Bakers : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Summary

Bakers make a variety of breads and baked goods.

Quick Facts: Bakers
2016 Median Pay	$25,090 per year $12.06 per hour
Typical Entry-Level Education	No formal educational credential
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Long-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2014	185,300
Job Outlook, 2014-24	7% (As fast as average)
Employment Change, 2014-24	13,000

What Bakers Do

Bakers mix ingredients according to recipes to make breads, pastries, and other baked goods.

Most bakers work in retail or commercial bakeries (manufacturing facilities), grocery stores or wholesale club stores, and restaurants. Work shifts often include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

How to Become a Baker

Bakers typically learn their skills through long-term on-the-job training. Although no formal education is required, some learn through an apprenticeship program or by attending a technical or culinary school.

Pay

The median annual wage for bakers was $25,090 in May 2016.

Job Outlook

Employment of bakers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2014 to 2024, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Bakers with years of experience should have the best job opportunities, with employment driven by the growing demand for specialty baked products.

State & Area Data

Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for bakers.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of bakers with similar occupations.

More Information, Including Links to O*NET

Learn more about bakers by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.

What Bakers Do About this section

Bakers prepare various types of baked goods and apply icing.

Bakers mix ingredients according to recipes to make breads, pastries, and other baked goods.

Duties

Bakers typically do the following:

Check the quality of baking ingredients
Prepare equipment for baking
Measure and weigh flour and other ingredients
Combine measured ingredients in mixers or blenders
Knead, roll, cut, and shape dough
Place dough into pans, into molds, or onto baking sheets
Set oven temperatures
Place items into ovens or onto grills
Observe color and state of products being baked
Apply glazes, icings, or other toppings

Bakers produce various types and quantities of breads, pastries, and other baked goods sold by grocers, wholesalers, restaurants, and institutional food services. Some bakers create new recipes.

The following are examples of types of bakers:

Commercial bakers work in manufacturing facilities that produce breads, pastries, and other baked products. In these facilities, bakers use high-volume mixing machines, ovens, and other equipment, which may be automated, to mass-produce standardized baked goods. They carefully follow instructions for production schedules and recipes.

Retail bakers work primarily in grocery stores and specialty shops, including bakeries. In these settings, they produce smaller quantities of baked goods for people to eat in the shop or for sale as specialty baked goods. Retail bakers may take orders from customers, prepare baked products to order, and occasionally serve customers. Although the quantities prepared and sold in these stores are often small, they usually come in a wide variety of flavors and sizes. Most retail bakers are also responsible for cleaning their work area and equipment and unloading supplies.

Some retail bakers own bakery shops or other types of businesses where they make and sell breads, pastries, pies, and other baked goods. In addition to preparing the baked goods and overseeing the entire baking process, they are also responsible for hiring, training, and supervising their staff. They must budget for and order supplies, set prices, and decide how much to produce each day.

Work Environment About this section

Bakers stand for extended periods while they prepare dough.

Bakers held about 185,300 jobs in 2014. The largest employers of bakers were as follows:

Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing	28%
Grocery stores	26
Restaurants and other eating places	16

About 1 in 20 bakers were self-employed in 2014.

The work can be stressful because bakers follow time-sensitive baking procedures and often work under strict deadlines. For example, bakers must follow daily production schedules to bake products in sufficient quantities while maintaining consistent quality. In manufacturing facilities, they often work with other production workers, such as helpers and maintenance staff, so that equipment is cleaned and ready.

Bakers are exposed to high temperatures when working around hot ovens. They stand for hours at a time while observing the baking process, making the dough, or cleaning the baking equipment.

Bakers who run their own business often spend additional hours managing all aspects of the business to ensure bills and salaries are paid, supplies are ordered, and the business is profitable.

Injuries and Illnesses

Bakeries, especially large manufacturing facilities, are filled with potential dangers such as hot ovens, mixing machines, and dough cutters. As a result, bakers have a higher rate of injuries and illnesses than the national average.

Although their work is generally safe, bakers may endure back strains caused by lifting or moving heavy bags of flour or other products. Other common risks include cuts, scrapes, and burns. To reduce these risks, bakers often wear back supports, aprons, and gloves.

Work Schedules

About 3 in 10 bakers worked part time in 2014.

Grocery stores and restaurants, which employed about 40 percent of bakers in 2014, sell freshly baked goods throughout the day. As a result, bakers are often scheduled to work shifts during early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Bakers who work in commercial bakeries that bake continuously may have to work late evenings and weekends.

How to Become a Baker About this section

On-the-job training is the most common method of learning for bakers.

Long-term on-the-job training is the most common path to gain the skills necessary to become a baker. Some bakers start their careers through an apprenticeship program or by attending a technical or culinary school. No formal education is required.

