Bakers
Hospitality and TourismO*NET 51-3011.00United States
Mix and bake ingredients to produce breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, or other baked goods.
- Median annual earnings
- $35,901
- Projected change
- +10.2%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 260.28K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
82.5% of the workforce
Growing to 286.93K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What bakers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Check products for quality, and identify damaged or expired goods.
- Set oven temperatures, and place items into hot ovens for baking.
- Combine measured ingredients in bowls of mixing, blending, or cooking machinery.
- Place dough in pans, molds, or on sheets, and bake in production ovens or on grills.
- 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.
- Measure or weigh flour or other ingredients to prepare batters, doughs, fillings, or icings, using scales or graduated containers.
- Check the quality of raw materials to ensure that standards and specifications are met.
- Check equipment to ensure that it meets health and safety regulations, and perform maintenance or cleaning, as necessary.
- Adapt the quantity of ingredients to match the amount of items to be baked.
- Apply glazes, icings, or other toppings to baked goods, using spatulas or brushes.
- Decorate baked goods, such as cakes or pastries.
- Roll, knead, cut, or shape dough to form sweet rolls, pie crusts, tarts, cookies, or other products.
- Direct or coordinate bakery deliveries.
- Order or receive supplies or equipment.
- Prepare or maintain inventory or production records.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $25,952
- 25th percentile
- $30,594
- 50th percentile
- $35,901
- 75th percentile
- $44,270
- 90th percentile
- $52,227
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $35,901 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+10.2%faster than average
2025260,277 jobs
2035 projected286,932 jobs
26,655 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 82.5%
- Some college
- 9.5%
- Certificate
- 8.1%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- 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.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- 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.
- 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.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Bakers12,198 postings
- 02Cake Decorators9,806 postings
- 03Bakery Clerks5,642 postings
- 04Bakers/Cake Decorators2,064 postings
- 05Bakery Team Members1,525 postings
- 06Donut Makers1,423 postings
- 07Bakery Associates1,385 postings
- 08Bakery Assistants1,144 postings
- 09Night Bakers983 postings
- 10Bakery Wrappers683 postings
- 11Deli/Bakery Managers634 postings
- 12Bakers/Pastry Chefs624 postings
- 13Deli Clerks613 postings
- 14Bread Bakers577 postings
- 15Lead Bakers413 postings
- 16Pastry Cooks403 postings
- 17Morning Bakers350 postings
- 18Production Bakers330 postings
- 19Sales Department Leads330 postings
- 20Head Bakers306 postings
Top employers
- 01Albertsons2,481 postings
- 02Kroger2,398 postings
- 03Dunkin' Donuts1,744 postings
- 04Walmart1,717 postings
- 05Whole Foods1,595 postings
- 06Costco1,336 postings
- 07Safeway1,151 postings
- 08Hy-Vee1,018 postings
- 09ShopRite924 postings
- 10Krispy Kreme894 postings
- 11Sam's Club733 postings
- 12H-E-B722 postings
- 13Food Lion691 postings
- 14Coffee And Bagel Brands535 postings
- 15Meijer534 postings
- 16Einstein Bros Bagels508 postings
- 17United Supermarkets493 postings
- 18Sprouts Farmers Market491 postings
- 19BJ's Wholesale Club447 postings
- 20Pilot Company437 postings
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