If you’re someone who has a real passion for baking sweet treats, and is assertive and attentive, you may thrive as a pastry chef!
Pastry chefs are in charge of all the baking aspects of kitchens and restaurants. They can work in any setting involving pastry: from bakeries to small cafes to large restaurants. To become a pastry chef, you don’t need any postsecondary education. However, many chefs attend technical schools, culinary art schools or complete apprenticeship programs.
Brillat-Savarin already said the invention of a new recipe brings more happiness to mankind than the discovery of a new star. There are plenty of stars already. Few activities provide such gratification to others as pastry. Contributing to someone’s well-being with your work will fill you with satisfaction.
| ID | Job Title | Gender | Age | Earnings | City & State | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33732 | Pastry Chef | Female | 24 | $18,000 | lake oswego, OR | 01/01/2010 |
| 33420 | Pastry And Prep Chef | Female | 35 | $35,000 | Philadelphia, PA | 01/01/2010 |
| 32869 | R&D Bakery Lab Technician | Female | 24 | $32,000 | Anaheim, CA | 01/01/2010 |
If you enjoy making fancy sweet treats or breads, then you might find yourself very well suited to a career as a pastry chef. Pastry chefs are in charge of all the baking aspects of kitchens and restaurants. They can work in any setting involving pastry: from bakers to small cafes to large restaurants. Their responsibilities will vary slightly depending on their experience and who they work for. However, their typical duties and responsibilities include:
Revenue in the food and beverages industry is projected to reach $236,529m in 2020. Pastry chefs, clearly, play a fundamental role in this industry by baking the sweet treats that contribute to the thriving industry. Without pastry chefs, we would not be able to enjoy a dessert with our family or a croissant on a Sunday morning!
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of bakers (which are essentially pastry chefs) is projected to grow 5% from 2019 to 2029, which is faster than the average for all occupations.
This employment growth is expected because the growing population will continue to create demands for specialty baked goods from grocery stores, retail bakeries and restaurants. There will be a slight decline of employment for bakers in food manufacturing, as the use of automated machines and equipment will mass-produce baked goods.
The real key to becoming a pastry chef is to gain experience in the profession. Often, pastry chefs will start as a baker’s assistant. To become a pastry chef, you will normally receive on-the-job training to teach you all he skills you need. Some employers provide apprenticeship programs, where pastry chefs will learn the basics of baking, icing and decorating and study topics such as nutrition, sanitation and basic baking.
Although post secondary education is not essential, many pastry chefs attend a technical or culinary school. Here, they will spend 1 to 2 years studying nutrition, food safety and basic maths. To do this, you must have a high school diploma.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annal salary for bakers/pastry chefs in the United States was $27,000. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,310 per annum and the highest 10 percent earned more than $14,640 per annum. The highest paying industry was bakeries and tortilla manufacturing, which has am median annual salary of $28,320. Food and beverage stores was the second highest paying industry, with an annual salary of $27,940.
A pastry chefs income can vary widely, depending upon whether they have their own bakery/restaurant or works for others, as well as the restaurant quality and type.
In general, a pastry chef should have relatively high autonomy. They are normally in charge of most pastry kitchen decisions, and have control over the sweet treats they present. In terms of flexibility, kitchens are highly stressful places and pastry chefs will have little flexibility to plan their days and the hours they work.
According to Zippia, the best states to be a pastry chef based on average annual salary and number of jobs available, are:
The worst states, according to Zippia, were Ohio, South Carolina, Mississippi, Nebraska and Montana.
The largest employers of pastry chefs in the United States was the bakery and tortilla manufacturing industry, which employed 30% of all bakers. Food and beverage stores hired 26%, restaurants and other eating places hired 20% and 6% of all bakers in the United States were self-employed.
Pastry chefs can work in kitchens, where they work under strict deadlines. The kitchens tend to be fast-paced environments, that must be kept clean and sanitary at all times. Pastry chefs tend to stand up for most of the day. There is a risk of injury, as chefs work with hot ovens, sharp knives and the floors may be slippy (from spillages or cleaning).
Which personalities tend to succeed and thrive in Pastry Chef (baker) careers? Based on our research, there is a relatively strong positive correlation between the following personality types and Pastry Chef (baker) career satisfaction. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t many exceptions, of course, but if you fit into one of the following personality types then we suggest you give strong consideration to a career in Pastry Chef (baker).