Education

Although there are no formal education requirements to become a baker, some candidates attend a technical or culinary school. Programs generally last from 1 to 2 years and cover nutrition, food safety, and basic math. To enter these programs, candidates may be required to have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Training

Most bakers learn their skills through long-term on-the-job training, typically lasting 1 to 3 years. Some employers may provide apprenticeship programs for aspiring bakers. Bakers in specialty bakery shops and grocery stores often start as apprentices or trainees and learn the basics of baking, icing, and decorating. They usually study topics such as nutrition, sanitation procedures, and basic baking. Some participate in correspondence study and may work toward a certificate in baking.

In manufacturing facilities, commercial bakers learn how to operate and maintain the industrial mixing and blending equipment that is used to produce baked goods. They also learn how to combine ingredients and how temperature and humidity affect ingredients and the baking process.

Other Experience

Some bakers learn their skills through work experience related to baking. For example, they may start as a baker’s assistant and progress into a full-fledged baker as they learn baking techniques.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Certification is voluntary and shows that a baker has the skills and knowledge to work at a retail baking establishment.

The Retail Bakers of America offers certification in four levels of competence, with a focus on several topics, including baking sanitation, management, retail sales, and staff training. Those who wish to become certified must satisfy a combination of education and experience requirements before taking an exam.

The education and experience requirements vary by the level of certification desired. For example, a Certified Journey Baker requires no education but must have at least 1 year of work experience. A Certified Baker must have 4 years of work experience and 30 hours of sanitation coursework, and a Certified Master Baker must have 8 years of work experience, 30 hours of sanitation coursework, and 30 hours of professional development education.

Important Qualities

Detail oriented. Bakers must closely monitor their products in the oven to keep them from burning. They also should have an eye for detail because many pastries and cakes require intricate decorations.

Math skills. Bakers must possess basic math skills, especially knowledge of fractions, in order to precisely mix recipes, weigh ingredients, or adjust mixes.

Physical stamina. Bakers stand on their feet for extended periods while they prepare dough, monitor baking, or package baked goods.

Physical strength. Bakers should be able to lift and carry heavy bags of flour and other ingredients, which may weigh up to 50 pounds.

Pay About this section

Bakers

Median annual wages, May 2016

Total, all occupations: $37,040
Food processing workers: $26,280
Bakers: $25,090

The median annual wage for bakers was $25,090 in May 2016. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $18,640, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $39,050.

In May 2016, the median annual wages for bakers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing	$25,200
Grocery stores	24,770
Restaurants and other eating places	24,530

About 3 in 10 bakers worked part time in 2014.

Grocery stores and restaurants, which employed about 40 percent of all bakers in 2014, sell freshly baked goods throughout the day. As a result, bakers are often scheduled to work shifts during early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Bakers who work in commercial bakeries that bake continuously may have to work late evenings and weekends.

Bakers who run their own businesses often spend additional hours managing all aspects of the business to ensure bills and salaries are paid, supplies are ordered, and the business is profitable.

Job Outlook About this section

Bakers

Percent change in employment, projected 2014-24

Bakers: 7%
Total, all occupations: 7%
Food processing workers: 3%

Employment of bakers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2014 to 2024, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Population and income growth are expected to result in greater demand for specialty baked goods, such as cupcakes, pies, and cakes, from grocery stores, retail bakeries, and restaurants.

However, employment of bakers is projected to decline in food manufacturing as these facilities increasingly use automated machines and equipment to mass-produce baked goods.

Job Prospects

Job opportunities will be very good because of the need to replace workers who leave the occupation every year. Bakers with years of experience, particularly in preparing specialty baked products, should have the best job opportunities.

Employment projections data for bakers, 2014-24
Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2014	Projected Employment, 2024	Change, 2014-24		Employment by Industry
Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2014	Projected Employment, 2024	Percent	Numeric	Employment by Industry
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Bakers	51-3011	185,300	198,300	7	13,000	[XLSX]

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area.

Bakers

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

Career InfoNet

America’s Career InfoNet includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

Similar Occupations About this section

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of bakers.

Occupation	Job Duties	ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION	2016 MEDIAN PAY
Chefs and Head Cooks	Chefs and head cooks oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other places where food is served. They direct kitchen staff and handle any food-related concerns.	High school diploma or equivalent	$43,180
Cooks	Cooks prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods, which may include soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.	See How to Become One	$22,850
Food Preparation Workers	Food preparation workers perform many routine tasks under the direction of cooks, chefs, or food service managers. Food preparation workers prepare cold foods, slice meat, peel and cut vegetables, brew coffee or tea, and perform many other food service tasks.	No formal educational credential	$21,440
Food and Tobacco Processing Workers	Food and tobacco processing workers operate equipment that mixes, cooks, or processes ingredients used in the manufacture of food and tobacco products.	See How to Become One	$27,110