Choosing between experience in or experience on can feel confusing, especially when you are writing a CV, preparing for a job interview, sending a professional email, or simply talking about your skills.
Both in and on are common English prepositions, but they do not work in the same way after the word experience Experience in or Experience on.
For example, we normally say, “She has experience in marketing.” But we can also say, “He has experience working on mobile apps.” These sentences look similar, yet the grammar and meaning are slightly different.Experience in or Experience on.
The confusion becomes greater because learners often translate sentences directly from their first language. A sentence that sounds natural in one language may sound unusual in English. This is why understanding experience in or experience on is more useful than simply memorizing one sentence.
The good news is that the basic rule is quite simple. Experience in usually introduces a field, subject, area, skill, profession, or activity. Experience on is more often connected with a specific project, task, topic, system, or piece of work, especially when the meaning is close to “working on.”Experience in or Experience on.
By the end of this guide, you will know exactly when to use experience in or experience on, how native speakers normally use these expressions, which structures are natural, and which common mistakes you should avoid.Experience in or Experience on.
What Does “Experience In” Mean?
Experience in is the most common and important structure when you want to talk about experience in a field, profession, subject, industry, skill, or general area of work.Experience in or Experience on.
The preposition in shows the area where someone has gained knowledge or practical experience.Experience in or Experience on.
For example:
I have experience in teaching.
Here, teaching is the general area of experience.
You can also say:
She has experience in customer service.
Customer service is a field of work, so in is the natural choice.
This is why experience in is especially common on resumes, CVs, LinkedIn profiles, job applications, and professional introductions.Experience in or Experience on.
Basic Grammar Pattern
The common structure is:
have/has/had + experience in + field, subject, area, or activity
Examples:
- I have experience in marketing.
- He has experience in software development.
- She has experience in teaching English.
- They have experience in customer service.
- We have experience in managing large teams.
- My brother has experience in web design.
- She gained experience in sales.Experience in or Experience on.
- I have five years of experience in accounting.
Notice that the word after in can be a noun or an activity expressed with an -ing form.Experience in or Experience on.
When Should You Use “Experience In”?
Use experience in when the following word describes a broad area.Experience in or Experience on.
Common examples include:
- experience in education
- experience in teaching
- experience in finance
- experience in banking
- experience in sales
- experience in management
- experience in programming
- experience in marketing
- experience in customer service
- experience in graphic design
For example:
Ahmed has extensive experience in digital marketing.
The speaker is not talking about one particular marketing task. Digital marketing is the general field.
Another example:
Maria has three years of experience in nursing.
Nursing is her professional area, so in fits naturally.
Why Is “Experience In” So Common?
The word in often means that someone is involved inside a particular area or field.
Think of it this way:
experience in a field
You are saying, “This is the area where I have practical knowledge.”
That is why experience in is normally the safest choice when you are describing professional skills generally.
What Does “Experience On” Mean?
Experience on is possible, but it is much more limited than experience in.
This is an important point when discussing experience in or experience on. You should not automatically use on simply because you are talking about work.
On is usually used when the experience relates to a specific project, assignment, task, subject, system, or piece of work. However, in many of these situations, English speakers may prefer a different structure such as experience working on.
For example:
I have experience working on mobile applications.
This sounds very natural.
You could hear:
She has experience on the project.
But depending on the intended meaning, experience working on the project may sound clearer and more natural.
The Important Difference
Compare these:
I have experience in software development.
This describes a general professional field.
I have experience working on software projects.
This focuses on projects or practical work.
The first sentence uses in because software development is an area.
The second uses working on because the person is describing an activity performed on projects.
This distinction makes experience in or experience on much easier to understand.
Examples of Natural “On” Structures
Here are some useful examples:
- I have experience working on websites.
- She has experience working on international projects.
- He has experience working on mobile applications.
- They have experience working on large construction projects.
- We have experience working on similar problems.
- She has experience working on database systems.
- He gained experience working on the new software.
- I have experience working on several research projects.
Notice something important: working on is often more natural than simply experience on.
So, when deciding between experience in or experience on, do not assume that on is the direct opposite of in. They often belong to different grammatical structures.
