Bakery chef vs pastry cook

The differences between bakery chefs and pastry cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a bakery chef, becoming a pastry cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a bakery chef has an average salary of $40,422, which is higher than the $34,858 average annual salary of a pastry cook.

The top three skills for a bakery chef include culinary, kitchen equipment and food cost. The most important skills for a pastry cook are culinary, cleanliness, and food handling.

Bakery chef vs pastry cook overview

	Bakery Chef	Pastry Cook
Yearly salary	$40,422	$34,858
Hourly rate	$19.43	$16.76
Growth rate	15%	16%
Number of jobs	22,492	136,754
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	Associate Degree, 51%
Average age	42	38
Years of experience	6	4

Bakery chef vs pastry cook salary

Bakery chefs and pastry cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bakery Chef	Pastry Cook
Average salary	$40,422	$34,858
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $58,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Paterson, NJ	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32	Sailfish Club of Florida
Best paying industry	Insurance	Hospitality

Differences between bakery chef and pastry cook education

There are a few differences between a bakery chef and a pastry cook in terms of educational background:

	Bakery Chef	Pastry Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	Associate Degree, 51%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	University of Cincinnati	Cornell University

Bakery chef vs pastry cook demographics

Here are the differences between bakery chefs' and pastry cooks' demographics:

	Bakery Chef	Pastry Cook
Average age	42	38
Gender ratio	Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1%	Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 9.6% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between bakery chef and pastry cook duties and responsibilities

Bakery chef example responsibilities.

Integrate key culinary leaders into casino and food and beverage operations, achieving positive results and industry awards.
Experience in safe operation of commercial food service equipment, including deep fryers, ovens, cook tops, and slicers.
Own and operate successful gourmet restaurant/bakery/catering service
Mix, weigh and proof ingredients in accordance with bakery recipes.
Direct or coordinate bakery deliveries.
Own and operate successful gourmet restaurant/bakery/catering service

Pastry cook example responsibilities.

Manage cold kitchen production for a luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant
Clean steamers, hot @ cold line.
Serve customers ordering at the bistro.
Work in dining room during Sunday brunch and buffets serving desserts.
Engage in meetings including an annual board presentation of USDA budget.
Focuse on maintaining budget while meeting USDA and BSA nutrition requirements.

Bakery chef vs pastry cook skills

Common bakery chef skills

Culinary, 49%
Kitchen Equipment, 32%
Food Cost, 6%
Bakery Products, 4%
Oven Temperatures, 3%
Safety Regulations, 3%

Common pastry cook skills

Culinary, 17%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Handling, 10%
Quality Standards, 7%
Fine Dining, 6%
Food Safety, 6%

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Bakery Chef vs Pastry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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