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Él es maestro, pero este año está de mesero.

Él es maestro, pero este año está de mesero.
He is a teacher, but this year he is working as a waiter.
From Lesson 313:Temporary roles (estar de)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Él es maestro, pero este año está de mesero.

Why do we use es for the teacher but está de for the waiter?
This sentence perfectly highlights the difference between permanent careers and temporary jobs. We use ser (es) for someone's actual vocation. We use the construction estar de (está de) to say someone is temporarily working in a role they do not consider their main profession.
Why is there no un before maestro? Shouldn't it be es un maestro?
In Spanish, you drop the indefinite article (un or una) after the verb ser when stating an unmodified profession. You only add it back if you include an adjective, for example, es un maestro excelente (he is an excellent teacher).
Could I just say está trabajando como mesero instead of está de mesero?
Yes, you can! Está trabajando como mesero is totally correct and means the exact same thing. However, estar de plus a profession is a very common, natural shortcut native speakers use to describe a temporary gig.
Is mesero used in all Spanish-speaking countries?
No, mesero is primarily used in Mexico and several other parts of Latin America. If you travel to Spain, you will hear camarero, and in places like Argentina or Peru, you will often hear mozo.

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