Drawing on a phenomenological approach and Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of field, capital, and habitus, this study explores the lived experiences of certified French translators in Iran. The primary aim is to examine how the distribution of symbolic capital—particularly the designation of “principal translator”—shapes perceptions of professional justice, institutional trust, and professional identity. Data were collected from two complementary sources. The first consisted of semi-structured interviews with five certified French translators. The second comprised naturally occurring discussions extracted from a Telegram group of certified translators with 621 members. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in translators’ perceptions of professional fairness, institutional trust, and experiences associated with the status of “principal translator". The findings indicate that many participants perceived the title of “principal translator” as a mechanism contributing to the reproduction of professional inequality. Experiences of discrimination, exclusion, distrust toward both domestic and foreign institutions, and psychological consequences such as frustration and demotivation emerged as central aspects of the lived experiences of translators who did not hold this designation. The data further suggest that some participants described their experiences in ways that can be interpreted through Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic domination. The study highlights the need for greater transparency in institutional procedures, reconsideration of accreditation mechanisms, and closer attention to translators’ everyday professional experiences. It also demonstrates how power relations become legitimized through routine professional practices and contribute to the reproduction of inequalities within the field of certified translation.