Duties and responsibilities
A bakery clerk works at a cash register at a bakery. They are responsible for taking the customers orders for baked goods, bagging the good and taking the customers money. Their typical duties and responsibilities include:
- Greeting customers in a pleasant manner
- Taking the customers order
- Answering any questions about food ingredients, cake designs and other aspects of the baked goods
- Applying ingredient tags and price tags to pre-baked foods
- Operating cash registers and credit card machines when customers pay for their bakery items
- Arranging baked goods in an attractive manner in the display cases
- Removing any stale baked goods
- Keeping the bakery sanitary by mopping floors and wiping counters
- Assisting bakers with measuring ingredients, mixing dough, pouring batter and other basic duties
Qualifications
To become a bakery clerk, there are not formal education requirements! Experience in customer service roles is beneficial. However, it is by no means essential as often a career as a bakery clerk gives you the experience to progress into more senior roles.
Skills and relevant work experience
As well as a genuine passion for sweet treats and baked goods, bakery clerks will need skills such as:
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- Interpersonal skills, bakery clerks will have to interact with customers and with other bakery staff
- Customer service skills, as bakery clerks need to ensure that all customers are served to the highest standard
- Creativity, as bakery clerks need to be able to make displays attractive
- Organization skills, as bakery clerks will have to prioritize tasks in busy times and ensure that the bakery is kept clean and tidy
Hours
Bakery managers will normally work normal full time hours. They may sometimes have to work early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Salary
According to salary.com the median annual salary for a bakery clerk in the United States is $31,085. The lowest 10% earn less than $24,198 per year and the highest 10% earn more than $37,955.
Progression
Bakery clerks can land this role with very little experience. Typically, people start their career as a bakery clerk. After they gain experience in the industry, they will progress to more senior roles. Such roles include a bakery manager or a pastry chef/baker.