There has been no detailed exploration as to what personality traits will make a successful pastry chef. However, it is very possible that successful pastry chefs are ENTJ personality types. ENTJ’s, otherwise known as ‘the commander’, are motivated and assertive. They take charge, and pave ways for others (e.g., like bakery assistants) to follow. They are ambitious and decisive, which is ideal for planning high quality menus. They can spot inefficiency and they work tirelessly to achieve their goals and high standards. All of these qualities are crucial for being a successful pastry chef.
Pastry chefs spend a long time learning and perfecting their skills. Therefore, when they have enough skills and experience to secure a role a pastry chef, they will feel accomplished. Throughout their career, pastry chefs will continue to perfect and develop their skills, providing a sense of mastery. What is more, pastry chefs will feel a sense of accomplishment and mastery every time the produce a beautiful cake or pastry!
The work of a chef has huge meaning and contribution to the food and beverage industry. Without them, the industry would not be able to thrive, as it does so well. However, the work of a chef is not greatly meaningful to the lives of those who are struggling. Therefore, if you are truly passionate about helping those in need, and want a career that does this, you may find the work completely lacks meaning and contribution.
Some pastry chefs and balers will work part time. Many pastry chefs work full time, including early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays in order to prepare fresh goods. The life fit isn’t terrible, but it’s not the most flexible career!
In order to thrive in this career, you must be creative, as you will be in charge of creating new and innovative desserts and pastries. You will must demonstrate leadership skills, as you will need to lead and mentor junior staff. Time management skills are also key to thriving as a pastry chef, as kitchens can get busy very quickly and you will need to be able to prioritize tasks. Excellent hand-eye coordination will allow you to create small masterpieces, which ensures you will thrive.
A strong sense of taste and smell is also key to thriving as a pastry chef, as it is essential that pastries taste and smell good. So, if you love food and are looking for an accessible career with lots of opportunities, then look no further.
It goes without saying that those who are not passionate about food (particularly sweet treats) will struggle in this career. This is because pastry chefs need to taste and smell their food to ensure it is suitable and delicious! As pastry chefs learns their skills through experience, those who aren’t particularly hands on or practical may struggle in this career. Finally, those who cannot think on their feet or remain calm in stressful situations may struggle as a chef, as it is a fast paced jobs where things often go wrong and need resolving (e.g., cakes getting burnt, mixtures not working).
As well as a genuine interest and passion for sweet treats, pastry chefs will need skills and talents such as:
Post secondary education is not essential to become a pastry chef. However, many pastry chefs attend a technical or culinary school to give them the best employment and development opportunities.
The real key to becoming a pastry chef is to gain experience in the profession. To become a pastry chef, you will normally receive on-the-job training to teach you all the skills you need. Some employers provide apprenticeship programs, where pastry chefs will learn the basics of baking, icing and decorating and study topics such as nutrition, sanitation and basic baking.
Pastry chefs will have the opportunity for voluntary certification. This shows that the chef has the skills and knowledge to work at a retail baking establishment.
The Retail Bakers of America offers certification in four levels of competence, with a focus on several topics, including baking sanitation, management, retail sales, and staff training. The education and experience requirements to fulfil this certification vary by the level of certification desired. For example, a Certified Journey Baker requires no education but must have at least 1 year of work experience.
A career as a chef is a fast-paced and technical career that requires you to use creativity and imagination to produce unique and tasty treats. Over the coming years, the demand for chefs is expected to grow, offering lots of job opportunities.
If you want to become a pastry chef, then we suggest getting work experience in the hospitality industry. Whether thats as a pot washer in a kitchen or working at the tills in a bakery, the experience and knowledge is valuable!
To become a pastry chef, you don’t need any postsecondary education. However, many chefs attend technical schools or culinary art schools. Here, aspiring pastry chefs learn about nutrition, food safety and basic maths. Apprenticeship programs are also available.
Part of being a successful pastry chef is enjoying the process. Pastry chefs will spend the entirety of their career developing and advancing their skills and knowledge!
Have a question about Pastry Chef (baker) careers? If so, our mentors would love to help! Just click on a mentor’s profile below and then fill out the “Ask a Question” form on that page. Your question will then be emailed to the mentor, who can then email you a reply.
| ID | Job Title | Gender | Age | Earnings | City & State | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33732 | Pastry Chef | Female | 24 | $18,000 | lake oswego, OR | 01/01/2010 |
| 33420 | Pastry And Prep Chef | Female | 35 | $35,000 | Philadelphia, PA | 01/01/2010 |
| 32869 | R&D Bakery Lab Technician | Female | 24 | $32,000 | Anaheim, CA | 01/01/2010 |
