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Life As a Baker

Position Description Mix and bake ingredients to produce breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, or other baked goods.

Daily Life Of a Baker

  • Set time and speed controls for mixing machines, blending machines, or steam kettles so that ingredients will be mixed or cooked according to instructions.
  • Observe color of products being baked and adjust oven temperatures, humidity, or conveyor speeds accordingly.
  • Set oven temperatures and place items into hot ovens for baking.
  • Check equipment to ensure that it meets health and safety regulations and perform maintenance or cleaning, as necessary.
  • Operate slicing or wrapping machines.
  • Check the quality of raw materials to ensure that standards and specifications are met.

What a Baker Should Know

These are the skills Bakers say are the most useful in their careers:

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

  • Dough Mixer
  • Sponge Maker
  • Head Cook
  • Pastry Chef
  • Bagel Maker

Job Demand for Bakers

In the United States, there were 191,000 jobs for Baker in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 14,600 new jobs for Baker by 2026. The BLS estimates 29,100 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Baker are Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, Ohio, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Bakers Salary

The typical yearly salary for Bakers is somewhere between $19,880 and $40,350.

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Bakers who work in Alaska, Hawaii, or Washington, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Bakers in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $28,100
Alaska $33,970
Arizona $28,930
Arkansas $25,250
California $30,710
Colorado $31,160
Connecticut $31,240
Delaware $26,090
District of Columbia $33,370
Florida $27,800
Georgia $27,350
Hawaii $35,110
Idaho $26,640
Illinois $26,620
Indiana $24,820
Iowa $26,380
Kansas $26,220
Kentucky $24,010
Louisiana $25,030
Maine $29,180
Maryland $29,040
Massachusetts $33,350
Michigan $26,430
Minnesota $30,930
Mississippi $23,350
Missouri $25,660
Montana $27,560
Nebraska $26,980
Nevada $31,420
New Hampshire $30,830
New Jersey $31,090
New Mexico $25,570
New York $30,990
North Carolina $25,570
North Dakota $29,720
Ohio $27,910
Oklahoma $24,230
Oregon $30,940
Pennsylvania $27,110
Rhode Island $32,780
South Carolina $25,640
South Dakota $26,470
Tennessee $26,610
Texas $25,950
Utah $30,170
Vermont $32,820
Virginia $27,030
Washington $33,300
West Virginia $25,000
Wisconsin $29,670
Wyoming $32,150

Tools & Technologies Used by Bakers

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Bakers may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Web browser software
  • Email software
  • Culinary Software Services ChefTec
  • Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro
  • SoftCafe MenuPro
  • Sage 100 ERP
  • iPro
  • EGS CALCMENU

How to Become a Baker

What kind of Baker requirements are there?

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Where Bakers Are Employed

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Below are examples of industries where Bakers work:

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Similar Careers

Are you already one of the many Baker in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:

References:

Image Credit: U.S. Army Europe Images via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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