Bakers do more than just create bread, cakes and cookies. Their responsibilities also include developing new recipes, managing kitchen inventory and ensuring compliance with food safety and hygiene regulations.
If you’re looking for a Baker who’ll help you maximize your resources and enhance your brand’s reputation, we created a job description template you can customize to suit your establishment’s specific needs and preferences.
Example of a Baker Job Description
[Establishment Name] is looking for an experienced Baker who can balance between following existing recipes accurately and developing new ones.
Your day-to-day duties and responsibilities include baking bread, maintaining the cleanliness of your work area and ensuring the quality of all our displayed goods.
If you have at least one year of experience working as a Baker and are knowledgeable in using basic baking tools such as electric mixers, food processors and kitchen scales, we encourage you to apply.
Salary: $[Salary range] per year
Schedule: Full-time (minimum of [Number] hours per week, may include weekends, nights and holidays)
Employee Perks & Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Paid time off
- Commuter benefits
- Life insurance
- Education and student loan programs
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Following recipes to produce bread, cookies and other baked items
- Creating new recipes to cater to our customers’ diverse tastes
- Decorating cakes using a variety of icings, glazes and drizzles
- Ensuring that all the displayed items on our shelves meet [Establishment Name]‘s standards
- Maintaining the cleanliness of the workstation, baking tools and equipment
- Greeting customers and assisting them with their orders
- Assisting the Pastry Chef with duties related to managing inventory, monitoring and tracking sales
Skills & Experience:
- Minimum of one year of experience as a Baker
- Having customer service experience is preferred
- Knowledgeable in cake decorating
- Good attention to detail
- Basic computer skills
- Ability to lift 50 pounds
Education & Certifications:
- High school diploma or GED
- Food protection certificate
How Does a Job Description Help You Find the Right Baker for Your Establishment?
A well-written job description clarifies the duties and responsibilities Bakers are expected to fulfill.
Since they can be employed in various establishments, as seen in the selection of Baker jobs we compiled, there are functions expected of Bakers in a bakery that aren’t expected of Bakers in a commercial setting.
For example, those working in a bakery are expected to engage with customers. In contrast, professionals in a commercial setting or manufacturing facility are more focused on kitchen work, producing big batches of baked goods.
The second reason why job descriptions are important in the hiring process is that you can be specific about the skills, qualifications and experiences required depending on your establishment’s needs.
Following the previous example, if you’re hiring for a bakery, listed below are the skills and experiences you’ll likely need to include in your job description:
- Previous experience as a Baker
- Knowledgable in various baking techniques and recipe development
- Customer-service oriented
For a commercial setting, your requirements might look a little different. You’ll need to focus on skills related to mass production and efficiency as seen here:
- At least one year of experience in large-scale production
- Ability to operate industrial baking equipment
- Excellent problem-solving skills
Lastly, comprehensive job descriptions can be used to evaluate the performance of new hires. During performance reviews, the Head Baker or the Pastry Chef can refer to the job description to discuss areas for improvement based on the agreed list of duties and responsibilities.
What Should You Include Under Baker Education and Certifications?
The minimum educational requirement for Bakers is a high school diploma or GED, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Many Baker roles in major U.S. cities don’t require this as long as candidates have ample years of professional experience.
Food protection certificate
In New York City, food establishments are required by law to have a supervisor at work who has a food protection certificate to ensure consumers’ safety. Not having a food protection certificate holder on duty can lead to penalties.
Given that manpower availability, especially in the hospitality and restaurant industry, can be unpredictable, most establishments hiring Bakers in NYC require candidates to obtain this certificate to avoid fines.
Baker Salary Expectations
On average, Bakers in the U.S. earn $35,550 per year.
Salaries for Bakers can vary widely depending on the following factors:
- Location
- Type of industry
- Educational background
When deciding on the salary, aside from identifying the national average, make sure to check the wages your competitors offer. Factor in employee benefits and perks to ensure your compensation package stands out.
Similar Job Titles
Baker Job Description FAQs
There are a few similarities between the job description of a Baker and the duties of a Pastry Chef, including:
- Creating desserts, bread and pastries
- Ensuring the quality of all the displayed items
- Developing pastry menus
While these roles share these similarities, they differ in specialization. Bakers are mainly focused on baked products, while Pastry Chefs specialize in a broader range of sweets, including chocolates and candies.
In addition, Pastry Chefs often hold management positions, overseeing a team of Pastry Cooks. Meanwhile, Bakers typically work as individual contributors unless specified in the job description that they will supervise a team or production line.
Baking requires knowledge of how certain ingredients interact with one another. Without this, you might waste costly ingredients for your establishment.
So, it would be understandable if you choose not to consider applicants with no professional baking experience.
However, if you have the time and the means to train new employees, hiring entry-level Bakers could be beneficial for your organization as their salaries are generally lower, helping you manage costs.
Having these certifications from the Retail Bakers of America shows an applicant’s commitment to excellence:
- Certified Baker
- Certified Master Baker
- Certified Decorator
