What is the difference between employer and employee?

An employer gives work and pays the salary. An employee does the work for pay.

Can a boss and an employer be the same person?

Yes, sometimes. But boss means the person who manages you, while employer means the one who hires you.

Is employer used for companies and people?

Yes. An employer can be a person, a company, or another organization.

← Dictionary

employer

/ɪmˈplɔɪə/

IELTSAcademic

noun

An employer is a person or company that hires workers and pays them to do a job.

My employer offers flexible working hours.
She spoke to her employer about the salary.
The employer hired three new assistants.

Adinary Nuance

An employer is the person or organization that gives you work and pays you. It is different from employee, which means the worker. It is also different from boss, which can mean the manager, not always the legal hiring company.

In other languages

Vietnamese: người sử dụng lao động
Spanish: empleador
Chinese: 雇主
Japanese: 雇用主
Korean: 고용주

Etymology

Employer comes from the verb employ, which entered English through Old French in the Middle Ages. It began to mean a person or company that gives work to others.

Common phrases

current employerformer employerprospective employeremployer-employee relationship

Synonyms

boss company organization firm

Related words

employee workplace job hire manager

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between employer and employee?: An employer gives work and pays the salary. An employee does the work for pay.
Can a boss and an employer be the same person?: Yes, sometimes. But boss means the person who manages you, while employer means the one who hires you.
Is employer used for companies and people?: Yes. An employer can be a person, a company, or another organization.