Bakery Jobs in the United States

Bakery Jobs Overview

Cakes, cookies, doughnuts, fresh loaves of bread straight out of the oven — for many people, baked goods rank at the top of the list of their favorite foods. As the demand for these delicious foods rises, so does the number of bakery jobs. If you enjoy creating tasty treats and interacting with those who purchase and consume them, a career as a baker might be perfect for you. With bakery jobs projected to increase faster than average, the outlook for bakers is hot.

Work environments for bakers range from local cafés and restaurants to national supermarket chains and food service wholesalers. Depending on the facility, the equipment used to create baked goods runs from household kitchen appliances to high-volume mixing machines and commercial ovens. Wherever you do your baking, the goal is the same: to produce quality baked goods that people will love.

Salaries for Bakery Jobs

Depending on where you live, the salaries for bakery jobs vary from $10.90 to $16.96 per hour. You can expect to earn the highest wages in cities with large populations, such as New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. Cities like Las Vegas, Austin, and San Francisco that attract a lot of tourism also pay more for bakery jobs than the national median of $12.96 per hour.

What's the average wage in your community? Check out Monster’s salary page. Use our salary calculator to find how much you'd make as a baker. You'll also find median salaries for jobs in related fields. For example, pastry cooks who achieve chef status earn a median salary of $43,512 per year.

Finding the Right Bakery Job

Landing the ideal job begins with evaluating your career goals. Are you looking for a permanent role with growth opportunities?

Next, think about what matters most to you regarding workplace environments. Do you thrive on social interaction or prefer a more intimate setting? Working in a local bakery shop offers a different experience than managing the bakery department in a supermarket.

When searching for a bakery job that helps you achieve your career objectives, consider practical matters such as scheduling and work-life balance. It's also helpful to take a moment to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. You're more likely to succeed in your new position if you know up front what you can bring to the job and what your employer can expect from you.

Evaluate the Job Description

Review job descriptions for bakery jobs carefully to determine which positions best correlate with your skills, experience, and aspirations. Take note of the tasks listed and the required responsibilities. Are they clear and concise?

Ambiguous or overly generalized job descriptions can be red flags. If the job interests you but you're uncertain if you have the necessary qualifications, consider whether you need additional training to obtain the skills you need to attain the position.

Research the Company’s Culture

Before submitting your application, do a little research. Start by visiting the job listing's website, where you can check out the “About Us” section to learn more about the company's history, mission, and approach to business. This information can help you determine whether you align with the company's culture. You can also garner insight into the firm by finding reviews posted by customers and food critics.

Look for Growth Opportunities

Where do you see yourself five years from now? Chances are good that you'll be asked this standard question during interviews for bakery jobs. Ensure you have an answer ready by thinking about your future now. What are your goals? Do you want to:

• Perfect your cake-decorating skills?
• Become a chef at a five-star restaurant?
• Move into bakery management?
• Run your own catering business?

The secret to building a career in the bakery business lies in securing a job that allows you to grow into your desired role.

How to Apply to Bakery Jobs

Once you've decided to apply for a bakery position, it's time to fill out and submit the application. Before you do, scrutinize the job description to identify the position's central qualifications.

Pay special attention to the tone and language used in the job listing. Is there an emphasis on specific skills? What kind of work experience does the job require? Tailoring each application to match the employer's precise requirements improves your chances of landing your dream job.

Take extra care to follow the job listing's application instructions. These can include formatting guidelines, file types, and specific directions. Before you submit the application, ensure that you have included all required documents, such as a cover letter and the all-important resume.

Create a Professional Resume

When it comes down to securing an interview with your potential employer, a well-crafted resume is a recipe for success. How do you get your foot in the door? Like the ingredients needed to bake a delicious cake, using specific keywords can deliver the result you want: a face-to-face meeting with the hiring manager.

Scan the job description to find words and phrases that describe the position's core qualifications. For example, if the listing stresses the importance of time management skills, list that as one of your attributes.

Resumes should be orderly and concise but not to the point where you leave out notable information. Demonstrate you're ready to get to work by including references, highlighting your accomplishments, and detailing your baking experience as shown in this baker resume sample. Wedding cakes, lattice-laced pies, award-winning brownies — submitting photos of your baking accomplishments can bolster your chance of getting the job.

Most importantly, ensure your resume is error-free. If you don't feel confident about writing your resume on your own, consider hiring an expert at the Monster Professional Resume Writing Service to do it for you.

Tips for Writing Cover Letters

Unless the bakery job listing specifies it's unnecessary, including a cover letter with your application can increase your chances of securing the position. Like decorative icing on a cake, a well-written cover letter lets you express your passion for baking and explain why you're a good candidate for the position.

Less formal than resumes, cover letters also allow you to showcase your unique personality. It helps you sound less like an unknown applicant and more like a genuine person.

