What Does it Take to Be a Baker?

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

Life as a Baker: What Do They Do?

• Order or receive supplies or equipment.
• Apply glazes, icings, or other toppings to baked goods, using spatulas or brushes.
• Observe color of products being baked and adjust oven temperatures, humidity, or conveyor speeds accordingly.
• Operate slicing or wrapping machines.
• Check products for quality and identify damaged or expired goods.
• Check equipment to ensure that it meets health and safety regulations and perform maintenance or cleaning, as necessary.

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.

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.

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

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Types of Bakers

• Sponge Maker
• Pan Puller
• Mixer
• Pastry Finisher
• Bakery Team Member

Job Outlook for Bakers

In the United States, there were 191,000 jobs for Bakers in 2016.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.6% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 14,600 new jobs for Bakers by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 29,100 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Bakers are California, Texas, and Florida.

Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, Wyoming, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Baker Average Salary

Bakers Make between $19,880 and $40,350 a year. A Baker median salary is $26,520.

How much do Bakers make in each U.S. state?

Annual Mean Salary by State

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

What Tools & Technology do Bakers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Bakers:

• Microsoft Office
• iPro
• Afcom Datasafe Computer Services FlexiBake
• Microsoft Word
• LegacyUSA BakeSmart
• Microsoft Excel
• SweetWARE SmallPICS
• Sage 100 ERP
• TwinPeaks Software Visual Z-Bake
• Microsoft PowerPoint

How to Become a Baker

Individuals working as Bakers have obtained the following education levels:

What work experience do I need to become a Baker?

Where Bakers Are Employed

Similar Careers

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

• Bartenders
• Personal Care Aides

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons