Baking is less about cooking and more about scientific innovation.
To bakers, a golden sourdough loaf or a fragile, delicious macaron is a complex work of art.
If you are looking to turn your favorite hobby into a career, know that it requires precision, stamina, and early hours in the kitchen.
You’ll need to understand how concepts such as baker’s percentages and recipe development work.
Here is a roadmap to help you start your career as a professional baker.
Steps to Becoming a Baker
- Step 1: Master baking fundamentals and core techniques. You can complete this training via any of the four educational career paths: professional school, online learning, a mentoring program, or self-teaching.
- Step 2: Decide whether to specialize. Specialization allows you to stand out in the industry. For example, you could create vegan pastries or themed cupcakes. Specialization can lead to more opportunities but also requires more training.
- Step 3: Consider job opportunities in various industries. You’ll find baking jobs at resorts, restaurants, clubs, and even retirement communities. Each opportunity allows you to build your skills and meet your goals.
- Step 4: Develop your career path: Decide where you want your baking career to take you. Are you looking to work at a five-star resort or a Michelin restaurant? Maybe your ultimate goal is to own your own business.
Online Training and Other Educational Pathways for Bakers
Your path to becoming a baker is flexible and includes classroom and online training.
Culinary or Baking Schools for a College-Level Degree
Culinary or baking schools offer professional education in the Baking and Pastry Arts.
Some well-known baking schools include:
- The Culinary Institute of America (CIA): One of the highest-regarded culinary schools. It offers world-class training with programs that range from 15 months to 38 months. At CIA, you can earn an Associate Degree or a Bachelor’s Degree in Baking & Pastry Arts.
- Johnson & Wales University: Offers a Bachelor’s Degree program in Baking & Pastry Arts. This school is one of the most recognized for culinary education.
Online Baking Classes
In today’s digital world, online courses are becoming increasingly common across industries, including baking.
Culinary schools and even some well-known bakeries offer online baking classes.
They may include a full culinary program that provides a certificate or degree.
Some schools and bakeries may also offer on-demand classes where you pay for a single course.
For example, you may pay just to learn to make sourdough or bake gluten-free.
You’ll find online baking programs offered at:
- Boston University (BU): Offers online certification programs in culinary arts and baking. The Professional Baking Arts Program is a 14-week commitment to learning from acclaimed pastry chefs and bakers. It includes ServSafe & Allergy Awareness certifications.
- Institute of Culinary Education: A comprehensive baking training program that includes online training and an industry externship. The online curriculum consists of 900 hours of instruction on the fundamentals of baking. For the next 16 months, you can attend live online labs or watch them on demand to fit your schedule. It also includes online teaching modules covering operations, menu planning, and recipe design. Once you complete the online education, the school matches you with a local bakery or restaurant to gain real-world experience.
There are also online tutorials that let you teach yourself to bake at home.
This is an option for those who want to own their own bakery or catering business.
If you can demonstrate your skills, it may be sufficient to enter an apprenticeship program.
This approach doesn’t provide the same foundational training as the other options.
It is basically trial-and-error learning that can be costly and take years to perfect.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeship programs may be available regardless of whether you earn a degree in Baking & Pastry Arts or take online baking classes.
Some bakeries hire entry-level bakers and train them, even if they lack baking experience.
This allows you to start your career as an assistant baker or prep baker and grow in the field.
Baking vs. Cooking: What Is the Difference?
Most professional chefs will tell you that cooking is as much about instinct and improvisation as it is about following a recipe.
Baking is different because it is more of an exact science.
It is driven by:
Chemistry
- Caramelization: The breaking down of sugars using heat.
- Leavening: Fermentation caused by yeast, baking soda, or baking powder. This is what causes baked goods to rise.
- Maillard browning: Heating of sugars and amino acids to create flavors and golden crusts.
Physics
- Transfer of heat: How heat changes the structure of batter, causing vaporization and bubbles.
- Reactions of proteins and starches: Heat during baking coagulates proteins, such as egg, to provide structure to the product. Starches gelatinize or thicken to add shape.
Biology
- Living organisms, specifically yeast, are critical components in proofing dough. It is the process of yeast consuming sugar that causes the dough to rise.
- A slight measurement error or poor technique can change the outcome of the baked good.
Licensing and Certification Requirements
Licensing and certification requirements may vary based on local regulations.
Most states require a basic food handler’s permit that covers food safety and methods for preventing contamination.
Professional bakers can apply for industry certifications from Retail Bakers of America (RBA).
They provide three levels of certification:
- Certified Journey Baker (CJB)
- Certified Baker (CB)
- Certified Master Baker (CMB)
Each level requires verified experience, and you must pass an exam to show your skills.
Salaries
The national yearly average salary for bakers is $35,550.
However, wages for bakers vary based on location, specialty, and working environment.
The listed data are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as of 2023.
Location
The salary offered to bakers can depend on the concentration of jobs in the area and the labor market.
The states with the highest concentration of available jobs include:
- Vermont: Annual mean wage = $37,250 annually or $17.91 per hour
- Maine: Annual mean wage = $37,000 annually or $17.79 per hour
- Montana: Annual mean wage = $34,940 annually or $16.80 per hour
- Rhode Island: Mean annual salary = $34,570 annually or $16.62 per hour
- Utah: Annual mean wage = $33,040 annually or $15.89 per hour
States with the densest labor market for bakers include:
- California: Annual mean wage = $40,680 annually or $19.56 per hour
- New York: Annual mean wage = $40,680 annually or $19.56 per hour.
- Illinois: Annual mean wage = $35,920 annually or $17.27 per hour.