Difference Between “Experience In” and “Experience On”
The clearest way to understand experience in or experience on is to focus on the noun or activity that follows the expression.
| Expression | Main Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| experience in | General field, area, profession, or skill | I have experience in marketing. |
| experience in + -ing | General activity or area | She has experience in teaching. |
| experience working on | Specific projects, tasks, systems, or assignments | He has experience working on websites. |
| experience on | Limited and context-dependent | She gained experience on the project. |
1. Experience In = Field or Area
Use experience in for a general field.
He has experience in engineering.
She has experience in human resources.
I have experience in content writing.
These sentences describe a broad area of knowledge or work.
2. Working On = Specific Work
Use working on when you want to identify a particular project, task, product, or problem.
I have experience working on mobile apps.
She has experience working on government projects.
We have experience working on similar websites.
Here, the focus is not simply the field. It is the actual work or projects.
3. Experience In or Experience On in CVs
This is where learners often search for the answer to experience in or experience on.
For a CV, these are natural:
Experience in digital marketing
Experience in web development
Experience in customer support
Experience in project management
But for a project, you can write:
Experience working on e-commerce websites
Experience working on international campaigns
Experience working on software development projects
The second structure gives more information about the type of work performed.
4. Experience In or Experience On With Skills
For skills, experience in is normally better.
I have experience in Photoshop.
She has experience in graphic design.
He has experience in data analysis.
However, when referring to a particular activity, working with or working on may be better:
I have experience working with Photoshop.
She has experience working on data-analysis projects.
So the choice depends on the exact meaning you want.
Grammar Rules You Must Remember
Rule 1: Use “Experience In” for a General Field
When the noun names a profession, subject, industry, or broad area, use in.
She has experience in accounting.
He has experience in education.
They have experience in business management.
A simple question can help:
“Is this a general field?”
If yes, experience in is usually correct.
Rule 2: Use “Experience In” Before an -ing Activity
When talking about experience with an activity in a general sense, in + -ing is common.
I have experience in managing teams.
She has experience in training employees.
He has experience in designing websites.
This structure is grammatically sound because the preposition in is followed by a gerund phrase.
Rule 3: Use “Working On” for Specific Projects
If you mean that someone has actually worked on a particular project, product, assignment, or task, working on is often the most natural choice.
I have experience working on this type of software.
She has experience working on large projects.
He has experience working on school websites.
This is one of the most useful rules for understanding experience in or experience on.
Rule 4: Do Not Add “On” Automatically
Many learners think that because we say work on a project, we should also say experience on a project every time.
That is not always true.
Compare:
I worked on the project.
and:
I have experience working on the project.
The second sentence keeps the natural verb-preposition combination working on.
Rule 5: “Experience With” Is Also Important
Sometimes neither in nor on is the best choice.
Use experience with when you mean familiarity with a tool, person, system, technology, method, or type of thing.
I have experience with Excel.
She has experience with children.
He has experience with customer complaints.
This is another reason the question experience in or experience on cannot be solved by choosing one preposition for every sentence.
Common Mistakes Students Make
Mistake 1: Using “Experience On” for Every Field
A common sentence is:
❌ I have five years of experience on marketing.
The natural version is:
✅ I have five years of experience in marketing.
Marketing is a field, so in is appropriate.
Mistake 2: Saying “Experience On Teaching”
Another common error is:
❌ She has experience on teaching English.
Better choices are:
✅ She has experience in teaching English.
or:
✅ She has experience teaching English.
The second version is especially natural in everyday English.
Mistake 3: Confusing a Field With a Project
Consider:
❌ I have experience on software development.
If you mean software development as a professional field, say:
✅ I have experience in software development.
But if you mean actual projects, say:
✅ I have experience working on software development projects.
The key is to identify whether you mean the field or the specific work.
Mistake 4: Copying a Preposition From Another Verb
Students know:
work on a project
and then create:
experience on a project
Sometimes experience on can occur, but this direct transfer does not always produce the most natural sentence.
A safer professional structure is:
experience working on a project
Mistake 5: Thinking “Experience In” Means Only Jobs
It does not.
You can have:
experience in public speaking
experience in teaching
experience in photography
experience in coding
experience in leadership
So experience in can describe skills, activities, subjects, and professional areas.
Easy Trick to Remember the Difference
Here is a simple classroom trick for experience in or experience on.
Think:
IN = inside a field
ON = working on something
Imagine a large box labeled Marketing.
