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Baker

What Does it Take to Be a Baker?

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

What Do Bakers Do On a Daily Basis?

  • Develop new recipes for baked goods.
  • Check the quality of raw materials to ensure that standards and specifications are met.
  • Measure or weigh flour or other ingredients to prepare batters, doughs, fillings, or icings, using scales or graduated containers.
  • Roll, knead, cut, or shape dough to form sweet rolls, pie crusts, tarts, cookies, or other products.
  • Decorate baked goods, such as cakes or pastries.
  • Set oven temperatures and place items into hot ovens for baking.

What a Baker Should Know

Below is a list of the skills most Bakers say are important on the job.

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.

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.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Other Baker Job Titles

  • Pastry Cook
  • Roll Panner
  • Dough Mixer
  • Bakery Team Member
  • Bagel Maker

What Kind of Baker Job Opportunities Are There?

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. There will be an estimated 29,100 positions for Baker per year.

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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.

How much do Bakers make 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

What Tools do Bakers Use?

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
  • Sage 100 ERP
  • iPro
  • SoftCafe MenuPro
  • 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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Who Employs Bakers?

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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Other Jobs You May be Interested In

Career changers with experience as a Baker sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

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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