- Florida: Annual mean wage = $34,190 annually or $16.44 per hour.
- Texas: Annual mean wage = $30,580 annually or $14.70 per hour.
Industry
There are also variations by industry.
On average, bakeries pay $17.19 per hour, for an annual salary of $35,750, while restaurants pay $15.99 per hour, for a yearly salary of $33,250.
The top-paying industries for bakers include travel and accommodation (hotels and resorts) at $46,080 annually ($22.15 per hour) and Civic and Social Organizations (veterans’ groups, clubs, and neighborhood associations) at $45,010 annually ($21.64 per hour).
Baking is an industry that offers a variety of opportunities for those who love science, working in the kitchen, and creating edible art.
U.S. Average Salary: $64,720
Salary Information by State
| State | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,280 | $63,800 | $30.67 | $84,860 | $36,570 |
| Alaska | 780 | $60,810 | $29.23 | $89,180 | $32,270 |
| Arizona | 3,260 | $65,930 | $31.70 | $96,440 | $38,150 |
| Arkansas | 950 | $56,450 | $27.14 | $85,380 | $35,820 |
| California | 26,500 | $71,350 | $34.30 | $100,580 | $45,500 |
| Connecticut | 3,600 | $71,630 | $34.44 | $112,660 | $40,380 |
| Delaware | 490 | $67,330 | $32.37 | $86,140 | $44,840 |
| D.C. | 1,940 | $79,090 | $38.02 | $109,370 | $55,130 |
| Florida | 17,170 | $62,540 | $30.07 | $98,960 | $31,040 |
| Georgia | 4,390 | $57,970 | $27.87 | $86,420 | $36,420 |
| Hawaii | 830 | $92,690 | $44.56 | $129,990 | $70,340 |
| Idaho | 420 | $54,940 | $26.41 | $79,740 | $36,000 |
| Illinois | 5,540 | $63,360 | $30.46 | $95,830 | $35,290 |
| Indiana | 1,140 | $60,190 | $28.94 | $90,060 | $36,620 |
| Iowa | 1,500 | $48,630 | $23.38 | $71,460 | $29,960 |
| Kansas | 980 | $60,920 | $29.29 | $87,960 | $35,590 |
| Kentucky | 1,860 | $51,800 | $24.91 | $87,550 | $27,110 |
| Louisiana | 1,860 | $44,940 | $21.61 | $77,330 | $22,500 |
| Maine | 1,290 | $57,550 | $27.67 | $76,800 | $45,140 |
| Maryland | 3,310 | $64,130 | $30.83 | $93,110 | $37,440 |
| Massachusetts | 5,330 | $75,900 | $36.49 | $111,360 | $48,070 |
| Michigan | 5,310 | $59,170 | $28.45 | $77,030 | $38,730 |
| Minnesota | 1,630 | $63,800 | $30.67 | $91,820 | $46,220 |
| Mississippi | 950 | $50,150 | $24.11 | $80,420 | $28,580 |
| Missouri | 1,590 | $62,180 | $29.89 | $90,960 | $35,720 |
| Montana | 500 | $58,090 | $27.93 | $78,990 | $38,020 |
| Nebraska | 600 | $66,690 | $32.06 | $111,300 | $40,880 |
| Nevada | 4,560 | $62,140 | $29.87 | $92,160 | $35,200 |
| New Hampshire | 1,260 | $61,370 | $29.51 | $90,170 | $36,970 |
| New Jersey | 6,060 | $75,020 | $36.07 | $99,510 | $53,250 |
| New Mexico | 400 | $60,750 | $29.21 | $89,030 | $43,510 |
| New York | 15,420 | $70,200 | $33.75 | $100,730 | $42,150 |
| North Carolina | 4,100 | $66,330 | $31.89 | $98,580 | $42,290 |
| North Dakota | 90 | $71,280 | $34.27 | $98,020 | $45,550 |
| Ohio | 4,040 | $60,700 | $29.19 | $97,920 | $37,030 |
| Oklahoma | 1,210 | $51,420 | $24.72 | $78,090 | $17,120 |
| Oregon | 3,640 | $63,720 | $30.64 | $87,820 | $44,470 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,060 | $62,500 | $30.05 | $90,210 | $39,880 |
| Rhode Island | 700 | $87,950 | $42.28 | $122,840 | $64,990 |
| South Carolina | 2,000 | $64,050 | $30.79 | $88,430 | $42,810 |
| South Dakota | 290 | $47,900 | $23.03 | $55,390 | $37,640 |
| Tennessee | 2,720 | $62,210 | $29.91 | $87,010 | $40,810 |
| Texas | 16,550 | $55,130 | $26.51 | $86,210 | $30,030 |
| Utah | 1,880 | $50,400 | $24.23 | $80,010 | $27,110 |
| Vermont | 530 | $68,650 | $33.00 | $89,250 | $52,000 |
| Virginia | 3,900 | $62,120 | $29.86 | $81,730 | $43,570 |
| Washington | 3,840 | $71,430 | $34.34 | $97,970 | $49,920 |
| West Virginia | 310 | $65,150 | $31.32 | $105,560 | $38,490 |
| Wisconsin | 2,130 | $62,300 | $29.95 | $90,560 | $32,180 |
| Wyoming | 330 | $69,510 | $33.42 | $93,920 | $46,590 |
| Guam | 190 | $44,800 | $21.54 | $75,390 | $28,320 |
| Puerto Rico | 630 | $35,780 | $17.20 | $50,400 | $21,510 |
| Virgin Islands | 280 | $67,990 | $32.69 | $100,860 | $34,930 |
* Employment opportunities may differ based on your location.