If you have worked in that field, you have:
experience in marketing.
Now imagine a table with a particular website project on it.
If you worked on that project, you have:
experience working on the website.
So remember:
Field → IN
Project/task → WORKING ON
For example:
Field:
experience in teaching
Project:
experience working on an online teaching platform
This small trick can help beginners make the correct choice quickly.
Another useful memory sentence is:
I work in a field, but I work on a project.
That sentence gives you the basic logic behind many examples of experience in or experience on.
Daily Life Examples
Real Conversations With “Experience In” and “Working On”
Here are practical examples you might hear at school, work, or during a job interview.
1. Job interview
Manager: Do you have experience in customer service?
Applicant: Yes, I have three years of experience in customer service.
2. Talking about a profession
“My sister has experience in teaching English.”
3. Discussing a skill
“I have some experience in graphic design.”
4. Talking about a project
“I have experience working on e-commerce websites.”
5. Talking about technology
“He has experience in software development.”
6. Discussing a particular assignment
“She has experience working on similar assignments.”
7. Talking about management
“Our team leader has a lot of experience in project management.”
8. Talking about a website
“I have experience working on WordPress websites.”
9. Talking about research
“The researcher has experience in academic research.”
10. Talking about a specific research project
“The researcher has experience working on international research projects.”
These examples show why experience in or experience on depends on the meaning of the sentence.
Practice Section
Choose the Correct Option
Choose in, on, or a more natural structure such as working on.
1. She has five years of experience ___ accounting.
a) in
b) on
2. He has experience ___ international projects.
a) in
b) working on
3. I have experience ___ customer service.
a) in
b) on
4. They have experience ___ mobile applications.
a) in developing
b) on developing
5. She has experience ___ the new website project.
a) in
b) working on
Answers
1. In — Accounting is a professional field.
2. Working on — The sentence focuses on specific projects.
3. In — Customer service is a general work area.
4. In developing — The activity is expressed with an -ing form.
5. Working on — A website project is a specific piece of work.
If you can explain why each answer is correct, you have understood the main idea behind experience in or experience on.
FAQs
What is the difference between “experience in” and “experience on”?
Experience in normally refers to a field, subject, profession, skill, or general activity. Working on is usually better when you mean a particular project, task, product, or system. The choice depends on the meaning rather than simply the noun.
Is “experience on” grammatically correct?
Yes, experience on can be grammatical in certain contexts, but it is less common and more restricted. Very often, English speakers prefer experience working on when describing work performed on a project or task.
Should I say “experience in marketing” or “experience on marketing”?
Use experience in marketing when marketing is the general field. For example, “She has ten years of experience in marketing.” Experience on marketing would not normally be the natural choice for this meaning.
Is “experience in teaching” correct?
Yes. Experience in teaching is grammatically correct and common. You can also say experience teaching, which is very natural in everyday English: “She has experience teaching children.”
Should I use “experience in” on my CV?
Yes. Experience in is very common in professional writing when you describe a field or area of expertise. Examples include experience in sales, experience in management, and experience in software development.
Can I say “experience working on a project”?
Yes. This is one of the most natural ways to describe practical work involving a specific project. For example: “I have experience working on large international projects.” It clearly tells the reader what kind of work you have done.
Conclusion
The difference between experience in or experience on becomes much easier when you focus on the meaning of the sentence.
Use experience in for a general field, profession, subject, skill, or area of activity. For example, you can have experience in teaching, marketing, accounting, programming, or customer service.
When you are talking about a specific project, task, product, website, or system, experience working on is often the more natural structure. For example, “I have experience working on mobile applications.”
Remember the simple rule:
Field → experience in
Project or task → experience working on
Also remember that experience with is useful when you are talking about familiarity with tools, systems, technologies, or people.
If you are unsure about experience in or experience on, do not choose a preposition just because it sounds similar to another sentence. Ask yourself what you actually mean. Are you describing a field, or are you describing work performed on something specific?
Once you make that small distinction, your English will sound much more natural, especially in CVs, interviews, emails, and everyday conversations. A little practice with real examples will make the correct choice feel automatic.
Hi, I’m Isabella Foster, an English language writer passionate about making grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills easy to understand. At EnglishVistor, I create clear, practical, and engaging learning resources to help learners improve their English with confidence.