Typically no longer than a single page, a cover letter should showcase your accomplishments, experience, and credentials in three to four paragraphs. If you're unsure about using the right tone, style, or format, check out Monster's cover letter tips. Follow the included samples to craft a letter that's certain to capture the attention of your future employer.

Submit Your Application

Once you've completed your resume and cover letter, simplify the application process by signing up for a free Monster account. After you've created your personal profile, you can upload your resume along with your cover letter and apply for bakery jobs directly from your account. Take a moment to set your custom job preferences so that we can send you alerts when more bakery jobs matching become available.

Follow Up the Application

If you don't get a response to your application within a week or two, it's time to follow up! For some practical guidelines, check out Monster's job follow-up tips.

First, try to identify the name of the recruiting or hiring manager, the person responsible for saying "yes" to an interview. You can often glean this information with a quick search on the company's site or a direct call to the employer's front desk staff. If you can't identify the appropriate person, send a follow-up message to the contact on the job application.

While an email is the easier way to go, phone calls are sometimes more effective. Speaking directly with the employer lets you express your enthusiasm for the position. Since more people email than call, it also allows you to stand out from the crowd of applicants.

Whether you email or make a phone call, keep the message short and to the point. Communicate your interest in the job, describe how you could benefit them, and let them know you're available to meet in person at their earliest convenience.

Interviewing Tips for Bakery Jobs

It's an exciting moment when an employer contacts you to set up an interview for a bakery job. Knowing you've thoroughly prepared for the meeting helps give you the confidence you need to secure the position. If you haven't already done so, do your research.

Learn as much as possible about the organization, the job, and the company's culture. The more you know about what the firm wants from an employee, the better your chances of getting the job. For more advice on how to ace the interview, check out our interview tips.

In some ways, preparing for a job interview is like rehearsing for a play. When the moment arrives, you want to ensure you deliver your lines right on cue. How do you avoid stage fright? Study Monster's common interview questions to get started. What's the next step? Practice, practice, practice until you can rattle off the answers easily.

The Interview Process

Whether conducted in person, by phone, or via a video call, each company has a unique approach to the interview process. For some employers, a single meeting is all it takes to determine whether to offer you the job. Other companies require multiple rounds of interviews before they make a decision.

Interview formats also vary from employer to employer. Two of the most popular approaches are known as competency-based and behavioral. Both of these formats focus on the idea that how you performed in the past predicts your future performance. For more information, read about answering competency-based interview questions.

Interview Tips

Even with practice, it's impossible to know ahead of time the exact questions you'll need to answer during your meeting with your potential employer. Using the STAR method can help.

An acronym for "Situation, Task, Action, Result," the STAR interview method lets you answer every query with a short, structured story that shows you in your best light. Check out Monster's overview of the STAR method for more information about this valuable technique.

When the day finally arrives for your interview, dress up to mark the occasion. While dress codes for bakery jobs are typically casual, interview attire is more formal.

There's an exception to this general rule, however. If the employer wants to observe your baking skills during the interview, bring along an apron and appropriate hair covering.

Follow Up the Interview

When a job interview leaves you feeling eager to obtain the position, follow up with a thank-you email within 24 hours of the meeting. A timely message lets the employer know how much you'd like to join the team.

One or two paragraphs are enough to demonstrate your continued interest. Using an optimistic but professional tone, express how grateful you are to have the opportunity to join the organization. Gain extra points by referencing your prior conversation.

If you don't receive a response to your thank-you email within one to two weeks, contact the hiring manager by phone if possible. Take the opportunity to again highlight your qualifications. Briefly mention why you'd be a good fit for the organization and that you look forward to hearing from them soon. If you’re unable to communicate with the employer by phone, send another email.

What to Do When You Get an Offer

Congratulations, you got an offer for a bakery job! A prompt reply helps to seal the deal, but that doesn't mean you should say "yes" immediately.

First, you need to evaluate the terms of the offer to determine if it meets your expectations and financial needs. Respond quickly to the organization with a message of gratitude, letting them know how much time you need to give them a final answer.

If the terms of the offer are different than explained in the interview, ask for clarification. From the salary and benefits to the start date and schedule, ensure you understand every aspect of the offer's terms and conditions.

You'll likely need extra time to accept the offer if you're waiting to hear back from other employers about bakery jobs. Whatever you decide, express your sincere thanks for the opportunity.

Bakery Career Paths

Whether your dreams of becoming a baker began in culinary school or the family kitchen, there's no telling how far your passion for baking can take you. You could start your career working in a local retail store and wind up as the manager of a supermarket bakery. Your talents as a pastry cook could also let you advance to the role of head chef at an exclusive restaurant.

Advancing in your career may also mean you need additional training and experience to reach your goals. In the end, your determination to get ahead could pay off big. If you're willing to take on additional duties and responsibilities, your salary could rise like a loaf of bread baking in the oven.

Possible career paths in bakeries include:

• bakery manager
• chef
• caterer

Similar Occupations

• bakery clerk
• chef manager
• restaurant manager