pirma |
| Service | Serbisyo |
| Recognition | Pagkilala |
| Leave | Liban |
| Incentive | Insentibo |
| Complaints | Mga reklamo / daing / sumbong |
| Evaluation | Pagsusuri |
| Report | Ulat |
Now that you have an idea of the specific translation to every Filipino word related to work, let us now move on and learn the 5 most common occupations in the Philippines.
5 Common Occupations In Tagalog
The jobs in the Philippines are mainly influenced by the types of international companies running in the country. However, based on recent reports, the sector that is gaining momentum is the service industry which is why there is a massive shift in the type of jobs the Filipinos take.
1. Guro – Teacher
Also known as titser, maestro, or maestra, the education industry is so alive to the point that it has managed to attract over 900,000 teachers nationwide. During the onset of the pandemic, they proved to be instrumental in ensuring that the younger Filipinos will get to continue learning through different modalities.
2. Piloto – Pilot
Becoming an aircraft pilot is perhaps one of the greatest dreams of many. After all, who wouldn’t love to sit behind the controls and transport people and important cargos like a real pro, right? In the Philippines, the average salary of an Airline Pilot is around $2million per year.
3. Abogado – Lawyer
While many aspire to become a lawyer in the country, only 20% of the examinees pass the board exam every year. Depending on where the lawyer is affiliated, the average salary per month can go anywhere between 40,000 PHP to as high as 80,000 PHP.
4. Inhinyero – Engineer
There are basically six main branches to engineering but no matter what field you are in, engineers are known to receive a monthly salary as high as 200,000 PHP! They play a significant role in pushing innovation and solving technical problems to help different industries reach new heights.
5. Nars – Nurse
If there is one career that is perhaps very Filipino, then that is being a nurse. In fact, several countries have branded the Philippines to be the top exporter of highly qualified nurses. But, unfortunately, most of the nurses have no choice but to go overseas in search of a better pay rate since the average monthly salary is only 9,757 PHP.
Other Occupations In The Tagalog Language
Of course, there is so much more occupation that you can choose from. In the table below, you will see the translated word for every common job in the country. Please do note that our focus here is on the traditional jobs which have translations. For newer jobs like programmers or gamers, there are no available translations yet. So instead, the locals use the English version of the words when discussing there.
| English | Tagalog |
| Farmer | Magsasaka |
| Designer | Ilustrador |
| Pharmacist | Parmasis |
| Plumber | Tubero |
| Poet | Makata |
| Writer | Manunulat |
| Storyteller | Kwentista |
| Mechanic | Mekaniko |
| Barber | Barbero |
| Beautician | Beautician |
| Shoemaker | Sapatero |
| Clerk | Klerk |
| Gardener | Hardinero |
| Sales person | Ahente |
| Waiter | Weyter |
| Chef | Tagaluto |
| Policeman | Pulis |
| Doctor | Duktor |
| Office worker | Nagtatrabaho sa Opisina |
| Veterinarian | Beterinaryo |
| Architect | Arkitekto |
| Painter | Pintor |
| Artist | Artista |
| Translator | Tagasalin |
| Driver | Drayber |
| Condutor | Konduktor |
| Musician | Musikero |
| Cashier | Kahera |
| Secretary | Sekretarya |
| Janitor | Tagalinis |
And there we have it! Which of those is your job? Let us know in the comment section below. If you are looking for a translation that we have not added here yet, feel free to type it in the comment section, and we’d be glad to provide you with the correct Tagalog word for it.
Practice These Tagalog Occupations!
Learn Tagalog With Ling
Now that we have an idea of the words to use when describing our jobs, we can now easily express and introduce ourselves better. Suppose you enjoyed this post and would love to get more content related to the Tagalog language. In that case, we highly recommend that you check out our previous posts, like the common Filipino last names, interesting details about the Filipino flag, and how to say no in Tagalog.
Also, if you are interested in getting access to best-in-class language lessons in Tagalog, then now is the best time for you to consider downloading the Ling app. The Ling app is a unique language learning app guaranteed to help learners expand their knowledge in Tagalog (and 60+ foreign languages) and develop the confidence to start speaking with the locals. So download the Ling App to discover a gamified way to mastering Tagalog now!
