Careers / Bakers

Bakers — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$37,160

United States, 2025

Employment

236,200

United States, 2025

Typical education

Not recorded

Job Zone 2

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

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

O*NET code
51-3011.00
Job zone
2
Experience required
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

Typical tasks

  • 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.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$28,120
10th
$32,660
25th
$37,160
Median
$44,360
75th
$49,020
90th

10th percentile

$28,120

25th percentile

$32,660

75th percentile

$44,360

90th percentile

$49,020

Most important skills

  • Time Management3.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.0
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Critical Thinking2.9
  • Quality Control Analysis2.9
  • Speaking2.9
  • Reading Comprehension2.9
  • Monitoring2.9
  • Coordination2.8
  • Active Learning2.6
  • Social Perceptiveness2.6
  • Operations Monitoring2.6

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 3 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

3

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Time Management3.02.9Not selected2.9
Judgment and Decision Making3.02.6Not selected2.6
Active Listening3.02.6Not selected2.6

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Chambersburg, PA$48,6402002025
Seattle, WA$48,1803,5602025
Urban Honolulu, HI$47,1501,0902025
Kahului, HI$47,0201902025
Olympia, WA$46,9601802025
HI$46,7101,5802025
San Francisco, CA$46,6004,8202025
Napa, CA$46,3601702025
WA$46,1406,2702025
San Jose, CA$45,4801,2402025
Bellingham, WA$45,2102402025
Vallejo, CA$44,9703002025
Santa Rosa, CA$44,6505602025
Mount Vernon, WA$44,2201102025
DC$44,0401,2702025
Bremerton, WA$43,8501402025
Stockton, CA$43,7604902025
Santa Maria, CA$43,6304002025
Portland, OR$43,4402,5202025
CA$43,12030,0202025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Bakers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.