Bakers

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

Also called: Bakery Worker, Bread Baker, Cake Baker, Cake Decorator, Dough Mixer, Mixer, Pastry Cook, Relief Baker, Scaler, Specialty Baker, Donut Maker, Dough Maker, French Pastry Cook, Hotel Baker, Manufacturing Baker, Night Baker, Pastry Baker, Pastry Decorator, Pastry Finisher, Pie Baker, Pie Maker, Production Baker, Restaurant Baker, Store Baker

This is a career information profile, not an advertised job opening.

What the worker does

Measure or weigh flour or other ingredients to prepare batters, doughs, fillings, or icings, using scales or graduated containers.
Set oven temperatures, and place items into hot ovens for baking.
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.
Adapt the quantity of ingredients to match the amount of items to be baked.
Place dough in pans, molds, or on sheets, and bake in production ovens or on grills.
Observe color of products being baked, and adjust oven temperatures, humidity, or conveyor speeds accordingly.
Set time and speed controls for mixing machines, blending machines, or steam kettles so that ingredients will be mixed or cooked according to instructions.
Combine measured ingredients in bowls of mixing, blending, or cooking machinery.
Check the quality of raw materials to ensure that standards and specifications are met.

Skills, machines and equipment

Active Listening
Judgment and Decision Making
Time Management
Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Quality Control Analysis
Coordination
Active Learning
Social Perceptiveness
Operations Monitoring

Education and training

Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (56.94% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

O*NET Job Zone 2: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships

Ask an employer or registered apprenticeship sponsor about current programs, eligibility, training and pay. A career profile does not confirm that a program is available.

Salary reference

32,660–44,360 USD per year · United States · 2025. Source: BLS OEWS via O*NET · 25th–75th percentiles · SOC 51-3011.

Occupational-group wage references are not guaranteed pay for this specialty or an employer's offer.

Career advancement

Develop reliable production, safety, quality, and equipment skills; explore additional processes, senior specialist, or team-lead responsibilities relevant to your workplace.
Ask employers which demonstrated skills, education, or credentials are needed for the next role. Related careers are exploration options, not automatic promotions.

How Do I Get This Job?

Review the skills and responsibilities above.
Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (56.94% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
O*NET Job Zone 2: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.
Compare real openings and confirm requirements directly with the employer.

View available jobs — availability is not guaranteed; sample listings are not real openings.

Related career information

Sources and limitations

O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. ShopFloor adapted occupational grouping, selected manufacturing-relevant occupations, and retained seven legacy guide titles. Specialties and alternative titles are grouped under O*NET occupations; these occupations can also occur outside manufacturing. Source: https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html. No wage, vacancy, certification, or video data is implied. ShopFloor advancement suggestions are general editorial guidance, not O*NET findings or guaranteed career progression. BLS wage ranges, when available, are national 25th–75th percentiles for the source occupational grouping, across industries; they are not local, apprentice, entry-level, or specialty-specific offers.

Bakers