Baker: Career and Salary Facts

What Is a Baker?

Bakers may follow recipes or create their own to make pastries, breads and other baked goods. They are responsible for preparing and maintaining their equipment, ensuring the use of high-quality ingredients and combining the correct amount of ingredients. Bakers are skilled in preparing dough and observing it to make sure it bakes properly. Once removed from the oven, bakers may finish a product with glaze or icing. Depending on their place of work, some bakers may be involved in hiring and supervising staff, as well as overseeing aspects of the budget. Bakers generally enter the field with a high school diploma and training conducted on the job, but some decide to pursue formal education. A summary of this career is profiled in the table below.

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Does a Baker Do?

As a baker, your main function is to make pastries, breads and other types of baked goods that are suitable for consumption. You mix various ingredients together according to a recipe and then bake the mixture. After allowing baked goods to cool, you package them for retail outlets or for individual clients. As a baker, you might also be responsible for putting the finishing touches on a baked item. This might include icing a cake, decorating cookies or slicing bread.

Where Could I Find Work?

A commercial bakery might hire you to work as a baker. Your responsibilities may involve creating large batches of baked goods for distribution to retail outlets, grocery stores or manufacturers. For example, if you find work with a large bread company, you may manage large ovens, high-volume mixing machines and a crew of employees to make sure that large amounts of bread are baked each day.

You might also find a position working for a small bakery within a grocery store or retail outlet. Your responsibilities might include baking a small amount of fresh products each morning. You might also work at an independent bakery that specializes in artisan breads, cakes, cookies and other baked goods. You might fulfill specialized orders for a variety of products, such as wedding cakes or birthday cakes.

You could also find a position working as a head baker for a full-service restaurant. You may be responsible for baking the breads and desserts featured on the menu. You might work alongside a team of assistant bakers or pastry chefs.

What Education and Training Do I Need?

While it is possible that you could learn how to become a baker through on-the-job training or an apprenticeship, you might want to seek out additional education or training. Some community colleges and culinary institutes offer certificate programs in baking and pastry arts. Such programs typically take about one year to complete and provide you with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to create baked goods. You should learn the basics of food sanitation, baking processes, food purchasing, cost control and kitchen management.

An Associate of Science in Baking and Pastry Arts includes courses related to hospitality theory and business management. It might prepare you to become a lead baker in a large bakery. If you are interested in opening and managing your own bakery, you might want to consider completing a bachelor's degree program in business administration, management or hospitality management.

What Salary Could I Expect to Earn?

Roughly 193,400 bakers worked in the United States in 2020, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The median annual 2020 wage for these professionals was approximately $29,400. In 2020, bakeries, tortilla manufacturers, grocery stores and restaurants employed the majority of bakers.

What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?

Food preparation workers and cooks are a couple of related careers that do not require any formal education. Food preparation workers work in kitchens under the supervision of chefs or head cooks. They are responsible for preparing a variety of foods. Cooks season and cook all types of foods for eating establishments. Chefs and head cooks are also related, but typically require at least a high school diploma. These professionals run a kitchen and oversee the staff as they cook and prepare menu items.